Archtop & Solidbody. Languedoc inspired

WezV · October 2021

Time to start planning the next one. Going to go for a different shape this time.

First thing first, I need to make some plans. So with a head on picture, and some dimensions from @PhilKing ;; I managed to print out a tiled PDF of the right size. It looked tiny, so I had to check with an actual part

I'm gathering woods. so far we have a walnut back and sides. Back will be flat/domed rather than carved. Some cherry as an option for the carved top, and some other bits of wood on the way

Next job will be to make a mold and template set and we will be on our way

PhilKing · October 2021

It is about the same as a PRS but offset I think. I'll try to get the tailpiece, bridge and machines off to you next week. Also, don't know that you need to do all the binding (unless you want to).

davros · October 2021

Subbed! Love a WezV build thread!!

WezV · November 2021

had a wood delivery last week, including a snakewood fretboard that may be used on this. its a bit sappy, which i will either include, or avoid... but should be an interesting one to work with

the delivery also included a streaky paduak neck blank which may get sliced down the middle for a laminated blank for this, as well as a selection of other alternative fretboard woods including.

Bocote. Its a bit yellow in the pic below as its freshly planed, but changes colour to a brown and orange streaky wood quite quickly

Purpleheart. Its a lot like ebony, but purply grey at first, then deeper purple, then eventually one day it will be brown

Carapay - called patagonion rosewood by some, but not a real rosewood, closer to Gonco alves.

Indian laurel. Its actually the same genus as korina/idigo/limba, just a lot darker and harder than those trees. you know it from recent squiers, this piece is more consistently dark though.

all relatively sustainable, or at least not any concern for CITES.

davros · November 2021

Nice selection. For the ones that change colour over time, is that oxidation? Would finishing them relatively quickly retain the original colour?

WezV · November 2021

bocote looks much better once the yellowness has gone, its a very quick change. The main thing with it is it can be very oily, and hard to glue because of it... its caught me out before.

Paduak and purpleheart can be delayed with the use of some finishes that protect against UV.

Ive used all those a few times before, not sure on the others.

WezV · November 2021

time to start on templates and molds.

template first. I transferred the outline from my tiled print to MDF and cut to shape. i don't really need a full body template for a hollowbody build, but it will come in handy at a few point such as shaping internal blocks or pre-bending binding... plus i liek the shape and may be a solid body or chambered version

underneath are 4 more strips of MDF. this will give me a 1 1/2" thick mold for the body

i wont cut the final outline till both layers are glued together, but its important to think about the reach of your clamps and locations of internal blocks when making the mold.

ThePrettyDamned · November 2021

Following. Best threads going!

WezV · November 2021

top layer is cut, note the drill holes at the points as i will leave the bent sides a little longer until glued to internal block. the second layer is marked inside the line, ready to be rough cut. It will then be joined to the top layer and routed to match

PhilKing · November 2021

I wondered why you had the outline around the shape, but the clamp reach explains that. I was going to ask if that would affect the stability, but I guess with a laminate and that thickness, it will be pretty solid anyway. Was the Bocate you used before on the Canary wood fingerboard Ibanez style neck you made for me? If so, it is in great shape and still well glued!

Image: https://i.imgur.com/dMivaOj.jpg?1

WezV · November 2021

with the mold its about getting a balance between stability and workability. the clamp for attaching the neck block will need to reach about 3-4" into the center of the guitar. I've also made sure to add flat areas where my main clamping points will be.

I forgot about that neck, yes i think that was bocote, although a lighter grade than this fretboard. I remember doing a laminated bocote neck where it just fell part as if it hadn't even been glue. Just a case of remembering to glue freshly scraped surfaces, and wipe down with thinners or naptha prior to gluing

Andyjr1515 · November 2021

Excellent! Another one

I've used snakewood for the fretboard on a couple of builds. It behaves itself well - MUCH easier to work with than the really oily woods like cocobolo.

WezV · November 2021

we have a mold and template

MDF isn;t really the best material for this if you plan on making loads, but it should survive a few guitar builds without issues. I have brushed on a few coats of sealer to help extend its life. Checked with my clamps and i don't really need to cut it down further, but can always do it later if i am struggling at any point

WezV · November 2021

starting with the padauk neck blank on this. I am cutting laminates from the blank shown above. The plan is for a thin strip of maple down the middle with some thin black veneer between

i cut the maple laminate first, then used this as a template to mark out the paduak. I have left everything oversized so it can be tidied up after gluing. also left some extra tabs so I can pin it to prevent slipping when I glue it all together

The paduak is very streaky, should give a fun raspberry ripple look to the final neck.

not sure how its going to look yet, but the whole guitar is likely to be trans cherry red, so it should be interesting

PhilKing · November 2021

Really interesting grain in that Wez. It will look great with the trans red.

WezV · November 2021

I think it should be interesting. Certainly seems stable but it won't look right for this till the cherry hits it. This is always the dilemma with sap wood. In some woods you avoid it. It others it's just a colour difference. 99% sure it's just a colour difference here as it cut the same regardless of colour..... and smelled just like the solid red paduak I have used before.

I also put the Namibian rosewood through the planer earlier and wondered if that would be good for a neck too. Grains not perfect for that, with a bit of flame and a few pin knots, but it seems very stable. Also very pink straight from the planer. Likely prettier as a top though

PhilKing · November 2021

It is sounding really interesting. Can't wait to see how it looks. I know Marc is working on the pickups, so that will be another thing to see how they come out (and sound!).

Andyjr1515 · November 2021

Looking good.

WezV · November 2021

done some alignment plugs for the neck lams just to be absolutely sure they don't move during glue up. 2 will be cut away after, one will live deep inside the heel

WezV · December 2021

This may become 2 builds, an archtop and a solidbody.

the template has been staring at me recently, and after a few hours not sleeping the other night I did a quick doodle on it... still needs refining but i liek the concept

Not gonna lie, I saw this build from Jersey Girl guitars earlier in the day and it set my brain off. The pickups and plate are all one piece of wood, inset into the body

Image: https://jerseygirlhg.com/composition/audrey/mira/images/04.jpg

I might borrow the idea with the pickups and plate, but it would be a very different look by the end of it.

I'm thinking of using a solid piece of dark wood for the neck, plate, tailpiece, knobs etc etc, maybe with continuous grain flowing between the pieces, then doing a solid color contoured body to mount it all to. Imagine it as rosewood parts, solid white body.

Andyjr1515 · December 2021

Wow...interesting concept.

WezV · December 2021

Found a good plank for the solid body idea

Its some flatsawn Afromosia. It's most often used as a substitute for teak, but is less oily and a bit easier to work. Not used it for a guitar before, so that should be interesting. Teak is usually avoided for guitars, but Warmoth have used Afromosia for necks before i think

marked up, along with the poplar that will be used for the body

and roughly cut into grain matched blanks for the main parts

PhilKing · December 2021

Looks like an interesting bass neck in the background.

I have a Warmoth Afromosia Strat neck, though it looks more like a darker maple than the plank that you have.

WezV · December 2021

the bass neck is an old Ibanez one that's in for a new skunk stripe.

WezV · December 2021

the solid body idea is going to need a lot of templates to work, but should be easy once they are done

I need

Body outline
Plate outline
Plate recess
pickup outline
Pickup Bobbin
Tailpiece outline
Tailpiece recess
control cavity
Control cavity recess
Control cavity cover

This is where a CNC would come in handy, but I don't have one so its all going to be done by hand

I have just made plate outline, pickup outline and pickup bobbin outline - slight change of shape on the plate from the initial drawing

a few other unusual design decision have been made too.

The tailpiece will be decorative, with string through holes going right through the body It will also be partially recessed, and hide a small cavity so I can use an end pin jack

I'm also planning on adding a radius to the front and back of the guitar, after all these other routes are done

5redlights · December 2021

WezV said:

the bass neck is an old Ibanez one that's in for a new skunk stripe.

Hooray, she's famous!

davros · December 2021

I'm excited to follow this one progress. Is it a commission, a build to sell or one you're planning to keep?

WezV · December 2021

The hollowbody will be a commission, likely starting properly next year once wood had settled in a bit more.

The solid body is just me playing around. Won't decide what to do with it till its done

davros · December 2021

Feel free to tell me to piss off as I'm an admirer of your work and you have a great eye, but I think the pickguard could be tweaked. My thinking is the body is offset, so not sure about the straight across LP Special DC style horn. The end of the pickguard also doesnt seem to mirror the curves on the body, perhaps it could mirror the horn shape.

A bit like this (again, feel free to tell me to piss off or entirely ignore me

WezV · December 2021

I like the suggestion.

My plan is to carve and bevel it into a more flowing 3D shape, imagine a peak in the carve not far from your yellow line

WezV · December 2021

Managed to get a lot done on the solid body today

Poplar body is cut out and neck has been trimmed to size

Neck has been routed for truss rod and trimmed to size

Plate has been routed to size and had the p90 routes front and back.... 8 can hand carve it to shape from there.

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Archtop & Solidbody. Languedoc inspired

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