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I had a great weekend, I buffed out my latest build, a Cocobolo with Adi top Dread. I just came up from gluing on the neck. It should be making music by Thursday and will get its 1st public play on Friday if I don't screw something up. This is my 3rd this year so I must be getting more efficient, or maybe it's faster to not make as many mistakes.

I will post some pictures by the weekend.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

Technically, this isn't my shop. I'm being a student builder with Todd Lunneborg in Minnesota to build one guitar at his shop. This is the work I did last Saturday.
Routed out the end graft slot and glued in the graft and purfling. Then routed the dove tail slot in the head block.







Then sanded the sides to accept the top. My back is in the upper left hand corner.


Then, tuned the top by removing some weight from the braces till the tap tone came down to what we were looking for.


Dan in Minneapolis

Thanks, Steve and Filippo, I really like the lacewood. I didn't find it that hard to bend, but I got a bunch of slivers from working with it! I'll post more pics when I have it all setup.

When prepping for finish, I thought I would do something different and stain the neck a deeper mahogany color to bring out some of the reddish highlights in the EIR. However, when I put the neck on over the weekend, I wasn't convinced the stain on the neck was the right thing to do. Though the build quality is on par with my other guitars, the guitar was made on the cheap as it is a giveaway. The EIR is really a fairly boring set--The sides are nice, but the back isn't that spectacular. I am sure the person receiving the guitar won't find the neck as being a bit out of place and will be elated with the gift. So I am noodling if I should refinish the neck or just bolt it on as is, set it up, send if off, and move on to the next project.

Ken

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http://www.casperguitar.com

I will never stain a neck again. I just stained a light mahogany neck with red mahogany stain and had a disaster. The end grain at the heel absorbed the stain very deeply and turned almost black. I tried sanding it off and that caused other problems. I guess I missed something. Maybe I should have sealed the neck and used some kind of surface finish with stain in it. I'm making a new neck.

Got this ready for finish

Ouch! Hitting the wood with a wood conditioner, especially end grain will make a huge difference. You can also pre-treat the area with water, depending on the stain so the stain won't saturate as much, gives a little more control. I typically don't use stains much, I prefer generally to go with a wood that gives me the hue I am looking for.

Ken

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http://www.casperguitar.com

Dang, that's too bad. I'd planned on trying stain at some point, so I'll be sure to do more than just one quick test on scrap like I usually do. Maybe give it a sealer of egg white or hide glue, then sand to wood, then stain? Hopefully keep it from saturating the end grain. Also wipe on thin and build up to desired darkness rather than soaking it.

And Brian, looking good Looks like you're at about the same stage I am, except I haven't done fretting yet. What kind of finish are you doing?

Dan, I can probably help you with the stain if you like. I don't have any trouble with dyes at all. Nice work over at Todd's.
Waddy, I always like your classical rosettes...they are so classy.
I had a bad weekend when I went in for a physical Friday. I got a pneumonia booster, and by Saturday my left arm swelled up and temp of 102. Went to sleep and woke up around midnite with my right arm completely DEAD. Couldn't move a finger, I'd pick up my arm and it would just flop into my lap. Absolutely frightening! So, off to emergency and had an EEG and Cat scan. Short story is that my hand and arm started to work again after a long while (probably a pinched nerve from my neck arthritis). No stroke, thank God. Seems I have cellulitis (staph or strep infection of the skin), so I got a shot in the _ _ _, and a load of pills, so I'm on a forced "vacation" for a few days. At least my hands work!

Dan, next time try to match the grain of the graft with the sides for an interesting transition effect. You seem to have put it the other way around.

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Build log

Actually two different problems, but with a swelling arm from a shot, we didn't know what was going on, especially at midnite. Our only thought was to go to ER. They saw it was two different problems right away.
Staph and strep infections in hospitals are something difficult to control, and they gave the shot in a unusual place (back of the upper arm). Mine was the second case in a couple of weeks, so they will stop giving the pneumonia shot in the back of the arm. I have a nice magic marker tatoo around the swelling too!

Dan and Dennis, I never use a wash coat of anything, but sand everything down to 320 and use Trans-tint in a water solution. Stains are pigmented and may settle in the pores more. Dyes are more or less the same color tint everywhere. Another thing to consider is that dyes may LOOK darker in the end grain without finish, but everything evens out with a few coats of lacquer or varnish.

Something a little different for me. My wife wanted a canoe that we could use together so I decided to build one. Hopefully will be finished in a few weeks.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Nice looking canoe project John! Isn't stitch-and-glue construction great? I have plans for a drift boat using the S and G method that I want to build one day, although my motivation has waned somewhat since I bought a fiberglass one. The guitar projects haven't helped any either.

I'll be buffing the finish on this one within the next few days. Then it's onto the home stretch! I'm pretty curious to see how this one will sound. I really just don't have any idea!

That is just gorgeous! What woods did you use for the B&S and the neck?

Yikes, that's scary! Glad you are on the mend, now rest up and get well.

I'm making a new, adjustable neck for this baby (I didn't make the guitar)

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

I just strung up this Mahogany/Sitka Dred cutaway. Apologies for the bad photography. One of these days I'm going to learn how to take pictures of these things.

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"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong"
- Joseph Chilton Pearce

Thanks Arnt!
Went back to the doctor today and he said that it looked very good. Then they gave another shot in the _ _ _.
Think they are a little nervous about it as it's the second infection they've had from giving the shot in the back of the arm.
So, lesson learned, don't let anyone give you a shot in the back of the arm.

Glad you like it! Hopefully it'll sound good as well as look good! Back, sides, and top are all mango. Neck is just plain ole mahogany with ebony sandwiched in the heel.

Things happened.... I have no control over them.

Steven Curtis Chapman's guitar



Prototype:





A New slope Shoulder:

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

I love that guy's music, I am way jealous.

GREAT looking guitars!

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-Marcus
http://www.bailieguitars.com
Instagram | YouTube

Glad you are OK Haans. That's a big deal. I've been working on a Mahogany parlor and also finished up some work on a no-name late 1800's parlor that by consensus of several experts is probably a Lyon and Healy. (Possibly their American Conservatory line). It's a sweet little box!

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

John, what wood is the cutaway? Thanks

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Build log

Low grade Lutz, and orphan EIR back and sides.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Doing the last FP sessions on this BRW/white spruce/chechen L-00 12-fret, FP over Behlen's Rockhard Tabletop Varnish.









Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Pat the chechen against the BRW looks good enough to eat. Very pretty build.

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"Try to be the person your dog thinks you are."

http://sites.google.com/site/bertsguitarshop/