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The body on #2 is finished. I know, it prolly seems like I spend most of my time in here. It's been a bear learning the techniques for the purfling and inlay. #3 hopefully will be a stunner. This one will head out west for sale.

BTW, I LOVE when people search for symmetry in this body. There is NONE. You might think so, but I have the molds to prove it.

Haha nice I'll take your word for it. Nice looking guitar. The appointments make it look like a stock instrument, yet nothing like it exists in the world of guitars you can buy off the shelf. Creates a subtle irony that I can get a kick out of.

Thats looking really great Mike .. you have the headstock down, and that cant be that easy to do.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

It's coming along great Mike, thanks for the post.

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

sweet. I love that purfling!

You harper-guys really inspire me. Nice work, Mike.
Say, are you following a plan--and if so, which one?
Thanks,
Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Thank you.

Steve, the plan is a GAL #32?? You can see it at harpguitars.net (and buy it). It leaves a LOT to your imagination. I had the hardest time with the harp peghead & block. Now that I have done two, I am not sure why I was so confused. But then I look at the drawing again... Somebody who has access to an x-ray machine scanned his original Dyer. That helped. BTW, this is a 12 fret. I want to build a 14 fret (after my next 12 fret).

Mike

It shouldn't be as hard to do as it is. This tells me I am missing something. I based the scrolls an the plan and a few other drawings. When u step away from it, it becomes clear how they should lay out. But cutting them is a pain. Due to inevitable variability, setting up a jig (routing) has not yet made sense to me. I freehand routed these after creating a guide channel with a 2mm circular gouge (#10 sweep). I used a bit that was about 1/16 less than the desired width, then used a flat chisel to carefully widen. Thats just too hard.

I know, some will say make template guides... but they will always be single-use.

Mike

Hi Mike .. if I were going to do this (more than once), I would make a template for the headplate outer shape first. Looks to me like it would be based upon the width of the arm as it reaches the headstock - I would leave this to do until the headstock is all glued in as well. Then once the shape is done, the inner routes can be made with a template that follows the preset outer shape. This will help with taking away any unpredictability in the shape, which is I think your issue. Sometimes you need a jig to get to be able to use another jig !!!

Now mine isnt so tough to mill out by hand, but I still made a template to route the shape, and it just makes it that much easier to replicate. After seeing Micheal Greenfield's bolt on headstock(s), I got the idea to do the same with mine. It wil make it easier to make and get the whole headstock area flat (that I found an interesting task on the first one) and will also allow me to do some interesting stuff on the headstock rear - ie. I can now veneer that if I want to, and the end of the arm as well as I plan to eliminate the scooped curve from the back of the arm to the headstock - although I could leave that and bend a piece instead.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"