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Hi Mike !

interesting project ! You choose a semi-hollow body type ?

I'm not convinced by the headstock, the low strings side needs a little more work I think... but I like the lower cut you did to the body...

I hope you'll post your work on the forum...

See ya,

Ben

Hi Ben,

I have to keep a photo diary for the contest so it should be no problem to post it here too, if that is permissable.

Please explain your statement "I'm not convinced by the headstock, the low strings side needs a little more work I think"

The low strings side......is that the low E, or the lower tuners in the photo? Is the work needed on the strings what you are referring to with the "not convinced" statement, or is there something else.

I cannot wait to see your's finished. How did you bend the snake wood? Do you have a bender or do you use a pipe? I have never attempted to bend any wood, but will probably try on this guitar because I need to bind this to get the look I am after.

Mike

ps what kind of finish will you use on your guitar?

I talk about the "non cut away area" of the headstock... the curve isn't smooth enough for me... but it's hard to explain it in english... sorry...

I got an ibex bending iron, but the tight curve of the "non cut away" is very tricky to bend, the snakewood binding cracks...

I will use system 3 SB112 epoxy and KTM9 aquarethane, applied with a foam brush...

Ben

Hello,
I've been meaning to mention that I've started the Imago.75
I went with a semi-hollow bubinga body and flamed maple top.
Semi-hollow because it's for a 3 yr. old and bubinga is a bit heavy.
I'll have some pics soon.
The only issue I have is the string spread, since everything was scaled, I forgot about the width of bridge.
I was going to use the SG Jr. bridge wich is a string spread of 2" 1/16
I think I got it handled know though, I just wish I would have caught it before I cut

Ben we need updates?

I can hardly wait to see this thing finished!

Mike

Hi dudes !!!

I almost did nothing more since the last time... I'm still carving the top, it's very long and "painful" to work with this maple burl... ibex with toothed blade and gouges...

I hope to find some time these week...

But thanks a lot for asking !!!

Ben I wish you had a cnc for that type carving. Doesn't matter what kind of wood, how hard it is or anything else, the cnc just keeps on cutting away.

I did not notice in your pdf that you had made available for download, but did you have the carve in the pdf?

I am building this first one with a hollow body, flat top and back to keep to the spirit of the $100 Tele context I entered it in. I love carved tops so the next one will be a true copu.

Thanks again for a beautiful design. BTW I have been sending people to the d/l site.....there are several that find this design beautiful as much as I do.

Mike

Thanks a lot Mike

Nope, I didn't prepare the carve in the pdf... I'll try to approach a mix between LP and PRS carve style...

Here are some pics :



I'd loved to use the scrapers on the previous guitar for the carved top :
But with the maple burl, it's not the best tool to use... so it's time consuming to sand off the toothed blade marks...

Thanks again for your support and see ya !

Ben

Hi Jojo, we are on a foreign forum, so I can speak about machines and electric tools... Damned, I didn't change my nickname
Perhaps could you try something like this or this.. I never used but maybe it will help you...

_________________
http://www.cherubin-luthier.fr
https://www.facebook.com/FranckCherubinLuthier

Haha !!! You're busted Franck !!! I'll repeat it !!!

The second one could make the trick... I did not try the dremel discs yet... if it doesn't work, I'll think about it...

Thanks pal...

http://www.american-carbide.com/Burs/ACB.php

jojo you might also look at one of these burrs. I am sure you can find one in France without having to order it from here, but the pic will let you see what I use a lot!

I manufacture competition rifle stocks and bullseye pistol grips and I do a lot of work with this type burr when I need to make a change for a larger hand etc.

Hope this helps.

Mike

ps I use a pneumatic die grinder to run this burr

Hi guys !

some news... I really don't have time these days... and I work very slowly compare to the previous one...

Neck carving (drum sander, gouge and scrapers for the head "volute" and rasp, spokeshave and scrapers for the neck). I still got some finition work :

Head neck jonction ("volute" in french, I dont know the word in english)


The neck :


And the top carving in process, gouges, finger planes and a little sanding disc mounted on the dremel :


Next episode soon I hope...

Have a nice evening,

Ben

Hi Jojobilou,

I love the build thus far. Beautiful lines.

You mentioned that you tried a cabinet scraper and it didn't work? Was that because the wood was to hard or for some other reason?

Hi Scot !

thanks for the comment...

In fact, with the maple burl, the scrapers doesn't work very well because of the knots and the changing grain...

The best results came with ibex and toothed blades and the sanding disc...

See ya,

Ben

Holy [bleep] that is looking great! Keep at it!

Thanks Matthew !

looking at the 2 bottom pics it almost looks like the body top is made out of MDF

of coarse its not. But it looks like it from the pic.

Hi Scot, cork if you want, but MDF...

Well, this WE, I took care of the snakewood bindings... bending it with my ibex iron... I was pretty scared about it, but it's finally done and not so bad... only one crack, on the shoulder...

Black ABS binding :


Snakewood binding :


The "crack" :


Then, binding router bit to flush down the two bindings :


Close-ups (waist, shoulder and bottom curve) :


Cleaned bindings :


My tools for carving the top :


And for the pleasure :


Voilà... I'm very happy with the bindings step finished... all my training cessions were quite a desaster, but thicknessing the snakewood to 1.5mm instead of 2mm change a lot of things...

Have a nice evening and see ya...

Jojo

Hello everybody !!!

The carved top is starting to look like what I want...

There is still a little carving to do, but I'm glad...







Have a nice day,

Jojo

Hi !

I finally finished the carving of the top and I've started to fill the "gaps" in the burl with the System 3 SB-112 epoxy resin.

First coat (phone card and fingers (with gloves of course) :


Wiped on with a towel and 95° alcohol :


Since, I passed a second coat and fully sand it off... one more and it will be good for final sanding...

Have a nice evening,

Jojo

Lovely work - I like the shape very much. For your information, the word "volute" is so perfect, that the English term for the structure at the head/neck juncture is the same.

_________________
"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

Thanks a lot Steve, for your comment and for the info...

Hello again jojo,

I am so in awe of your work and the wood on this guitar. I will be giving you a link in a few days so you can see my hollow version, and might even post the build here on OLF if permitted.

Anyway, I have some questions.

How thick was the burl top after the two halves were glued and smoothed to finish thickness?

Does the top of the body itself have any curvature to it, i.e. a LP type carve? It looks flat to me.

What angle is your peg head?

Mike

Hello Mike !

Thanks a lot man...

I already looked to your work on the mimf, great job and gorgeous wood too !!!


The top was 19mm (3/4 ") thick...


Yes, the top have a curvature, exept in the area of the P90 cavities, TOM inserts and thru-body ferrules... The curvature is very smooth on the top...

The angle is 13°...

I hope your wife is getting better and that working on your guitar will help you too...

See you,

Benji

The reason I ask is I have the opportunity to buy a piece of Myrtle burl that roughly measures 50.8 X 76.2 cm 20" X 30" that will be thick enough to get two 1" sets out of. I was thinking of a back for a full arch top, but then remembered the burl on your guitar and the thought began to change.

Thank you for your kind words about my wife. Currently she is doing well. She has two more treatments and then more scans to see how the progess is. Waiting is not pleasant.

Mike

ps I forgot one more question. What angle is your neck set at in the body?