Official Luthiers Forum!

Here's a peek at my current project where I have used ZipFlex from our OLF Sponsor Advanced Shell Technology. This is a style 45 Dread with back, sides, headplate, fretboard and bridge all cut from a salvaged Brazilian Rosewood beam. The top is Adi.

I used .064" Blue Paua Zipflex for the top & soundhole purfling and .047" Blue Paua for the sides and back. I found the ZipFlex to be of the highest quality and a real time and labor saver! I was very pleased with the lack of flaking and the ease of mitering the ends using just my 10" stationary disc sander. Kevin Ryan is an absolute gem to work with!

Now it's off to Joe White. I will post some pictures of the finished instrument soon.

Mike Franks
http://www.mjfranksguitar.com

That stuff sure is a dream to work with!

Very nice guitar BTW!

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Mike, that looks great. The shell is going to look intense against the orange and black rosewood! How many pieces did you end up using to do the whole thing?

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

Yeah this stuff looks amazing. I'm gonna have to check this stuff out.

Nice guitar Mike, the zip flex looks real good. Will you be able to attend the get together in Plymouth Nov 8thÉ

Fred

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

Very nice! Great miters. How did you jig up to rout the channels for the purfling on either side of the heel?

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

Beautiful work!!! And great product that ZipFlex, thanks to Kevin Ryan. I've got a bunch of it here just screaming at me to use it every time I walk out into the shop.

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

Burton, I used 14 pieces of .047" for the sides, back & ends and 6 pieces of .064" for the top & soundhole. I had a short piece of each size left over.

I used a Blues Creek Binding Jig with LMI router bit to cut the binding channels. I had to turn my own bearing spacer rings to get the proper width cuts for the top & back. For the neck heel purfling and fretboard extension channels, I used a Blues Creek Micro-Die Grinder and base with a 1/32" spiral router bit after marking the lines with a pencil. The depth of cut was set for .055". I used a sharp chisel to clean up the edges.

Mike Franks
http://www.mjfranksguitar.com

Ooooh, I can't wait!! It's been a couple weeks since I had some brazilian in the shop!

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jw ( o)===:::

Beautiful Guitar!

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http://www.PeakeGuitars.com

Outstanding! Beautiful work as always, Mike!

long

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"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” -Heraclitus of Ephesus

Nice job!

I like the Zip Flex, I wish it were not so expensive. I would never hesitate to use it if somone wanted me to. I built a pretty rosette with it... wish it came a little wider, but after using it, I can see why they do not make it wider.

Mike