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A few weeks ago Lance had a post of selling coco scrap sides he had. and started me thinking of what I may have and what to do with it.

As most know for the last few years I had not had my own shop and worked for other shops. During this time most of my stuff was in storage, including scrap wood boxes which had a bunch of stuff forgot about. I finally have brought all my stuff from OK to Branson and was sort of amazed of all the stuff in them. Most of this from builds started years ago but parts got messed up so put it in the box and forgot about most of it, but for some reason never threw it away. After looking at the stuff I like an dumb guy decided to build a guitar out of the stuff in these scrap boxes, except for the brace materials and neck blank bought from Bob C. I have found this to be an interesting deal and learning repair stuff (sort of) along the way. Boss has always told me if make a mistake, learn a way to fix it so not a problem and keep on with the build, this has been the deal with this whole project.

The back is blk tas from a set bought back when first started, but burned the sides up. I didn't know the timer connected to the heat blanket was broken and after bending, left a while to do something else. Don't do that now. The sides are blk tas I bought at a different time from another source. They were though to short for even an OM/000 so just had set them aside and thought sometime I would use them for a parlor, side brace material or something, really I guess had no idea what I was going to do with them. Bent them in a SJ pattern and so about 2" short of full length so a problem. The binding is koa with blk/koa/blk purf from Stew Mac. I had bent them long ago, but during moves they were broken in various places. I though had enough to scarf join them without to much notice. SO FAR. I had seveal pieces of tortise binding I had cut in strips so decided to use that for the rossette and purf. The kerf lining is made up of a bunch of pieces that I had to fit. This wasn't to bad, as I used shorter pieces than I had been use to at Bill's from way he does his rims. Biggest problem has been the end graft. As noted the sides are about 2" short of making a complete join at the end block, so after several butcher jobs of trying to fit cutoffs of the top. I ended up using parts of binding and a tortise endgraft piece, but that was broken also, so have have to fit binding pieces on that to make it work. I am not really happy with it, but got to point quit messing with it, as it seemed evey time I tried to fix it, it got worse. The end graft has been a Murphy's Law thing. Rosette is also some of the tortise binding and some broken blk/wht/blk fiber I had, but only in really short pieces, but enough to work. The top is sitka spruce that really was not a book matched set and from two different folks. Not prime stuff for looks and guess reason had it around. I think part of the other sides of the top sets had been used up or for practice of setting up my LMI rosette cutter. Anyway after cutting grain lines and other stuff ended up with two pieces that look ok together (but this is a scrap guitar so what the heck) I had to cut the soundhole larger over .125 to get some ugly part and knot out of the way, so sh is over 4.125 in size and circle cutter was just a hair not being mirrored on both sides so got little out of round and sh got even a litte larger trying to make it match all way around. Did it, but wouldn't recommend it as a habit or even a 2nd time.

Like said this is just something thought would do with scraps and have a kid to give it to. This will go to a nephew who is not a bad player and taking lessons. His dad left them and he is not doing well so when his mom and family at the house for the 4th, he was loving the guitars in the house and asked how much he had to save to buy one. He was looking at this project, he asked if he could buy that one. I told him no as it was just a off the wall idea, and not one I would try to sell or give to my other folks, but he really likes the looks of it, as much as one can while in white and in progress. He told me he was saving his money and would buy it, if I could take payments. So I agreed to sell it to him and on payments. His payments consist of helping his mom and little brother around the house, get good grades, and continue his guitar lessons which I will be paying for along with my sister, and to forgive his dad so he can move on, as he can't let what his dad has done be a hold on his life. I told him in a few years I would make him a nicer looking one for a graduation gift. This guitar may not be the most beautiful, but it doesn't look to bad from what others say about it ( As builders you know we have a tendency to be more critical than others about what is acceptable to us) This even with the scrap materials I think will be a really good sounding instrument and will make a great guitar (with exception of end piece and other small cosmetic things)

Sometime before you throw all the scraps away if you end up with orphan parts may think of doing this. You at times have to do things may not do normal on a build, or I did anyway with making parts fit, but to me worth it. You can always give it away, burn it, or play it yourself.