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Ken Franklin
 Post subject: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 9:30 am 
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Location: Ukiah, CA
I haven't posted a guitar in awhile so I thought I'd show you this one since it is a little different than what I've been doing. It's a double cutaway based on my small jumbo shape that I call Merlin. It joins at the 16th fret. Here are the specs:
top-red spruce
headplate, back and sides-striped ebony
neck-mahogany
bindings and fretboard-macassar ebony
bridge-african ebony
scale-25.4
There's a demo clip at http://www.franklinguitars.com/Site/Merlin.html.


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Ken Franklin
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CharlieT
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 9:45 am 
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WOW! Beautiful, Ken! [:Y:]

That rosette is fabulous, too! Never seen anything like it.
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Barry Daniels
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 12:37 pm 
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Very interesting. Any photos of the interior? I would like to see how you handled the head block.
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Ken Franklin
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 12:59 pm 
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Here you go, Barry. I think the pic is pretty self explanatory. In a way it was almost easier than what I normally do except maybe for finishing that inside corner.


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Ken Franklin
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mnemotorsports
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 1:10 pm 
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First name: Matt
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Status: Amateur
[clap] really Really nice.
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SteveCourtright
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 1:13 pm 
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Location: Evanston, IL
First name: Steve
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Splendid look and execution. I too love the rosette!

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dazzer
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 1:41 pm 
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That's a excellent looking and sounding guitar Ken [clap] [clap]

Thats such a nice set of Ebony for the body and a fantastic rosette!

Cheers for sharing Ken [:Y:]

All the best
Dave

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WendyW
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 2:26 pm 
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Wow, beautiful guitar and I love the rosette!
Wendy
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Ian Cunningham
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 3:43 pm 
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Dude you rock! [:Y:]

I love the head block and the way you sandwiched the two side pieces in there. Really inginuitive. I think I had something like that lined up for one of mine but I can't recall. Looks great on the outside too.
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crich
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 3:52 pm 
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Nice lines and clean work. I too love that rosette! Clinton
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Dave Fifield
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 3:53 pm 
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First name: Dave
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Excellent Ken! Beautiful artistry and craftsmanship!! [:Y:] [clap] [:Y:] [clap] [:Y:]

Cheers,
Dave F.

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RustySP
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 4:24 pm 
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Beautiful, I love everything about it!
Ken, what type of neck joint did use?
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Scott A
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 5:06 pm 
dang...I don't know if I should be more inspired or quit now, I can't see myself achieving that level of beauty any time soon.

Any chance we could get a closeup pic on the tip of those cutaways, it looks like a mitered joint with no binding or purfling.

Scott
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Ken Franklin
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 5:33 pm 
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RustySP wrote:
Beautiful, I love everything about it!
Ken, what type of neck joint did use?


Rusty, I use a bolt on neck with threaded inserts in a butt joint. Sometimes I use a short tenon but not this time. I glued down the fretboard extension, though there wasn't much.

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Ken Franklin
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Ken Franklin
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 5:38 pm 
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Scott, here are a couple of pics of the cutaway tips and you're right they aren't bound.


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Ken Franklin
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Scott A
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 6:10 pm 
Thanks Ken, absolutely stunning!
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DannyV
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 7:56 pm 
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You pretty well nailed that one Ken! It looks like great joinery on the cutaway points. Where did you find that set of wood? It's pretty spectacular.

Cheers,
Danny
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Ken Franklin
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 8:53 pm 
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Danny, I got that set from Gilmer a couple of years ago. From what I know it was from one log they had. They had about ten sets and now I wish I had bought them all. But at least I do have one more.

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Ken Franklin
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Jim Watts
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 9:48 pm 
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Ken, That's a really beautiful guitar! It was nice seeing you at HB by the way.

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Tony_in_NYC
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:00 pm 
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Wow! Beautiful work! How do you do the cut away points like that? Are they mitered? Gorgeous.

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Ken Franklin
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:35 pm 
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Thanks everyone for your comments.

Tony, those are mitered. I find where the cutaway will begin and I cut the side right there. I take off as little of the wood as possible so that the grain will match up well. Then I bend the cutaway with that in mind also. After that I make the miter angle with a plane and a shooting board. That makes a nice tight fit. Then I glue in only one side of the cutaway to a squared support block. After the glue dries I glue the other side of the cutaway to the support block and the mitered side. That way I don't have to worry about things sliding around during the glue up. Then I profile the support block to remove any extra mass I don't need. It usually goes pretty well. If it doesn't go well I just bind it.

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Lars Stahl
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:35 pm 
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Location: sweden
First name: Lars
Last Name: Stahl
City: Stockholm
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Focus: Build
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Truly amazing...... wow.... [clap] [clap] [clap] . just loooove it !!! +1 for the rosette. I know you once showed us how you did those, do you have more of those, tutorials.... ;) .

Lars.
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Ken Franklin
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2011 10:37 pm 
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Good to see you too, Jim!

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Ken Franklin
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Robbie_McD
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 7:53 am 
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<Gasp!> Very clever and innovative, and what craftsmanship! [:Y:]
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Darryl Young
 Post subject: Re: Double Cutaway
PostPosted: Fri Aug 19, 2011 8:18 am 
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Beautiful guitar Ken!

When are you moving to NW AR so you can give me a few pointers? <smile>

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