First Build - Ambrosia Maple

[tykar]

I've been lurking in this forum for the past few months and figured it was about time I posted something. Before going any further, I'd like to thank this entire forum community for sharing so much knowledge! I've done a bunch of woodworking stuff in the past (just a "weekend warrior" for woodworking), but never attempted a guitar build. I'm not sure I would have had as much fun doing it without being able to see things that have/haven't worked for others in prior builds.

I decided to build a guitar for my son for his college graduation. It's started with just a slab of wood and turned it into my own creation. It's a tele shape, but not a true tele, as you can see from the pictures. The neck is a Warmoth - maple with Indian rosewood fretboard. The neck is fantastic and I will definitely buy another when I build my next guitar. This build has Seymour Duncan Jazz/JB pickups, locking tuners, fixed bridge, two volume, two tone with push/pull for series/parallel. You can't really tell from the pictures, but there are comfort cuts on the back and front/side. I made custom cavity covers as well. I didn't have access to a drill press, so one of the string ferrules is a bit off, but it doesn't stand out in person - unless you are OCD like me.

Anyway, here it is for those interested. I'm happy to report it plays better than I imagined!

 

[ragamuffin]

Absolutely gorgeous! What kind of finish did you use on the body?

 

[casper100]

Beautiful!

 

[ghostrider]

Nicely done!

 

[teleme01]

I didn't buy a router, feared for my fingers, great job, looks fantastic, is it heavy, pine or maple? Duh. ... ambrose maple

 

[Spud]

Great job! Almost looks like fractal wood burning. (something I have considered trying, but not brave enough yet)

 

[Hagwood]

Wow, what a first build, excellent !! What can you share about the wood and finish ?

 

[Spud]

Wow, what a first build, excellent !! What can you share about the wood and finish ?

He can't share anything until you watch that movie.

 

[tykar]

Thanks for the kind words! The wood is ambrosia maple I sourced from a local sawmill. It came from a slab about 5' x 3' x 3". It was dried and planed but I needed to use a router sled to flatten it down to the final body thickness (roughly 42mm). I got the neck from Warmoth and needed to order one pre made to fit my timeline. It was unfinished and pre-drilled. If I could do it over with more time, I would have ordered it without the drill holes. Lining that up in the neck pocket was stressful! I used a satin poly to finish the neck, using many light layers to build up a proper coating. I used epoxy with green mica pigment to fill the knot holes. The body was finished with Tru-Oil. I had never used Tru-Oil before and I'm not sure I'd use it again. It came out great, but it takes so long for that stuff to harden - even with very thin layers (which is how I did it). I haven't weighed it, but it's not as heavy as I expected for a maple body. I made it thinner than a typical telecaster to help shave weight and bring a more modern feel to it. Honestly, the Warmoth neck makes the whole thing come together. It's fantastic. I really like the jumbo stainless frets and the quality on the woodworking is top notch.

 

[Hagwood]

Thanks for the kind words! The wood is ambrosia maple I sourced from a local sawmill. It came from a slab about 5' x 3' x 3". It was dried and planed but I needed to use a router sled to flatten it down to the final body thickness (roughly 42mm). I got the neck from Warmoth and needed to order one pre made to fit my timeline. It was unfinished and pre-drilled. If I could do it over with more time, I would have ordered it without the drill holes. Lining that up in the neck pocket was stressful! I used a satin poly to finish the neck, using many light layers to build up a proper coating. I used epoxy with green mica pigment to fill the knot holes. The body was finished with Tru-Oil. I had never used Tru-Oil before and I'm not sure I'd use it again. It came out great, but it takes so long for that stuff to harden - even with very thin layers (which is how I did it). I haven't weighed it, but it's not as heavy as I expected for a maple body. I made it thinner than a typical telecaster to help shave weight and bring a more modern feel to it. Honestly, the Warmoth neck makes the whole thing come together. It's fantastic. I really like the jumbo stainless frets and the quality on the woodworking is top notch.

Absolutely stunning, great work ! Your son will love it !!