Guitar build #2- marbled California Claro Walnut

[AprioriMark]

I think those pieces will be perfect for what you're after, though it's impossible to say how perfect until it's cut.  I wouldn't use them for a top, because as you said, it wouldn't bookmatch well.

-Mark

 

[stubhead]

Stratocasters, telecasters and soloists are frightfully boring if you're doing all the cutting yourself - I have never understood the timidity. Then again, some people just can't draw, like Semie Mosrite! If you look through the Gallery at the Warmoth site, there are some profoundly butt-ugly instruments.... I have a design for an octave mando/veena that took me a month, and I'm starting to realize I need to design a home for a Warhead 24-fret neck, as nobody will make a rear-routed Jaguar body.

If you feel that a long upper horn is needed for balance on a strap, the bass manufacturers seem to come up with some interesting variants, while the guitars are stuck in 1989 RG-Land. I think maybe people just settle too early - you need to make up a full-sized drawing (including the neck!), hang it on your closet wall so you see it every morning, and fiddle with it. Sometimes just changing one line an eight of an inch makes a difference. If you don't have drawing toys, it's still easier to buy a T-square and french curves now, than to live with a butt-ugly waste of nice wood the rest of your life. :sad1:

 

[Danuda]

I recommend using photoshop or a free program like gimp.  If you learn them t is much faster to come up with ideas and make small tweaks.  Plus you can print out full scale plans with as many copies as you like.

 

[SkuttleFunk]

flatsawn curly Maple provides the best figuring when you're using it as a core block

I'd post an image of the the M-Series Redwood body with FM core that's going to NAMM ... but this is your thread and I don't want to detract

Claro on FM or Claro on Ash - you can't go wrong either way IME

all the best,

R

 

[line6man]

flatsawn curly Maple provides the best figuring when you're using it as a core block

I'd post an image of the the M-Series Redwood body with FM core that's going to NAMM ... but this is your thread and I don't want to detract

Claro on FM or Claro on Ash - you can't go wrong either way IME

all the best,

R

That bass is where I got the idea. Very nice work!
I don't mind if it's posted here.

If I recall, you said somewhere that you used that Maple, because there was a ugly knot or something in the middle that made it unsuitable for a laminate top? In any case, you put it to good use.

 

[SkuttleFunk]

there is indeed a big ugly knot just inside of where the gut-cut slices into the FM core. my only other option with this FM piece was to use it as a solid core down the center and then attach a pair of sandwich wings onto the sides (think Ken Smith)

my FM set was pretty much unusable otherwise, since there was no way to locate the knot completely inside a pickup cavity or outside of the body outline ... at least for my body shapes and pickup configurations

I also kept the best figuring towards the outside edge ... the flaming was starting to diminish on the centerline edge, but that doesn't matter since you can't see it

all the best,

R

 

[bagman67]

I'm busy ogling the flame on the inside of the control cavity... not often you see such pretty lumber in there.

 

[Cagey]

Yeah, no denying that thing's pedigree.

 

[AggieTreed]

WOW  :blob7:  WOW    .... What a great looking piece of wood.

Are Gibson having an 'under the counter' sale  :icon_jokercolor:
Shape is up to you, But .... I'm thinking a Ziricote Fretboard would match that very nicely  :icon_thumright:

+1

 

[Danuda]

Very cool build!

 

[line6man]

Just got these pics from the luthier that prepared the body blank for me. It's all finished up now, and should be shipping out soon.

On the left is the top of the blank, and on the right is the backside. It's interesting to look at the many slight variations in the same piece of wood.

 

[Tipperman]

What the... Why THANK YOU! I'm so excited to receive this as a gift. So excited, in fact, that I'm not even thinking about what horrible outdated vintage designs I can put on it to make it play worse!


Seriously though, Line6Dood. That's an incredible looking piece of walnut. I've always liked walnut, and might do a solid walnut tele build some day. This makes me very happy. Let me know when you need my address  :icon_thumright: :icon_jokercolor:

 

[Cagey]

Wow! That's a nice hunk of lumber! I'll bet that cost you a pretty penny. Last time I bought some was when I built one of Mayfly's amp cabinets, and it was about a million dollars a board foot. Wasn't even milled.

 

[MasonAtom]

That is just gorgeous. Love it.

 

[bagman67]

Wow! That's a nice hunk of lumber!

That's what SHE said.


But seriously - that's a handsome body blank you're fixing to chop up, Joseph. Congratulations.  We are all, of course, eager to witness the metamorphosis.


Peace


Bagman

 

[stubhead]

It's gonna be hard to chop any of that off... can't you just screw on a neck as-is and have a really, really BIG guitar?

 

[line6man]

It's gonna be hard to chop any of that off... can't you just screw on a neck as-is and have a really, really BIG guitar?

Could do a Bo Diddley guitar.  :blob7:

 

[Alfang]

LOL Stuby

 

[DangerousR6]

It's gonna be hard to chop any of that off... can't you just screw on a neck as-is and have a really, really BIG guitar?

Could do a Bo Diddley guitar.  :blob7:

I had thought when I was first contemplating my Billy Bo about using walnut as the top. But i already had a walnut build, and really like purpleheart...  But ya, bolt a neck and go for the Bo Diddley look... :headbang1:

 

[line6man]

Wow! That's a nice hunk of lumber! I'll bet that cost you a pretty penny. Last time I bought some was when I built one of Mayfly's amp cabinets, and it was about a million dollars a board foot. Wasn't even milled.

Indeed it was expensive, but what are you gonna do? If you want sexy wood you gotta pay for it. :dontknow:
Claro Walnut isn't the worst thing out there, though. Temptation got the best of me the other month, and I couldn't resist spending $90 on a chunk of burl small enough to fit in a small flat rate box. I still don't know what I'm going to do with it; it's too nice to even think about cutting into.

Got any pics of that amp cabinet? Must be heavy, btw?