Something I found to play with

[rgand]

That's looking really good.  :icon_thumright:

Thanks. I'm liking it so far, it has a nice hologram effect to it. If you tilt it a few degrees one way or the other all the highlights and dark areas swap places.

Sometimes that's really pronounced. Sounds like you got a good piece there.

 

[PhilHill]

Short update.

Well, it was going to be my guitar. However, a friend I haven't seen in 5yrs drops by last week. He wants a new guitar. Sees this and say's "I Want" He's willing to pay a price that will give me several hundred in profit. I thought about it for awhile, actually, just long enough for the words "several hundred" to reach my brain. Sold!
He decided he wanted the top natural and the sides and back black. So it shall be. So far the other points will be a Gotoh 510 wraparound bridge or a Hipshot Baby Grand. Hipshot Griplock's with UMP, and He's contemplating a neck mounted pickup ala Kent Armstrong. Doesn't know yet if he wants a bridge pickup. And we're still on the ropes about neck wood. When He comes back over, I'll show him what Warmoth offers. I'm thinking either something dark or natural maple. We'll see.
What customer wants, cash customer gets.

Anyway, this is how it sit's now;

 

[Logrinn]

The black on the back together with the angle of the shot and the reflections make the back look like it’s chrome.  :glasses9:
Anyway, that’s an awesome looking body. Your friend is going to be very happy when it’s finished.

 

[PhilHill]

The black on the back together with the angle of the shot and the reflections make the back look like it’s chrome.  :glasses9:
Anyway, that’s an awesome looking body. Your friend is going to be very happy when it’s finished.

Thank you. The back and sides are just black leather dye with 6 or 7 coats of Tru Oil. Hasn't even been wet sanded or polished yet. Still have to put a control cavity and cover.

 

[rgand]

That should make your friend very happy. The black back is good on it.

 

[stratamania]

I am curious, is there a reason to do a finish prior to pickup routs etc?

 

[PhilHill]

I am curious, is there a reason to do a finish prior to pickup routs etc?

I see what you mean and normally no, I wouldn't finish out a body before I was done constructing it. This one though was a bargain-bin special, having several imperfections in it that allowed a cheap purchase price. So I wanted to see what steps would be necessary to remove or hide those spots and still be able to stay as close to a natural finish as possible before I put too much time and labor into it. So far, it's only a little dye and Tru Oil. If it gets injured somewhere along, a little sanding and reapplication fixes it.
I don't have the facilities anymore to do a proper job on painting, so I have to farm it out. So I avoid painting if I can.

 

[DangerousR6]

Ok, this is somewhat how the top looks with 5 light coats of Tru Oil on it.

It's got a nice chatoyantcy to it...

 

[PhilHill]

Ok, this is somewhat how the top looks with 5 light coats of Tru Oil on it.

It's got a nice chatoyantcy to it...

Thanks. It looks even better in person, I'm really happy with the walnut top. Not so happy with Galaxy S10 pictures. Whoever decided that the camera in this thing was acceptable should be slapped about the head and shoulders with the carcass of a foul smelling carp.

 

[DangerousR6]

:toothy12:

 

[stratamania]

I am curious, is there a reason to do a finish prior to pickup routs etc?

I see what you mean and normally no, I wouldn't finish out a body before I was done constructing it. This one though was a bargain-bin special, having several imperfections in it that allowed a cheap purchase price. So I wanted to see what steps would be necessary to remove or hide those spots and still be able to stay as close to a natural finish as possible before I put too much time and labor into it. So far, it's only a little dye and Tru Oil. If it gets injured somewhere along, a little sanding and reapplication fixes it.
I don't have the facilities anymore to do a proper job on painting, so I have to farm it out. So I avoid painting if I can.

Thanks Phil, that makes perfect sense.

 

[Logrinn]

... Whoever decided that the camera in this thing was acceptable should be slapped about the head and shoulders with the carcass of a foul smelling carp.

[youtube] https://youtu.be/T8XeDvKqI4E[/youtube]

 

[PhilHill]

... Whoever decided that the camera in this thing was acceptable should be slapped about the head and shoulders with the carcass of a foul smelling carp.

[youtube] https://youtu.be/T8XeDvKqI4E[/youtube]

  :laughing11: :laughing3: :laughing7: :icon_thumright:

NO ONE Expected Monty Python!

 

[PhilHill]

OK, I am making some progress, but it's been difficult. The customer keeps changing his mind. I now remember why I lost touch with him for so long, He's a brilliant man and a great guitar player. However, the words "Pain in the Posterior" come to mind. After many consultations and more than one restart, this is how it stands.

It's been sanded down to just touching the wood and two new coats of Tru Oil applied. The binding is three layers, an inner and outer layer of black pearl, and a center layer of abalone.  Routing for two humbuckers and volume and tone pots and a selector switch. Just simple three way switching for now. Until he changes his mind again... :doh:

 

[Logrinn]

Veeeeery nice!
Did you do the binding yourself?

 

[PhilHill]

Veeeeery nice!
Did you do the binding yourself?

Thank You and yes. It's just plastic binding (probably ABS), I used a piloted router bit that put a 1/4 rabbit in the edge and glued the binding in with CA adhesive. With the plastic binding you can get away with sanding it some without it melting.

 

[rgand]

That's one of those tops that keeps your eye moving. Looks very good.

 

[PhilHill]

That's one of those tops that keeps your eye moving. Looks very good.

Thanks. If I can manage to get a nice flat glossy surface on it, the figure in it should really stand out in the end. But walnut is not the most cooperative of woods to finish. Especially pieces that are highly figured or taken from near the root of the tree.

 

[Cagey]

Thank You and yes. It's just plastic binding (probably ABS), I used a piloted router bit that put a 1/4 rabbit in the edge and glued the binding in with CA adhesive. With the plastic binding you can get away with sanding it some without it melting.

Interesting. That looks like a carved-top body? Must've been a bit of a trick to get the edge routed for the binding. I did the 5-layer binding on the L5S in my sig, which has a flat top, and that was nerve-wracking enough. Build thread's here, if you're interested. I found scraping the binding was more effective than trying to sand it level. Still have to sand it eventually, but the scraper works well to start with.

 

[Rick]

Looking