TerryMcK Posted November 14, 2020 Share Posted November 14, 2020 (edited) As we have had so much bad weather these last few months I decided to get my own back on the clouds. I am making another guitar and have made the neck and fingerboard. I have inlayed mother of pearl clouds into the ebony finger board. I then had the idea of making a telescope inlay and positioning it above the clouds. When the guitar is hung up the telescope will be looking towards the heavens. Edited March 6, 2021 by TerryMcK 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulgrover68 Posted November 14, 2020 Share Posted November 14, 2020 That's really cool - I'm more a player than a builder, but I had some fun renovating an old Tokai a few years back. It's a project I must return to over christmas. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob-c Posted November 14, 2020 Share Posted November 14, 2020 I struggle playing one ,never mind building one. Can't wait to see it when its finished.Bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incisive_Solutions Posted November 15, 2020 Share Posted November 15, 2020 @bob-c. I’m the same Bob - I’ve got three guitars and am rubbish at playing them lol - but I do love it. looking forward to seeing how this all looks ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkulin Posted November 15, 2020 Share Posted November 15, 2020 I love seeing workmanship like this, looking forward to see the final result! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gina Posted November 15, 2020 Share Posted November 15, 2020 Never made a guitar. Wonder if you could 3D print one - nah - don't think so! ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted January 17, 2021 Author Share Posted January 17, 2021 I was in the shop today making the body for this guitar. I started off making a template from some chipboardThen I used 2 boards of sapele that I ran through my thickness planer and drum sander. The body will be made from these two pieces that are glued together. However the board were not quite wide enough so I cut off two small block per halfbody and glued them into place 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted January 17, 2021 Author Share Posted January 17, 2021 After the glue had dried the outline of the body is traced onto both bodyhalves and then cut out on the bandsaw 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted January 17, 2021 Author Share Posted January 17, 2021 So I ended up with two bodyhalves (one is shown here) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted January 17, 2021 Author Share Posted January 17, 2021 Next I had to cut the internal wiring channel so that cable can be run inside the guitar body. This is difficult to do if the body is made from a full thickness.I normally cut these channels with a router but this time I decided to take by time and enjoy the process by doing the "machining" by hand with mallet, chisels and an old fashioned router plane. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted January 17, 2021 Author Share Posted January 17, 2021 The next part is to glue the two halves together 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted January 17, 2021 Author Share Posted January 17, 2021 And I used a clamp or two ? to hold the two halves together during the glue up. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted March 6, 2021 Author Share Posted March 6, 2021 I have veneered the front of the body with some Macassar Ebony Veneer that I had in stock. For reference the bench has Sjobergs written on it and the veneer is the thin wavy bit between the guitar body and the chipboard panel. I had a few kilos of weight ontop as below Yes I know not very exciting pictures as you can't see anything yet... However after a lot of shaping with the bandsaw, routing with a router, drilling with my drill press and gluing a binding around the edge I ended up with the body looking like this. I routed out the rear for the control cavity after drilling a series of holes with a Forstner bit to clear the waste away. And then finally cut out a rebate for a cover plate Here is a view of the neck fitted into place but no bolts yet. I still have a ton of work to do on it and have just filled the grain with Jecofil grain filler. I have to leave that a while to cure before another coat tomorrow. Then I will apply the colour. The front will be tinted yellow with a blue edge - almost Hubble pallet! We'll see though as wood stain in notorious for not doing what you want! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted March 6, 2021 Author Share Posted March 6, 2021 (edited) This is roughly what it will look like when finished. I was still applying binding to the headstock when I took this picture hence the blue tape. The spec is: Pickups: Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates humbuckers Synth Pickup: Roland GK3 with all electronics hidden inside the body - the long routed slot is where the cable goes and is covered by the pickup once installed so you don't see it. Bridge: Schaller Hannes - incredibly comfortable. I have fitted them onto many of my instruments. Machine Heads: Schaller M6 locking Nut: Bone Control pots: CTS Strap buttons: Schaller locking strap buttons All other hardware: Hosko. Edited March 6, 2021 by TerryMcK 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob-c Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 Coming along nicely. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstronomyUkraine Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 Looking good. Was it by design to build the body from two halves, or stock availability? I have never made a guitar myself, can't even play one, but appreciate the tremendous amount of work involved. I have my own shop, where I indulge in furniture making, but only for myself and family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted March 6, 2021 Author Share Posted March 6, 2021 It was indeed stock availability. I had 2 4/4 boards of sapele left over from a previous project. I took the opportunity to cut the internal cable rout which I don't normally have the luxury of doing. Normally it would be drill holes made with very long drills at a precarious acute angle. I too make furniture and have sold quite a few commissioned pieces. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gina Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 Coming on very nicely. You need other hobbies with so much ghastly weather!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted April 27, 2021 Author Share Posted April 27, 2021 After the binding was put on I applying some yellow stain with dark blue stain around the edges. The dark blue has come out as black. Then the finish applied was General Finishes Arm R Seal and General Finishes Seal R Cell. You can't get this in Europe anymore nor some states in the USA due to it being an oil based varnish full of volatiles. Everything nowadays is water bourne but that's fine as I had a couple of cans left. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstronomyUkraine Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 2 hours ago, TerryMcK said: Everything nowadays is water bourne but that's fine as I had a couple of cans left. Have you tried yacht varnish Terry? I know it's classed as being an outdoor varnish, but I have used it internally on several projects, and it gives a fantastic finish with sanding between coats. It's also solvent based, meaning you can thin it down quite easily for spraying etc. I know Wickes sell Ronseal yacht varnish, I have no doubt places like B&Q and Screwfix will sell it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkulin Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 Terry, wonderful to read through this, superb workmanship 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted April 28, 2021 Author Share Posted April 28, 2021 17 hours ago, AstronomyUkraine said: Have you tried yacht varnish Terry? Hi Brian. I've actually used Sikkins Yacht Varnish on some outdoor projects before. Normally I use nitro cellulose on guitars but had some ArmRSeal in stock from a previous furniture project. It is applied with a rag rather than brushes or sprayed and creates a fantastic finish without much effort. I've had great results on furniture and guitars with General Finishes Enduro Var which is a water bourne cross linking polyurethane. It has the same sort of amber tint that oil based varnishes have. It is made in the USA but they have a European website/store. I believe they are in Scotland. Expensive but very good. I've also used Rustins Plastic Coating which was famously used by Brian May and his father to make the Red Special guitar which he still uses to this day in Queen. It was a big product for coating furniture in the 1950s and 60s hence why they used it. I used it on a guitar a few years ago and it can be polished to an ultra high gloss with rubbing compound and a buffer. Still available today. I have also used a Canadian product for coating gates and external woodwork if you want to retain the natural wood look. This is called Sansin exterior weather seal. It is a beautiful waterborne finish that builds up a nice satin appearance with a deep colour after many coats. It can be applied with a foam brush or sprayed. I opted to use a foam brush on the gates below. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted April 28, 2021 Author Share Posted April 28, 2021 (edited) So here is the finished product which I completed (apart from a truss rod cover plate) last weekend. TMC Woodworks ScopeCloud 6 string electric guitar The technical details: Scale length 25" strung with D'Addario XL NIckel wound 0.046" to 0.010" strings Analog pickups: Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates (as used by ZZTops Billy Gibbons on his Gibson Les Paul "Pearly Gates" guitar) Synthesizer Pickup: Internally wired Roland GK3 divided hexaphonic pickup Bridge: Schaller Hannes Nut: Handcut bone Controls: 2 volume (they go up to 11!), 2 tone, 1 Volume/multi use control for synthesizer, up/down and other selectors for synthesizer, 6 way Freeway 3x3 switch for analog pickups. Body timber: Sapele with Macassar Ebony veneer bound with "mother of plastic" binding Neck timber: Meranti/maple laminate with integral bi-action truss rod. Fingerboard: Ebony with custom mother of pearl inlays clouds/telescope. Frets: Sintoms nickel silver frets 2.4mm wide Tuning Machines: Schaller M6 locking machines Strap buttons: Schaller Straploks All hardware is chrome plated or stainless steel. LED power indicator 1/4" jack plug conventional output - for those times when you just want to plug into a normal guitar valve amplifier 13 pin digital synthesizer feed output - this feeds to an external Roland Guitar Synthesizer Edited April 28, 2021 by TerryMcK 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstronomyUkraine Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 4 hours ago, TerryMcK said: So here is the finished product which I completed (apart from a truss rod cover plate) last weekend. TMC Woodworks ScopeCloud 6 string electric guitar The technical details: Scale length 25" strung with D'Addario XL NIckel wound 0.046" to 0.010" strings Analog pickups: Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates (as used by ZZTops Billy Gibbons on his Gibson Les Paul "Pearly Gates" guitar) Synthesizer Pickup: Internally wired Roland GK3 divided hexaphonic pickup Bridge: Schaller Hannes Nut: Handcut bone Controls: 2 volume (they go up to 11!), 2 tone, 1 Volume/multi use control for synthesizer, up/down and other selectors for synthesizer, 6 way Freeway 3x3 switch for analog pickups. Body timber: Sapele with Macassar Ebony veneer bound with "mother of plastic" binding Neck timber: Meranti/maple laminate with integral bi-action truss rod. Fingerboard: Ebony with custom mother of pearl inlays clouds/telescope. Frets: Sintoms nickel silver frets 2.4mm wide Tuning Machines: Schaller M6 locking machines Strap buttons: Schaller Straploks All hardware is chrome plated or stainless steel. LED power indicator 1/4" jack plug conventional output - for those times when you just want to plug into a normal guitar valve amplifier 13 pin digital synthesizer feed output - this feeds to an external Roland Guitar Synthesizer Looks awesome. I hope it plays as good as it looks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carastro Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 Brilliant Carole 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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