The Other Tenor

Work on the other tenor, the flat top Zircote & ancient spruce one is going well too.. the finish is polished up and the neck is back on ready for measuring and fitting the bridge.

Might even be playing music next week..

Carving Archtop Plates

My weekend working with Joe Egan of Egan Custom Guitars turned out great lots of good tips and progress carving the top and back for the Archtop Tenor Guitar I have in mind. Joe estimates a novice takes up to 40 hours for the top and similar times for the back. I've got about 15 hours into the top and maybe a 2 into the back so lots left to do but the top is looking like  it should, just really a bit more graduation to do and then once it is glued to the sides the recurve can be finalized.

The back has a long way to go and is certainly harder to carve than the top, or at least the wood is harder, the top has more tricky parts & graduations wile the back is pretty much a constant thickness

It's been fun even if it has caused a good number of blisters..

After about 4 hours, shape is roughed out

After about 15 hours the shape is finalized and my version of "f" holes are cut

A small start on the back

See What I can Make with These?

I'm spending the weekend with Vancouver Island Luthier Joe Egan, hopefully ha can pass on some of hi skill in archtop building..

Egan Guitars

Egan Guitars on Facebook

A nice piece of Englemann Spruce & Black Walnut

Putting on the Finish

I've Spent the last few days putting on coats of Royal Lac Shellac.. Hopefully after the weekend they will be cured enough to start polishing.

Arm Bevel & Neck

So this thing is looking more and more like a Tenor Guitar.. I  finished the arm bevel. The base is a piece of Bass Wood and it is topped with flamed maple, all the binding miters were fun to do (oh and yes the bindings are done..)..

Rough carving the base for the bevel

Gluing it all together, a bit fun to unravel

The result

Next it was time to carve the neck, I always like doing this, it's actually kind of relaxing..

Everything that was not a neck

Front view

Side view

Back view

Making Good Progress

I've done a fair bit of work over the last week. The neck has a peghead veneer, and the peghead is routed to shape it also has a "W" inlay. The neck is cut down to rough size. The fretboard is cut, slotted, & the dots are inlaid and it is glued on the neck. The whole thing is starting to look like a guitar..

I also routed the binding channels into the body and bent the binding so I can get started on them. It is going to be a bit tricky mitering all the joints around the arm bevel but I think I have it figured out.

Cutting the peghead to shape with a drill press router

Fretboard bound & ready for dots

All bolted together

Peghead inlay

Two Pieces Become One, At Least for Now..

I've finished the neck joint and test bolted everything together, it needs a little adjusting but I'll do that tomorrow.. T some point I'll post full explanation of the neck joint..