New Year New Guitar

I've been pretty slack updating this blog but since it is now 2019 I better get something up here.. So working on a commissioned OM style guitar made with Zircote & Sitka with a Honduran Mahogany neck.

Coming along nicely I think..

Belated Updates

I've been a bit slack updating the blog of late. Summer was busy with non-luthier stuff and life just gets in the way sometimes. I have however not been completely ignoring luthier work however. I've actually got a fair bit done over the last few months considering all the others things going on in life..

First off someone in the small orchestra Julie plays in had a cello in need of repair/restoration. Turned out to be an Englehardt Cello, a pretty cheap student model but apparently pretty common in school music programs. The cello was the victim of and attempt at refinishing that was at best misguided.. It was also missing most of the parts like a bridge, tuning pegs, tailpiece and sound post. Anyway this got those parts replaces and a new finish put on it.. It is going back to a local music program, It was interesting to do as I am really not a repair person.

The only "before" I did, after I removed the rest of the finish

Ready to be played again

Also the next builds are well underway, those are an Irish Bouzouki and a Octave Mandolin, both built as flat top guitar bodied instruments. The Bouzouki will be Rosewood and Spruce and the OM Honduran Mahogany and Cedar. I started by making the bindings for these, I've been meaning to try my hand and making my own bindings with purfling for some  time so it was good to try that and it worked out great.

The Setup for cutting thin binding strips with a slitting blade on a small table saw

The end result

I've also got the sides bent and glued up to the end blocks for both instruments and the tops and backs well on the way to being done.. Just starting to brace up the tops today..

Here I'm doing the rosettes..

And here are one of the backs and top bracing underway.

Three Guitars Done!

Well this took a bit longer than planned but the three L0 bodied guitars are now done! Took longer due to just general life getting in the way but also a delay in getting one guitar back from finishing and me taking 3 weeks to get some more training in set up and fret work from a local expert. (Thanks Nicole).

All three are now done and although they share the same shape that is about all they share.

No.1
Slight bearclaw Sitka top, White Oak back & sides  5 piece Spanish cedar neck and Rosewood trim. My version of a classic Gibson "H" bracing. Royal Lac shellac body & TruOil neck

No.2
Sitka top, Black Walnut back & sides 5 piece Honduran Mahogany neck and Maple trim. Standard Martin style "X" bracing with one tone bar. Finished with UV Cured Poly by Vancouver Guitar Finishing with a TruOil Neck

No.3
Figured Sitka top, Koa back & sides 5 piece Honduran Mahogany neck and Ebony trim. Double "X" braced ( the bracing I plan on using in general going forward). Finished with TruOil.

no.1

no.1

no.2

no.2

no.3

no.3

Ready for Bridges then Fretwork & Setup

Finish is done tuners installed time to glue on the bridges then they are ready for fretwork and setup.. #3 will be back from finishers by end of next week..

Finishing, Finishing & More Finishing

One guitar body is out for a UV Cured Poly finish one is getting a Tru-Oil finish and one a French Polish with Royal Lac Shellac and all 3 necks are getting a Tru-Oil Finish as well as the Celtic Harp getting a Shellac finish (not french Polish).. Whew..

Tru-Oil

French Polish (top)

French Polish (back)

Simple Shellac

Getting Close

So all 3 L-0 guitars are in the finishing process. Not the fastest thing to do either many coats of the chosen hand applied finish applied over days and day then left to cure for weeks or off to the finishing service which takes 4-5 weeks.. Thing are however getting close to done on these three..

One will have a UV cured polyester finish, one hand applied Tru-Oil and one French polish with Royal-Lac hardened shellac, all will have Tru-Oil necks as they seem nice and fast to me.

Hopefully all done in the mid June time frame..

Masking the bridge location

Really happy with the look of the top of the Koa guitar

The back of the White Oak guitar

Carving Necks

I spent the last day or two carving the necks for the 3 L-0 style guitars, all came out pretty good, still need final sanding but I can get started on finishing next week.

Always fun carving necks one of the more enjoyable parts of building a guitar.

Off to the La Conner Guitar festival this weekend.

Body for this one is off at the finishers, back in a couple of weeks I hope...