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Latest Rabswood idea.. The Yin/Yang guitar


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Hello all...

 

So ive been a bit quiet the last week with my builds... they are still going on, im just finishing those two set necks.. It takes time, kinda like a French polish.. and for these two I want to get them nice and thick (I have one picture I will show at the end)...

 

Well, as the thread title says I have had a new idea sort of inspired by when I did my veneer testing.. Do you remember when I used half light and half dark coloured woods and I think it was Ryan who said I should do a proper half and half..

 

It started today :)

 

Its going to be half Meranti (the hard type) and half Ash and so far this is what I have

DSC_0169_zps1b502d88.jpg

 

Now this is my question (and you will have to use your imagination a bit here).. Do you think that for the body I should keep the same wood on the same side OR should I flip it over? I know its a hard question and will only be down to personal taste but I really cant decide so I thought id see what you good people think.

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Maybe as always I will just have to try both :)

 

As well as that I have also been working on that other neckthrough a bit which is looking pretty sweet

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Plus I have a beechwood Hammer on the way too (as I am so happy with the way the arrow one is coming out).

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And heres a quick shot of the oak set neck hammer build.. Almost there

DSC_0183_zps2ff001a4.jpg

 

For anyone still watching I hope you enjoy.. and more soon :)

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Well, they are both looking good but yes, the oak is nice. I think I would make the split guitar all ash on one side rather than flipping it for the body. I'm curious as to wether or not the neck will warp with the different woods expanding at different rates.

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Well, they are both looking good but yes, the oak is nice. I think I would make the split guitar all ash on one side rather than flipping it for the body. I'm curious as to wether or not the neck will warp with the different woods expanding at different rates.

Hmm, good point.. I hadn't thought about that...

 

But the ash and meranti seem about the same sort of hardness to me (which I get a good idea of when I cut them)... So heres hoping.. Still its fun experimenting :)

 

And yes I REALLY like the beech build... I have a feeling its gonna turn out real nice (plus ive never played or seen a beech guitar before?)... and the only other oak guitar I have played is the last one I finished :)

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But the ash and meranti seem about the same sort of hardness to me (which I get a good idea of when I cut them)... So heres hoping.. Still its fun experimenting :)

 

 

Yea yea. I'm excited to see how it goes. I know nothing about meranti. If we have it over here it must have a different name. [thumbup]

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Yea yea. I'm excited to see how it goes. I know nothing about meranti. If we have it over here it must have a different name. [thumbup]

Its also known as Lauan or Philippine Mahogany......

 

Theres a few different types.. soft and hard (of course :))

 

And oh yes... I glued the body pieces together today.. I have gone with the woods the same way as on the neck... Should look pretty funky :)

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Cheers man...

 

I assume you are talking about the oak one?

 

And yes.. that's tru oil.. love the stuff [thumbup]

 

Tru-Oil is my favorite gunstock finish!

 

I never even thought of it for guitars, but it makes perfect sense!

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Tru-Oil is my favorite gunstock finish!

 

I never even thought of it for guitars, but it makes perfect sense!

Yeah its amazing stuff.. mostly cos unlike Nitro its not toxic to the skin so you can do it indoors without worrying about fumes and the like..

 

Also I hear that people use Tung oil or Danish oil for finishing guitars..

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So heres a quickie update

 

The body is cut.. Its a bit of a shame that the top half of the ash is darker, I didn't see that until I sanded it down.. But hey im sure it will look cool :) (or I can just make a new body maybe?)

 

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And heres what I have coming next...

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theres my multi wood body, oak (top left), beech (top right) and padauk so some really nice wood there.. cant wait to get some finish on those

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And the necks im working on.. multi wood neck, Utile (middle) and one of the Ash and Meranti necks. (plus I have an oak one too that's about to be fretted)

DSC_0221_zps9e22c95b.jpg

 

And guess what im going to do with this ;)

DSC_0219_zpsccf792bc.jpg

 

 

More soon [thumbup]

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello...

 

Been a bit slow the last week or so with family and actually ive started the processes to set up my business.. Im set up as a sole trader now :D exciting and im also crapping myself.. all of the work ive been doing for the last year or so is starting to come to fruition (hopefully). Its make or break time...

 

Anyway....... So I decided that the first body I made wasn't good enough for this build since it has that dark stripe on the top which kind of defeats the object of what I want to achieve (check the above pics). I will just come up with another idea for that body :) (the tri colour body ;))

 

So I made two more today.... One is for the half and half which is the same way around on the neck and the other is for the second neck a am making where the body and neck woods will be opposite way around.

 

So heres the new one, Ash and Utile (I think :)).. Much better for what I want

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That's gonna finish real nice me thinks.. some nice grain patterns going on there

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And heres the second one which is Oak and Utile

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And the neck for that one (still early stages)

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And this is the neck for the ash one which is just awaiting its frets...

DSC_0340_zps1bdb166e.jpg

 

So... nice.. im much happier to proceed with these builds now I have that new body..

 

More soon :)

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Guest Farnsbarns

Looks absolutely fantastic! I'm very interest how that neck will behave in the first year. I guess it's all properly dried wood so you have every chance of success.

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Looks absolutely fantastic! I'm very interest how that neck will behave in the first year. I guess it's all properly dried wood so you have every chance of success.

Cheers man.. and yes this is experimental for sure.. There may be a very good reason that people don't make guitars like this :)

 

(edit.. oh and yes its all dried wood. so there "shouldn't" be much issue, but we will see.)

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Cheers man.. and yes this is experimental for sure.. There may be a very good reason that people don't make guitars like this :)

 

(edit.. oh and yes its all dried wood. so there "shouldn't" be much issue, but we will see.)

 

If you have any problems with necks twisting due to the different woods expanding and contracting unevenly, might want to try some carbon fiber reinforcement rods on either side of the truss rod. Stewmac sells them and they aren't too expensive.

 

-Ryan

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If you have any problems with necks twisting due to the different woods expanding and contracting unevenly, might want to try some carbon fiber reinforcement rods on either side of the truss rod. Stewmac sells them and they aren't too expensive.

 

-Ryan

Yeah.. a good idea for sure.. But I have the feeling it will be ok..

 

:unsure:

 

;)

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Awesome work as always Rab!

 

I thoroughly enjoy watching your builds, always something new to learn, while I'm competent in mods and have decent wood working skills a full build from scratch has always seemed so intimidating. Watching your work especially without a full wood working shop at your disposal is truly inspiring. I keep telling myself one of these days I'm gonna give it a go. In the mean time, I'll be watching and waiting.

 

Johnny

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Awesome work as always Rab!

 

I thoroughly enjoy watching your builds, always something new to learn, while I'm competent in mods and have decent wood working skills a full build from scratch has always seemed so intimidating. Watching your work especially without a full wood working shop at your disposal is truly inspiring. I keep telling myself one of these days I'm gonna give it a go. In the mean time, I'll be watching and waiting.

 

Johnny

Thank you for the kind words sir... Its much appreciated :)

 

And well I think anyone could learn to do it.. Its just a matter of having the time I reckon.. But even if it takes you a year or longer to complete one, that's cool.. theres no rush :) And actually I reckon that this forum had a lot to do with it too.. Not only for the information I have learned on here but also the amazing support (which I truly appreciate (cheers guys :)).

 

What you got to loose ;) Maybe start off with one of those kits which will take way less time? And if you like the results then it may spur you on to do a full build from scratch. [thumbup]

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  • 1 month later...

HELLO :)

 

I haven't mentioned this guitar much as I have been concentrating on getting three guitars perfect and ready for other people to play them as you may have seen I have one.. And am finishing two off at the moment...

 

BUT the Yin/Yang guitar which I had planned on is most the way there now.. Body and neck are joined and im just doing the neck profile at the moment..

 

So heres how its looking.. As far as I know this is a first cos I haven't seen anything like it in my net searches.. But of course we wont really know if this will work until I try to finish it which could as was mentioned cause warping when two different types of wood get wet and then dry...

 

But we will see.. :) See what you think

 

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And also heres the two im finishing at the moment.. The utile one and the maple one.. Now I know theres probably many who wont like what ive done with the maple body (as in the colour) but to me its like the Studio Faded Brown model which I really liked..

 

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and the Utile one (which is probably my nicest so far I think

DSC_0574_zpsb979a17d.jpg

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So there we are.. almost there folks :) [thumbup]

 

More soon.

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Evening folks...

 

So today I drilled most of the holes... So tomorrow it will be ready for finishing.. :) (notice how quick I get from body and neck blanks to almost ready now :D)..

 

So what do you reckon.. Reflectors or speed knobs?

 

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More soon [thumbup] The next thing I want to do is to give one of my Arrow bodies some binding.. I think that will really finish that design off well. (just awaiting the new router bit I have ordered especially for this purpose and the binding itself)

 

And as always thanks for watching :)

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I'm liking the speed knobs. Reflectors add just a Little too much chrome IMO :P

 

-Ryan

Hmmm.. yes I see what you are saying...

 

I think I have some black witch hats somewhere that may look better as they have a lower profile than the speed knobs :)

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I'm liking the speed knobs. Reflectors add just a Little too much chrome IMO :P

 

-Ryan

By the way.. did you notice that the neck pup is a P90 (humbucker sized)...

 

It keeps drawing my eye to it.. but I think that's just as im so aware its there :)

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By the way.. did you notice that the neck pup is a P90 (humbucker sized)...

 

It keeps drawing my eye to it.. but I think that's just as im so aware its there :)

 

Yeah I noticed. Not a big surprise there, I know it's your favorite configuration ;)

 

-Ryan

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