Rabs Posted October 2, 2014 Author Share Posted October 2, 2014 And the maple build is coming along nicely... Always looks messy at this stage but I will make it good :) Nice... More tomorrow.. and as always.. Thanks for watching (and thanks Gibson for hosting and allowing me to post here, it is appreciated ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 Hello again... So today I was at that Maple build while putting oil on the Utile one.... And the maple one is really getting there now... I had a slight issue with the neck where it wasn't quite thick enough to give me a proper neck heel so I stuck a bit of maple on the top and I think it came out ok :) So as I think I mentioned once before... This is going to get Tele style hardware and may even be the first of my guitars to get a pickguard :) The control plate is already set up (bought it like that)... So I just need a few holes and its ready for finishing :) But check the cool grain on this body... that should finish real nice And heres how that Utile one is looking More soon :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drog Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Looking good Rabs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 Looking good Rabs! Thank you sir :) Im REALLY looking forward to getting these two finished... This could be the start of something cool (or not :)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 How many guitars did you make now Rabs? Are you selling them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 How many guitars did you make now Rabs? Are you selling them? Hmm... 5 if you include my first failure (where the neck angle was totally out)... And of those only 2 are really properly playable and intonateable etc.. The others are close... REAL close but not what I want to put my name on and then sell (mostly due to fretboard and set up issues). However, these were my learning guitars.. I am the kind of person who has to learn by physically doing things.. I think ive got it all down now and am re-using the hardware and pups on those first few so none of that will go to waste or anything. After these next two are finished I am going to then start a web site and all the other things I have planned :) So im almost there... almost... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Hmm... 5 if you include my first failure (where the neck angle was totally out)... And of those only 2 are really properly playable and intonateable etc.. The others are close... REAL close but not what I want to put my name on and then sell (mostly due to fretboard and set up issues). However, these were my learning guitars.. I am the kind of person who has to learn by physically doing things.. I think ive got it all down now and am re-using the hardware and pups on those first few so none of that will go to waste or anything. After these next two are finished I am going to then start a web site and all the other things I have planned :) So im almost there... almost... I'll never build a guitar, but if I did, what kind of fretboard issues? Lifting up off the neck? And set up issues. Bridge math not exact enough to make an intonatable guitar? Not lined up with the edges of the neck, that sort of thing? rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 I'll never build a guitar, but if I did, what kind of fretboard issues? Lifting up off the neck? And set up issues. Bridge math not exact enough to make an intonatable guitar? Not lined up with the edges of the neck, that sort of thing? rct Mostly the issues are non level fretboards that I guess I should just have paid more attention too.... I bought a notched straight edge a short while back which has allowed me to check that much more accurately than I was able too before... With those issues getting the frets all level is really hard (but doable) and then when or if the neck bows or someone makes a trussrod adjustment then it will all go out of whack so thus not really a fully functioning guitar. And yes.. I got a few of the bridge positions wrong which I can fix and indeed if I took all of the frets out of the ones with issues and re-levelled the boards, and re-do the nuts I could probably fix them.. (which may be a good learning project down the line).. BUT with my new edge detail for my Hammer model and another idea I have planned for my Arrow model I decided to just accept these as my learning tools and move forward and concentrate my efforts on these new designs that I want to become my "standard" models. They are all playable but theres just small things here and there that I don't like so don't want to sell them like that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moparguy Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Maybe you be like Gibson and charge $4,000.00 for a guitar . Looks like they are coming along very nicely, you got mad skills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Mostly the issues are non level fretboards that I guess I should just have paid more attention too.... I bought a notched straight edge a short while back which has allowed me to check that much more accurately than I was able too before... With those issues getting the frets all level is really hard (but doable) and then when or if the neck bows or someone makes a trussrod adjustment then it will all go out of whack so thus not really a fully functioning guitar. And yes.. I got a few of the bridge positions wrong which I can fix and indeed if I took all of the frets out of the ones with issues and re-levelled the boards, and re-do the nuts I could probably fix them.. (which may be a good learning project down the line).. BUT with my new edge detail for my Hammer model and another idea I have planned for my Arrow model I decided to just accept these as my learning tools and move forward and concentrate my efforts on these new designs that I want to become my "standard" models. They are all playable but theres just small things here and there that I don't like so don't want to sell them like that... You rock. Seriously. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 7, 2014 Author Share Posted October 7, 2014 You rock. Seriously. rct :) Thank you sir .... I know its easy to write (or say) but I really do appreciate all the words of kindness and support, it means a lot and helps keep me going... And I am very serious about all of this.. I want to be able to stand by my work and be proud of it... so it has to be good.... :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 7, 2014 Author Share Posted October 7, 2014 And heres todays update.... Most of the holes are drilled now... I wanted to sink the control plate in to the top so it was flush with the body BUT I seriously think if I drill 1 more millimetre I would be too close to going through the back... so I decided to leave well enough alone... So heres where im at now (this one really is a cross between a tele and a double cut LP) And this is the rough idea ive had for a pickguard shape So... almost there on this build.. I think the next thing im going to do is that Yin and Yang guitar.. Now that should be REAL interesting More tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderchild Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Are you going to put G Force or min e tune on any of them? That's where the big bucks come from .....Just pulling your chain a little Rabs, it seems like a couple of days ago when you started with the door and now I truly can't wait for the web site and the sales to start you've made huge strides in becoming a luthier. I really like the looks you 're coming up with TC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 7, 2014 Author Share Posted October 7, 2014 Are you going to put G Force or min e tune on any of them? That's where the big bucks come from .....Just pulling your chain a little Rabs, it seems like a couple of days ago when you started with the door and now I truly can't wait for the web site and the sales to start you've made huge strides in becoming a luthier. I really like the looks you 're coming up with TC Auto tune......Ha!!! NEVER!!!!!!! :) And thanks man, yes its amazing how fast time goes, if you can believe its been almost two years since my first post on the door... Even though id say ive only been doing it full time for about a year and wow what a journey its been... I still don't really see myself as a luthier even after all of this but I guess I wont until I actually start selling them (if I ever get to that point :)) and see people out in the world with them.. That will be a bit weird I guess :) Im just trying to take it day by day at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 Hello... Just a quick couple of pics on the finishing of these two .... My next one is already ready for finishing (the yin/yang one (I need a better name for that) so I actually have a production line... ok its only 3 guitars rather than say Gibsons hundreds a day.. but im just me in a garage :) Whats interesting is how different woods take the oil... That Utile one has probably had about 8 coats now and is almost there.. but the Maple one has only had two and looks almost a shiny as the Utile one so probably wont need much more maybe two or three more. So these should be finished this week some time.. I don't have like a minimum or maximum amount of finish I put on, I just kind of keep going until im happy :) so its not a set process .... yet :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Damn, Rabs! That is freakin beautiful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 Damn, Rabs! That is freakin beautiful! Cheers man :) I assume you are talking about the Utile one (the mahoganyish lookin one ;)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderchild Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Man, I miss the plus button to echo ZigZag, they are freaking beautiful Now all we need is to get Farns amp done and get you two together to change the face of electronic music as the world knows it...........bwahahahaha,..........sorry, got carried away. You guys just need to come up with a name for the new empire. Tc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 Man, I miss the plus button to echo ZigZag, they are freaking beautiful Now all we need is to get Farns amp done and get you two together to change the face of electronic music as the world knows it...........bwahahahaha,..........sorry, got carried away. You guys just need to come up with a name for the new empire. Tc Thank you sir... Lol.. and well who knows.. stranger things have happened :) And yes when I have these next few guitars finished im hoping to meet with a few of the guys off here for a jam so maybe you will get to see that in the near future... ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 So the finish is done... The hardware started to go on to both of these guitars today.. Im missing a few screws (annoyingly) so I will order them tonight. Heres how they look at the moment So these WILL be done within the next couple of days now :) More soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 Just a quicky today as I didn't get too much time to work today.. BUT, I made the scratch plate for the maple build... and NOW its looking like how I imagined it... I have to say doing stuff like this takes me ages.. I have no templates for such things and have to literally start off with a square bit of plastic and go from there... Anyway.. im pretty happy with how it turned out... The only issue is that the side of the scratch plate that's nearest the bottom horn is sticking over by like a mm. But next I have to sand the sides at an angle anyway so you can see the multi ply... See what you reckon :) More tomorrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Scales Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Nice one Rabs - nearly there! With everything in place how much does she weigh (out of interest)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 Nice one Rabs - nearly there! With everything in place how much does she weigh (out of interest)? Good question.. I will check tomorrow if I can... And well when I pick her up I don't think OMG that's a heavy bi**h ;) Just feels normal to me so id imagine about 9/10 lbs.. It is solid maple so will be on the heavier side of the scale. But then some of my bodies are only about 1"thick (these are more like 1.5") and those thinner ones will be my bad back or big girls blouse models :P :) (joke ;)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted December 4, 2014 Author Share Posted December 4, 2014 Hello all..... Been a short while since I posted anything on my builds.. No specific reasons, just been a bit slow recently and had other stuff to deal with.. You know how life goes... But im still at it, you can be sure of that :) But its all good... The Utile build is finished.. And the maple one (which I re-finished due to silliness) is almost there, im just having some wiring issues.. I now think that the switch is broken so I have ordered a new one and will get that done as soon as it arrives... So I had my LP GT with me today so I could use it for some references on the set up (just the nut mainly) and thought it would be cool to put it side by side with my guitars to see the differences... I haven't weighed them yet as the scales at my parents house doesn't register anything under like a stone or something.. But holding it side by side with my GT (which is about 8 lbs) it felt very similar.. So there we are... Just a quick update really.. im hoping that switch will arrive tomorrow so I can finish that maple one... Then I may do a video over the weekend.. Well as ever, thanks for watching to all those who still are.. More soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPguitarman Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 Lookin' good Rabs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.