Currently I've shaped the edge of the body, and cut a notch for the thru-neck.
Here's a tail end view:
And and neck end view (The grain shows up really well in this photo):
Instead of doing a rounded edge like on a Stratocaster I tried something different. I put a deep cove in the edge of the top face.
I didn't want to lose the "horn" points in the flat of the surface, so the shape doesn't reach in as much around that area. I did a gradual tapering out so it wouldn't be noticeable. You can see it better in the picture after this one.
A picture of the neck and the body.
The notch is just a smidgen larger than the neck so the neck will drop in easily.
Later when I decide just exactly where I want the neck to rest I can trim off the excess at the butt end, and shape it to match the shape of the body.
It's finally starting to look like a guitar but I still have a lot more to do on it. I'm trying to come up with a way to put in the pickups so I remove the least amount of wood possible. I don't want to lose all of the stripes in the thru-neck. I guess I'll be routing in from the back, and then cover the back with a plate (unless anyone has a good idea for me.)
I could route pickup slots in the face too, but if I do then they will require additional plates for something to screw the pickups to. That means more of the wood would be hidden. I want as much wood as possible to show. A lot of my striping got covered up by the fretboard, but other than using a clear fretboard I couldn't think of any way around it.
I hope you keep doing these 'work-in-progress' project pieces~ for future blogs~ they really are suspenseful~!
ReplyDeleteVery cool!
ReplyDeleteIf you don't want to make any cuts in the wood, you could put upside down pickup on it (so that they point down at the strings rather than being inset in the body).
Also I remember some pickups used to have screws that were adjustable. It would be cool if the pickups were entirely on the backside of the guitar, with only the screws/posts showing through. For a newer pickup, I wonder if you could knock the posts out and replace them with longer ones.
I don't know how either would affect the sound though...
KW: I am loving this guitar! I can't wholeheartedly agree with friend sevkeifert, however, regarding his suggestion pickups. Nothing achieves the same sound as pickups set in wood; under the strings. I believe it gives the pickup support and the sound a deeper resonance. Ol’ Les Paul knew his stuff.
ReplyDeleteAre you going to finish the wood of the body?
Thanks guys! That's an interesting idea about the screws on the pickup. I have some pickups with screws for posts but it never occurred to me to unscrew them. I always figured they were set in some perfect position as they were. I'm gonna unscrew one just to see what happens.
ReplyDeleteI haven't decided on a finish yet, but I will put some kind of finish on it. I'm kind of leaning towards the dark-on-the-edges-fading-to-clear-in-the-center look. Kind of like John Entwistle's Thunderbird.
Nice work done
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve, for the comment and the visit
ReplyDeleteHope your day is happy
KW