Monday 1st February 2010

It has been a very long few weeks since the last diary posting.. but here we are again..



for starters the new Vanquish hollow has been uploaded to the spec and gallery pages..

 

and we're slowly phasing in this new, very cool, slide show throughout the site..



now back to the diary proper.. a summary of the last few weeks work.. for starters the eight string guitar recieves some new tuners..



and Igor the apprentice has some fun practicing his inlay skills..



Mike's blue RF.. the black switches of the sustainer system are hard wired to the board, short of sanding them down we can only chage the washers over to match the rest of the guitar...



another eight string has her fret ends rounded over for comfort and playability.. (note how cramped and uncomfortable his workspace is here..)



a new, powerful, light is installed in the workshop to help take pics of the guitars for the site..



and in a change of pace I start preparing for finally making the workshop extension water-tight..



and warm.. the entire extension is built using recycled scaffolding boards and old windows from a neighbours house.. the insulation is three massive bags of sheeps wool that my farmer friend would just have had to burn otherwise!  (the sheep taste bloody lovely as well!!)



so, the walls are up, the ceiling is watertight and there are even a few work benches in the walls! (Bud is still looking for the sheep!!)



The walls are painted.. with the transparent roof this is starting to feel a lot like a conservatory..



now, the timber store is moved in..



and the first student of the custom guitar school begins his six day course



now, the elm top of this moonshine turned out to be a lot more danaged by worms than we had thought before carving and just isn't good enough..



the bandsaw comes into play and the wings are ripped off!



I'm thinking of recycling the wings by adding them to this neck that i began building as a stock guitar back wjen i had some spare time.. that'd be several years ago!!!



the original neck is prepared for her new body..



and the old wings are recycled onto the old neck..



now, this lovely old chunk of ash has been drying for years but now the circular saw comes out and it becomes useable.. bookmatched English ash body anyone?



some timber is stored in the new workshop..



and we start moving Igor's stuff into his new, massively spacious, work area!!



now, I really need a change of pace from hard-labour.. we go back to Nimrods twin guitars..



the side dots are marked out using Jessica, my leatherworkers Bradle..



and here is Jason's progress on his first ever guitar!!



while I install Nimrods side dots..



and then it is back to the hard labour.. I just love making sparks fly.. though in a dusty workshop it is less than ideal!



now, Nick's new headstock is finally roughed out



after the headstocks shape is finalised on the bobbin sander the tuner positions are marked out



and then an ebony veneer is glued in place..



A start is made on finishing the paf gold.. her refinish is successful and she is ready for hardware again!



Now.. the workshop is in a state of total dissaray!



and thus my mind is too!!



Though jason finished his course on Saturday



and has built his first guitar!! Barr sdome sanding, finishing and a few bits of hardware of course but we'll get there!



so, once again there's a clean slate in which to make dust..



though firstly we install the strings on the paf.. she'll settle down for a while before wiring for sound again..



now, back to Kirk's guitar.. this chunk of figured pearwood is earmarked for the project



a very lovely large blade is put on the bandsaw.. who is incidentally in a new place in the workshop, and the pearwood is bookmatched..



and planed flat on the three phase planner/thicknesser



there are a few breaks in the process as the new bit of the workshop is being wired for sound!



the pearwood is very carefully jointed with my number seven hand plane..



and clamped up to dry..



now.. the stock guitar..



the headstock was plain ugly so it is removed.. I like a challenge I do!



firstly the body is carved



then the back..



and she's got tone chambers as well as the ergonomic carving and lack of a head.. should be light!



finally the neck is carved



and our very good friend and neighbour Alan has finished wiring up the extension!



now, to keep things interesting we're adding a single coil pickup to the mix.. I use them way too rarely!!



the cavities are predrilled..



and then routed out..



the inside of the control cavity is routed on the pin router to match the shape of the top carve..



and the control layout is drilled and cut in..



finally we have a brand new headless custom guitar ready for final sanding and finishing!

All my best,
Ben