Tuesday 20th January ’09

so, I started the week off spending not an insignificant amount of time on admin and the sharpening of chisels.. the problem doing a job you love is that at times you have to facilitate that by spending time tapping away at a computer.. a job I would rather leave to just about anyone else!!!

that said.. with some sharp planes and chisels I jointed a couple of bookmatched tops and glued on the elm headstocks to Archie and Thomas’ bespoke guitars

while they cure a small repair is effected on this RG series Ibanez.. a very versatile little model..

eventually the headstock veneer is trimmed back flush with the headstock and the tuner holes are drilled

Archies back plates are also in Elm and are bandsawed roughly to size

planed flat..

and planed flat again..

and finally it is on to Dave’s left handed plagiarist!!! .. the soon-to-be top is planed flat (now you see why I started with the sharpening session!!)

carefully marked out (I have to constantly remind myself that it is a lefty guitar!!)

and my lovely bandsaw comes back into play!!

after fitting the top around the end of the fretboard the excess neck timber on the top has to be removed

and wireing channels are routed and the control cavity pre-drilled on the pillar drill

and routed..

finally the top is glued in place.. with most of my clamps!!!

next up is a half day design session (free if you’re thinking about ordering the best in bespoke guitars!!) .. this cheapish PRS type is the basic template..

and it’s a good thing that our Vanquish models are so close.. the main design brief on this one is the weight, the cusomer has neck problems brought on by too many years playing heavy guitars.. I’m aiming for under 5lbs if possible!

eventually the plagiarist is ready and the excess cap woods are routed away using a bearing cutter (which I had not put away in the correct place and which subsequently took half an hour to find!!! Doh!)

the pickup cavities are pre-drilled

and routed

and it’s back to the headstock, standard Crimson 3-aside, just left-handed!!

she is roughed out and the straight string pull drawn on before drilling the position holes for the tuners and finalising the headstock shape.. using a rather nice Japanese saw file!!

the headstock cap is bandsawed out.. of a piece of flamed sycamour that I had originally started building a Viola da Gamba out of years ago!

the recessed truss rod cover is cut out

and we end up where we began this diary.. with a cap clamped in place!!

All my best, Ben

Crimson Bespoke Guitars HQ