Wednesday 22nd July ’09

here’s the end of last week.. the quilted/birsdeye maple cap was glued in place on Gary’s custom PAF..

after removing a hundredweight of clamps excess cap is bandsawed away

next up I the overhead router is used to rout the binding channel on Stuarts 45rpm..

ok, the pickup and control cavities on Gary’s beast are predrilled

and routed..

….

the headstock is marked out and some excess cap wood prepared..

for some more bandsaw action..

the truss rid cover is cut out before glueing begins.. this one is nearly there now!

now.. on to the soon-to-be-hollow left-handed paf hollow..

a basic outline is cut into the body to help with the routing..

but before we get there the control cavity is routed

and the ergonomic back contours are carved.. well.. halfway at least

the neck is only roughed out at this point..

I love making fire!!  Somewhat at odds with my other hobby.. making vast clouds of dust!

now.. the overhead router is set up so that the bit stops several mm above the stop we just made..

meaning that as long as I don’t let go I can not route through the back of the guitar.. It makes a hell of a mess though and I stop for some fresh air..

and spend it carressing this old levin archtop..

the new pickup is wired in, carefully..

not a big job but I do love these old jazzers!

now.. while I’m in a clean area I continue with the finishing process on several guitars recieving oil..

and it’s back to the mess..

with the result of a roughly carved hollowbody.. and here she’ll stay for a few days..

the excess clear filler on these inlays is filed away

and then, of course topped up again.. slow but worth it in the long run..

next up the custom headstock on Laurence’s bespoke guitar is marked out..

the maple headstock cap is glued i place.. note the clamping caul encased in an old plastic bag to stop any unwanted stickage!  (it took a couple of minutes stareing blankly at the screen to come up with that glorious technical term!!)

anyway.. the figured maple blank is brought out..

ripped down the middle

planed perfectly flat..

and glued..

the inlay is cut out of this chunk of laminated abalone

and recessed into the headstock

and left to dry while I plane the top flat in preperation for the .. .. top.

which is also prepared.. og course

now, another job for the overhead router, the tone chambers are routed in

the excess material from the top is removed

and while the bandsaw is alive I also refine the shape of Steinar’s extended range touch guitar

a new drilling jig is made from a stainless steel tube and a chunk of spalted beech

it is used to drill the angled string holes.. is this the final shape?

anyway, the cap of LT’s new model is fitted

and we end the day at the same place we started.. with a load of clamps!!

All my best,

Ben

Crimson Bespoke Guitars UK