Hello all,
This guitar is finally done, and I can't believe the tone! It is everything I was hoping for plus it is REALLY loud.
On the surface it looks really clean, but the reality, as most of you know, is that it was just one guitar (building) lesson after another.
If you don't want to read all the details, skip down to the pictures.
It started last summer when I planed the wood down. It immediately warped. After a lutherforum post I decided to iron it with the wife's clothes iron and the brace it up. That worked like a charm.
The neck had issues when the inserts striped. After a luthierforum post, I inserted dowels down the length of the tenon and into the old holes, and re-did the inserts.
The french polish was fairly smooth, but that too had issues with the pore fill. I think I have that system down, but the wood has a very artsy look to it, and I'm fine with that.
The soundport worked out great, but I learned why it is recommended to put a cross-grained laminate behind it.
This was the first bound neck I've done and it was pretty smooth. I don't own a tang nipper, so I used the dremel and cut off disk.
I dropped it when I was buffing it. The binding did it's job. No damage.
The rosette was carved with a razor and excavated with a chisel. It worked ok (thank goodness I know how to use a lacquer stick.) The rest of the inlay was cut out with a dremel and it is CLEAN. I got the bit from my dentist, and let me tell you, it is tiny and sharp and was free!!
The neck was carved from a single block. The block made two necks, one for a classical and one for this guitar. Classicals have a much thicker head to accommodate the big rollers of the machines. Acoustic necks do not. I didn't discover that until I drilled the holes for the machines (after it was finished !@#$^%^), hence the fancy carving work on the back of head. I sure am glad French Polish is easily repaired.
The list could go on and on, but I'll leave it at the biggies. The best part of making the mistakes was the satifaction gained in fixing them. Plus my patience really got a work out. I'm a better man for making those mistakes.
I do realize that by divulging all of the dirty details of my numerous goofs, I probably make myself look really stoopid.
However, I know that making mistakes is very human. And if I can help other new people avoid making the same mistakes, well then I guess it was worth admitting.
The best part of the entire build was the bracing. Hesh helped me plan out and execute my first parabolic bracing shape, and the tone and projection achieved are absolutely phenomenal!
Thanks to everyone who help me fix the many problems on this thing.
Here it is, #4
Deep OM body, Cedar top, EIR Back and Sides, Mahogany neck, White Aspen Binding.
Thanks for looking. Hope you learn something from my mishaps.
The significance of the Dragonfly is that the wings are the capital letter D and the body is the letter L. D L being the initials for Dave Livermore.
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