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I plan to use more native species for this. Most of them are cheaper and i've been waiting to use some woods that are cheaper to get a hold of. I plan to build a smaller parlor size "camping guitar". I plan to use Ash for the Back and sides, either cedar or lutz for the top. One thing i've been giddy about trying is the use of birch bark for rosette or something. Maybe a sound port. The ideas are still coming. Jason Moe

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

So here we go: Heres my parts list so far. If I have to cut back, I can always cut my own linings or change purflings. I didn't end up with much left.
Top:Red Cedar-20.00
Back and Sides:Curly Ash-25.00
Neck:Sapele-10.00.UPDATED TO CURLY MAPLE 10.00
Truss Rod:LMI single action-14.35
Neckblock and Tailblock:Mahog-1.00
Linings:Mahog-10.00
Purflings:BWB .060-8.20
Binding:Curly Maple-1.00
Cedar Bracing: Free with top
Fingerboard:Macassar Ebony-12.00 UPDATED TO HICKORY-2.00
Fretwire: LMI 18% Ni/Ag-4.95
Tuners:Grover Ebay special-15.00
Nut and Saddle:Bone-5.00
Bridge and Pins:Ebony and Boxwood maybe-12.00UPDATED TO HICKORY. 6.00
Finish:Tru-oil-2.00
Rosette:Birchbark-Free from my buddy Jeralds firewood pile.
Headplate:Scrap from back cut-off-Free
Bridgeplate:IRW scrap-Free
So the tally is $124.50 still some room for little screws on the truss rod cover, and strap buttons of some sort. Here's a pic of most of the materials. The top and back/sides do darken up alot to a honey color. Depending on how the rosette turns out, I might use a IRW fretboard instead. One side of the bark is white and the other is a tan/pinkish color. I'm going to experiment. I got the scarf joint on the neck gluing tonight on day 1. Happy building everyone! Jason

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

I am tossing around the idea of a curly maple neck. To keep it regional wood. I think I will glue up a maple neck instead. Save a dollar or two also. The ebony might go too. Hickory maybe. I liked the black to match the birchbark to make the rosette jump out. Maybe not. After looking at the way the color of the underside of the bark relates to the top, something lighter might work out better.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

So I glued up a curly maple neck instead.
I joined the top and the back.
I also got my rosette started. I glued the birch bark with the underside out.
It matches the cedar top very nicely. I glued it to some scrap spruce cut-offs. I squeezed it in my vise with larger jaws to keep it flat. I"ll cut it out next when I put some coats of laquer on it, and decide how wide to make it.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

Looking good ! I like your wood choices .

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Nice! I like the bark.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Looking forward to seeing a pic of that rosette.

Very cool Jason.

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

Thanks for the compliments. I should have the rosette cut out tomarrow.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

Heres the rosette.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

I decided to change my wood selection a little bit more. This will make it made from all local woods that grow around here in Wisconsin minus the mahogany neck block and tail block. I'm making my fretboard and bridge out of Hickory. I found a really nice board. I ripped it into 2 to get 2 fretboards out of it. When I cut it open, theres a little dark hole of some sort on one spot. I might be able to utilize it at the 12th fret. Its a little gnarly around it. Or i'll go around it. 8 dollar board. 8 footer. I still have enough left for a neck at some point in the future. I think it should be hard enough to stand up to the amount I play. I'll put pics up when I get new batteries for my camera. I've been keeping track of how many hours i'm putting into this also. So far around 4 shop hours. Thats not including lots of thinking about it and planning, looking at boards etc.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

I got my neck all glued up, and cut my tenon. Spent the afternoon getting the neckblock to fit nice. I'm working on the fretboard next. I need to radius it. I have a good feel with my belt sander to get it close. Then i'm using a block. Stay tuned. I am building another guitar to with this one, so I only have so many clamps. I'm doing both at the same time. So I hope to have the top braced, and the backs braced within the week.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

I'm making a Hickory fretboard. I ripped a board into 2. Saved a nice chunk for the bridge. I'm radiusing the Padma way. Getting it close. then handblocking it. I hope to get the side done soon. I need to be in binding stage by Veterns day.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

Neck joint is done.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

I started bracing. Did the popsicle brace and got most of the braces roughed out. I'm using cedar, so I'm leaving them a little highter. This is high altitude cedar and is very strong compared to others.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

The humidty has gone up to lots of rain this evening. So I got the truss rod in, and the faceplate gluing. The faceplate is going to match the fretboard. I also figured out where the fretboard is going to be on my board. I hope to get the rest of the top braced this week. Jason

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

Looks good Jason. Do you always fit the neck joint out of the guitar? I never saw that before in your builds.

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

I fit it so I can position my neck on my workboard. It gives me a straight neck. I dont have a neck router jig. Ive done this with all my guitars with bolt-on necks.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

I was just about to glue on the X brace. I tested the strenth by barely flexing it. It cracked. Scary enough. I think i'm going to use my hand split lutz bracing from here on out.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

Now its 20% humidty in the shop and I can't do any bracing. I like around 30-40% in these parts of the world.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

Humidity is back up to 30%. Got a new X-brace done and glued in. I had to make a new one due to stress testing.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

Slotted the fretboard. Took an hour by hand. I think I really DO NEED to build a power tool sled/jig to do this. The Hickory cut alot like Pau Ferro. Not near as hard as ebony and a touch softer than IRW. It cut really nice and did'nt squeeze to much at all. I did have a Tetnus shot today. Its been 25 years. Maybe thats why my left arm is sore. I gotta get this guitar done.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

Radiused the freboard with a block plane with my custom handle from a "cheese-grator" handle I fitted to a StewMac curved block. I havn't decided if I want to bind it or not. I'm going to see how smoothe the edges are after I cut it out. If the edges are rough, i'll easily bind it. That will smoothe it out.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

I put dots in the fretboard. I put them in 2 other fretboards also. I am building another guitar on the side with the build-off. Major neck work coming soon. The top is braced. The tap tone lost some luster. So i'm taking off a bunch off the lower legs. So far, 9.75 hours of labor.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

Looks good. 9.75 hours labor so far - - that's fast.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"