Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi everyone. I just just joined yesterday and am excited to learn new tricks from all of you......and hope to be able to discover my own to share with you. This is my first scratch build guitar that i am doing all alone.At the time the photo was taken there was no laquer, its just a mock-up. I have, so far, completed 3 guitars. 2 acoustic (martin kit and a scratch OM) and a scratch electric. The two scratch builds were completed while i was attending Roberto-Venn in Phoenix, AZ. It has been 4 years since i graduated R-V, and 4 years since i attempted to build on my own. So anyhow, the guitar below is a mahogany body and neck, set neck, splated myrtle top , ebony fretboard and headcap. pearl inlay is my initials SPL. Hope you like it.

I like the body shape, nicely done. Is that a Tone Pro's bridge? They make some nice bridges. Expensive but nice.

Thats going to be a real nice guitar! Is the top carved?

yes, tonepro bridge. no, its a flat top. ive never carved a top before. i think the next build i may attempt it. any suggestions on how to carve or at least what i can practice on. im a total nerve the whole way with this..so, im sure if i am carving the top it will take me months to do.

This forum has tons of great info on doing archtops. Another good resource (for techniques) can be found online related to Cello builds.

I do wish my first one had looked that good! Nice work.

-Matthew

Great design and nice tonewood... well done...

Beautiful....

Did you actually rabbit the binding channel?

LOOKS GREAT!

What are your plans for finish? Whatever you do, I am sure that topwood will pop!

Stephen

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www.ziegenfussguitars.com

nice lines...! Really cool design

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http://www.PeakeGuitars.com

1st wash coat with waterbase.


heres the back. i am using magnets to mount the control and truss rod covers. no screws.

Nice design and wood....

I saw this a litle while back when you first posted. I meant to comment then but I have a habit of bouncing back and forth between several forums, and clean forgot until this post moved back up. Beautiful job and beautiful guitar! I can only hope my first will turn out as well. Again, beautiful guitar! What are the pickups and wiring?

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

The pups are gibson 57 classics. the wiring, i forget the correct name, will be switchable from humbucking to single coil sound on both neck and bridge.

since my last posted photo i have sanded off 2 water based laquer finishes and went with Behlens nitro laquer (wet sanding now)... its still just all clear coats. the next guitar i will try my luck with maybe a tobacco color.

im getting excited to be near completing. its been a long time since i started buying all the wood. its time to finish and move on to the next.

I have a question. How do some of you put a serial # in the wood? this way when one of my guitars ends up on antiques road show they can tell them, "oh, this is worth 30 dollars." j/k.

Great looking guitar, I wish my first build looked that nice.

For the serial number I use a paint pen from Michaels and write it on the back of the headstock and sign my initials. I am thinking about doing metal plaque for the back of the headstock. I have also used water slide decals under the clear coat, but did not like the way they turned out.

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John Thiessen
http://www.iszacguitars.com

i have to scuff sand and and spray a few more coats of lacquer. its very thin and i sanded through in some spots...i was getting impatient and wanted to see what it was going to look and sound like so i buffed it out and started in on the electronics. so far i still have to figure out the wiring. after i get the wiring done properly ill take the guitar apart and spray some more.

Very nice work. I really like the body shape, and that top is excellent. I'd love to hear some sound clips when it's done. Are those wooden knobs? Did you make them or buy them?

yes, the knobs are ebony. someday ill make my own, i dont have a lathe.

i know this is becoming a very common phrase in this thread, but i wish my first guitar would have turned out that well i dig the body style to, very classy. nice work

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~shad peters

http://www.flickr.com/photos/petersinstruments/
http://petersinstruments.blogspot.com/
http://petersinstruments.com/

Very impressive! I really like the body design. Also the shot of the back of the neck posted awhile ago looks great. You did a great job on the veloute and headstock. Congrats on nearing the end on your first

The photos were taken by a Boston based photographer named Adam Marcinek. It is currently being used by Joe Zarrick of The Indobox. There are some soundclips on youtube if you search "Indobox 2011" if you are interested in hearing it.

Thank you for all the kind feedback and encouragement. Im looking forward to starting my next build in the spring, a semi hollow of the same design. I plan on documenting this next one with a lot more photos.

-Sean L.

Looks pretty cool to me. I'm no expert on solid bodies, but I think you have every right to be proud of this one. I'm looking forward to your next one!

Patrick

Looks great! Can't wait to finish my scratch build and put up some pics.