Thread: "Conjurer" New Metal Series Build

Looking excellent Jon, This will be an interesting build to follow.
And I also look forward to the Secret film clip you are working on.
Keep the photos coming.
Cheers,Bob

Great looking build Jon. It doesn't need to be everyone's cup of tea. You just need to know your market (or guitarist) and do it well. That neck will look a million bucks when it's shaped. Look forward to more

Cheers,

Peter

Hey thanks Bob and Peter. Contributions to the thread much appreciated.

Had a good day yesterday and got the initial fretwork done and neck carve roughed in. Neck is only to 80 grit and still needs further work but the bulk of the job is done.

Very nice Jon, I really like it.

The laminate neck looks killer, I'd love to try something like that myself.

Can you elaborate on how you achieve the thin black maple strips - Is it just standard maple veneer that has been dyed black and glued into the laminate ?

Cheers

Dave

Originally Posted by fletch123

Very nice Jon, I really like it.

The laminate neck looks killer, I'd love to try something like that myself.

Can you elaborate on how you achieve the thin black maple strips - Is it just standard maple veneer that has been dyed black and glued into the laminate ?

Cheers

Dave

Cheers Dave, thanks for the . Regarding the black maple strips you are spot on. I source them from ALS Guitar Parts from Australian Luthiers Supplies - Parts and materials for guitars, basses, mandolins and violins, replacement hardware including bridges and machine heads, wood for tops, backs & sides, necks and fingerboards, tuners, bridges and other. I then simply glue them into position as part of the neck billet glue up stage. It is more messing around of course and a bit fiddly but like you, I reckon it looks really schmick . Leaves little room for error though if something is out of alignment as disproportionate balances really stand out with the black lines.

Apologies for the average pic of the neck....bit blurry.....will post another soon when I have sanded and finished the shaping.

Jon

Excellent, thanks for that Jon, I'll give it a go next build

I am looking forward to seeing that neck and body pop once you lacquer it

Call me "Wierd" But I reckon the best Musical Geniuses in the would are Steely Dan, "Not every ones cup of tea" in fact very few peoples cups of tea, but Musical Geniuses all the same!

Same Deal Dude! awesome build, I'm sure it will be an awseome Guitar,Your rught, not my cup of tea, But, nice lines, awesome job man, keep it going mate full support here and good on you for liking what you like!.

Ox (workin on somethin weird!)

Agree about Steely Dan!

Cool build, the Blackwood looks full on. How heavy is the walnut?

Steely Dan....... Music is all about individuality so yup, with you there Ox.

The Walnut is not light and not overly heavy. Total build will come in around 3.5 - 3.8kgs, unchambered. I did think quite a bit about chambering this build but in the end decided against it in favour of the full solid body tone.

It's a shame about the blemishes in the Blackwood. I was originally wanting String Thru but a good mate (Oz Tradie) suggested last night, perhaps use a stop bar to cover up where I have epoxied a knot/hole/hollow bit. Good suggestion but I might wait until I can see how it comes up all sanded. Any thoughts folks? (you can see what I am waffling about in the first post).

Cheers all.

More progress today with the neck pocket now complete. First pic shows the method I use to rout the pocket which takes some time to setup but I have had an almost perfect success rate with this compared to template methods. Pickup cavities also routed. Neck angle yet to be created. Anyway, few more pics to keep the story up to date........

Jon, it is a known fact high figured old growth blackwood mostly has blemishes knots bark intrusions etc that is the nature how you get the figure old growth twisted old trees, you the luthier have to find the best way to work with this.
Using sawdust super glue mix,or coloured epoxy mix etc.
I had a well know customer who wanted highly figured blackwood with no knots no bark intrusions my answer was sorry Tasmanian Blackwood is not genetically modify'ed if you want high figured this is how it comes take it or leave it.
They took it.
Regards,Bob
P.S. I must add Jon there is only a couple of small blemishes on the front and they sure don't take away from how figured the top is.

Originally Posted by EtherealGuitars

Steely Dan....... Music is all about individuality so yup, with you there Ox.

The Walnut is not light and not overly heavy. Total build will come in around 3.5 - 3.8kgs, unchambered. I did think quite a bit about chambering this build but in the end decided against it in favour of the full solid body tone.

It's a shame about the blemishes in the Blackwood. I was originally wanting String Thru but a good mate (Oz Tradie) suggested last night, perhaps use a stop bar to cover up where I have epoxied a knot/hole/hollow bit. Good suggestion but I might wait until I can see how it comes up all sanded. Any thoughts folks? (you can see what I am waffling about in the first post).

Cheers all.

Fair comments Bob. As this is the first old growth Blackwood billet I have bookmatched (was a 90mm thick billet which I have secured 2 carve tops out of the first 500mm length.....1m to go I guess I was not sure what to expect.

The great thing about a forum like this and posting a build thread is the diversity of thoughts and opinions people have. Your post makes me feel significantly better about what I am working with so ...thanks!

I agree also that the "blemishes" are really minor and in fact after some light sanding last night, became even more minor.

The "old growth" factor is a really important one. This is a particularly special top that I am sure must be a couple of hundred years old. I feel a bit mean picking on it now . As you say, such factors come with the territory, and yes, I am very excitred to be in "this" territory. Cheers. Jon

Jon,
I would say your blackwood top is over 200 years old.
Blackwood can live for close to 300 years and this billet you bought was from a standing dead old tree as is nearly all the figured blackwood I sell it is recovered from standing dead trees and a small amount is recovered from stump wood after logging operations we never ever cut down live trees.
The only time that I have cut down live trees was on a building site where I was building a cabin back in my hippy days. But I have lost count on the thousands of trees that I have planted and before I go I will plant many more.

That top of your guitar is really going to pop with a bit more very fine sanding and a finish on it. I look forward to the finished guitar please send me a photo to put in my guitar gallery page of my website.
Cheers,Bob.

Certainly sounds like your doing your bit for the planet Bob. Thanks also for the additional information about my prized tonewood .

Pictures will definitely be coming your way. At this stage, every pic I have posted in this thread shows the top having been sanded to 80 grit...ONLY.

I also can't wait.......oh the joys of building guitars