Thread: Les Paul

Blackwood billet was resawn today for the top' also band sawed a large billet of she Oak will sand all of this in the coming days will see what the she oak will look like against the blackwood before I decide what to use as the fretboard.
Blackhearted sassafras for body blank and neck to work out hopefully next week.
Cheers Bob

Don't think I've seen a BH Sassafras neck, that should look good.

Steve, I am not using the Blackhearted sassafras for the neck this is going to be used for the body blank 45mm thickness and 20mm thickness highly figured blackwood for the top this will be carved. There is forum members that have used sassy for necks and love it.
Cheers Bob

Originally Posted by stevemc32

Don't think I've seen a BH Sassafras neck, that should look good.

I am busy at the moment with customers orders but I have managed to resaw the blackwood top for my les Paul' with a bit of luck I should manage to get the rest together soon.
Photo attached me resawing blackwood top.
Cheers Bob

Attachment 179109

thats some nice wood Bob.

Im not sure what the dimensions of the neck on the tassie oak and blackwood neck were. It was a 35" scale thru neck. It was a copy (shape wise not wood) of Carl Thompsons 10million dollar bass. Made from Australian timber but with two pin strips of rock maple for a contrast in the neck.

Each wing was three piece, a middle core that was chambered of tas blackwood and a top and back cap of Northern NSW blackwood.

Originally Posted by luxemburg

thats some nice wood Bob.

Im not sure what the dimensions of the neck on the tassie oak and blackwood neck were. It was a 35" scale thru neck. It was a copy (shape wise not wood) of Carl Thompsons 10million dollar bass. Made from Australian timber but with two pin strips of rock maple for a contrast in the neck.

Each wing was three piece, a middle core that was chambered of tas blackwood and a top and back cap of Northern NSW blackwood.

G'Day Rohan, no worries I will find out the sizes as a Les Paul plan arrives this week this will be a great help to get idea to work with' my guitar will be called Tasmanian Exotic Tone - Les Paul shape there it ends' My wife reckons I would never hang myself as I am always changing my mind and coming up with new idea and thats what is happening with this build the top will stay the same this is close to 20mm thickness highly figured burl type Tasmanian blackwood' rear of the guitar will be Tasmanian blackhearted sassafras' but I am thinking of putting a sandwich in the centre that is a piece of Huon pine that has sentimental value to me more about this latter' as for the neck also sandwich highly figured Tasmanian blackwood' Fiddleback Tasmanian Eucalyptus strip down the centre.
Fret board I have decided to go with the blackwood' headstock will decide latter.
Hopefully mine will be worth millions one day.
Cheers Bob

Bob there is a basic neck plan here
http://www.ubershare.org/mahoganybla...ck%20Blank.jpg

should be a great guitar.

A little more done this week in between working.
Photos attached burl type highly figured Tasmanian blackwood and Tasmanian blackhearted sassafras for the rear of the guitar' I picked through my sassafras to find a peice with not too much wild blackhearted figure so the peice I have decided on has just two black strips and more of a brown colour so this should go well.
Blackwood top 20 mm thickness this will be carved.
Blackhearted sassafras for the back of the guitar 27 mm thickness.
I am going to have a 13 mm thickness peice of Huon Pine in the centre from a log I salvaged at the junction of the Huon and Pictor rivers in 1968' I made a stereo cabinet from some of the boards from this log that I moved around from house to house for close to 35 years and when I last moved house seven years ago Bells moving managed to deliver it in peices thank you Bells I will never use you to move house again.
Well now some of this Huon Pine can go into my Les paul. wood is wiped with a little mineral spirit to show colour.
Cheers Bob


Attachment 179464

Attachment 179465

Attachment 179466

Let the show begin, Plans arrived today. Photo attached.
And all going to plan I hope to be opening my present to myself on Christmas day.
And saying to every one that comes for Christmas dinner " O "my god look what father christmas has brought me an Exotic tone Les Paul just want I have always wanted' it's great to be a Kid.
Cheers Bob

Attachment 179549

Are you making the guitar yourself now Bob?

I was contacted just over a week ago by a new custom guitar builder here in Hobart who I have spoken to before' who is going to work with me and show me what I can do myself towards the build if I run into any problems that I can not do he will do them but I am going to try and do as much myself as I possible can.
As for Roger the Luthier in France he is going to do another different build for me.
So things are turning out well as I did want to take part in the les Paul build after all I salvaged and hand picked the woods so I might as well do what else I can towards the build.
I forgot to mention I spoke with Mick at Brierley pickups the other day lovely bloke to talk too. I listened to his advise and he suggested 2 - P90 so this I am going with but with another little added kick as an after thought more about this latter as the build will progress.
Cheers Bob

Originally Posted by Bigriver

Are you making the guitar yourself now Bob?

Ah! Be careful, guitar building is very infectious, you sound like me I plan to build one guitar and always seem to have 3 on the go. Enjoy!

I will most certainly enjoy helping with this build' and I do not have any shortage of wood for future builds and I have a few planned.

Originally Posted by Bigriver

Ah! Be careful, guitar building is very infectious, you sound like me I plan to build one guitar and always seem to have 3 on the go. Enjoy!

hey bob,

heres a few pics of some nice birdseye gidgee i thought you might be interested in for your fret board.

the peice is 12mm thick, tapers from 150mm to 100mm and back to 150mm, 650mm long. it was an odd shaped log so has a bit of live edge on one side.