I LOVED making this guitar. My client is a big Yellow Sub fan, and wanted the inlays to reflect this.
I LOVED making this guitar. My client is a big Yellow Sub fan, and wanted the inlays to reflect this.
09:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
I recently purchased a Gemini carving duplicator for the shop. This is an amazing machine for making exact copies of bodies, necks, and other parts. I put it to the test on the other day to see how well it would handle the fine contours and details of a Martin bridge. I was blown away at how quickly, effortlessly, and cleanly I was able to make an exact copy! The photos below show the process, and the rough sanded result before slotting and pin-hole boring on the milling machine. If you're looking for a carving duplicator, this is it!
06:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
I made a cool little fixture this week that allows me to quickly, easily, and accurately contour a variety of curves on the bottom edge of my braces, whether I'm arching my backs and tops to a 25, 30, or 15 foot radius. Because the hollow forms (concave forms) used in arching tops and backs require the braces to have a matching curvature on the bottom, it is critical to really nail the curve on the brace, and make sure it is perfectly perpendicular. This fixture is simple to make; Mine is birch plywood, with two handles. It only took about half an hour to make, and saves so much time, with perfect results. It also gives me another opportunity to use my new custom made router table!
08:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
I finished this one yesterday, and got the photos done quickly as it will soon be with its new owner!I'm very proud of this guitar. The body is a stack of two woods; black walnut and flamed maple.The tone is full, powerful and clear. Lindy Fralin made the brushed nickel high output humbuckers custom for me, and they put any Gibson PU to shame. No muddy mids with these babies. I also used maple mounting rings for the pickups to honor the natural look of this guitar.
02:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Hi folks, I'm finding more and more uses for this cool Clausing 8520 vertical mill. The newest is a simple fixture made of lexan and HDF board that allows to to firmly and safely clamp and electric guitar body to the mill's table for precision drilling, slotting, cavity cutting and boring. It is SO much more precise than a hand drill or drill press, and the work is super clean. Even simply holes for pots look like they were cut with lasers.
05:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Some of you may remember back a few articles that I made a 9-string pinless bridge by hand. Well, it came out pretty good, but after getting this cool old vertical milling machine, my world changed, and I had to toss that old bridge to make a perfect one! The accuracy of a mill is incredible.
08:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
This one is pretty cool folks...At 49, I was dragged into skateboarding by a very persuasive kid I know who talked me into boarding into town for lunch. In addition to skateboarding, he knows a few licks on the steel guitar. I thought "how cool would it be to combine the two worlds!" The result: The S.B. MacDonald SkateSteel. Yes, it is a functional skateboard, and when the upper deck is removed, a quality and toneful lapsteel guitar! It uses the same humbucking pickup as my Resonator Electric, so tone and vibe are plentiful. I made this on a Sunday, and finished it before breakfast the next day. Hey...it's an oak board, skateboard trucks, wheels, a pickup and some electronics...no biggie! My new milling machine made quick work of drilling, boring alignment holes, etc... Here's some photos of it in use!
Please visit Customguitars.com for less dangerous species of guitars!
12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Sorry it's been so long since the last post...I'm soooo busy! I have several cool things saved up, and will hopefully post some of them soon. This article is about a cool milling machine I hunted down after my friend and fellow luthier Ken Parker put the bug in my ear after a visit to my shop. Ken said it would change my life, and when people at such high levels in their art and experience give you ideas and advice, you'd be foolish to ignore it.
04:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
08:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)
I had a challenge with the new custom 9-string acoustic guitar I'm building. In order to utilize the bracing pattern I designed, I couldn't go with a bridge using bridge-pins as the string spacing was so wide, the pins would have impeded with the braces in two spots. So, I decided to go pinless...NOT a small task when you don't have a milling machine or CNC technology. I make all my bridges by hand on bandsaws and sanding machines, then drill the pin holes by hand, and use a small fixture to route in the saddle slot. A pinless bridge is much tougher to make by hand.
07:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)