Building a T-G (Turnstone Guitar Co)
Feb 22, 2016 20:53:30 GMT
ocarolan, Phil Taylor, and 4 more like this
Post by RosieTGC on Feb 22, 2016 20:53:30 GMT
Here’s an update on the build.
First though, thanks to everyone that’s commented so far and for your help and suggestions. francis, I’ll definitely have to look into making one of those lightboxes.
We'll dive straight in on the rosette. I have been envisaging the rosette in my head for a number of months, thinking what would work best for this top. Before delving straight into it and relying solely on said brain visions, I wanted to draw it out to work out my precise measurements and just see it within the context of the guitar top and fretboard how it looked – so out came the compasses and other drawing tools.
I wanted black and white to be the dominant colours in this rosette, as I thought it would look fairly striking on the redwood. With all that's going on visually on with the top being curly Redwood as well I wanted it to be striking, but simple. I selected some nice Ebony and Flamed Sycamore and proceeded to cut out the pieces and place them on top for a quick preview.
The channels are individually routed out and wood purfling surround strips are added in to the mix. The wood was inlayed 1.5mm into the wood which just left a little bit to scrape away to bring it flush with the soundboard. And here it is with the sound hole cut out too. It needs to be cleaned up and rounded on the outward side, but I’ll wait to do all that once the soundboard is at final thickness.
Moving on to the Ebony back now, which is ready to be braced. I use a cross brace method on my guitar backs and always select a hardwood to do this. I like the cross brace because I aim to achieve a ‘live back’ instead of a ‘rigid reflector’. Results of my previous builds using this method have shown it to do the job nicely. For this one I have chosen Padauk timber for the braces. Generally I look for a medium density hardwood for this bracing. I make the timber choice based on the colour, aesthetics, density of the back and importantly, what might compliment it when considering overall tone and timbre of the back.
The 25ft radius for the back braces is shot with a plane and a shooting board. I inspect the braces whilst placed on the board in the radius dish before they go down to ensure I have a really nice clean fit.
(Courtesy of my in-house photographer...aka my husband)
Glue used to stick down the braces is Titebond, I've always got on well with it and it cleans up nicely. The braces are stuck down separately with the traditional Go-Bar method.
Once down, the braces are scalloped removing enough to bring out a responsive tap tone in the back but making sure you leave it strong enough to remain structurally sound. I'll have a completed pic for you next time.
In other news, the neck is making its debut appearance. It's a lovely piece of South American Mahogany and it was initially dimensioned and squared up with the ole faithful Veritas no 5 plane, and then scarf jointed at the headstock and block stacked at the heel. Here it is being glued up.
Hope you enjoyed the update and I'll be back soon with more!
First though, thanks to everyone that’s commented so far and for your help and suggestions. francis, I’ll definitely have to look into making one of those lightboxes.
We'll dive straight in on the rosette. I have been envisaging the rosette in my head for a number of months, thinking what would work best for this top. Before delving straight into it and relying solely on said brain visions, I wanted to draw it out to work out my precise measurements and just see it within the context of the guitar top and fretboard how it looked – so out came the compasses and other drawing tools.
I wanted black and white to be the dominant colours in this rosette, as I thought it would look fairly striking on the redwood. With all that's going on visually on with the top being curly Redwood as well I wanted it to be striking, but simple. I selected some nice Ebony and Flamed Sycamore and proceeded to cut out the pieces and place them on top for a quick preview.
The channels are individually routed out and wood purfling surround strips are added in to the mix. The wood was inlayed 1.5mm into the wood which just left a little bit to scrape away to bring it flush with the soundboard. And here it is with the sound hole cut out too. It needs to be cleaned up and rounded on the outward side, but I’ll wait to do all that once the soundboard is at final thickness.
Moving on to the Ebony back now, which is ready to be braced. I use a cross brace method on my guitar backs and always select a hardwood to do this. I like the cross brace because I aim to achieve a ‘live back’ instead of a ‘rigid reflector’. Results of my previous builds using this method have shown it to do the job nicely. For this one I have chosen Padauk timber for the braces. Generally I look for a medium density hardwood for this bracing. I make the timber choice based on the colour, aesthetics, density of the back and importantly, what might compliment it when considering overall tone and timbre of the back.
The 25ft radius for the back braces is shot with a plane and a shooting board. I inspect the braces whilst placed on the board in the radius dish before they go down to ensure I have a really nice clean fit.
(Courtesy of my in-house photographer...aka my husband)
Glue used to stick down the braces is Titebond, I've always got on well with it and it cleans up nicely. The braces are stuck down separately with the traditional Go-Bar method.
Once down, the braces are scalloped removing enough to bring out a responsive tap tone in the back but making sure you leave it strong enough to remain structurally sound. I'll have a completed pic for you next time.
In other news, the neck is making its debut appearance. It's a lovely piece of South American Mahogany and it was initially dimensioned and squared up with the ole faithful Veritas no 5 plane, and then scarf jointed at the headstock and block stacked at the heel. Here it is being glued up.
Hope you enjoyed the update and I'll be back soon with more!
That's the first time I've seen hardwood - apart from mahogany - used for bracing, interesting. The padauk I have used is similar in density to the rosewoods. Are you using Padauk anywhere else on the guitar? The braces on the back stand a better chance of staying red inside the box rather than turning chestnut brown as padauk usually does over time when exposed to light.
Jo whoever he is.
