Martin - I'm glad you are finding it interesting.
Jane - Thanks. Yes I have thought about that and I know builders like Richard Osbourne do this but the main problems for me would be insurance and the time it takes to make one.
Bridge making time. The Kingwood bridge blank is thicknessed and the bottom of the bridge is profiled to match the top's curvature:
It is marked out for the saddle slot to be routed and then the slot is routed using this jig:
The ramp behind the saddle slots is made and he bridge pin holes are drilled out (4mm drill) . . .:
. . . and countersunk. They will be reamed later for the pins to fit. The rest of the bridge is then shaped:
The bridge is positioned in the correct place on the top and clamped with a caul underneath the bridge-plate. The outside two holes are then drilled through the top for holding the bridge when gluing.:
The holes are reamed with the 5° reamer enough for the ebony bridge-pins to hold the bridge in place. The bone saddle blank has also been fitted in the bridge:
The body has to be sanded and scraped and checked for any blemishes that need rectifying. Then the back, sides and neck are pore filled using egg white, allowed to dry and then sanded back. This takes four applications:
Then the body and neck are sprayed with pre-catalysed lacquer:
When the last coat is on and sanded, the bridge is put on with the two outside pins, its outline carefully marked on the top with a scalpel and the finish underneath the bridge removed:
The bridge is then glued on using hot hide glue:
The 12mm hole for the pickup jack is drilled:
Then the label is signed and glued in:
Setting up the instrument involves fitting the Gotoh tuners and nut to the neck, bolting on the neck, fitting strings and cutting the initial nut slots, bringing the strings to pitch, capoing at the first fret and adjusting the truss rod to give the correct neck relief, adjusting the saddle height for desired action at the 12th fret and finally cutting the nut slots to give desired clearance at the nut. Then the L.R Baggs pickup is fitted along with a clear pickguard. Here's Tad with his new instrument:
I did a recording of Tad getting to know his new guitar - bouzouki that you can listen to
here.Job done - sorted ;D
Jo whoever he is.
