Making the ASB Road Trip guitar "An Féa Caol"

Thanks Keith, Dale and Leo.

Leo - as Corporal Jones would say "They don't like it up 'em"

Next the Madagascan Rosewood/mahogany laminated fretboard is thicknessed, the fret positions marked out and the fret slots cut:



Then the sound-hole end of the fretboard is cut to match the soundhole (after allowing for binding) using my circle cutter jig:





The fretboard is going to be bound with Madagascan Rosewood with a black/white black side purfling and the soundhole end binding was bent on the hot-pipe and glued on using superglue:



When the glue is dry the binding is trimmed flush with the sides and then the side bindings are glued on:

It is indeed Andrew.

The positions of the inlaid side/front markers are marked on the fretboard and routed with a 2.5mm bit using this jig:





The Lawson’s Cypress markers are then glued in and the fretboard levelled. Here’s the result:



Then the fingerboard is glued on using fish glue:

Thanks Dale.

Now it’s one of my favourite parts – neck carving:



The fretboard is radiused to 16” checking for straightness with the straight edge and radius with the fret caul:



Then the gold EVO frets are pressed in:



Here’s the fretted neck on the body:

Two 6mm holes are drilled for 6mm carbon fibre rods to be inserted to stiffen the heel. The rods are glued in using fish glue:



The Madagascan Rosewood heel cap together with black/ white/ black veneers to match the side purfling is shaped and glued on using hot hide glue:



When the glue is dry the heelcap is scraped flush:



I thought I had a Madagascan Rosewood bridge blank but I was wrong. Rummaging around in my odds and sods box I found the nearest match I could - I think it's Katalox but it could be Indian Rosewood. The bridge blank is thicknessed and marked out for the saddle slots to be routed and then the bottom of the bridge is profiled to match the top’s curvature:



The two saddle slots are routed using this jig:





The ramp behind the saddle slots is made and he bridge pin holes are drilled out using a 4mm drill:



Then they are 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 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:

Clever stuff Dave, really clever stuff

Looks fantastic. I especially love the neck. The finish really makes the grain pop.