Finished Pics! Dreadnought Acoustic Build - Black Limba

Andyjr1515

And, on the same principle, it's time to STOP for the top and sides:

 

 

Again, not flawless...but I know that if I try any more I will add more issues than resolve them  

I will leave this for the best part of a week to harden enough for general handling - by which time the neck will be fully sorted.  Then assemble and string it up to make sure it all works OK and do the final setup.  And then wait another week before it's hard enough for its final polish.

And then it can go to Matt

TTony

How many times can I say "wow"?

Megii

Stunning work, and stunning looking wood too.

Megii

Amazing finish you've got there - I find it a bit hard to believe it's Ronseal with a bit of help from Tru Oil, but it clearly works.

Andyjr1515

TTony said:

How many times can I say "wow"?

As many times as you like, @TTony  

Thanks

TTony

Wow.

Andyjr1515

Megii said:

Amazing finish you've got there - I find it a bit hard to believe it's Ronseal with a bit of help from Tru Oil, but it clearly works.

Like a lot of these kinds of things, after quite a bit of experimentation of different things, I have basically found something that works for me.  That's not to say that it's the best way - I'm sure it isn't.  

Is it easy?  Well - yes...now I've learnt all of the do's and dont's.  But it wasn't at first.  Also, the formulation change Ronseal made meant that I had to start again with finding out how to make it work - that change pretty much screwed up my previous successes with wipe-on.

But I'm comfortable enough with it to not be looking at any other method any more.


I suppose my only concern is whether they have to go full 'low volatiles' in the future.  I'm still not convinced that the industry has sorted it yet or will do very soon (remember low energy bulbs - it's taken 20 years for them not to cast a stark green light!).


An example.  I think for a satin finish, Osmo Polyx Satin is FANTASTIC.

But this is the Osmo Polyx Gloss version:




And this is Ronseal Hardglaze on exactly the same wood - indeed, the same plank! - prepared in exactly the same way, applied by brush in the same way, on @impmann 's Alembicesque build:



You wouldn't think it was the same species....

Sesh

Wow to the power of wow.

It's odd though to see a neckless acoustic like that (for me at least). Especially as the body looks so great.

Andyjr1515

Sesh said:

Wow to the power of wow.

It's odd though to see a neckless acoustic like that (for me at least). Especially as the body looks so great.

Thanks!

I know what you mean.  Interestingly, the 'normal' way is that the finishing is usually done before even the bridge is put on and that really does look stark...

Andyjr1515

Sesh said:

It's odd though to see a neckless acoustic like that (for me at least). Especially as the body looks so great.

Just for you @Sesh ;

lysander

Incredible build and amazing skills!
And your threads are always full of great ideas. 

Andyjr1515

lysander said:

Incredible build and amazing skills!
And your threads are always full of great ideas. 

Nice of you to say so.

Most of the skills have been picked up from excellent forums like this one 

PhilKing

That really does look stunning.  The pattern on the back is amazing and the whole guitar has a great vibe about it.   Is Black Limba a mahogany sound, or does it give something of its own tone?

Andyjr1515

PhilKing said:

That really does look stunning.  The pattern on the back is amazing and the whole guitar has a great vibe about it.   Is Black Limba a mahogany sound, or does it give something of its own tone?

Thanks, @PhilKing ;

To be honest, the back and sides of an acoustic don't contribute a huge amount to the tone.  The back's job is to bounce the sound out through the soundhole and the sides just to keep the back and front apart.  The lions share of the tone comes from the top and top bracing.

Having said that, I think the softer back woods do tend to absorb the sound a touch - and I think you can hear that on a mahogany-backed acoustic.

The black limba was a bit of a surprise.  Never used it before and had assumed it was going to be soft and fibrous.  It isn't.  Leastways, this sample isn't.  It's very hard.  Time will tell, but I think it will result in quite a loud guitar.  I'm hoping that Matt will do a pro video once he gets it and then we can all see objectively if I'm right or not.

PhilKing

Thanks Andy, I'm looking forward to hearing it.   Interesting you say that about the sound.  @Wezv is building me an acoustic with a Port Orford Cedar top and Bloodwood back and sides.  Never having had a steel strung guitar with a cedar top. I'm now wondering what it will sound like versus spruce.

Andyjr1515

PhilKing said:

Thanks Andy, I'm looking forward to hearing it.   Interesting you say that about the sound.  @Wezv is building me an acoustic with a Port Orford Cedar top and Bloodwood back and sides.  Never having had a steel strung guitar with a cedar top. I'm now wondering what it will sound like versus spruce.

You lucky man.  @WezV is a builder par excellence! 

And that sounds a very interesting combination.  Look forward to hearing some sound clips and we can compare

Andyjr1515

The body varnishing has successfully passed the three day rule: after three days the varnish will have dried sufficiently to reveal if there are any nasties that would mean a sand down and a few more coats  

So we are now definitely on the home run.

Today was completing the sanding and shaping of the neck and starting to apply the finish:

 

The extension blocks on the heel are the same walnut as on the rosette, headstock plate and tailstock and so should provide some visual links.

The heel and back/top of the headstock will be gloss, with the playing area of the neck slurried-to-satin with Danish Oil.

Bone saddle is on order, tomorrow I will make a truss-rod cover and then, once the finish on the neck is complete, it will be ready to assemble and string up. 

 

Andyjr1515

Just a post for @TheOtherDennis ;;

Dennis has had some challenges getting the neck joint right on his kit build and I stressed that for my own builds, I too always end up with blistered fingers from having to repeatedly take the neck off - which involves spanners and allen keys trying to undo impossible-to-reach bolts, all through the impossibly small sound hole.


Well - just to prove the point...


Having tweaked the neck angle no end of times during the build, I did my first full dry run today.  First was to assemble the components now that they have the finish applied:





And I was really pleased with - at last - a decent fit of the neck joint.

And then tested the neck angle.  Miles out!!!!

So spent the whole afternoon shredding my fingers taking the neck off, sanding, putting it back on, taking it off again, etc, etc, until it was pretty much there.

So I then, this evening, tried it with some strings on:




...and the action is still MILES out!


So I know what I'm going to be doing most of tomorrow if my fingertips have recovered by then 


Happens to the best of us, @TheOtherDennis ;;

 

DartmoorHedgehog

Looking very nice though.  Were you not tempted to see what it sounds like, even if the action is high?

Andyjr1515

DartmoorHedgehog said:

Looking very nice though.  Were you not tempted to see what it sounds like, even if the action is high?

It sounds promising