Neck through Flying V style build - Finished

JGTay

PeteC said:

lovely grain popping on that neck and headstock - is that just with a wipe down of spirits ? 

Yes, just sanded to 320 grit so far and cleaned with white spirit. 

JGTay

Have just finished putting the frets in, still need to level and crown but may leave that until the body is done, not decided yet... 

JGTay

Started with the frets today.

Hammered in place.

Snipped both sides and then filed level on the right side

And then the left side. Haven't done the fret level and crown yet, will do that once the body is done.

Cut the first wing out and then put some nail pins in the side and snipped the heads off. 

Pressed down on the wing to get the positions and drilled. Then did the wiring access.... last pin hole almost lost, but enough there to position the wing when gluing. 

First wing being glued in place, made sure to leave excess on the wing when cutting and also did some steps for clamping, but the underside of the cut with the jigsaw got very close. Luckily it didn't go over

Will cut the second wing tomorrow.

PeteC

great progress - really enjoying seeing this take shape ( literally! ) 

JGTay

Thanks Pete. Now the first wing is in place I am really looking forward to getting on with the shaping of the body. 

PeteC

What kind of bridge are you going to use on this one ? 

JGTay

A Gotoh wraparound, with it being a build for someone else. Will get back to making my own after this one. 

JGTay

Just a quick update today.

Cut the second wing first thing this morning and got it glued, then clamped up.

This afternoon it was off with the clamps. Free standing guitar anyone?

Then started shaping the first wing, not all the way to the final mark yet, just enough to see the final shape and get an idea of how it will look, still needs quite a bit off the bottom. Will get on with the second wing to a similar position tomorrow and then can start getting in some details.

JGTay

Just wanted to say thanks to @GSPBASSES for the reminder on using steps for clamping awkward shapes. Helped a lot for the gluing process.  

JGTay

Slowly levelling off the back...

One side almost there.

And the wings are getting closer to the final shape. Also tested positions of the controls, starting to look like a guitar

JGTay

The back is nearly levelled off, still need to do a bit more on the shoulders.

May bevel the wings a bit yet to give a bit of comfort rather than a totally flat surface. 

Started getting some shape to the front, still more to do yet.

The centre needs flattening out a bit more for the logo, so might level all of that section rather than having the angles, undecided at the moment... will get enough levelled off for the logo to sit flat and see how it looks. 

Slowly coming together, happy with the control positions and will drill through so I can do the cavity next.

PeteC

Looks very striking - loads of character in the body shape and the headstock. .   I really like the contrast of the neck through with the wings. 

JGTay

PeteC said:

Looks very striking - loads of character in the body shape and the headstock. .   I really like the contrast of the neck through with the wings. 

Thanks Pete. Will be interesting to see how the grains look with black stain, which is the requested option on the body section. The headstock will likely need to be the same, but hopefully the neck will stay natural. Will have to see what they say... 

Andyjr1515

That detailing brings this to a whole new level of loveliness!  Splendid.

JGTay

Andyjr1515 said:

That detailing brings this to a whole new level of loveliness!  Splendid.

Thanks Andy. To be honest with you I have never been a big fan of flying V guitars, don't get me wrong all guitars have their own merits and the V definitely has it's place in guitar history, but personally it's not something I would go out of my way to own.
When this build was first mentioned to me I had a thought to try convincing them to go with something different, then I had a change of heart, after all the customer is always right and I decided it was a good opportunity to put my own spin on it and they were willing to let me have free reign on the design. So far they are more than pleased with the progress and the ideas I have brought to the table, just hoping it comes out better than they expected. 

JGTay

I must admit, during this build I am starting to get a better appreciation for the Flying V and I really am looking forward to getting it strung up and tested... Will also be good to see it being played live on stage. 

JGTay

Busy few days, sorry about all the updates in one go...

Started work on rounding the edges and getting some more shape to it.

One edge left to do on the bottom, but decided to wait until after the cavity was done in case I needed to make any changes.

Drilled through for the control positions to make it easier to mark out for the cavity.

And got to work chiselling it out.

Found the holes I had previously made for the pickup wiring, came in the perfect position. Have left plenty of room for the wiring to run at the side of the controls.

Then set about making a cover out of one of the offcuts from the wings. Took a while to get it sitting flat all the way round. Just needs sanding level now.

Tried matching up the grain as best as possible, Hopefully it will be close when sanded level...

Have also made sure the flat area in the centre is the correct size for the logo, just need to blend in the angles a bit now. 

Very happy with the progress so far, once the cavity cover is sanded flush I can finish off bevelling the edges and then work up through the grades to get it smooth enough for the staining process.

JGTay

Must get the magnets ordered for the cavity cover....

TTony

I didn't see you mention it anywhere ... what material did you use for your fret markers?

JGTay

TTony said:

I didn't see you mention it anywhere ... what material did you use for your fret markers?

It is glitter packed in tight and then superglue dripped in until it bubbles on top. Had seen people mention the use of glitter for this type of work, but had never seen any examples. So I did a few tests and found the best way to do it. Very pleased with the results.