Hi,
I thought I'd start a new thread for this as it's the first completely new build I've started since moving into my new workshop. For anyone who hasn't seen what I do before - I make guitars exclusively from reclaimed timber notably from old pianos. Most of the wood I use is 100 years old.
Just when I thought I could concentrate on something other than a tele ...someone asked me to make them a tele. This one is going to be a thinline, the exact spec hasn't been agreed yet but he wants Jascar gold frets and hardware. He has one of my solid bodies with a beechwood neck which he likes so this my well have the same , maybe a walnut board to show off the frets.
It starts with one of these:
Not this exact one (this one is being turned into a drinks cabinet) but a scrap piano, it can no longer hold a tuning and is of no use as an instrument. It usually takes more than one piano to provide the right types and thicknesses of wood to make a guitar. I have contacts and a plentiful supply.
From left to right: the panel that sits bellow the keyboard, it's about 18mm thick , poplar with veneer (not sure what sort of veneer) when I remember to flip the template this will form the back of the body.
In the middle is a top panel from above the keys. These usually have a central panel that is made from various laminates about 6mm thick. This will form the cap on the body.
Next is the panel I'm actually going to use, looks like a single piece of walnut with rosewood veneer on both sides.
Close up of the top section.
Ready for clamping. A second layer of 18mm poplar is stuck around the edge to form the cavity. The neck pocket and bridge pickup route with be done once the cap has been glued on.
Lastly...the body for a Les Paul I'm working on just to prove that I do occasionally work on things that aren't teles.
www.scavengermusic.co.uk
Comments
Looking forward to following this build - thanks for posting.
No progress on the thinline today , I only had enough clamps available to do one side last night, I clamped the other side this morning. I may work on the cap tomorrow.
The LP is coming along though (I'll stick to the tele in this thread) I've posted a couple of pics on my facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/Scavenger-Music-697594160378026
To reduce the weight and enlarge the chamber I also did some routing on the body. Apologies for the poor picture quality , my phone died last week and my camera followed suit yesterday. I'm borrowing an unfamiliar phone to get these pictures.
Hopefully the fret wire will turn up soon and I can make a decision on the materials for the neck.
F hole.
I cut this out with a coping saw then cleaned it up with files. I'll neaten it up when i sand and finish the front.
I painted the chamber under the hole black, I think it looks better through the f hole.
A blurry picture of the neck , walnut with oak board, Jescar gold frets and ebony front dots.
I'm enjoying the progress updates.
Sneaky peak at what's developing:
I had to use new maple for the binding , I'm working on reclaimed timber binding but until I perfect it I'm buying it in. The rest of the timber is reclaimed. Walnut neck (from a grand piano lid) oak board, ebony dots. The body has rosewood veneer on the front. The gold hardware and neck is just placed on top to give an idea of what the finished guitar will look like.
Side view showing the different layers , bellow the maple binding it's poplar with the piano's veneer running through the middle. Once oiled the poplar will darken , sometimes even as dark as the rosewood top....and sometimes no more than this...only time will tell.
From the back. Neck as yet unfinished ,I like to leave the original finish on the back of the heastock to show where it came from. It will look less scruffy when it's fine sanded and oiled.
The big scratch on the back is historic and sadly too deep to sand out. It was only faintly visible until I stripped off the shellac , I suspect this was re polished at some point in it's past. Oh well that's what you get for using 100 year old reclaimed wood.
Sorry for the variable picture quality , I have a phone with a better camera but the art of photography is still a mystery to me.
My next project is to build a heavy relic bass. I've selected all of my most worm eaten and battered timber for the job:
From left to right: Sapele from a piano, 100 years old, nice gnarly grain, this will be the neck
An oak fretboard blank that I previously rejected due to it's ancient worm holes. The holes had the remains of the glue the
was used to cover it in veneer so they predate the piano it came from.
Oak board from the same source that will form the back of the body
An orange box that I found in the garden that will form the front.
There are also bits of a bench that will form the sides:
Close up of the worm eaten top:
The story so far:
There is more on the Scavenger Music facebook page and a full build diary on Basschat.
PM me for a quote if you have something in mind.