Progress on No 13

[kiwigeo]

This guitar has been on the bench for over a year now....its a falcate braced classical with bolt on/bolt down neck. Progress has been slow due to heavy work commitments, family issues and and a pending new house build. Over the last week I got back up to speed in the workshop and the fretboard has been made up and is nearly ready for gluing onto the neck. This is the second neck I made for this guitar. The first neck ended up in the fire....I used knock down bolts and found them fiddly to get right. The second neck has a brass bar in the heel block into which the neck screws lock...straight out of Trevor and Gerards books. The neck is laminated Fijian mahogany and some orphan jarrah sides I had lying around. The original mahogany blanks were flat-sawn hence the reason for laminating same.

[Trevor Gore]

Good to see you trying the BOBO classical neck, Martin. I don't think I've seen pics of anyone else doing it yet (will probably get an avalanche of prior builds now!) Not the easiest geometry to get one's head around, but it does work well. Looking good!

[Nick]

Looking good so far Martin Can I ask what the shim under the fingerboard is for? Enquiring minds and all that Love the arrow shaped fret markers too

[Tod Gilding]

That's looking good Martin , Im also working with a BOBO neck at the moment. And I'm with Nick on fret markers +1

[demonx]

Looking good so far Martin Can I ask what the shim under the fingerboard is for? Enquiring minds and all that

I was looking at that wondering what it's about too!?

[simso]

I suspect that is a template for shaping and profiling the fretboard and neck, so they match up close when assembled

[kiwigeo]

Looking good so far Martin Can I ask what the shim under the fingerboard is for? Enquiring minds and all that Love the arrow shaped fret markers too

It's to do with the requirements of a bolt on bolt down neck and the positive neck rake usually present on a classical. Some makers make the fretboard wedge shaped to deal with the complex geometrical requirements. Trevor approaches the problem by making the upper bout flat where the fretboard bolts down and the wedge under the fretboard is visually less confronting than a wedge shaped fretboard.

The arrows are to remind me which way to run the plane when planing the sides of the fretboard...ebony gets nasty on your when you plane it the wrong way.

[kiwigeo]

Of course if you want to see it all explained in detail by Trevor with photos and drawings then you can always buy THE BOOKS!!!

[Nick]

Of course if you want to see it all explained in detail by Trevor with photos and drawings then you can always buy THE BOOKS!!!

Trevor and Gerard have already got my money As you can tell, I just haven't gotten around to reading them yet! Time is a luxury commodity these days it seems. Why is nature so cruel? As you get older life speeds up instead of slowing down

[kiwigeo]

A bit more progress over the last few weeks. Headstock has been rough shaped and tuner post holes and slots will be done once a new side hole drilling guide arrives from LMI. In the past Ive used a cheap arse drilling guide or my Luthiertools jig but both have their problems. The heel has been trimmed back and next job will be installing the heel cap. Note in the photos there's a routing template stuck to the top of the headstock. Also visible is the "wedge" under the fretboard discussed in earlier posts. Its very visible in places but after further sanding and finishing it should become less obvious.

[charangohabsburg]

This one is coming together very nicely Martin!
I also always like to look at the background in your pictures, your woodpile is as priceless as legendary.

[Nick]

I also always like to look at the background in your pictures, your woodpile is as priceless as legendary.

Not to mention the fact that it could fuel enough steam generators to power a small city in the event of a nuclear holocaust!

[kiwigeo]

This one is coming together very nicely Martin!
I also always like to look at the background in your pictures, your woodpile is as priceless as legendary.

Yeah its not a bad stash. Unfortunately there's so much wood Ive lost track of half of it......there'll be a huge stock take happening sometime soon. My wife has asked me what she'd do if I died. I told her my mates at the ANZLF would help her out.

[charangohabsburg]

My wife has asked me what she'd do if I died. I told her my mates at the ANZLF would help her out.

The responsibility you take as her husband is admirable!

[Kim]

My wife has asked me what she'd do if I died. I told her my mates at the ANZLF would help her out.

The responsibility you take as her husband is admirable!

Wholeheartedly agreed Markus. Admirable 'and' commendable...Well done Marty, your an inspiration to us all and a shoe-in to pass the ocka citizenship test.

I'll take the spruce thanks............

Cheers

Kim

[Kamusur]

Must say i wholeheartedly agree with Markus and Kim

Steve

[kiwigeo]

Wise guys