Acacia dread build thread

[demonx]

Hi guys, it’s been quite a while since I’ve done a build thread here and I have a pile of timber I’ve put together for a (mostly) Acacia dread I plan to start next week.

I say “mostly” Acacia as at this stage I think I’ll use cedar for the bracing and I’ll probably use Mahogany for the purf, other than that every timber will be Acacia, unless I decide to go with Ebony bindings, I’ll work that out on the day, see what sort of mood I’m in.

With that said, I’ll be doing the same with the cutaway, at this point I’m leaning towards no cutaway, I’ll work that out next week on the day I start bending the sides!

Blackwood top (ADD 430!!)
Ringed Gidgee back and sides
Ringed Gidgee fingerboard and bridge
Ringed Gidgee headstock cap (May go with ebony for colour contrast, still undecided)
Fiddleback Blackwood neck

I welcome any feedback/suggestions!

[56nortondomy]

Hi Allan, I think I'd go with a b/wood bridge it'll be lighter than the gidgee which is pretty heavy, just my thoughts.
Wayne

[demonx]

Hi Allan, I think I'd go with a b/wood bridge it'll be lighter than the gidgee which is pretty heavy, just my thoughts.
Wayne

That is good advice, my bridge shape tapers quite considerably and isn’t very heavy. In saying that the last guitar I built and strung up yesterday has a Gidgee bridge and as a whole the guitar sounds sensational. I reckon it won’t be for sale, I’m thinking I’ll have to keep it!

[simso]

Looks like the acoustic bug has bitten you mate, cutaway always IMO!, to me it shows skill sets

On a side note, I have a commission of 5 for a local store who wants to run a closed box building course

Steve

[demonx]

On a side note, I have a commission of 5 for a local store who wants to run a closed box building course

Steve

Sounds like that’ll be a handful!

[kiwigeo]

Great thread Allan..looking forward to watching this build.

[simso]

I got to admit, I have a thing for Sapwood, I reckon guitars that have sapwood showing just look stunning. So that would be my choice of the pick purely for aesthetic reasons

Steve

[WJ Guitars]

The lower density Blackwood top combination with the Gidgee back and sides sounds interesting. Looking forward to seeing the final guitar build. Hope you can also provide a sound clip when completed.

Wayne
https://wjguitars.wixsite.com/mysite-1

[demonx]

Everyone has their preferred way to join plates, various jigs and clamps whatever. I’ve tried many and this is the way I keep going back to.

A thick back board so there’s no flex, clamp the first plate down with a spacer in the center (at each end), push the second plate into it and clamp, then remove spacers so the plates push together and then clamp the seam down.

This is the method I’ve had the cleanest joins with and it seems to never fail me.

[demonx]

I’m in no rush on this build, it will just plod along in the background of other jobs.

This morning I cleaned up the top and back, also glued down the back strip. I was going to use Blackwood for the back strip however I noticed some Mahogany strips I had cut and drum sanded last year, so I just used those out of convenience.

[demonx]

In between other jobs I did a little bit more on this one in the arvo, started the Rosette, a single piece of quilted maple. Rosette and recess cut using a spinny fast tool thingy.

I also started the headstock joinery, which is the cap and a 1mm veneer in between

[kiwigeo]

Moving fast there Allan. Most of what you've got done in a couple of days takes me a couple of weeks. A man with a mission?

That top...how thin are you going to take it? Have you done any sort of tap testing on the wood?

[demonx]

Moving fast there Allan. Most of what you've got done in a couple of days takes me a couple of weeks. A man with a mission?

That top...how thin are you going to take it? Have you done any sort of tap testing on the wood?

A couple weeks? This isn’t even dedicating time to it. It’s just doing a bit here and there inbetween customers dropping off or picking up guitars and me doing servicing.

The top will be 3.5mm at finished thickness.

[kiwigeo]

Allan,

Did you measure density of that Blackwood top? Where is the wood from? I've got a swag of the stuff on my shelves and the density is so variable.....there's a bunch of wood sourced from the Ottways that is as dense as concrete. A lot of the Tasmanian stuff is nice and light...and stiff with a bell like tap tone.

[demonx]

Allan,

Did you measure density of that Blackwood top? Where is the wood from?

Otways and 430 ADD

[kiwigeo]

Allan,

Did you measure density of that Blackwood top? Where is the wood from?

Otways and 430 ADD

430 Kg/m3 or 430 AUD?

[demonx]

430 Kg/m3 or 430 AUD?

Hahahaha, I couldn’t tell you what I paid for it, it was part of a pile of stuff I bought, so I can’t remember, actually I don’t think I even asked at the time. I just saw it and bought it.

The air dried density is 430! It is super light weight Blackwood, cut from much higher up the tree than what timber is usually salvaged. Should make for an interesting experiment sound wise.

[kiwigeo]

430 Kg/m3 or 430 AUD?

Hahahaha, I couldn’t tell you what I paid for it, it was part of a pile of stuff I bought, so I can’t remember, actually I don’t think I even asked at the time. I just saw it and bought it.

The air dried density is 430! It is super light weight Blackwood, cut from much higher up the tree than what timber is usually salvaged. Should make for an interesting experiment sound wise.

I suspected you were talking Kg/m3. That's light side for Blackwood....looking forward to hearing how this guitar sounds when it's finished. I've got a shitload of blackwood on my shelves but so far have only built one classical using the stuff.

[Gazm]

Best you sling a few dags of the over abundant Blackwood my way Thanks Martin, more is less so I've been told, W A Syndrome is a bugger!!

Mesmerizing flitch of Blackwood Allan!! ...McCurly stock?

Gaz

[demonx]

Gazm... if you’re local enough to visit (Ballarat area), I’ve probably got half a cube of Blackwood here so I’m sure I could find you something if you had cash in hand. Everything from Otways, Tassy, to some VIC that ive cut on my own property.

[kiwigeo]

I have far much than I'll ever use. Excess stock will be offloaded at some stage. Trying to get a new house built here so that's dominating my life of late.

Best you sling a few dags of the over abundant Blackwood my way Thanks Martin, more is less so I've been told, W A Syndrome is a bugger!!

Mesmerizing flitch of Blackwood Allan!! ...McCurly stock?

Gaz

[demonx]

Won’t get much time to spend on this one today, but I wanted to at least get the back bracing clamped down.

I do something I’ve never seen anyone else do and use spacers. On one build I did I had a brace move on me after I’d walked away from it and I cane up with this idea so it never happened again. The first part of MDF starts them off square and then the spacers do the rest

[kiwigeo]

I stick tantellones down on the back/top either side of ends of braces to hold them steady. Once the glue is set I chisel the tantellones off. I also use tantellones around the rim of tops and backs to hold them aligned during glue up....they get whipped off during the trimming of the edges with the router.

[demonx]

I stick tantellones down on the back/top either side of ends of braces to hold them steady. Once the glue is set I chisel the tantellones off. I also use tantellones around the rim of tops and backs to hold them aligned during glue up....they get whipped off during the trimming of the edges with the router.

Sounds like extra work, I’m lazy!

[demonx]

Rosette progress

Flush cut saw doesn’t get used very often, however it is handy at times:

After a bit of scraping and sanding: