Les Paul Style Electric Guitar

[ozziebluesman]

This guitar is a Les Paul style electric, f holes and chambered body with a tunomatic bridge, Indian Rosewood appointments and a home made brass tailpiece. The headstock is slotted and the guitar is nice and light in weight. This one is my second attempt as the first was a proto type and there where a few mistakes. The main issue was the neck set was wrong. So I cut the neck out of number one as the neck was good and made another body. Second time it has turned out ok and after a lot of tweaking it is a good sounding guitar. Pickups are Stew Mac Parsons Street humbuckers and the tailpiece is made from some 2 mm thick brass. The coin glued on the tailpiece is something that was given to me by an exchange student from Japan who studied her final high school year 12 at Ballarat College 1980s. While studying in Ballarat she wanted to learn guitar and her English was limited so I took on the job and found she was a joy to teach although we had to use many hand signals. Sumi gave me the Japanese coin with a hole in it which is a Japanese custom as a mark of respect. I really like this new guitar so the coin has pride of place on the tailpiece. Thanks for looking. Cheers

[56nortondomy]

Very nice Alan, the tail piece looks great, a bit of work in that I'm guessing.
Wayne

[ozziebluesman]

Thanks Wayne. The tailpiece was tricky however more time consuming than anything else.
A mould was made for the radius so that part is easy now.
The guitar was built from the LesPaul single cutaway plan with chambered body, f holes and the brass tailpiece. Many of the 1950s Les Pauls had a brass Trapeze tailpiece.
Cheers
Al

[Bruce McC]

Very classy Allan, a nice piece of work. What timber did you use for the back and sides?
How is the FE 17 style classical going?

[ozziebluesman]

G'day Bruce,
Thanks for your comments mate. The back neck an sides are all Queensland Maple.
The top was a 5 mm figured Queensland Maple set from Malaney, Qld.
I haven't started the FE17 yet. Still researching the build.
There is a guy here on the forum building a few FE17 style classical from your part of the woods. I have emailed him and awaiting a reply.
I am leaning toward the FE19 now after research and having the opportuninty to be able to play a copy of that model. It is a Falcate, active back but the guitar size, the 650 mm scale feels just right for me and I would like a 48 or 49 mm nut width.
I know you have built a few classicals any thoughts from you greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Alan

[Mr K]

Very nice Alan, and great work on the tail piece.

cheers Mark

[ozziebluesman]

Hello Mark,
Thanks for the comments.
As I expected it adds it's own flavour to the tone of the guitar.
Cheers
Alan

[Bruce McC]

Hi Alan
That forum member is Fisherman (Peter) and it was his FE-17 style guitar, a lovely little guitar, that inspired me to make one.
I am following the plans and details for the FE-17 that Peter provided but I am not trying to make a replica. Too much inlay
work for me for a start.
If you are making the classical for yourself make the nut width to your preference. My only advice would be that if you deviate
from your plans do a full scale drawing setting out nut width, string spacing at nut, width at 12th fret and string spacing at the bridge.
If your plans work out the 1st and 6th strings should be parallel to the edges of the fingerboard

[Fisherman]

Lovely looking guitar, Alan, very classy.

I havent received your email, sorry - can you please resend?

I took the FE17 over to an experienced dealer over the weekend to get his thoughts on it/what I can improve and we compared it to some veeeery nice (read, expensive) guitars. It held its own for sound quality and then some! So the design I have seems to make for a very good sounding little cannon of a guitar. I got really positive feedback, including a few pointers to work on, which was most welcome as I have only built a few guitars so far.

He also made a pretty good offer to buy an acoustic I made as well - but I said no for now as I hadnt intended selling it and dont even yet have a label etc.

Im building a sister guitar to the FE17 in Maple and bloodwood at the moment - installing the bindings tonight. I’ll then make one in blackwood to round out a bit of a set.

[Fisherman]

Also Alan, what is the finish on this instrument?

[ozziebluesman]

Thanks for your comments Peter.
I will send the email off again to you.
The finish is hand rubbed shellac. I have a method I have ben improving over the years it is not a full shinny finish more satin.
Thank's for contacting me again.
Cheers
Alan

[WJ Guitars]

Interesting timber look with individual styling. You must have taken lots of care to achieve this result.

Wayne
WJ Guitars

[ozziebluesman]

Thanks for your comments Wayne.
My first effort was a disaster as I got the neck set all wrong and a few other issues.
So I cut the neck out of the first body and tried again.
Learnt lots from the first build and went to School on my mistakes while building the second body.
Cheers
Alan

[DarwinStrings]

Nice Alan, adding a bit of metal work makes a nice change from woodwork.