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Thread: The newest guitar off my bench: Black Cherry

  1. #1

    The newest guitar off my bench: Black Cherry

    Cutting the fretboard

    PimtZf2.jpg

    Setting the mother of pearl inlays

    7rT7DlH.jpg



    Starting the frets

    Gxubjin.jpg

    All ready for final leveling and polishing

    hxzWCJD.jpg
    Last edited by Chuck Raudonis; 03-18-2018 at 12:21 AM.

  2. #2

    The Top

    The body is solid mahogany with a raised flamed maple top

    The cap with binding

    RAKAoCg.jpg

    Dyed it brown

    G6WjbVa.jpg

    Sanded it back to leave the dye only in the figure

    yaMyMhF.jpg

    Dyed it cherry red

    haxuxWP.jpg

    Final look after scraping the dye off the binding and before it gets any finish

    3Ku3RtR.jpg

    Roughing out the body

    oTJxcxP.jpg

    The body after application of black satin lacquer leaving the center raw to glue the cap on

    s0DHBWF.jpg

    e9ByFN9.jpg

  3. #3

    The finished product








  4. #4
    Beautiful work Sir!
    "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

    “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

  5. #5
    Join Date
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  6. #6
    Gorgeous! I love the cap and binding. Very creative!
    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness..." - Mark Twain

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Yorktown, VA
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    2,754
    Lovely work, Chuck! I'll echo the very creative.

  8. #8
    Thanks everyone! It plays like a dream.

  9. #9
    Very good design, and highly innovative, even though there are similar designs like Sky. I always liked the line quality on these bodies with contrasting levels / reveals. Do you plan to show it or start a line of custom guitars (reading your headstock appears so)? If so, you really need to recut and re-apply the binding on top to get rid of the flat spots in the curve. Make a template from 1/4" hardboard, and hand sand the curves with curved sanding blocks until they flow without flat spots, then use the template as a bearing guide to re-route the edge, then re-apply the binding - shouldn't take long. I spend lots of time "fairing" my curves on anything I make, from boats to guitars, and its well worth it ("fairing" is a term used in nautical design to smooth out curves, which are of utmost importance in boat design).

    To get a "fair" curve on your template to begin with, make a curve tracing bow, which is a stick of wood about 1/8" thick by one or two inches wide, with holes at the end for string. you bend the "bow" to the radius you want, then clamp the string in place (binderclip). Then draw the curved line right off the bow, tightening and loosening the radius as you go. It will be tighter radius in middle, so the "bow" will provide plenty of variance needed to get the line fair. Then sand to the line, and use curved sanding blocks.

    I cheat and use CAD, but I used to make curved templates like this all the time.
    john.blazy_dichrolam_llc
    Delta Unisaw, Rabbit QX-80-1290 80W Laser, 5 x 12 ft laminating ovens, Powermax 22/44, Accuspray guns, Covington diamond lap and the usual assortment of cool toys / tools.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Northern Illinois
    Posts
    943
    Very talented you are.

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