Here’s what’s cooking right now (redwood burl top for #33): Burl and spalted wood is very brittle and full of imperfections. Normally, I cut grooves into my tops along with the bend, then steam the top simply over boiling water for 15 minutes, before clamping into shape and let cool and dry. But initial trials with scrap wood of spalted walnut snapped and broke, whatever I tried. I studied the tips I could locate and ended up soaking the wood in water overnight as in the image above. I did not cut any grooves into the wood since this would weaken the wood further. A nervous wait ensued. I then steamed the pre-soaked top (which was literally soaked all the way through) as usual and it turned out that the top became very easy to bend. I clamped it, and heard no snap! Mission accomplished! But even after two full days of drying, it is still very wet. The shape seems pretty stable though, so now it is simply drying out, taped to another body. Tomorrow, we’ll see how the burl...
Learn MoreHaving implemented my guitars in serial production over in Ohio (see previous post) I finally had a picture of how things were done in larger scale. Two things stuck out, both driven by vacuum, and I brought materials back home with me. Now that I have them running, I don’t know how I could do without them for so long. But it took some experimenting… I find that the biggest challenge in running a CNC is figuring out the ordering of the steps, from a construction perspective and from a tool change minimization perspective (my small hobby CNC needs to have tools changed manually). The next challenge is figuring out how to fasten the workpiece so that any screw holes will be milled away in a subsequent step, or hidden by another part. When I first got it, I broke several bits and ruined several workpieces by running into them and causing all kinds of mayhem. All in all, pretty tricky. Now, the second challenge is much easier to overcome, but having said that, I have revisit the first for every single operation… First, here is the end result: The front of #20 is being routed for cavities and the bridges, held to the table by vacuum. And here...
Learn MoreWe’re happy to announce renewed availability of hardware! Expect delivery to be by 1 September or before. Tremolos and bass bridges are still sold out. To order fixed bridges, go to the purchase...
Learn MoreProduction of stock models is under way! The current operation of full custom builds will remain as-is, but as most of you know, the wait list is quite long. Here comes your chance to snap up a 100% .strandberg* guitar without the wait! The first model out is based on Tosin Abasi’s #17: 8-string, 28″-26.5″ fanned fret scale Rosewood/carbon fiber neck w/ maple stringers, rosewood fretboard Intersecting Plane Neck Profile™ (Licensed from Rick Toone) Swamp ash body, curly/flamed/quilt maple top 2 x chrome Lace Aluma™ X-Bar pickups Black hardware These will be offered directly to those of you already on the wait list, and to select dealers globally, at a reasonable price point. If you are interested, contact orders@strandbergguitars.com. The current plan includes two variations each of 6-, 7-, and 8-string models, all bolt-on. Last week was spent in Ohio, with Jim Lewis, president and CEO of Strictly 7 Guitars (S7G), as the host. I met with their staff and immensely competent network of suppliers throughout the week and spent day and night doing knowledge transfer to the people who will be building 100% genuine .strandberg* guitars going forward. S7G will do the final assembly and oversee the process. In case you haven’t checked them out lately, you should. Although an...
Learn MoreStrandberg Guitarworks Is Dead – Long Live Strandberg Guitars AB To keep up with demand and the ever growing wait list, and to be able to make the kinds of commitments needed to grow the business, Strandberg Guitarworks, which was a sole proprietorship, has been incorporated into a limited company with the name Strandberg Guitars AB. Strandberg Guitarworks was chosen as one of eight companies to take part in a business incubator program at Uppsala Innovation Center during the spring of 2012. While taking part in this program has taken considerable time away from actually building guitars, it has put the business in a place where it has a well supported plan to grow and to continue delivering fantastic guitars. Obviously, this is a very exciting development and you will have a lot to look forward to! This website will continue to exist and be updated with new designs, ideas, pictures and drawings – still under Creative Commons licensing, and remain the location for hardware sales. The strandbergguitars.com website will remain as-is – dedicated to the guitar part of the...
Learn MoreThings are moving quickly here at Strandberg Guitarworks. As a result, Facebook and the new website strandbergguitars.com have received more attention than this site, and to avoid duplication, here are a few pointers to pertinent recent posts. Click on the images to view pictures at the strandbergguitars.com website. #14 The new #15 #26 #31...
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