{"id":1096,"date":"2010-09-05T14:12:04","date_gmt":"2010-09-05T13:12:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/guitarworks.thestrandbergs.com\/?p=1096"},"modified":"2010-11-03T13:18:42","modified_gmt":"2010-11-03T12:18:42","slug":"more-progress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/guitarworks.thestrandbergs.com\/2010\/09\/05\/more-progress\/","title":{"rendered":"More Progress"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am continuing to work on #5 and #6 with the intent of having them both completed before the Uppsala International Guitar Festival<\/a>, which is headlined by Paco De Lucia this year. Unfortunately, I will be travelling so I can only attend the last two days of the festival, but will be exhibiting for the full four days. If all goes well, #5 will be on its way to Chris Letchford<\/a> and not at the festival, though.<\/p>\n

Below, you can see the neck set of both builds. #5 has an extra 5 mm as it will have a wenge top glued on.<\/p>\n

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I am removing weight from the body of #6 in a new way. About 250 grams was saved by routing these channels into the body sides.<\/p>\n

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Here, you can see the neck shapes. #5 conventional thin C-shape, #6 Trapezoidal Neck Profile<\/a> (contact\u00a0Rick Toone<\/a> for more information about this neck profile).<\/p>\n

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#5 fretboard radiused, inlaid, and fretted:<\/p>\n

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I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time: gluing the sides on to make the instruments complete.<\/p>\n

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I am doing things in the following order:<\/p>\n

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  1. glue laminates of neck<\/li>\n
  2. band-saw away and shape section on underside of neck portion<\/li>\n
  3. insert truss-rod (while sides are straight and can be used as guides for router)<\/li>\n
  4. shape contours of fretboard (so that it can be used as a router template later)<\/li>\n
  5. cut fret slots (while it’s still thin and easily fitted into the slot-cutting jig)<\/li>\n
  6. glue fretboard (while it is flat so that it can get optimal clamping pressure)<\/li>\n
  7. use router to shape contours of neck (using fretboard as template)<\/li>\n
  8. rough shape back of neck<\/li>\n
  9. radius fretboard<\/li>\n
  10. finish fretboard (add inlays) and fret neck<\/li>\n
  11. glue sides (and top)<\/li>\n
  12. finish shaping<\/li>\n
  13. sand<\/li>\n
  14. sand<\/li>\n
  15. sand<\/li>\n
  16. rout cavities for controls and pickups<\/li>\n
  17. sand<\/li>\n
  18. sand some more<\/li>\n
  19. finish\/polish<\/li>\n
  20. done<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    So, it’s an easy 20-step process.<\/p>\n

    Here, I have created a steamer to soak\/heat the top so that it can be bent. The rule says 1 hour per inch thickness, so with a 5 mm thickness, I steamed it for 15 minutes to be on the safe side.<\/p>\n

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    And then I clamped it on top of the body, which was protected by aluminium foil.<\/p>\n

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    I had solicited advice on bending both from the literature, my friend Tommy Jakobsson<\/a> and Rick Canton<\/a>. I was nervous not only for the thickness, but more about the graininess of the wenge and having to bend it across the grain on an angle. I did some experimenting on smaller pieces in advance and ended up cutting a groove on the underside of the top where the bend starts. It kind of worked, I think. It’s being glued right now so I will know soon enough.<\/p>\n

    Full pictorial progress below:<\/p>\n\n\t\t