WALNUT GUITAR --CONSTRUCTION -- CONTINUED
The
rough machine work is done on the neck. My necks are laminated from
a mahogany, maple, rosewood, maple, and mahogany sandwich -- I do
this partly for strength and partly because I like the look. I make
up rectangular blocks and cut two necks from each block.
The machine work then includes cutting the truss rod slot, the dovetail,
shaping the peghead (including drilling the peg holes) and stock removal
(i.e. getting the neck to approximate dimensions). For more on my
necks, go HERE.
These
are the end blocks. Mahogany for the neck (dovetail) end and Baltic
birch plywood for the tail block. I began using the plywood at the
suggestion of Jim Olson. The rationale is that since we are now
putting so many pickups (and large end pins) in guitars, the plywood is
less likely to crack if the guitar falls on the end. I thinks this
makes sense, and I have noticed no change in the sound of my instruments.
The
ribs are now bent, and the end blocks are glued in. I glue the end blocks
in with the ribs firmly held into the mold, so that the body shape will
be true. After gluing the end blocks in, I cut the
dovetail and the butt wedge slots.
The walnut dreadnaught now has its neck glued in and is getting close
to completion. (If you wonder what's happened from the last photo
to this, look in the building a guitar pages - there are photos there
of the whole process, including some of this guitar.
Another view.
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