Drak Posted March 15, 2009 Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 Well, I have been pulling a lot of old projects out of mothballs lately. This guitar build has a Backstory to it indeed, sorry if the first post is a bit long-winded. It started out several years ago when I started building a few Gibson-style single-cuts. Les Paul shaped, but 1/2-way between a LP size and a full-blown hollowbody size... You might call it a 3/4 hollowbody, HEAVILY chambered. They were my take on a hybrid solidbody/hollowbody as a lot of us wind up doing at some point, experimenting with chambering and all that kind of thing. To be honest, they all got mothballed as I took up other projects. I started 5 of them, most got past the 1/2 way point before coming to a stop while I built other projects. As time has passed and I finished up all of the Cow-Town Teles (my true favorite guitars) I was working on, I made a decision that I loved everything about the C-T Teles, and if I could change anything at all, it would be to gain some more access to the upper frets that the upper horn on a Tele inhibits. Everything else I absolutely love about them. Sadly, I would have to go without my signature steerhead that I love so much, but no big deal. Maybe I can work it in one day somehow. So I decided a double-cut was the obvious way to go, and have now built my own template for a doublecut. I had recently decided that I no longer wanted 5 of these 3/4 hollow things, they're a little bigger and heavier than I want, chambered tho they are. Not that I don't like them, but I don't need 5 of them. One of them was an Alder body / Buckeye Burl front and back (remember Major Tom? that's Buckeye Burl, and yes, I still have it ) I had decided to toss away the body/back, and use the cool top for one of my new doublecuts. I was sanding the top today after pulling it back out and having a look at it, and marking out the new doublecut outline. Afterwards, I had the idea to try and use the back as well, but it would involve a LOT of work to remove all the Alder wood (it has been glued on) Now anybody who knows my past knows I will toss a body at the flick of a switch if it isn't up to my spec . BUT...hahaha! Marriage and a house note has changed ALL that, the disposable income I used to have is sort of dried up, so I am more apt these days to work with what I have. As I was looking at the newly-sanded top and mulling over using the back if I could rip it off (a LOT of work) the idea hit me to completely morph the entire project from a singlecut to the new, smaller, lighter doublecut. Conserve the entire thing and Make It Work somehow. This is a completely foreign concept to me, as there is going to be some Very Weird Patching and Morphing going on, something I usually don't do, but there it is. The bodies... do not exactly line up with each other... you'll see. Many pics to follow, and Spring is ready to be sprung here very shortly, so it should progress pretty quickly. Follow me from the very beginning as I morph one guitar shape into another, and how I treat the numerous problems I am going to run into and make a Double-Franken-Morph-Cut out of this thing. That is what will make this thread fun, because there's a lot of cool / interesting problems to sort out and work thru. But the basic body and top/back woods are definitely worth trying to save. ...Did I just say that? Pics to follow shortly, and it feels great to be building again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted March 15, 2009 Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 (edited) I finish reading that and I felt like I just entered Looking up to the pics! I think I remember that guitar from the 3 LP shaped that you were doing at the same time. Edited March 15, 2009 by Maiden69 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted March 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 OK. Here are the two templates stacked against each other, you can see the size difference is rather substantial. The D-Cut is basically the same size as a standard Tele for reference sake. 2nd Look at Templates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted March 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 ...And the Buckeye Burl Topper (yeah yeah, I know it's a dry pic, use your imagination! ) You can see the basic outline of the single-cut, and the drawn-in penline of the new D-cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted March 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 Different view of top Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted March 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 ...And the back...lots of issues to deal with! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted March 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 And the 'guts'. Here is where you can see the trouble starts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narcissism Posted March 15, 2009 Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 I see an upside down molar with a somewhat sad/blank expression on its face in the first picture of the top burl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted March 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 And now, to hijack my own thread... Here is another one that was going to be a 3/4 hollow, just pulled this out...this was going to be the back, but is now going to be a topper for another doublecut...yes, this one is wetted down for your viewing pleasure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ae3 Posted March 15, 2009 Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 Ooooo Delightful! Looks like the sun's reflection on the sea at sunset. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted March 15, 2009 Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 Damn, I think that you will be better off with a new core. Those edges are VERY thin! And the surgery needed in the bass area... Aside from that, love the top, and that maple is A1! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted March 15, 2009 Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 Great project,Drak...I hope you can pull it off.You going to fill in the chambers before you cut? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted March 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 Thanks Wes. The chambers are really why I decided to keep it, as it is such a PITA and waste of wood to remove so much wood to make one of these things from a solidbody hunk of wood, and it's basically hollowed out and ready to go for the most part. That was the redeeming quality it had going for it and why I decided to give this a try. This build is really not a typical build thread at all. It's about how many obstacles I'll have to overcome and how I overcome them in detail. My goals here are these: 1) To conserve the original wood in the most economical way and change the shape 3) Show how I deal with all the problems involved in the changeup process 4) Show ALL the warts and blemishes before fixing them and then how I fix them 6) In the end, when it's finished, that NO ONE playing it would EVER be able to tell that this was anything but a build from scratch, all mistakes have to be covered 100% so no one would ever know. It has to be show quality, with all warts either fixed or hidden to my satisfaction It can't look like a botched stupid fix-er-up job, it has to qualify for my standards or it's toast. I always want people to know I am an amateur with amateur tools, and if I can do something, any amateur can do it if it's thought out properly. I always figured that's why this site was here in the first place, to show amateurs how they can make things happen with little tooling and still make it rock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted March 15, 2009 Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 Not to mention that buckeye burl is hella expensive. I think this will turn out nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 15, 2009 Report Share Posted March 15, 2009 If you're going to burn it, we need videos. Ohwait, we're not at that stage thankfully. Phew. I look forward to the detailing Drak. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted March 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 You obviously confuse me with the OLD Drak. I don't DO those things anymore! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 Now where is my smiley which taps it's foot and glances at it's watch every few seconds....? I love buckeye. It has to rank up there with camphor burl as one of the most unnatural things out there, made of wood. Other than the Wangcaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 I can't wait to see more progress! I know you are very tought on your build, so I'm most definitely looking to your work on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foil1more Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 Different view of top What are you going to do with those holes? Fill them to look like eyes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinny Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 Good to see you Drak. I too was curious to see what it would look like with eyes. -Vinny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 Don't be silly, Vinny. Those are mounting holes for the TOM bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 Don't be silly, Vinny. Those are mounting holes for the TOM bridge. Sweet. A 15-string guitar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted March 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 Ahhh, friends, join Roarke and I as we say goodbye to the Fantasy! I decided to do the common sense thing and not ruin this great piece of Buckeye and find a new body for it. C'est La Vie! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 Most likely for the best. And the late 70's/early 80's were a great time for TV. Fantasy Island & The Love Boat, back to back on (IIRC) Friday night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 Is it too late to jump in on this one? I vote take the top and make a jazz box out of it. Leave the voids in for the soundholes On a related topic, the grayblue color would go fantastically with a "weathered" hardware scheme like Orgmorg has done in the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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