Wednesday 6th September '07

 This seems to me to be the most productive day I've had in months.. not making/answering phone calls after 12 o'clock really makes a major difference (leave a message or send an email and I will get back to you though!)

The two 8-string Baritones have their fingerboards planed flat and to a workable thickness

and then the binding rebate is routed into the edges using a small bearing cutter in a table top routing table

the dimensions of two left handed guitar necks are marked out.  One multi-lam Sapele mahogany and one solid farmed Indian Rosewood.. the models are called 'The Crimson Helmet' 1 and 2... 

the truss rod channel is routed

very carefully.. we almost exclusively use dual-action low-mass truss rods.

after using the straight edge of the neck blank to guide the router whilst cutting the truss rod channel the waste timber is bandsawed off both necks

the headstock break angle of 12 degrees is cut and planed flat

and the truss rod access is drilled.. it's much easier to do this prior to installing the rod.. it saves drill bits!

the indian rosewood fingerboard is glued onto the mahogany neck

and the beautiful Maccassar Ebony fingerboard for the other neck is prepared and then it too is glued to it's respective neck..

a minor adjustment to the Ovation that had the new nut the other day.. truss rod access is a nightmare, and is made even worse by the fact that the bastards use a non-standard allen key size!!  Still, interesting bracing pattern..

My lovely chrysanthemum will keep on flowering right through to the first frosts.. a splash of colour in my life.. (I sound really really wierd here?!?.. without my garden I would soon lose my mind!..)

On to yet another neck, this is for Paul's (the chap who helped make the Cumbria guitar show a success... need any top notch recording done up North his new studio will be up and running shortly, the recent flooding took out the new premesis the day BEFORE he was due to move all the gear in!  Lucky!!) ... where was I... right, for Paul's 6 string Baritone... .. the radius is planed   

a lot of sanding etc performed with the large random orbital

frets marked out and carefully cut

and then, in the interests of learning, I continue sanding through the grits up to 1200... and will do this from now on, it gives a lovely smooth feel and I can't believe I haven't been doing this for ever!!

each fret is hammered and glued in.

and the three fretted necks are then oiled and buffed up.. not for the last time either..

the radius is planed on Helmet #2

fret slots marked out and cut

and then mini-dots are drilled out

and installed..  the fine sanding process is used again

after fretting and oiling/buffing we have a lovely neck..

Rocky just loves sitting on empty guitar boxes.. what can you do hey? 

This was one of my earliest custom orders.. 'Mistress' a sort of Jackson-alike but with some really nice timber, the quilted top came as a board with enough to do three guitars.. it had been drying for five years before I bought it from my old violin making tutor and was a joy to work with.. the guitar turned out quite well though..

Till tomorrow,

Ben