A new build, Santos Mahogany, Maple, and Spruce Dred

[Kevin Sjostrand]

This body is in the spray booth. It has one coat of sealer and 4 coats of lacquer. I'm getting a wetter, heavier layer down with each spray this time...no runs or sags. This wood is quiet beautiful under the finish. I will take pics later this evening when I take it down from the booth....can't leave it out there over night.
I've got the headstock veneer on and shaped, headstock is at thickness, tuner holes drilled. I cut out a piece of cocobolo to shape for the heel cap. Truss rod is installed with some silcone dabs underneath in about 5 places. Tomorrow I'll cut the heel off to length and glue the cap on, and glue on the fretboard, which is now contoured. Then I can start shaping the neck heel. I'll put a couple pics of the body up tonight.

Kevin

[Kevin Sjostrand]

A couple of pics in the booth. After I had sprayed the first two coats, I could see some heavy scratches in the top in the upper bout area along where the fretboard extension will go. So I sanded it until lI thought they were gone, not really into the wood. I wiped with Naptha, couldn't see the scratches, so I sprayed two more coats yesterday, and, guess what? They are still there. So last night I sanded again, and got down to the wood. I am quite sure I got the scratches out this time. I will build the finish back up in that area a little at a time as I spray the rest of the coats. Hopefully two coats this evening!

Kevin

[johnnparchem]

It is really looking good. Been there with scratches. Good finish tends to magnify them! It looks like the lacquer is going on nicely.

[RnB]

Nice...! Mahogany takes on a whole new characteristic when a finish is applied. It's truly is a great wood to work with. I've gone over my work w/ a magnifying glass only to find scratches my aging eyes missed...

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I finished the spraying of the body today....it looks really nice.
Still have to finish making the neck...that will happen over the next few weeks...no rush.
I did install the fretboard marker dots. MOP, fretted the fretboard and glued it to the neck blank on Saturday
More to come later!

Kevin

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I haven't posted on this build in awhile because I have not worked on it much all summer. The neck is almost done, and I hope to have it final fit to the body by the holiday weekend coming up so I can spray it. I will be working on it this weekend and will post a few pictures. It has to be done by early Oct. so I got to get back to it again.
More to come soon.

Kevin

[Darryl Young]

Look forward to the updates. It sure looks nice in the pics above.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I was able to work on the neck last Saturday and got it pretty much done and fit to the body. Now for a final sanding at 240 grit and I'll pore fill it this week, and then hope to spray it this weekend. The bridge is partly made, just need to rout the saddle slot and fit it to the top. I'm getting there!

Kevin

[darren]

good lookin' neck fixture!

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Okay so this guitar is almost finished. Since my last post.....many 100 plus degree days so not much time spent in my "non-air conditioned" shop, but I have made progress. I sprayed the neck and let it sit for a week. I started polishing the body and had a spot I had to respray, so I did that and let it sit a week. It is now all polished, bridge is glued on, neck is bolted on with fretboard extension glued down. Nut is made, saddle is fit. The humidity has been very low lately so I have the guitar in the case humidifying for a couple of days to bring the top up a bit. As is I had almost an 1/8" over the bridge at the saddle. This should come down to 1/16" when it is humidified which is where I like it.
I will shoot a picture tonight and post it. This guitar will be given away in two weeks.

Kevin