Blues Creek Gibson L1 replica in figured maple

[Dave Sayers]

Isn't it a pain when the bladed guide thingy on your band saw breaks? Here's my answer, the fox band saw had good tone so I made a load more out of tonewood just in case some others break.

[Dave Sayers]

Build number five the Gibson L1 is progressing quite quicely. Bracing the top is under way and also the neck block has been trimmed and fitted into the body. I don't believe the neck on this was made by Blues Creek as everything else has been a very good fit. Even so the alterations to the neck block were much less than I had expected. Everything seems to fit together very well.
So far so good.

[Dave Sayers]

With gorgeous pale figured Maple back sides and neck I really didn't think the headstock facing suited the build, so one order later and I have two ebony plates, one for headstock facing and the other for the end block insert and neck cap. Facing plate included with the kit to the left, ebony facing plate to the right, ebony bridge and ebony skunk stripe visible.

[Dave Sayers]

Headstock pattern carefully laid out according to J Hall's pattern for tuner spacing.

[Dave Sayers]

It is causing me extreme pain to think of putting plastic binding onto the figured maple guitar, so I'm asking you all, how easy is it to use ebony or wood binding?

[justrfb]

I thought the same... Plastic on this beautiful wooden instrument?!... I used curly maple and it was possibly easier than plastic as I used the same wood glue used to build the whole guitar. If you are buying unbent, make sure you get 4 pieces... Ask me how I know... John (and others I believe) sell bent or formed wood binding. I feel you will not regret your decisions to use wood. Good luck.

Sincerely,
Rich

[Dave Sayers]

Thanks Rich, I quite agree, check out davosaguitars.com to see my guitar build philosophy. Shiny they ain't, beautiful they are. I think ebony will do nicely, or something similar.

[tippie53]

Ebony is a pain to bend. Plastic in reality is a better protector that wood , but wood can be an added flavor. I think there are other woods that work well with this. Zebra or high figured woods can be book matched and add a nice effect.
Bloodwood while red can make some nice color statement. Also rosewood it is dark and often has some grain in it.
If you want black I use wood fiber , it is not plastic looking , looks like ebony and you don't need to pre bend it.

[Dave Sayers]

You are right, but I shall look at wood binding to see if anything suits.

[Dave Sayers]

The headstock has been roughly cut to shape. It is a holiday weekend in England so not much doing todqay or Monday, but tomorrow, Sunday is rain, so I'll be working for most of the morning before I do some writing.
I am always on the look out for new and more effective tools and here are two. An extra fine japanese carving chisel, left, and a saw rasp, right. Boy, does the saw rasp shift wood? It has a coarse and fine face and lots of holes for dust to drop through.