Black Beauty

[Ken Hundley]

I been talking about it, biznitchin about it for two years now, and my sister has had the patience of a saint, but it is finally finished! The Zebrawood OM is finished! Here's the specs:

Zebrawood back and sides
Bear-clawed spruce top
Mahogany neck
wenge binding, tail wedge, headplate
zebrawood fingerboard
laminated spruce/wenge bracing
ebony bridge
unbleached bone nut and saddle
tru-oiled back and sides
EM-6000 wb lacquer top and neck

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[Ken Hundley]

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***Edit*** here's a link to a crappy YouTube video I made late last nite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn9wBNOCCqU

[David L]

She definitely is a beauty!!! Just love that rosette.

David L

Edit: Just noticed the laminate bracing while looking at close-ups, very cool!

[tippie53]

that is nice . No fingerprints yet?

[Tony_in_NYC]

Very nice Ken!

[johnnparchem]

Wow! Ken it is a work of art. A gorgeous guitar.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Ken, this turned out so cool. You are going to have to show us how you got the black around the rosette!!
Very cool. The shape you ended up with for the bridge looks great too.
The whole deal is a one of a kind awesome guitar.

Kevin

[darren]

Good to finally see it done, Ken. It looks awesome.

Is there any finish on the fretboard? Do you think it will darken at all over time? I don't think I've seen a zebrawood fretboard.

congratulations!

[Herman]

Love your work!, Great looking guitar that stands out from all the other guitars we make.
Good job on loosing the bearclaw.

How did you cover the inlay/rosette while coloring the top? Tape? Liquid?

Herman

[Ken Hundley]

Thanks, guys! It's fun when it all finally works out. The laminated bracing was an experiment in making a brace that was stronger but more flexible. That it certainly is, but I am not convinced I like the sound as much as my jumbo. I posted a Youtube link after the last photo in the second post, so see what you think. It sounds very much like the Padauk OM I finished before Christmas, and I can't determine if it is the laminated bracing, or the sitka spruce....they both have the same braces and tops....all from the same batch of wood. I'll have to make a new top with normal braces to see if there is a change.

The inlay was kind of fun to come up with. I thought it was going to be a bear to inlay the rosette, but this was right around the time my sis said she wanted a black guitar. That made it easy.....I routed out the entire area for the inlay, rather than tracing each peice. I mixed some epoxy, died it with some black analine dye, then set the inlay into it. sanded it flush. When I sprayed the color coats on the top, all I had to do was cover the rosette with some packing tape, then trace the edges of the rosette, which had a good 1/8" of black epoxy around the outside, and let the black spray coat overlap the edge. Worked perfectly.

Oh, and fingerprints! The black show's EVERYTHING!