Starting a J200 Jumbo guitar

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I already had the end and neck blocks made. I got the sides cut, the blocks glued in, and both the top and back radiused on the radius dish to the correct body depth.
Boy this will be a fat guitar!!

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Today I got the back kerfing, handmade kerfing, glued in place.
While that was drying I started the neck from a 36" Honduran Mahogany blank. Scarf joint and stacked heel glued up.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Glued up the back plates with a center strip of EIR with BW purfling on both sides. Cut out the shape and final thicknessed to .110"

Then I glued up the first binding/purfling. EIR with BW side purfling.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Update:
I have all 4 bindings/purflings made up and I have the side support braces installed.

I started on the fretboard today. I'm using a nice piece of EIR
which will be bound with strips cut from the same blank.

Holding off right now on gluing on the back braces for a few days for the humidity to drop some.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Okay so the plans I'm using call for a 25.5" scale length fretboard. I started to lay this out using both inches and millimeters, thinking I would draw the lines then attempt to cut the slots in my slotting jig box without a template. 🤯

I quickly realized this might be a fools errand, getting it sufficiently accurate. Then I thought; why not just do a 25.4" scale length? I have the LMI template that I use for all my dreds and OMs. There is only .100" difference! How much could that make in the execution of the guitar???: tone, volume. playability. etc?

So I decided to use the 25.4 scale. I cut the slots yesterday using my LMI template and all went great .
I looked at the plans and to me this amount at the saddle location can't make much difference, and it it will, I can just shift my X brace .100" closer to the soundhole??

And actually, the plans call for a 3/16" nut, but I like using a 1/4" nut which will actually make that scale difference less than .040" less as far as the saddle goes, and I can probably just follow the bracing placement per the plans.

So what do you all think? Will my guitar not sound like a real Jumbo if I do this?

[Stray Feathers]

Kevin, in my limited experience (ten guitars, not one of them a jumbo) I would do exactly as you are doing. I think it is one of those very minor changes that some will debate endlessly, and others will insist you would never be able to reliably hear a difference. And I don't think your guitar will implode. Bruce W.

[carld05]

It's fine Kevin. I used a Martin neck on one of my Jumbos that had a 25.4" scale and it worked fine. Didn't even make any bracing changes. Bridge slot placement is the critical issue as you know.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Thanks Fellas for the words of encouragement

[carld05]

I checked the "J200 Style" plan from LMII that I use and its scale is 25.312", a typical Gibson scale. Pretty close to 25.4".