Wilborn Guitar Attempt

[Tomcat]

The way that the two long braces fly over the bridge patch is interesting. Do they touch the patch or clear them entirely? If they touch, are they glued to it? It does look like there is room between them for the bridge pin holes to be drilled later.

[scamp]

The long curved braces touch and are glued to the bridge plate. There is indeed room for the bridge pin holes between the braces. The long curved braces play a key role in keeping the bridge from rotating under the load of the stings.

[Tomcat]

Thank you much, Scamp. I know I ask questions like an eight year old, and I really appreciate the answers.

[scamp]

Thank you much, Scamp. I know I ask questions like an eight year old, and I really appreciate the answers.

No problem. You can’t learn if you don’t ask questions. It’s the whole purpose of this forum.

[scamp]

Glued the body together and trimmed the edges.
Measured the displacement of the top and back.
Back lower bout displacement was 0.018 inches with 5 lb load.
As a comparison... my Martin D28 has a 0.14 inch displacement and 000-12 fret has a 0.01 inch displacement under same condition.
The top displacement was 0.27 inches with a 5 lb load.
As a comparison, my Martin D28 has a 0.011 inch displacement and my 000-12 fret has a 0.012 inch displacement.
Much different as I expected given the new bracing.
Also looked at the spectral tap test response ( things will change a bit once I actually have a sound hole and a bridge ) but you can see all the appropriate resonances ( top monopole, cross dipole, long dipole, cross tripole as well as some contributions from the back ) in about the right places.
Very encouraged by results.

Body 3.JPEG

Body 2.JPEG

Body Displacement Test.JPEG

[scamp]

Finished bending the bindings and purfling.
Was worried about bending the ebony bindings as they are 0.09 inches thick but nothing bad happened.
Used scrap maple strips and tape to help support the bindings and purfling during the bending so they didn't overlap or twist. Worked well.
Also started working on the routing template that I will use to rout the arm bevel and sound hole.
Got the outline done and now need to rout out some of the middle section a bit so it fits on the 28 ft radius top.

Bindging and Purfling Bent.JPEG

Routing Template 4.JPEG

[Tomcat]

In that last pic, what is the intent of the two small holes offets within the future soundhole? Where they centers of a compound curve in the layout?

[scamp]

Good question.
In this location is a plate glued to the back of the top to help support the future ebony that will surround the sound hole. This plate must be glued on very precisely. To accurately glue in the plate the plate is aligned with the top and the sides ( before they are glued together) and two holes are drilled through the plate and top and dowels are put in the holes to align the plate and top when they are glued. After the glue dries the dowels are removed ( leaving the holes ).

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Very precise work going on here. Impressive!

[scamp]

Started working on the neck a bit more.
Before I can install the top peghead veneer I needed to address the creative way Ben implements his truss rod cap, which is accessed through the headstock in this design.
Rather than a thin piece of wood and some screws, which is typical and a bit unsightly, Ben makes a plug out of ebony and holds it in place with glued in super magnets. One magnet in the cap and one in the neck under the cap. So.... I tried to make one and it came out OK. Problem was, the magnets I used didn't hold the cap in place as well as I would like. I was afraid if you bumped the neck hard the cap might fall out. To fix this, instead of one magnet on the cap and heck I increased it to 3 on each. This worked very well and I am happy.

Truss Rod Cover Zoomed In with Magnets.JPEG

Truss Rod Cover Magnets in Neck.JPEG

Truss Rod Cover On Neck.JPEG