Rosewood/Redwood OMC Build

[RnB]

I've begun working on a 2nd OMC build. Only this time it will be Rosewood w/ a Redwood Sinker top. I've had this kit along w/ the other OMC I just completed. It's a sum of parts I accumulated when I first became interested in building acoustics about 7 years ago. Only the top & binding are recent additions. The neck is from the 1st OMC build that didn't fit right, but seemingly works fine for this one. Prolly due to the body & neck both being for a 1 11/16" nut width.

Not sure why, but there's a re-inforcement patch on the inside that was apparently done at the Martin factory. Although, I can't find any signs of cracks around the patched area. Maybe for a Fishman barn door p-up system...?

I spent the better part of yesterday, laying out & installing the rosette. To my advantage, no chip-outs...yay! I did not have any teflon strips for the Abalone pieces, so I channeled out the depths for the inner/outer Abalone purfling rings, leaving the mid-section where the abalone goes proud. I then routed that out to the depth of the pearl. I used Duco cement for the bonding agent.

I can now start bracing the top. Being the top is Redwood, I'm concerned that 1/4" bracing might be too light & considering stepping up the X-brace a bit in width. Maybe w/ 9/32" or 19/64"...? So far: I have thinned the top to .120" down the center w/ .110" on the sides w/ final sanding still needing to be done. Input appreciated...?

For the bracing layout, I traced the pattern onto a sheet of clear plexi-glass, then drilled holes in it where the bracing ends are located. After marking the holes on the backside of the top w/ a pencil, I simply connect the dots & I have my bracing pattern. Thinning the top (and other woods) would have been somewhat challenging for me, had not been for scoring a used Performax 16-32+ from Craigslist...I am thrilled. My 10'x16' shop just got smaller. This is the first big new tool I've bought in 6 or 7 years...Thx to my wife!

Parts:
Rimset - Martin exp 2nd
Back - IRW w/ backstrip (match-up from Tippie at Blues Creek)
Neck - Cedar M&T (tippie)
Fretboard - Ivoroid bound Ebony w/ long-pattern abalone inlays
Bracing - GE Adirondack 1/4" (?) (tippie)
Top - Sinker Redwood w/ Abalone rosette (tippie)
Binding - Ivoroid
Purfling - blk/maple/blk
Bridge - Ebony Belly
Saddle - bone
Nut - bone
Tuners- Grover 18:1 Sta-Tites w/ Ivoroid buttons
Frets - nkl/slv med-high (.095"h x .045"w)
Finish - Nitro
Pickguard - none

Rich

[johnnparchem]

You will like the drum sander. I made a guitar with a sinker redwood top. I just went with the normal sized braces. The main this I will say is be carefull with the top. the sinker redwood is really easy to spit, do not ask me how i know that. It does spilt clean and can be glued back together. That is a really nice top.

Your work really looks good, the rosette looks great.

[RnB]

I've been slowly working on this second OMC & I'm at the point of hopefully getting the neck angle set right (once again). Originally, I had a Pyramid bridge that I had thinned down set to go, but w/ the Redwood top I got to thinking a thicker bridge would be a better/stronger option for more support. The new Pyramid bridge is 3/8" thick at mid-point & I've radiused it to the top for a much better fit than the 1st one. It came to me flawed & I tried to salvage it. It was a problematic getting it to fit to the top just right. It also looked a little flimsy at the wings where I had sanded it to below a 1/16 of an inch thickness. Had too much flex!

The neck & body are all finished & with the new bridge set in place & the neck bolted on, I have 1/16" of space above the bridge to my straightedge (w/o frets). Trying to figure out the amt of rise under tension, saddle height, bridge thickness, action height, fret size starts to become a little confusing for me. Should there be more or less that a 1/16" gap showing at this point? My fret size will be .095" tall. As I recall Tippie saying, he likes to see no more than 3/8" max off the top in front of the bridge? I have nearly 1/2"....

Not too many pics, but I'll post more soon. A couple I took when I braced the top:

[tippie53]

As Freddy Prince used to say . Looking Gooood

[RnB]

This time I went w/ Zpoxy for the filler & I'm very pleased w/ the results. After watching T Stock's 'how to' videos, I was surprised how much easier & less messy it was to deal with...esp on the Rosewood. I did 3 applications, thinning the final fill ever so slightly w/ alcohol. With the temperature being very warm last week, it dried & cured quickly & I was able to move on to lacquering right afterwards. On the neck, I used Bartley's for the grain fill, staining the neck 1st w/ Min-Wax's Special Walnut stain. I added Raw Umber tint to the grain filler so it would darken-up the grain lines. Not sure if this neck is Mahogany or Spanish Cedar.

I put 9 coats of Deft on the back & sides & 6 on the top after sanding sealer. The top looks a bit splotchy to me, but I think it's the nature of the wood? I think what happened was I had initially sealed the perimeter w/ shellac to prevent tear-out. Then I sealed the whole top & it, but it left a ghost line around the edge. So, I sanded the whole top down, but there were areas where the shellac had really sunk in. There are still a couple minor spots I'm not quite happy with that need to addressed, but I think the splotches are permanent features at this point. I'm really anxious to hear what this Sinking Top sounds like...

I am not sure where I got the Ivoroid binding for this one (maybe Allied?), but it's taller than Martin's Ivoroid I generally use, which I like more.

Since the neck on this one was from the first OMC I made & did not fit well, which had less depth at the heel, I had cut the neck's heel to fit that body. I had to stack the heel cap to take up it's shortened length to bring it out to meet the body binding. Nickel or gold tuners w/ ebony buttons...what say you? I have both, but no buttons yet. :>)

Mods: since this is a 'kit build' & not a scratch build, feel free to move it to where it might be more appropriate.

[hummingbird]

That is one sweeeeeeeet guitar! I love the sinker top and that rosewood is beautiful. I'ld go with the gold tuners, it deserves it.

Also I like the headstock logo and that you put it on the back as well is a nice touch. Is there a significance to the diamond?

[johnnparchem]

Wow great looking guitar. The top is stunning, and the redwood with the bindings looks good as well. Let us know how it sounds.

[RnB]

Wow great looking guitar. The top is stunning, and the redwood with the bindings looks good as well. Let us know how it sounds.

That is one sweeeeeeeet guitar! I love the sinker top and that rosewood is beautiful. I'ld go with the gold tuners, it deserves it. I like the headstock logo and that you put it on the back as well is a nice touch. Is there a significance to the diamond?

Thx fellow luthiers...

No particular reason hummingbird. I have a thing for diamonds & arrows. My wife does too...sigh! My intent was to carry the theme of the slotted diamonds on the fretboard up onto the hdstk. It took awhile to figure out where to put it though...lol. I bought one, but they sent me 2. Putting the extra one on the back only made sense, since 2 on the front would be clutter...imo

John: if it sounds anything like the other OMC I built, I'll be completely surprised. I'm still working up the courage to put something on audio, since I'm basically a noodler. Hopefully soon. I'm more concerned w/ not making the same mistakes on this build that I made on the 1st one.

Gold tuners it will be ~ :>)

Rich

[RnB]

Instead of the planned Ebony Tuners I was going to use, I opted for Ivoroid. I had the Gold Sta-Tites so I removed the butterbean buttons w/ a hot iron & replaced them w/ Stew-Mac's replacements. Also, waiting for a new Pyramid bridge...One w/ narrower spacing (2 3/16"). Since the nut width on this neck is 1 11/16", I think the two E strings would've run too close to the edge of the board w/ a 2 5/16" bridge. Had the drill in place, all set to punch a hole in the top for mounting the bridge & got to thinking...good thing!

[RnB]

Back in action again. :>) Had some dealings that consumed family & my life for a awhile...sigh!

I need to finish up a couple of builds that have been on-hold for way too long. This OMC is nearing completion. Just needs frets & bridge mounted. That's about it. I banged in the 1st & last frets to get a reading on my neck angle w/ the bridge in place & it's 1/16" off the top of the bridge. IIRC, that's where it should be...? When I press down at the bridge area, I'm seeing some deflection. Not much, but more than others. Is this normal...