Took a while but...

Post Photos and Link Us to Your Guitars!
Post Reply
Morecowbell
Posts: 280
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:51 am
Location: Fishers, IN

Took a while but...

Post by Morecowbell »

... it's here. Very happy to announce a new bouncing baby OM to the group. First and foremost a HUGE thank you to the board, John and especially Diane who has patiently fielded a ton of crazy questions from me and guided another newbie to the finish line!

It's an OM from the StewMac plan, but short scale and deep body. EIR sides and back from Exotic Wood Zone, sitka top (slight curl) from Alaska Specialty Woods, ebony fretboard and bridge from EWZ, mahogany neck, ebony binding and ziricote (?) headplate from RC Tonewoods. Hot hide glue except bindings (fish glue), french polish, Gotoh tuners. Still dialing it in but I'd rather play it! I'm very surprised by the result, it sounds good and can't wait to start on the Dred for my son.

Again, thanks to everyone, can't wipe the grin off my face!
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
"Facts seldom sway an opinion." - John Hall
"The difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference." - Van de Snepscheut
MaineGeezer
Posts: 1711
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 12:14 pm

Re: Took a while but...

Post by MaineGeezer »

That's beautiful. The headplate is really nice.
Don't believe everything you know.
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
When things are bad, try not to make them any worse, because it is quite likely they are bad enough already. - French Foreign Legion
Morecowbell
Posts: 280
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:51 am
Location: Fishers, IN

Re: Took a while but...

Post by Morecowbell »

Thanks!

The head plate was one of the unexpected puzzles. I saw it early on and bought it in my early "look at all the amazing wood" excitement, this is what it looked like:
IMG_0123.jpg

But when it got right down to it I couldn't get comfortable with how it would lay out on the peg head (and my wife wasn't a fan) so I started to play around with it and it worked when I flipped it, and then I realized I could use the remainder on the heel cap and I liked how that tied it together:
IMG_0409.jpg

So I'm pleased with how it turned out but also would be a little more adventurous next time.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
"Facts seldom sway an opinion." - John Hall
"The difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference." - Van de Snepscheut
TEETERFAN
Posts: 342
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2018 12:43 pm
Location: Kansas City, MO

Re: Took a while but...

Post by TEETERFAN »

I think that is a stunning solution. It is good to roll things around in your mind (and listen to your spouse)!
Kevin Doty
Kansas City
Kevin Sjostrand
Posts: 3712
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: Took a while but...

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

She is a Dandy. Nice work
Your FP looks to have gone well and looks great!!!
phavriluk
Posts: 554
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2012 9:49 pm

Re: Took a while but...

Post by phavriluk »

You done great!

You mentioned Alaska Specialty Woods . . . when they offered a flat rate box of as many soundboards as would fit, and bracewood to fill the voids, I bit. Eight tops, and bracing. All wonderful stuff, and inexpensive enough to let me concentrate on building and not on my bank balance. That and the usable and inexpensive b/s sets I bought from RC Tonewoods have let me build away and enjoy the trip.

These sources have been wonderful to deal with.
peter havriluk
Morecowbell
Posts: 280
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:51 am
Location: Fishers, IN

Re: Took a while but...

Post by Morecowbell »

I tried to do everything the hard way (LOL). But for the french polishing I rented Robbie O'Brien's course and recommend it pretty highly - it was very helpful for me to see the whole process in video form, on a guitar. I feel like I stopped a little too soon but I wanted a thin finish and that's what I got!

Another vendor that I forgot to mention was MOP Supplies in Australia, which is where I got my shell inlays (thanks to Diane for this and several other sources!) Great to work with and much less expensive than US supply houses. Since I wasn't really sure about my fret markers or rosette it was nice to be able to order a pretty good assortment for a fraction of the cost. Things got delayed by Covid but they kept me in the loop and the quality is superb.
"Facts seldom sway an opinion." - John Hall
"The difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference." - Van de Snepscheut
krrtlr1
Posts: 61
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2022 7:39 am

Re: Took a while but...

Post by krrtlr1 »

WOW! Beautiful Job! How did you get the color in the top? That is what I want mine to look like.
Res Firma Mitescere Nescit
Morecowbell
Posts: 280
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:51 am
Location: Fishers, IN

Re: Took a while but...

Post by Morecowbell »

Haha, thanks! I wish I could take credit for that but it's just the top with blonde shellac. However, it took me so long to finish the guitar it probably got aged naturally! :-)

I looked it up and it was AA Sitka with slight curl/quilt, so it has some natural color and then the curl gives it that kind of cat's-eye quality which I learned is technically referred to as "chatoyance" (great word). The curl/quilt also creates spots of end grain so those areas absorbed more shellac which may add to the color variation.

I'm pretty sure part of the grading process is for color or lack thereof, so the higher you go the more uniform and lighter the color, at least that's how it looks on their site.
Last edited by Morecowbell on Thu Oct 13, 2022 2:29 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"Facts seldom sway an opinion." - John Hall
"The difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference." - Van de Snepscheut
Airplanenuts
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Mar 19, 2022 9:09 pm

Re: Took a while but...

Post by Airplanenuts »

What a beauty!

-Rich
Post Reply