Another Black Locust OM

[Stray Feathers]

I previously made a Black Locust and Sitka Spruce OM and I was very pleased with it. So was another fellow, who bought it. So when I found another back set for sale I was eager to try to replicate that success. I put together the top as a demonstration piece for an art-on-the-street show in August. Then other projects took over for another show in the fall. I am now able to concentrate on this one. I was so keen to move forward with it that I neglected to photograph the bracing, which is a pretty standard X-brace with tapered parabolic bracing, like the first one. The soundhole on this one is bound with ebony, to complement the fretboard and bridge. In the photo, the C-clamp is compressing the scarf joint of the soundhole binding. Today I routed the channels for rosewood bindings. I have built up the neck blank of Sweet Cherry, like the first one, which looks pretty with the Black Locust. A new start is good for the soul! Bruce W.

[RHayes]

Looking good. I hope to someday build with black locust that's been air drying in my shed for about 4 years now.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I like the rosette Bruce.

[Stray Feathers]

Thanks Kevin; I can't take credit for the rosette. it's from Australian Luthier Supplies. I sometimes make my own rosettes but it's nice to have some on hand to just drop in, that are not the usual ones you see. Check their prices; I think you get 25% off if you order 3 or 4. I just got some more yesterday in a joint order with a friend, which helps with shipping. Bruce W.

[Stray Feathers]

Slow progress on this guitar, with other things happening. The Sweet Cherry neck is close to done, just final shaping. Rosewood headplate to match the bindings is ready for tuner holes, probably some Grover open backs I got from John Hall, and my MOP logo. I just slotted the ebony fretboard today in a trial of a new slotting sled, which went okay. I will bind it with ebony. More finish sanding and scraping next before gluing the fretboard and neck. Bruce W.

[Stray Feathers]

I put this guitar aside for some time, waiting for parts to make a new fretboard. I goofed (don't know how) when making the neck, and when I made a very nice 25.34" fretboard, it did not meet the body at the 14th fret. I pondered ways to shorten the neck, but then Dean Derby reminded me that I might be able to modify the scale length. I was planning to do this on a guitar that went through several misadventures, and as it turns out, a 650 mm scale is perfect for both. But Stew Mac's 650mm slotting template was not available. It seems none of them are, and I don't know why. So I ordered one from Solo Guitars in Canada - a lot less expensive, too. But there was some delay making the decision etc. In the photo, the top fretboard is the original 25.34" (which I can use on another guitar - if I measure the neck correctly!) The lower one is the 650mm fretboard. It meets the body exactly at the 14th fret, but is a little longer overall by about 6.3 mm or 1/4". My bridge plates are not made exactly the size of the bridge, so I have a little room to work with and it will be okay. There is one less fret with the longer scale. Bruce W.

[Stray Feathers]

After slotting the new fretboard with the 650 mm scale, I tapered it and glued ebony binding to it. I set up a gluing jig with 1/4" ply edge strips clamped to a base at the same taper as the fretboard, and pushed the fretboard tightly into the jig to clamp the bindings. I used cauls to clamp the fretboard flat, and longer ones to span both bindings and clamp them down tight.

IMG_8741_resize.jpg

A friend loaned me a fretboard radius jig from Solo Guitars. I wanted to try a 14" radius, so ordered those inserts for the jig. It is a bit fiddly setting it up at the correct height, and so the jig rolls smoothly and without wandering, but it works pretty well. Not surprisingly, you have to keep sweeping or blowing the router shavings out of the way so the "wheels" move freely. But it saves wear and tear on aging muscles. I did this fretboard, and two 24.9" scale boards for another project, one 14' and one 16". In the photo, the router is askew from being lifted off the "track". You can see one of the radius inserts loose. Next step is to inlay MOP diamonds. Bruce W.