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I've been happy to be in my shop working the past 5-6 weeks or so. Due to a red hot real estate market and a job as a home appraiser I've not really been in my shop since March.

Needless to say I'm happy

I've been working on this SJ for about 11 months now and am looking forward to getting it finished, hope by Christmas but we'll see.

Back binding all done.





And here's the front binding/purfling all done.



Rosette and purfling.



Tail wedge

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

I really like that binding and purfling scheme, Rod!

Your rosettes are always an inspiration, Rod! I'm stalled (once again) on my SJ. I've been dealing with shoulder problems since last Dec. and find hand work to be very taxing, but some very intense massage therapy has made a great improvement.

Alex

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Lovely and crisp looking. Nicely done.

Steve

I'm sorry to hear, that, Alex. Hope you keeping healing up nicely.


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I'm remaking a neck blank either this weekend or on Tuesday. I wasn't entirely confident in the integrity of the area my threaded inserts drove in. I have material for a new blank, and I'd like to be 100% confident.


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Super clean lines. Wow.

Nice Rod.

I've got a couple of new builds back from finish but a lot of my time has been spent on this beast with many issues.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

OH, MAN! I'd love to be you.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

My first veneer project.
Bubinga over Mahogany.
Dan

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

Nice looking instruments!

I've been trying to repair the shop so it doesn't fall down. As a break from that I built a cigar box uke.

About to get my Chris Ensor binding jig sorted.

Hollow bodied laminated archtop. Spruce top, maple back and sides, rosewood trim. 17 inch across the lower bout, jazz pickups. Probably will be a blond

That looks awesome bro! Glad you're able to spend some time in the shop! I'm also happy your reasons for not going to the shop are great too!

So that' Koa and... Kingwood? Love the rosette!

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

5 maple miters with nary a dark line. Well 4 out of 5 anyway...

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Pat

Thanks James



Thank you Alex. I'm sorry to hear about your shoulder issues. I too have some shoulder pain but mostly just ignore it.... I hope you're on the mend and get better very soon.



Thanks Steve



Terry, that is one serious restoration project. Please post more pictures as you progress and once complete!



Dan, that's some awesome bubinga you're working there! Nice looking axe too.



Thanks Clay. What's happening with your shop? Nice smoky uke too. I've got to build me one of those sometime.



That's looking very cool Freeman!



Alain my friend, good to see you. Thanks for the kudo's. The guitar is Tassie Blackwood, Italian Spruce and cocobolo appointments.

I really do love seeing what others are working on. It get's the creative juices flowing! Keep em coming.

_________________
My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Pat, that looks pretty good if you ask me. Keep it up.

_________________
My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Are you laminating your own tops, or are you buying them already made? If the former, i would be interested in your layup technique.

I keep sanding through layups with commercial thickness veneer, but don't know where to source thicker show quality veneer. Nor do I know what thickness I need. 1/24"? 1/16"? 1/32"? I've seen your builds, I'd love to know what you are using.


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Just completed this inlay.


It's for a size 5 parlor with olive B/S and redwood top.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Man! Lots of great stuff! Rod, that's killer! The outrageous realestate market of the Lower Mainland has made it's way to lil' ol' Powell River. I think our planet is over flowing.

2.5 months of prawn fishing and 2 kitchens later, I'M BACK to the good stuff next week and I am sooo ready.

Cheers,
Danny

I wish I could take credit but I can't, I'm buying them from Daniel Yeager, who I believe is out of the business. I got three sets from him, two 335's and this single cut, a couple of years ago, just getting around to this one.

I have sanded thru this one in a couple of spots - that may force me to make it a sun burst instead of blond - we'll see when we get to that point in time.

Closing up the boxes on guitars 8, 9, and 10.

Slope shoulder dread - mahogany / torrefied sitka
OM - Amazon rosewood / torrefied sitka
OM - Pau Ferro / sitka

"What's happening with your shop?"

The building I use as a work shop is an old run down bungalow type that was never of very good construction. Probably owner built some time in the 20's, the foundation is for the most part piles of stones with a few concrete blocks thrown in here and there. It is built on the side of a hill above a stream and over the years things have shifted. Every so often I have to jack things up and replace rotted wood. Not a building I want to put a lot of money into, but with a little luck it will last as long as I do.

Well, although not what I'm working on at the moment, this is the last thing to come out of my shop. An acquaintance of mine wanted a bass for his son. This is cherrywood that they harvested off their property (and walnut for the lams). My first electric instrument. It's measurements are taken off a '64 Jazz bass. I finally nailed a full-gloss lacquer finish! I think that building a collapsible paint booth helped a lot with the results.

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

As always, plenty of great looking and inspiring work underway on the OLF! I've been pretty busy of late myself, with instruments 11, 12 and 13 in progress. No time (and too lazy) to take nice photos, but I grabbed a snap of my workbench this morning. East Indian rosewood ribs in the mold, ready for linings and upright in the clamp is a wenge body with maple bindings. Beautiful chocolate color in that wood but the pores ... oh my!

George :-)