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My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
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Author:  nkwak [ Thu Apr 25, 2013 8:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
It's been awhile because I got carried away and started another build but the other night after a friend chided me for jumping the gun on #2 I decided to turn my attention back to this one. So the other day I picked up some jeweler's files and snips and last night I installed the frets:

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I know I'm a start raving n00b at this but I'm enjoying how it's all coming together, albeit very slowly. I filed the fret edges down so things are semi-dressed and a quick check with a straight edge shows that they're mostly level. Prior to this the fretboard tongue was sticking up a little bit but now it's laid down almost flush to the top.

Meanwhile, I've got a quart of 2 pound cut ultra blonde shellac dissolving in my garage and a little shaker of pumice for pore filling. I've still got some minor purfling blemishes to fill and final sanding of the body to do first though.
Author:  nkwak [ Thu May 09, 2013 8:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
I still have some slight imperfections that I need to fill with CA glue so I sealed the body with 1 pound cut of ultra blonde shellac. This shows what the final tint of the woods will be:

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Author:  Tony_in_NYC [ Thu May 09, 2013 9:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
Looks great Neil!
Author:  dpm99 [ Thu May 09, 2013 11:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
Wow. I just got here. This has got to be one of my favorite build threads of all time.
Author:  nkwak [ Fri May 10, 2013 8:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
Thanks, guys. It's certainly been a journey and a testament to my adult ADD offsetting OCD. FWIW I'm still a stark newbie. Once I get the bridge on I'm jumping into #2 in earnest though so I can get it done in time for October.
Author:  Beth Mayer [ Sat May 11, 2013 12:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
Great build thread, Neil. I've learned more from my mistakes than from the things that have gone really well. I really like the way that multi line purflings looks on the back! It's really looking good. You're almost there!
Author:  nkwak [ Sat Jun 08, 2013 7:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
I've been trying to come up with an idea on how to fill in torn out purfling. Previous attempts at splicing in multiline purfling hasn't been successful so I opted to do some decorative inlay. I traced a guitar pick on some rosewood scrap and bound them with fine BWB purfling.

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Author:  Beth Mayer [ Sat Jun 08, 2013 7:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
Most of the time, I think that inlays done for that reason actually do LOOK like something done to cover a mistake....but yours looks really great and I would not suspect that that was anything other than an attractive design feature. Well done!! [clap]
Author:  nkwak [ Sun Jun 09, 2013 9:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
Thanks, Beth, that's high praise indeed!

FWIW I have some visual arts background but no woodworking experience. That being said, when it comes to design I usually intend to keep things simple. The purfling got a little complicated because I'd measured wrong and had to fill up the wider spaces. This project has taken nearly 3 years though and during that time some things - like cutting smooth curves on my cheap little bandsaw, having the knowledge to soak the purfling before bending them and keeping a steady hand on the Dremel - have gotten easier. I'm kind of proud how quickly it all came together - once I actually made a decision on what to do, that is!
Author:  nkwak [ Sat Jun 22, 2013 3:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
I'm in the midst of doing the French polish. I'm following the Milburn process but have ad libbed somewhat. It's looking good so far on the back but I'm having issues with the sides. I pore filled with pumice and a denatured alcohol/acetone mixture but It wasn't entirely effective.

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Author:  Tony_in_NYC [ Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
Looks pretty darn good Neil! I like the inlays. Looks like you made a reflection of the neck heel.
Author:  nkwak [ Sat Aug 24, 2013 12:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
Here are some images taken last month of how well the French polish has been going.

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FYI, I'm at the stage where I'm plotting the location of my bridge so I marked up the top a little. I decided to steam out what I could but the finish was damaged so I had to sand the finish on the entire top down to matte with 220 grit. It's a huge step backward but no worries because there were a couple of spots that needed touching up anyway.
Author:  nkwak [ Sat Aug 24, 2013 12:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
Okay, I admit it: I'm overly anal. I blame military training coupled with an inferiority complex and this one time I burned a bagel in a toaster which resulted in the fire department coming and evacuating the apartment building I was living in at the time. Anyway, I'd noticed that the heel did not sit perfectly flush against the body and even though I had the neck angle right where it needed to be I tempted fate and sanded some more when I should have left well enough alone. The result was that I screwed up the alignment and neck angle so this week I've been chasing it back down with the help of some green painter's tape and a 36" rule.

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Here's a closeup of the bridge. I've already begun sanding the underside of the bridge so that it rests flush against the top. I opted to just tape a piece of sandpaper to the top of the guitar and use that as my guide. As you can see, I was careless and chipped off the edge of one of the wings so I'll have to tweak it to make it symmetrical. I've since fixed it as well as stained it a little darker so that it contrasts with the top more. More pics on that later though.

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It's close enough I think so I did some measuring and remeasuring with the Stewmac saddlematic tool and my good ol' straightedge:

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The neck angle is about there too. The rule is floating about 1mm above the top of the saddle:

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Just for curiosity's sake, I had to check to see if the scale length was about where it should be:

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These are of course preliminary measurements which I will take again when I'm ready to actually mount the bridge.

EDIT - PS: these pics are also right before I sanded the finish back down to matte so more pics to follow on that as well.
Author:  Beth Mayer [ Sun Aug 25, 2013 12:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
I'm enjoying your process. The FP looks really great and I think you'll be happy you chased that neck angle if the heel wasn't touching the body all the way around. Keep the pics coming!
Author:  Tony_in_NYC [ Sun Aug 25, 2013 3:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
Ditto to what Beth said.
Author:  nkwak [ Mon Dec 02, 2013 7:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
At 40 months it's been slow going but save for some cosmetic issues and a proper setup it's FINALLY done. I had a bit of a challenge with using hide glue to affix the bridge so after 3 failed attempts I went with Titebond.

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Here's a soundcheck of the guitar:
https://app.box.com/s/6k1pcobj1hpq9e14jbbh

The intonation is slightly off but I think it can still be tweaked because the neck is just bolted on without any glue whatsoever.
Author:  Beth Mayer [ Mon Dec 02, 2013 7:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
She's a beauty, Kwak! 40 months sounds about right to me for an early build :)
The sound was AMAZING. Deep rich bass, with trebles that are pleasant and not overly bright. I'm sending you a pm with an unrelated question.
Thanks for following up with the finished product.
Author:  Corky Long [ Tue Dec 03, 2013 8:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
Fantastic job, Neil! she sounds great as well.
Author:  nkwak [ Mon Sep 08, 2014 8:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
I know it's been about 9 months but I had some issues with the threaded inserts in the tenon slipping so I paid a visit to my friend Tim McKnight back in June. He did surgical work to the patient when I'd have taken a hammer to it but then there's ANOTHER reason why I'm not a doctor! While I was there a Tonerite followed me home (there was a raffle, honest) and that - along with dedicated playing time (while my other guitars languish in their cases) - has caused this guitar to open up quite nicely. I've also been sanding down the neck to smooth some flat facets and reduce the circumference so I'm much more adventurous while playing it.

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Meanwhile, my second build has started back up and taken a turn. Originally I was going to simplify and build a dreadnought but after playing this MJ so much I've realized that I'm SICK of dreads so I'll be building a twin, albeit with EIR back & sides with a Carpathian top and ebony binding, end wedge, headstock faceplate not to mention bridge and fingerboard. I already started on the laminated neck:

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Author:  tomlang [ Fri Oct 10, 2014 12:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My first attempt at building: cedar/mahogany OLF MJ
I just ran across this post and I couldn't put the computer down. I want you to know that I felt a jab in the pit of my stomach each time you encountered a boo-boo. I've been there, believe me, for every one of those mishaps. I would go along, happily enjoying my build till suddenly, the devil made my hand go somewhere it didn't need to be and made it do something that turned into a mess. For instance - on my first build, a kit from Martin, about 10 years ago, I managed to put the neck block in - upside down oops_sign and didn't catch it until i had already cut the dovetail access. Fun!

I still screw up at least once on every build. I con't tell you how many times I have set aside a build because of a screwup and sometimes I don't go back to them for some time. In fact I have a number of unfinished builds scattered around my shop that need my attention; but, I'm in no mood - yet.

I must tell you that I admire your patience and your thoughtful and determined solutions to each adversity. For your stick-to-it-ness, you have produced a fine guitar. You should be proud of it and you should be proud of your trip.

Best,
Tom
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