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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on May 22, 2020 7:48:48 GMT -5
This one is for a pal who's looking for a nice lightweight Telecaster with a P90 in the neck position. I cut this from a slab of super light ash that's been seasoning for more than 40 years. This body is about 2 lbs--and that's with no chambering. One of the drawbacks to super light woods is they are softer than the heavier stuff, so this one will show battle scars a bit easier. I got two coats of primer on it yesterday, but it's raining today and too damp to shoot finish. I hate it when I get forward speed on a project and have to put the brakes on BOO, Mother Nature!
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Post by Auf Kiltre on May 22, 2020 8:04:56 GMT -5
2 lbs?? Whoa. I've been seeing some light weight bodies advertised in the <3 lb range but more often than not they're Paulowina wood.
What color will she be?
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Post by Leftee on May 22, 2020 9:00:32 GMT -5
Holy cow that’s light for solid ash! 😎
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on May 22, 2020 11:16:08 GMT -5
It's going to be an antique white; sort of a cream color like the Esquire I built a few months back because my pal liked that color.
This ash came from trees south of San Antonio TX in 1977, at the far western extreme of their distribution in the southern US. Probably low mineral content in the soil, which has a big influence on specific gravity of wood. There is a lot of air in this ash.
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Post by LTB on May 22, 2020 11:30:51 GMT -5
Geno, is that Swamp Ash by chance? I understand it is lighter than other types of Ash?
How long have you had it in your possession?
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on May 22, 2020 11:53:15 GMT -5
Swamp ash is not a species, it's simply one of several varieties of ash that happen to grow with wet feet, e.g., near a river, etc. I don't know precisely where this came from ("south of San Antonio" is the best intel I could get on it). I've had it a couple of months. Prior to that, it was stacked in rough-milled condition in wood storage in my hunnie's dad's wood barn in Del Rio, TX. He's also got the biggest slabs of mesquite (14" x 3") I've ever seen. That stuff weighs a ton. He used to build stuff like this:
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Wrnchbndr
Wholenote
Posts: 353
Formerly Known As: WRNCHBNDR
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Post by Wrnchbndr on May 22, 2020 14:36:22 GMT -5
Glue the neck in place - I dare ya. Yea. Make it a set neck. It needs a set mahogany neck. Do it! Do it! A bound and set mahogany neck, ebony fretboard, block inlays, with fret nibs. Multiply binding on the body.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on May 22, 2020 16:42:37 GMT -5
Ahhhh welll...the gears are already in motion on this. The owner-2-B wants a modded Tele. Not a Tele-shaped Les Paul with a Fender scale. Sorry, Marko! Whaddya think people is made o' money? I don't work for free!
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Wrnchbndr
Wholenote
Posts: 353
Formerly Known As: WRNCHBNDR
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Post by Wrnchbndr on May 23, 2020 10:17:08 GMT -5
I'm just givin' ya s**t.
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Post by Leftee on May 23, 2020 11:26:18 GMT -5
So I guess an 8 string baritone is out of the question?
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on May 23, 2020 11:40:30 GMT -5
You guys are killin' me, Smalls!
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on May 23, 2020 12:06:58 GMT -5
That is a beautiful piece of wood, and if you were finishing it any other color I'd have serious objections. What are the specs (neck, hardware) on the rest of it? Wrnch's "suggestions" make me think of all of the "boutique" teles I see come through the shop with all those extra features. They almost always sound truly awful. Just because a design element is more expensive doesn't make it a good idea... That rocking chair is kinda stealing the show, by the way. May want to take the picture down.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on May 23, 2020 22:13:44 GMT -5
LOL! Right! Paul took a class on these rockers years ago (they're called Maloof rockers). Paul made a bunch of them. There are now several companies that make and sell these, and they are not cheap because of how they are carved; there's a lot of hand work necessary. The weather was nice today so I got a bit more work done on this. I cut a recess for the neck plate, and then I shot it with cream-colored enamel. There are lots of guitar freaks that worship nitro and claim all other finishes suck buttermilk, but they forget (or more probably never knew) many of Fender's custom colors in the late 50s through the 60s were Duco enamel. I get great results with it. The neck will be a Warmoth '59 carve with with SS frets and my personal tweak to the Tele headstock shape. Tuners will be stamped steel Kluson split shafts. Knobs and bridge will be custom CNC-machined SS units from Van Dyke-Harms. Pickups will be Rumpelstiltskins, and the jack will be Electrosocket. The controls will be standard Telecaster 3-way with volume and tone. This guitar should come in right about six pounds. Maybe a bit over that due to the heavy bridge and knobs.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on May 23, 2020 22:26:09 GMT -5
The Maloof rocker is one of the most comfy chairs in the world. Done right, they are made to fit the buyer and they require no cushioning. Go here and click through the gallery. Stunning stuff. sammaloofwoodworker.com/rockers.html
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on May 24, 2020 10:03:53 GMT -5
That thing should sound amazing. Was the bridge your choice, or the customer's?
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on May 24, 2020 10:10:06 GMT -5
Also, those rockers are incredible. So much time, thought and energy must go into those. Not just the construction, but knowing how to make it. Hot take: engineering students should train with classical woodworkers for a year before entering the work force. I never tire of hearing how those people think, and how much they've cracked open over time.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on May 25, 2020 2:34:57 GMT -5
Te bridge plate is customer choice. I found out today that VDH is not making parts right now due to the current wackiness (they are low volume so no stock available), so I'll build this with a standard Tele bridge plate for now and we can make the change later if desired.
The joinery in the Maloof rocker closely resembles how branches are attached to the trunk of a tree; there's a smooth fillet rather than hard inside corners. The fillet cancels stress risers in the joint, and stresses spread out across the joint rather than concentrate in one small area. It's what lends a lithe, elegant and organic look to the chair. It also makes for an incredibly strong connection. The individual pieces are carved or turned on a lathe, but the joint areas on the pieces are left chunky. After the pieces are and glued and doweled together, all the joints are carved smooth using carbide abrasive cutters in a pneumatic die grinder.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on May 25, 2020 17:01:42 GMT -5
Well, I broke my Number One rule about finishing, and that is "don't rush things or you'll regret it." The enamel I'm using specifies recoat within one hour or after 48 hours. Anything in between is asking for trouble. I was at the 40-hour point, and had even scuff sanded the previous coat. Seemed cured enough to recoat. Wrong. I'm regretting it big time. RTFMYI = Read The Flippin' Manual, You Imbecile!
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Post by Leftee on May 25, 2020 17:23:41 GMT -5
Arrrg
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Post by funkykikuchiyo on May 25, 2020 18:04:52 GMT -5
Well, I broke my Number One rule about finishing, and that is "don't rush things or you'll regret it." That's your number one rule? Funny. That's my rule for number two.
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Post by Leftee on May 25, 2020 19:16:47 GMT -5
Well, I broke my Number One rule about finishing, and that is "don't rush things or you'll regret it." That's your number one rule? Funny. That's my rule for number two. If you can’t rush #1, see your urologist.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on May 25, 2020 19:47:47 GMT -5
See my username...
Gah!
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Post by Larry Madsen on May 25, 2020 20:10:30 GMT -5
Well Geno, if it's any consolation ... I've seen that before (on more than one occasion). Had to strip the spoiler on the Camaro down to bare fiberglass because years ago I had used lacquer primer on it. I sealed it in epoxy, but some light sanding on the epoxy left it too thin to avoid the lacquer lift problem. The spoiler was a non-compatibility in materials, not a curing window issue, but the net result is the same.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on May 25, 2020 20:58:05 GMT -5
Ahhh yeah, I feel your pain.
And I have to hand it to you--"spoiler" is the ideal (?) surface for a bad finish adventure.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Jun 11, 2020 20:33:47 GMT -5
Okay...we are back on track; body is finished. No holes through to the back because I'm making this as a sort of Fender '59 toploader Telecaster kinda thing. I've discovered that bending strings is easier on a toploader. I think there's no discernable difference in tone between a toploader and a string-through. The Warmoth paddle-head neck is cut to a reasonable facsimile of a Tele shape and drilled for vintage tuners, and finish is on along with my decal; I gave it a very light brown/amber treatment to tame the pallid appearance of the maple. I'm awaiting pickups and a bridge. When they arrive I can press forward. This delay is good because the finish on the body and neck needs at least a week or two to acclimate to its new home. That's a Leslie cabinet project in the background.
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Post by LesTele on Jun 11, 2020 20:39:15 GMT -5
Glad to see that you’re back on track. I have been having trouble sleeping since the graphic photo you posted on on 25 May.
Other events may also have been a factor.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Jun 11, 2020 21:01:28 GMT -5
"Other events may also have been a factor."
I'm sure that's the case, mate!
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Post by Leftee on Jun 14, 2020 13:12:00 GMT -5
Nice!!!
I also love the top-loader. They feel better to me.
I’ve also come around to a golden brown/vintage amber mix that I really like on otherwise plain wood.
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Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Jun 14, 2020 13:27:40 GMT -5
It's super simple.
I make a mix of strong coffee, let it cool, and wipe it onto the bare maple. A light scrub with steel wool to knock the fuzzies down, and one more application of the coffee. Then I hit it with a light coat of amber-tinted lacquer, followed by a few coats of clear. Another light rub with steel wool, and then several clear topcoats. It's not fast, but it looks a lot more natural than just the amber over maple.
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Post by LTB on Jun 23, 2020 2:01:31 GMT -5
One of the drawbacks to super light woods is they are softer than the heavier stuff, so this one will show battle scars a bit easier. Going to be nice. I was going to say if wood is a little soft you can apply a clear hardener onto it before adding the finish this will make the outer 1/16" or more of wood slightly more impervious to dings and dents and keeps screws from pulling out of the wood. Found this out on a squier once. They use it on Agathis wood that is soft and light weight.
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