Guitar - 7 String Build - P2

The project is underway - I now have some direction with the project. I want a minimalistic/natural feel. Simple non-rigid lines and no clutter. The natural randomness of the top should be the main focus. To emphasize the top, I've decided to use a simple finish. I was thinking tung oil or Arm-R-Seal for additional protection. Color will likely be bright red/orange... although I really want a black guitar too... we'll see...

I've glued the top laminate to the bottom after first routing the body channels:




I don't have a bandsaw with a 30" throat so a standard ol jigsaw works just fine for rough cutting the outline:


The outside rout is done with a big 3/4" OD bit with 1" bushing. Using a large bit helps prevent chipout but you must still ensure you remove only a little material at a time. The direction you want to rout also changes depending on the curve/grain around the body. Another little tip I use when doing this rout is to manually put 'dips' in critical areas. Doing this prevents a massive chipout, instead limiting it to the next 'dip.'


By using a bit/bush combination, I have the option of creating a slightly smaller (or larger) outline depending on my mood by changing the bit-bush offset. Using the standard bearing doesn't permit this flexibility.

The inner routs are also done with the templates I made earlier (and yes, templates are the best way to do it!). This includes the recessed bridge, pickup routs, and string channel routs.


The back of this guitar also has some neat tricks. The electronics cover is actually a piece of thin steel with a veneer of ... overlaid. This allows the use of a few neo magnets to hold it in place. No ugly screws peeping through! Ideally (and if I didn't forget!) I would have drilled the magnet holes before gluing on the top - from the other side so that they are completely hidden... even with the cover off. This also ensures they won't fall out. That's where some decent epoxy comes in handy.




I don't like pickup rings and adjust the p/u height once - so why even have those ugly rings?! By simply cutting off the mounting tabs, one can use some type of high-quality double-sided tape, velcro, etc... Simplicity!

So for my lightening scheme is working out good. The guitar is pretty light already and I still have some more material to remove!

Next up: Carving!

- Phil