Finished! A Guitar Bouzouki - yes, quite!

prowla

Andyjr1515 said:

Looks good @prowla ;

Nowhere near yours, but it is a bit of fun!

Andyjr1515

Bit more progress on this.

The back is spheroided and braced:


The maple/walnut/maple neck blank has been glued together and rough cut:
 

A 1" heel extension has been cut from offcut and grain-matched:


The macassar fretboard has been radiused...


...and slotted


The top has been glued:


And a bridge has been carved out of a block of ebony:


Loads still to do, but it's beginning to look like a guitar bouzouki now  

paulnb57

Fantastic! Very much like the soundhole and its rosette

Andyjr1515

And to one of the mildly terrifying bits.  Is that really the body, clamped in the modified jaws of a workmate, suspended over a towel over a concrete floor and a router pushing down on it?????

Yes it is   

And I'm smiling mainly because it didn't fall out.  Or crush.  Or bruise.

But there are few other ways you can accurately cut the mortice...

And I've got to do it again soon, the other way up.  Because there are few other ways you can accurately cut the tailstock plate slot...

The workmate is a home-made version of a jig that is featured on the excellent  ObrienGuitars 'Luthier Tips du Jour Mailbag' series for cutting mortices, and neck angles and tenons.  The template is a G&W one.

The result:

But, Andy.  I thought you hated routers?

I do.  But there are times when it's pretty much the only way to do a task.  And did it go faultlessly?  Of course not   The mortice is longer than I intended because the template slipped as I was routing.  It doesn't matter, but it confirms why I hate routers!!

The same rig is used to cut the neck angle and the tenon.  For this, the neck is clamped to a board, located by a couple of pegs that fit in the trussrod slot, and hinged so I can rout different angles onto the heel:

And what angle?  Well - a straight edge on top of the fretboard should ideally just sit on top of the bridge - and then the action height is set by the saddle that will sit proud of the bridge.  And that's why I had to make the bridge first.

My straight edge is the offcut from the fretboard:

And the gap at the top of the heel in the photo below shows the angle the neck has to sit at for the straight edge to lie in the right place:

So I then tilt the hinged plate of the jig to that angle and rout the angle into the heel end.  And this time when I check, there's no gap at the top of the heel:

It will be actually finished by hand once the bridge is fitted, but this will get me at least into the right ball-park

So - ignoring the fretboard taper that hasn't been done yet, and the neck thickness that hasn't been done yet - it continues to progress:

Andyjr1515

Over the internet, between us P & I spent a bit of time double and triple checking the intended neck depth and width.  P already has a much loved Guitar Bouzouki and ideally wants this one's neck to be just a few mm wider and just a few mm shallower.

That has meant that I can taper the neck blank widthways and depthwise.  Within a mm or so, this is how the proportions are going to look.  To my eye, quite pleasing:

And getting the depth in the right order of magnitude meant that I could rough-carve the heel - I will creep up on the final shape once the neck has been profiled.  I find the least damage I can do while removing the greatest quantity of timber is using microplanes.  I hold them scraper-wise in gloved hands rather than using a handle:

Then move onto a gooseneck cabinet scraper:

As I say, the heel shape will be worked on over a period of time, but it gives me a head start:

You can see here (although this clearly isn't carved and is a mm or so oversize) that the neck on a Bouzouki is quite a bit deeper than a guitar or bass.  

In terms of the profile, I always try to make sure - even though every instrument has its own feel - that a build has at least a comfortable feel of familiarity to the owner.  So I send a profile gauge for them to take a few profiles off their favourite players and try, as best I can, to replicate that:

The gauge is on its way to P as I type

DartmoorHedgehog

Andyjr1515 said:

Then move onto a gooseneck cabinet scraper:

 :

So it's not called a Barbapappa then, or a dinosaur?  You mean I've been wrong all my life?

(Build's looking good BTW)

Andyjr1515

DartmoorHedgehog said:

Andyjr1515 said:

Then move onto a gooseneck cabinet scraper:

 :

So it's not called a Barbapappa then, or a dinosaur?  You mean I've been wrong all my life?

(Build's looking good BTW)

 Not wrong at all

Andyjr1515

A question is always what to do about fret-ends.  I usually de-tang the frets, fill the tang slot and then round off the fret ends.

So what does 'de-tang' mean?  It means nipping or filing off the tang (the strip on the fretwire that hammers into the slot) at either end of the fret.  You can see that here:

  

And why would you want to do that?  Well, over time, the fretboard can sometimes dry and shrink a tiny bit and the fret ends start feeling a bit sharp.  But this is easy to fix with a small needle file and is a routine annual 'set-up' job for many guitars and basses.  The advantage of nipping the ends of the tangs is that you don't get the tang corner itself ever exposed - because that is more tricky to fix...you basically have to sand them smooth but that can impact on the neck finish.

You can alternatively put binding on the sides of the fretboard and that covers the fret slots and the tangs and the fret ends but sometimes changes the overall width.

I am also always troubled on a neck creating a demarcation line between it and the fretboard using veneer.  Great fretboard wood; great neck wood; and then a strip (or strips) of veneer glued in between?  Should be OK but surely better if you don't have to do that.

So on a few of my recent builds, I have experimented with a win-win-win method of binding.  It's worked well and so I'll be using it on this.

Basically I: detang the fret ends; fit the frets with the ends overhanging; round and finish the fret ends; add a binding with a feature strip; round off and and slim the binding.  This is what I mean:

So the frets are overhanging - to an exact measurement (easy to do - you just sand the whole fretted board edge on to get to sub-tenths accuracy); the fret ends are rounded; the binding is sanded to exact height and glued on; the binding is rounded off and slimmed a touch so it is around a mere 0.25mm proud of the fret.

So the win-win-win is that you get a demarcation line for free, you get a lovely rounded edge to your fretboard and you don't get sharp fret ends even if the board dries over the years.  

Anyway, that's the theory, and it does seem to work

I have one more thing I have to check/do before any of that but, in preparation, I have a binding that couldn't have matched the macassar better if I'd tried!:

And the same binding will go on the body edges (it's the Rocklite Sundari product)

The final thing that P and I have sorted is the headstock.

Here the intention is, if at all possible, to keep the string runs straight and to get the whole thing to fit into a standard OM/OOO size guitar case.  Happily, while I was drawing it all up, the tuners (Schaller M6 mini) arrived and so I could see if it was going to work.  I think it will.  And have room for a couple of swifts

There's a few things to do and to check before I do any of this...but, anyway, that's the plan

Andyjr1515

And OK - I've come across what I think is a 'new kid on the block' in terms of guitar hardware, parts and tools.  And I'll be very irritated if you all know about them and haven't told me!

Glued To Music - gluedtomusic.com

I had ordered the Schaller M6 mini tuners (I needed 3 sets),  all shown in stock at Gear4music (usually a reliable supplier).  After a few days got message that they were delayed.  Waited another week.  On further checking, the estimated delivery was late September!!

Gluedtomusic - in stock, received in 2 days

I wanted the improved version of Stewmac's dremel binding jig.  Tried Tonetech Luthier Supplies.  Out of stock - no estimate of when back in.

Gluedtomusic - in stock.  Received in 2 days

So a positive call out to Gluedtomusic.com - thanks, folks

And so - what is this modified binding channel cutting jig?  Well, the Stewmac one unmodified is pretty much unusable.  There is no way at all you can keep the top-heavy Dremel vertical.  And if Dremel isn't vertical, the binding channel is too deep or too shallow.  So Andyjr1515 a few years ago made a simple mod.  He glued a stick onto it.  It's here on the left:

Now obviously the CEO of some enterprising concern saw this, saw that it was Andyjr1515 who had modded it and made a phone call to the Chairman.  "What...THE Andyjr1515??  Do it!  Get it into production!! Quick!!!"

OK...maybe they found the same issue and just did a better job of it    So the modded version is the one on the right.  And WHAT a difference.  Because cutting the binding channels on the top of a acoustic build is, without any doubt, THE most scary bit of any of the aspects of any of the builds I do, and THE most likely for it to go irreparably wrong.

And even with this modded jig, it was still scary.  But, other than a bit of tidying up with a very sharp chisel, it's done:

And why the two cuts?

Because on the inside I'm going to put some herringbone purfling, bent to shape over the bending iron:

And outside that, the Rocklite Sundari binding, complete with feature line which will match the binding I will be putting on the fretboard:

Couple of things needed to be done before these are glued but they are ready to be attached.  Oh yes...and I'm going to iron them on

Andyjr1515

For the herringbone purfling, it is good old fashioned tape to hold it tight while the glue is drying - not an iron in sight...yet

Before I glue the binding, I first have to rout the slot for the end graft - and before I do that I need to decide what I'm going to do for the end graft - and I have to make sure that the corners of the binding slot are absolutely square and that the sides of the binding slot are absolutely flush with the herringbone.  I do that with a tiny square wood block with some emery cloth stuck to it, a very sharp chisel and check all is OK all the way round with an offcut of the binding:

 

Next job is sorting the end-graft (the bit of fancy that the back strap button screws into) and then I can get the iron out and glue the binding  

 

JGTay

Looking really good Andy, making excellent progress  

Andyjr1515

JGTay said:

Looking really good Andy, making excellent progress  

Thanks @JGTay

Andyjr1515

And onwards...to the next scary bit (there are a LOT of scary bits with acoustics!), the end graft rout.

This required again the body to be suspended over the concrete floor clamped by the modified workmate - this time to be routed with my Dremel:

From the offcut of the fretboard, I have been able to slice a thin strip that will contrast with the back woods, but key in with the fretboard.  It's generally best to avoid too many different species so we have:

Red Gum Walnut: Back, Sides, Rosette, Headstock plate

Spruce: Top

Macassar or lookalike (ie, the bindings): Fretboard, bindings; end graft

Should all coordinate nicely.  I'll decide whether the heel plate would be better in macassar or Red Gum Walnut when the rest is sorted

Anyway - the above slot had to be cut at this stage, but the end graft can't actually be fitted yet.  But eventually it will link into the binding feature lines with its own lines something like at the top left corner here:

Andyjr1515

Normal stuff - happy to show what I do and why...but don't assume this is the way it should be done

Binding.  The problem I have with wood binding is that - even when it is bent to shape (which mine always is) it is very stiff and it is very springy.  So the traditional way is glue it - tape it tightly - wrap the whole body very, very tightly with a fabric strip or bicycle inner tube like an Egyptian mummy.  Then leave it overnight for the glue to fully dry

And usually - in my experience - when you unwrap it the next day there are gaps.  And you burst into a rage and jump on the almost complete body until it is a pile of matchsticks and start everything all over again.  

And, folks, life is just too short for that.

So what I have done the last three or four builds is iron on the bindings - in the same way that I iron on veneer.

Basically,

- I use Evostick 'Resin 'W' PVA wood glue:

- I put an even coat on both the binding AND the binding channel

- I let it dry.  (30 mins or so)

- I then get a hot dry iron (I use an old heatshrink iron but any iron will do) and iron it on. (I forgot to take a photo while I was doing it but hopefully you get the idea).  Basically I heat up an inch or so until I see the melted PVA start to squeeze out, remove the iron and hold the binding tightly in a gloved hand for 10 seconds or so for it to re-solidify and it's done:

- basically, the heat melts both layers of PVA which merges and when it cools holds the components tight.  And it's fully repeatable and therefore if there's a gap, I just heat it up again, hold the joint tight with my gloved hand for a few seconds and it is done

And here it is...done, ready for final sanding:

No tantrums.  No firewood.  Not the way the books say to do it - but it works for me!

Andyjr1515

Before I taper and fret the board I need to add the dots.  For the 12th fret I'll put a couple of swifts there:

 

Then some diagonals, parallels and perpendiculars to mark the centre-points of the other dots (actually going to use diamonds):

 And then the key dot positions routed for the diamonds and glued with epoxy mixed with macassar sanding dust:

While I was at it, I fitted swifts into the blanks that will be used for the headstock plate and the heel plate:


Cleaned up, the fretboard is now ready for tapering and fretting:

Andyjr1515

The frets were de-tanged at either end, ensuring that none of the tang metal was proud of the un-bound fretboard.  As usual, I fitted the frets with a teeny thread of titebond, hammered in and then clamped with the 12" radius block:

 

The frets force the fretboard into a mild curve and so, to sand down the fret ends to the exact overhang, I first clamped it to a straight edge beam, with the fret ends clear for sanding:

Then I could turn the whole assembly round 90 degrees and sand all of the fret-ends straight and accurately along my long sanding beam:

This made it quite easy to get the fret overhang even along the whole length and accurate to 10th of a millimetre.

I repeated for the other side and then rounded all of the fret ends.  So now, if my calcs are correct, I should have the target width of fret, and the binding less than 0.5mm deeper than the overhang - which they are and which it is :

 

So now I just need to plane the top of the binding so that the bottom feature line is flush with the bottom of the fretboard.  And then glue the bindings on each side:

So when the glue's dried, I should have:

- a silky smooth set of fret ends

- a teeny binding overhang to round off

- a trio of feature lines to set it off against the maple neck

Fingers crossed!

Andyjr1515

And OK.  I think I can uncross my fingers:


The bindings will be rounded once I've carved the neck, but you can see the overhang that should prevent the long-term sharp fret-end problem:


And the demarcation stripe from the binding should show nicely once the neck is carved:


And, of course, the obligatory mock up

MattNovak

Lovely work as usual Andy, I've been eyeing up those diamond inlays - are the ''lines'' within the diamond cut (ie need filling) or coloured (ie black)?

Andyjr1515

MattNovak said:

Lovely work as usual Andy, I've been eyeing up those diamond inlays - are the ''lines'' within the diamond cut (ie need filling) or coloured (ie black)?

Thanks!

They are saw cuts.  But because I glue the inlays in with epoxy mixed with the macassar sanding dust, I just fill the chamber with coloured epoxy and press the inlay down into it.  The epoxy squeezes out filling any gaps round the edges, but also fully filling those slots.  That's what was going on here.  On the bottom diamond, you can see the squeeze-out at one of the slots (and my pot of sanding dust.  Handy tip - whenever you sand any wood, always keep some of the sanding dust ):

PeteC

Lovely work indeed - I like that approach to the frets and binding Andy - great to see how you did that.