Octatonic's guitar buildery thread

octatonic

Bron_Yr_Aur said:

Great work @octatonic. Do you know what you want to build next year yet? Harp guitar?

I considered a lot of things- an ergonomic archtop, a regular archtop, a harp guitar etc.

A lot of the guys on the degree try to build something complex for the 3rd year.

IMHO that is the not the right way to go.

We have limited access to the workshop- and I have to write a dissertation as well.

The reality is at the end of this year I will have built a travel guitar and a parlour guitar.

I am not ready for something quite so complex- at least not to do it justice.

When I build something like a harp guitar I want to do a really good job, not something that I need to rush to hand it in at the end of the degree.

I've decided to do a Martin X braced something- maybe a 000-28 or 000-18, perhaps an OM.

It will still be a big enough project for me and I can concentrate on making it as well as I possibly can.

I might do something a bit more complex in terms of inlay/rosette/end graft etc.

Bron_Yr_Aur

Sounds like a plan to me. If you do get it finished early and are happy with it I suppose you can always start on something else.

Or just do some Somogyi inlay...

octatonic

Bron_Yr_Aur said:

Sounds like a plan to me. If you do get it finished early and are happy with it I suppose you can always start on something else.

Or just do some Somogyi inlay...

Yep, pretty much.

I'm on track to finish the parlour by April, I think- that will give me plenty of time to start the next one.

ThePrettyDamned

@octatonic, I know I say this all the time, but I love this thread.  

I hope this turns out to be a wonderful instrument it's starting to really take shape!

Also, I think it's a good idea to try something and get it right than to do a half arsed job of a multi necked, harp beast. You could just try a different body shape, woods, inlays, or even a baritone or something.  So using it as an opportunity to apply your newly-perfected skills to create something awesome rather than relearning a new rule book for a completely different instrument.

You could pop a bigsby on it, too.  

octatonic

ThePrettyDamned said:

@octatonic, I know I say this all the time, but I love this thread.  

I hope this turns out to be a wonderful instrument it's starting to really take shape!

Also, I think it's a good idea to try something and get it right than to do a half arsed job of a multi necked, harp beast. You could just try a different body shape, woods, inlays, or even a baritone or something.  So using it as an opportunity to apply your newly-perfected skills to create something awesome rather than relearning a new rule book for a completely different instrument.

You could pop a bigsby on it, too.  

Thanks mate- I'm pleased you are liking it.

I'll bring it along to a meet-up once it is done.

A baritone is a good idea actually- I like extended range stuff.

Deadman

Good God. I wouldn't be able to sleep if that was mine. I'd be on a permanent buzz. Looking great octatonic.

octatonic

Update:

Onto the neck now, for a bit.

I had to plane a couple of surfaces flat and thickness the headstock to 17mm.

It will have a 2mm ebony veneer on it sometime soon.

Drew up the basic shape of the neck/headstock and routed out the truss rod.

Pics:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/1555546_455537254576061_403486064_n.jpg

https://scontent-a-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1/1560489_455537281242725_1075046303_n.jpg

https://scontent-b-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1/1781926_455537307909389_1838792611_n.jpg

Tomorrow I will clean up the route with a chisel and glue in the rod, put a fillet in over the top, glue that in and plane it flat to the fingerboard.

Then I can start working on fitting the neck on and consider doing the binding.

Andyjr1515

Very good progress - it looks great @octatonic ;

Andy

[Deleted User]

any reason you've gone for a "standard" headstock eg, martin style, and not something more personal ?

like that look ?
wanted something simple for your first build ?
etc.

FelineGuitars

The photos of the college rooms bring back memories of when I was at The London College of Furniture (1986)

Still on the third floor

Will have to speak to Nick or one of the other tutors and pay a visit to the old place.

octatonic

darcym said:

any reason you've gone for a "standard" headstock eg, martin style, and not something more personal ?

like that look ?
wanted something simple for your first build ?
etc.

The headstock, I am sorry to say, will be anything but simple.

This is a Washburn parlour guitar, which had a slotted headstock.

I actually asked today if we HAD to do a slotted headstock because although I love the look of them they are harder to make and a pain to restring.

This is basically what it will look like when I am done:

http://images.gear4music.com/media/69773/600/preview.jpg

octatonic

FelineGuitars said:

The photos of the college rooms bring back memories of when I was at The London College of Furniture (1986)

Still on the third floor

Will have to speak to Nick or one of the other tutors and pay a visit to the old place.

Hi mate, 

Still on the 3rd floor although they are threatening to move us to Calcutta House, just down the road next year,

Not sure if it will happen.

Make sure you let me know if you are coming over and I will make sure I am there.

octatonic

Update.

I glued in the rod- it is a non-adjustable type, as would have been used in a guitar of this type.

Next one I will do a proper truss rod.

I also started shaping the neck- headstock is shaped mostly and now working on the heel block.

https://scontent-a-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1/1560512_455923681204085_946156485_n.jpg

chillidoggy

Nice work, Oct. Very impressive.

octatonic

Thanks chilli.

[Deleted User]

I totally missed the slotted element, I was just looking at the simple outline shape (which nothing wrong with, it's classic) and wondered why you didn't go for something a little more styled with lumps and bumps, but now you've said it's slotted, I fully understand.

octatonic

darcym said:

I totally missed the slotted element, I was just looking at the simple outline shape (which nothing wrong with, it's classic) and wondered why you didn't go for something a little more styled with lumps and bumps, but now you've said it's slotted, I fully understand.

We have to build this to a brief- we have a bit of flexibility with inlay and end graft etc, but it has to resemble a Washburn parlour guitar.

To that though, I'm not really into the crazy headstock stuff- I tend to be quite utilitarian about my builds.

I just want to make the best playing guitar I can, I'm not so fussed about doing anything too fancy.

I like simplicity and function before anything else, as a rule.

I'll probably experiment as time goes by though.

[Deleted User]

I'm with you, I like the simple design, I was just curious to your thought process on what I thought was a simple design, was it because you liked the simple design, or because you wanted to start simple and move on from there, etc.

now I see why with the slotted headstock

octatonic

Today was immense but very difficult.

I am doing the binding on the back and I have to do it by hand.

I COULD do it with a router- it would take about 20 mins and be pretty much perfect but they want it to be done by hand.

SOOOOOO... A purfling cutter marks the lines- 2mm in on the top and 4.5mm on the sides.

You then score the cutter marks with a scalpel and then chisel away to the scored mark.

It takes ages.

I did a 10 hour day in the workshop and I am about half way through the first cut.

Then I need to clean it up and glue the purfling and binding in.

Which also needs to be thicknessed and bent into place.

This is likely to take a week.

Or two.

It looks messy right now- I hope it works out though.

Pics:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t31/1655543_456951837767936_949687965_o.jpg

https://scontent-a-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1/1505393_456951867767933_1452154376_n.jpg

GuitarMonkey

octatonic said:

I am doing the binding on the back and I have to do it by hand.

I COULD do it with a router- it would take about 20 mins and be pretty much perfect but they want it to be done by hand.

Where is the rationale in that? Are they planning for post-apocalypse when we no longer have an electricity supply?

Excellent work by the way, I think you're doing an amazing job.