FINISHED! Dreadnought Acoustic

Andyjr1515

The various usual burdens and tasks of life has got a bit in the way of progress, but there really isn't a whole lot more to do and things are being ticked off each time I get the odd hour or so to work on it.

I've drilled and taper reamed the bridge pin holes:

I've levelled the frets - call me uncannily perceptive, but I reckon a few of the upper frets and some more down the bottom end are a bit high....

 The once they were level, a bit of crowning:

 

I rough them out with the Hosco fret file, but then wrap micro web of decreasing grit round the file to do a progressive polish.  The edges of the ebony fretboard still has to be rounded so I should lose the rough and chipped edges in this shot.   That and a bit of slurried and buffed tru-oil on the fretboard:

The gap in the rosette will be covered by the pretty invisible black fretboard shaped magnetic pickup of the Shadow Doubleplay system.  This is fully blendable with a standard peizo strip under the bridge saddle.

I'm hoping the tuners will arrive in the next couple of days so I can string it up before the weekend to do the final adjusting.

Rocker

Amazing work Andy.  Deserves at least a thousand Wows, have one from me.

breakstuff

Absolutely stunning work.Very impressive indeed.

paulnb57

More wowage...Wow!

Andyjr1515

Thanks folks

I have a surprising amount still to do, but I now know that it can take the tension of the strings without clapping hands and actually sounds like a dreadnought acoustic! 

I am a bit weird (generally, I suppose, but also specifically...) because I do the final neck shaping when the guitar is fully strung.  I have all of the critical dimensions now at their final position (eg overall depth and width) but have left the profile a teeny bit clubby.  Personally, I can't judge when the profile is just right until I'm playing, so that's what I do.  I will get the scrapers out and fine tune the shape - probably creating a soft 'V' profile from what is presently halfway between a 'C' and a 'D'.

Here it is at the first stringing up trial:

Still to do, as a minimum:

• Finish profile the neck and re-slurry/oil
  
• Polish the top
  
• Reset the nut - I am using a zero fret but the nut behind it needs to be higher with deeper slots to keep the G and D strings in position better
  
• Sort a truss rod cover
  
• Take the sharp edges off the fretboard
  
• Install the fretboard side dots
  
• Install the electrics
  
• Final set-up
  

In the meantime, I'm well chuffed how it sounds.  The comparison with my OM is just as it should be - this is for strumming and has volume, balance, sustain and a bassy smoothness.  OK too for fingerpicking.  The OM has the edge on fingerpicking but is much rougher with the strumming.

I'm a happy chappy who is hoping this will be complete by the end of this weekend 

Andyjr1515

Two more jobs off the finish list.  I raised the nut a touch and filed the slots down until they were below the zero fret.  This gives proper and secure positioning of the two middle strings where the angle off to the tuners.

I also added an ebony trussrod cover with a routed 'swift'.  I also added a maple strip to this to reflect the white line added to the fretboard demarcation.  That said, I'm not entirely sure whether ebony is right for the cover - if I get a bit of spare time, I might do a mahogany one and a lacewood one and see which looks best.

paulnb57

I'm liking the ebony, I think it suits as it appears to match the fretboard.....

Andyjr1515

paulnb57 said:

I'm liking the ebony, I think it suits as it appears to match the fretboard.....

Thanks, Paul

There are a couple of soundclips here - one strumming and one fingerpicking.  They are some exceptionally old strings I used for the first string up and this is recorded straight into a vocal mic with no EQ tweaks.  Even though it isn't set up yet, it pretty much sounds like a dreadnought to me 

paulnb57

Sounds pukka to me Andy, I hope the recipient is suitably impressed, I'd be over the moon...

Andyjr1515

paulnb57 said:

Sounds pukka to me Andy, I hope the recipient is suitably impressed, I'd be over the moon...

Thanks, Paul and for your very encouraging comments along the way.  Just about to post the final shots now it has the electrics installed and new strings.  I'll try some recording through the pickups later in the weekend....

Andyjr1515

OK - finished.  Forgive the self-indulgence, but here it is:

paulnb57

Self indulgence is entirely justifiable Andy!

Another outstanding guitar build! Have a final Wow!

TheOtherDennis

I'll forgive the self-indulgence of all the posts and pics, but giving it away?? Now that's self-indulgent!

Megii

Amazing Andy, what a beautiful guitar. Bravo, bravo!  =D>

Plectrum

Wow from me too.

BigMonka

Andy that is a sinning guitar, and a real credit to your craftsmanship.

There are some amazing little details which really set it off - the two toned binding, the thin strip of maple under the fretboard, the non-inlaid swift on the truss rod cover, the secret swift hiding on the neck heal. It's all brilliant!

Deadman

Wish I could multiple wow this. I'm in shock. Really wonderful work Andy.

Andyjr1515

Thanks, folks - really appreciated 

DartmoorHedgehog

Very nice (although it's getting harder to be impressed with your builds - we just expect perfection every time )

Sounds as good as it looks as well.