Project Four

Sept 12, 2009

Current mood:excited

Coming right off the completion of the electric cello project I have decided to jump straight into another project.  I have always like Mosrite Guitars, and wanted to make a neck through copy.  So I finally got started on it.

The project is called Project Four.  Namely because this is my fourth big project.  The first was my very nice custom Strat copy.  The second was the neck through hollowbody.  The third was the electric cello project.  So this is the fourth.  (You can find pictures of all three in my photo section.)

The first three projects were quite difficult and astoundingly complex.  I had not yet gone to luthier school when I started the Strat.  No one had ever done a neck through hollowbody, and it had more pieces to it than a 500 count puzzle.  The cello was so complex I'd hate to think how many hours I put into it.  But this one is much different.  It is pretty simple.  It is a three piece neck through guitar.  It has black walnut wings on it.  It has a standard headstock on it, and very simple electronics.  However, one reason that it seems to be simple is because I've done it all before.  Nothing is new (so far.)  I have done all this, and it was much harder the first time around.

One problem I had when I was making the cello was the question, "what do I do next?"  Well, with this guitar, I know exactly what to do in what order.  Not because I'm great, it's because of experience.  In two days I have gotten a ton of work completed in a relativity short period of time.  I have made the plans, gotten the wood, gotten the wood in cutting shape, cut out the neck woods, gotten the wood for the wings, prepared the wood, got the wings cut out.  I've completed a lot of hard work.  I will end up doing a lot of glueing, waiting 48 hours for it to dry, more glueing, wait another 48 hours, rinse, repeat, and so on. 

The weird part is that I may end up getting the body done in such a quick period of time, I may have to put the project on hold until I come up with the money to buy things I need for it.  Things needed are:  Truss rod, tuners, truss rod cover, bone nut, fretboard wood, pickups, bridge, stop tailpiece, 3 way switch, pots, football jack, and output jack.

I may also need to buy a few more tools.  But I'll get them as I need them.  I know I need a few drill bits.  I've had four different ones break on me. 

Even though this is one of the simplier projects (for me anyways) I think I will like this one the best.  I may end up playing it the most.