FINALLY I am starting another build after 2 years off.

[John Parchem]

Understood, my router has very little runout. I like your idea of putting in the pearl first. Best of both worlds.

[Kevin in California]

Bracing of the top is underway. Those X braces look WIDE but they are actually 5/16" wide. They will be much shorter too once carved.

[Kevin in California]

Got all the top braces glued on and started carving, but did not get it finished. TOO hot in the shop.

Kevin

[Carl Dickinson]

I know what you mean about the heat, Kevin. Not quite as hot as you are here in the foothills, but it still can be uncomfortable. I've got a big evaporative (read "swamp") cooler for my shop but it sure makes it hard to control the RH for glue ups.

[Dave Bagwill]

106° here in Medford, Oregon. About 85° in the shop right now at 8:15.
The glue runs freely!

[Kevin in California]

Well I've done a terrible job at blogging this build. I just wasn't taking pictures as I went along and there is no excuse!!
This is where I'm at as of yesterday. This guitar has come along pretty well. I routed the neck mortise and tenons on Saturday, and that went well.
I got the angle I wanted over the soundboard almost spot on, however my center line alignment was off quite a bit. I was perplexed as I was right on the centerline of the body when I put it in the jig and routed the mortise. What I figured out was even though the neck end of the body was flat in both directions, the area where the neck heel sits against the body was NOT square to the center line. Good Grief!! I know I will be adjusting the alignment at the heel cheeks for final settings later, but this was of too much, so I sanded this area again and got it pretty close to square, and of course flat again. I am still off a bit but only about 1/8" at the tail end of the guitar so this will be an easy adjustment once the neck is carved. I was also checking the neck alignment down the center of the truss rod slot, but that slot is off center a bit. So I still have some figuring to do. I will get my fret board cut and sized and pinned to the neck before I make any more changes to the neck itself.

The pictures show the abalone on the top and back. I used the last of the laminated strips I got from Duke Luthier years ago and had just enough. He is not selling this material any longer and the price was so super reasonable. This is the 3rd guitar I've done with those strips. Cost was less than $50 to do both top and back.
Solid shell, or the flexible strips will run what, at least twice that amount just to do a top????

Next step will be to make up the fretboard. It is ebony, and will be bound in EIR, same as the binding on the body.

[peter havriluk]

Love to follow progress. Thanks!