Rocket Man is a title I thought appropriate for this spectacular set of Brazilian Rosewood and my customer agrees - the guitar will be called Rocket Man.
The guitar will be a slope shouldered Dread with Adirondack Spruce top. Maple bindings and tail graft. Ebony fret board, peg head and bridge. Mahogany neck. Inlays will be a "space" theme. This will be my first build with Brazilian Rosewood; I have waited 12 years for this.
I am starting with the sides:
Bending:
First side ready for building form:
Both sides in building form:
Tail block & Heel block glued
Kerfed linings and side reinforcement installed. Both back and top of sides sanded to appropriate radius
Maple tail graft
Cutting tail graft slot
Back has been joined and a reinforcing strip installed. Reinforcing strip has been cut to accept back braces
Braces glued to back and being shaped
Braces shaped and ready for assembly
Back & sides ready for the sound board
Rosette - I have started tracking my time during a build so that I will have a better idea of how long it takes me to make a guitar. This rosette was right at 6 hours. That was news to me; I thought it took a lot less. When you are having fun................
Bracing the sound board
Sanding the bridge plate radius
Routing for bindings
Bending herring bone for top purfling
Binding installation
Working on the neck:
Initial neck fit to body:
RocketMan has a number of planetary inlays as well as the "Giltzow" script and appropriately a rocket.
Below are pictures of the peg head and fret board in progress:
Spraying finish is complete and I am now working on the neck, frets & bridge:
Sanding 30 foot radius in bridge bottom
The neck has been installed and I am ready to start the fret dressing. Marking each fret with a black sharpie I can beam sand all frets. Knowing to stop the leveling when all black marks have been hit by the sanding beam:
Frets are then rounded on the ends, re-crowned and then polished. Position for the bridge is located and the bridge is glued to the soundboard.
Install pick guard and strings and this guitar is ready for a new home
Pictures of finished guitar:
