| Author | Message | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 6248 Registered: 6-2000 |
Chugging right along, here's various stages of your guitar construction over several days. Top laminate with some stuff mapped out:  Starting to map out plate on the back laminate:  Backplates cut and resting after glueup:  These still need to be final sized and drilled, but that happens in a couple of weeks when we carve it. The LED battery plate is not in this photo. Early stage of peghead development:  Peghead as of Friday:  All drilled and Crown shape cut. | ||
| neilvg
New Username: neilvg Post Number: 1 Registered: 6-2009 |
Cool. I can't wait to see this progress. I'm glad the Crown is QCB as well. I love the matching grain lines as will be seen on the front body. Mica - Let me know when you post the control layout for me to take a look. That way we can keep on rolling  | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 8387 Registered: 5-2002 |
Hi Neil; welcome to the board! And congrats on the custom Darling! | ||
| neilvg
New Username: neilvg Post Number: 2 Registered: 6-2009 |
Mica - Any updates? Thanks - Neil | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 6357 Registered: 6-2000 |
Body parts coming together:   This is the core and the accent laminates of the back. Next week the body should be getting glued to the neck, then the top bookmatch to center to the body. It will really start to look like a guitar then! | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 6395 Registered: 6-2000 |
Many of the steps between August and now were not interesting in pictures, but here we have an object that is actually looking like a complete guitar!     Note that the Coco Bolo will really look amazing when the finish is applied. Here, it's a bit dusty from sanding, and much of the detail is obscured. That will make sealer coat photos even more dramatic! | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 8784 Registered: 5-2002 |
The grain pattern on the top will look really nice when the finish hits it! | ||
| neilvg
New Username: neilvg Post Number: 3 Registered: 6-2009 |
I love how the inverted V shape opens out into the omega carving on the front. Really cool. I hope the hardware doesn't obscure this detail too much! (Message edited by neilvg on October 01, 2009) | ||
| toma_hawk01
Intermediate Member Username: toma_hawk01 Post Number: 111 Registered: 9-2009 |
This got to be the most beautifulest six string guitar I ever seen period. "It will stop a train on a dime in full speed!" Hal- | ||
| neilvg
New Username: neilvg Post Number: 4 Registered: 6-2009 |
Uploading this Line Drawing that Mica emailed to me some time back. This will eventually be on the backside of the Peghead. "Dharma Lines"  | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 6826 Registered: 6-2000 |
Here's the Dharma for the front of the peghead:  I'll post another image later today with the peghead placement, but this is a start to see if I spelled it correctly! | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 6827 Registered: 6-2000 |
This is a quick approximation of where it would wind up on the peghead:  | ||
| neilvg
New Username: neilvg Post Number: 8 Registered: 6-2009 |
 Here's a practice bronze etching of the dharma seal emblem that will go on the back of the peghead. I kind of like it in bronze, but I'm worried about the weight and also how the bronze will match. It originally was/is set to be mother of pearl like the rest of the inlays. I think I am leaning towards mother of pearl. Any suggestions? Neil | ||
| briant
Senior Member Username: briant Post Number: 425 Registered: 12-2004 |
I'd stick with mother of pearl to keep weight down. The last thing you want is to create neck dive. | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 6828 Registered: 6-2000 |
The brass plate is very thin, and can be sanded a bit thinner. Specific gravity is around 8. The mother of pearl is pretty dense to, with specific gravity of about 3. I weighed the engraved piece above and it's one-half of an ounce. Either piece will be inlaid under the finish, so it will be removing the same volume of wood, but of course the woods are much less dense, probably averaging about .75 specific gravity in the area we're inlaying. | ||
| neilvg
New Username: neilvg Post Number: 9 Registered: 6-2009 |
Bump | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 7183 Registered: 6-2000 |
I never get good pictures of your guitar. I always seem to get it with the finished prepped, ready for the next coat like this:   Hope to find a better picture opportunity next week for you. From what I understand, there is maybe 1 or 2 more coats of finish, then the final cure, then the rubout, then the setup. I can't say exactly how long that will all take, it depends on the wood of course, but we are close to finishing this guitar. (Message edited by mica on January 21, 2011) | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 10055 Registered: 5-2002 |
I love these inlays! | ||
| slawie
Advanced Member Username: slawie Post Number: 302 Registered: 8-2002 |
Am I missing something or does the peghead material/wood grain seem to have changed? Maybe it's the angle of the dangle. slawie | ||
| adriaan
Moderator Username: adriaan Post Number: 2752 Registered: 6-2002 |
I'm pretty sure we're still looking at quilted cocobolo, just that before each new coat of finish the previous coat gets sanded, which obscures the figuring underneath. Mighty fine inlays! | ||
| artswork99
Moderator Username: artswork99 Post Number: 1381 Registered: 7-2007 |
The picture above may have had something like mineral spirits applied to bring out the grain. Another beautiful job at inlay work. The bookmatch top is stunning. Can't wait to see this one all shiny ;) | ||
| briant
Senior Member Username: briant Post Number: 524 Registered: 12-2004 |
Very nice. Gold was very much the correct choice for the inlaid logo. "Am I missing something or does the peghead material/wood grain seem to have changed? Maybe it's the angle of the dangle." You monitor colors are probably to blame. The sanding hides the quilt but it is still visible back there. All looking quilty and whatnot. | ||
| cje
Member Username: cje Post Number: 57 Registered: 5-2009 |
I think we're just seeing the tiny scratches left behind from a thorough sanding job. And the gold DOES look nice against the Coco Bolo. | ||
| slawie
Advanced Member Username: slawie Post Number: 303 Registered: 8-2002 |
BTW I did forget to mention that this is a beautiful instrument. The inlays are stunning and the neck recipe looks so nicely balanced. I am looking forward to seeing the completed project. Definately not to early to congratulate you Neil. slawie | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 2306 Registered: 6-2002 |
Are those front and back headstock inlays gonna be backlit by LED's? That would be a nice touch I think. Jazzyvee (Message edited by jazzyvee on January 24, 2011) | ||
| neilvg
New Username: neilvg Post Number: 10 Registered: 6-2009 |
Can't wait until this is done. It's been over 2 years! So this guitar, while not obvious just yet, is not quite standard (beyond its appearance). It has the neck width of a classical guitar, and will be strung with 12 gauge strings. Even though I use a plectrum based picking style these days, this guitar will make use of a hybrid fingerstyle. What's also cool is we got RMC to make a custom width MIDI pickup as well which I will use to trigger samples (I'm thinking cello and other strings) which I will blend with the sound of the active pickups for studio use (and maybe live...). I can't wait to see the electronics layout we went with too. Actually, I pretty much can't wait to see the actual guitar body itself, with at least some finish on it. You guys are right though, the headstock looks totally different after it was sanded. But I can tell it's the same wood. Amazing how much the quilts and the volcanic red color comes out with the gloss and finish though! Neil | ||
| neilvg
Junior Username: neilvg Post Number: 11 Registered: 6-2009 |
Mica: Any new pics/updates? | ||
| pace
Senior Member Username: pace Post Number: 672 Registered: 4-2004 |
WOW Neil, cool that this guitar will incorporate an RMC system..... A few of us have had a low-pressure petition for Alembic to at least consider using RMC vs. the Roland GK stuff..... I think it tracks better, and hopefully your Darling will be everything you dreamed it to be.... I really like the BTC top w/ the split back~ lots of cool stuff w/ this guitar, and trust me.... It'll be worth the wait! | ||
| neilvg
Junior Username: neilvg Post Number: 12 Registered: 6-2009 |
I just heard from Mica today that this guitar has received its last coat. All that is left now is setup and then rub-out. And then... Neil | ||
| neilvg
Junior Username: neilvg Post Number: 13 Registered: 6-2009 |
Bump - - Any new Pics? |
