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lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 1137
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 - 4:00 pm:   Edit Post

Time to bring this thread back to life. I got a call from Valentino today. My inlays are in progress! It won't be long now. Yea!!!!!!!!!

Bill, tgo
jacko
Senior Member
Username: jacko

Post Number: 575
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 4:48 am:   Edit Post

Betcha can't wait bill. Looking forward to seeing this one finished.

Graeme
811952
Senior Member
Username: 811952

Post Number: 687
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 7:35 am:   Edit Post

That's an extremely classy instrument.

John
flaxattack
Senior Member
Username: flaxattack

Post Number: 1040
Registered: 4-2004
Posted on Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 5:23 pm:   Edit Post

whats another 3 months or so?
byoung
Advanced Member
Username: byoung

Post Number: 234
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Thursday, March 23, 2006 - 9:44 pm:   Edit Post

Quarter of a year?

1/280th of an average lifespan?

An awful lot of accrued patience?

Is this a trick question, Jeff?

Of course, I'm a few days shy of 15 months, so my nasal passages have completely dried out from breathing in-through-the-nose, out-through-the-mouth. :-) Guess that's what I get for being a Type-A personality with a 45 second attention span.

The above is humor, I realise that making an Alembic takes time.

Brad
flaxattack
Senior Member
Username: flaxattack

Post Number: 1043
Registered: 4-2004
Posted on Friday, March 24, 2006 - 6:57 am:   Edit Post

i was being faceitous.....
bad humor from the east coast
mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 3194
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Friday, March 24, 2006 - 3:37 pm:   Edit Post

We present the California-centric world inlay:

la world!

This looks really awesome - the colors are great.
byoung
Advanced Member
Username: byoung

Post Number: 235
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Friday, March 24, 2006 - 8:05 pm:   Edit Post

Jeff,

I was just yanking your chain.

Mica, that looks more like a Seattle-centric world view. :-)

Brad
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 1150
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Friday, March 24, 2006 - 8:16 pm:   Edit Post

West Coast view - that's the ticket!

This is cool, and this one is just the beginning. I hope the judge in Ukiah gets to my case early enough so I can stop by on my way back and drool on it in person next Monday.

Bill, tgo
mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 3216
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Friday, April 07, 2006 - 4:46 pm:   Edit Post

Hi Bill,

Here's the world placed on the fingerboard:
world turning?

It's not inlaid, and yes, this is at the third fret rather than the first, but we're looking for the proper orientation before we set it in at the first fret.


Parts of the scales:
scale parts

James cut the balance from golden mother of pearl, then we did the pans and chains in 18K gold.


Then the recess for the scales:
recess


Now scales are installed:
scales installed

There's still some glue drying, but you can see how cool the design came out. It's nice golden colored all over. The lighting made the top edge look washed out - it isn't.

Let me know on the world orientation and that will get dropped in in Monday. James should also be finishing the 24th fret inlay on Monday, and so frets are in this guitar's immediate future.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 3592
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Friday, April 07, 2006 - 5:08 pm:   Edit Post

Looks like this guitar balances well!

Love the earth!!
byoung
Advanced Member
Username: byoung

Post Number: 262
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Friday, April 07, 2006 - 8:13 pm:   Edit Post

So,

Is the scale supposed to refer to your profession, or as a way to measure, um, "stuff"?

hahahaha. :-)

Brad
jalevinemd
Advanced Member
Username: jalevinemd

Post Number: 383
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Friday, April 07, 2006 - 8:18 pm:   Edit Post

Wow, counselor!
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 1193
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Friday, April 07, 2006 - 11:15 pm:   Edit Post

Mica:

My b-day is Sunday, so this is a great present! I looked at it and thought "3rd fret??!!" and then scrolled down and saw your post. This looks very cool. I'm in court in Ukiah on Tuesday so I'll try and stop by on the way back. I can't wait to see it in person. As for the orientation of the world, I like the way it is on the first picture above, the post of March 24th.

Dave: Cute, very cute.

Brad: This is the "Scales of Justice" The "stuff" will be on the back of the peghead. hehehe

Bill, tgo
flaxattack
Senior Member
Username: flaxattack

Post Number: 1065
Registered: 4-2004
Posted on Saturday, April 08, 2006 - 6:55 am:   Edit Post

bill that looks killer... do you have an inlay for the bribes judges take? lol
flaxattack
Senior Member
Username: flaxattack

Post Number: 1066
Registered: 4-2004
Posted on Saturday, April 08, 2006 - 6:59 am:   Edit Post

mica/val
out of curiousity..how do they and what is used to route the recess in the board
valvil
Moderator
Username: valvil

Post Number: 873
Registered: 7-2002
Posted on Saturday, April 08, 2006 - 11:03 am:   Edit Post

A hand router with a bunch of different bits and a guide to keep the depth consistent.

Valentino
flaxattack
Senior Member
Username: flaxattack

Post Number: 1069
Registered: 4-2004
Posted on Saturday, April 08, 2006 - 12:10 pm:   Edit Post

if that was james at the controls?
that man has the hands of a neurosurgeon..
i assume there is a template for the routing..
but the lines are so straight etc. truly the work of an artisan....
:-)
guitarbeau
New
Username: guitarbeau

Post Number: 6
Registered: 12-2005
Posted on Saturday, April 08, 2006 - 1:37 pm:   Edit Post

Bill that looks great!!
petre
New
Username: petre

Post Number: 3
Registered: 1-2006
Posted on Saturday, April 08, 2006 - 3:49 pm:   Edit Post

I have been doing some levelling, fretting, and fret marker inlays, and I'm getting ready to do some logo inlays.
There aren't any routing templates like the ones we use for the body construction, the pieces are placed on the fingerboard for tracing, and then cavities are routed out by hand, as Val said, with a dremmel, base, and multiple bits.
Even though he's left-handed, James is a great teacher for this kind of work. It's amazing to see this piece come along.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 3606
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Sunday, April 09, 2006 - 4:53 pm:   Edit Post

Peter; thanks for the first hand account!
flaxattack
Senior Member
Username: flaxattack

Post Number: 1107
Registered: 4-2004
Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2006 - 12:25 pm:   Edit Post

yo billy.....


wassup?"
mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 3347
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Friday, June 02, 2006 - 5:03 pm:   Edit Post

Bill's already seen these in person, but I took some other progress shots to share and document anyway. First, the world, inlaid and revealed:
the world, revealed

Also the 24th fret inlay:
WGP inlay
grateful
Intermediate Member
Username: grateful

Post Number: 138
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Monday, June 05, 2006 - 4:01 am:   Edit Post

I love that world Bill; makes me think of "Standing on the Moon". Your wait must be nearly over.

Mark
keavin
Senior Member
Username: keavin

Post Number: 842
Registered: 12-2002
Posted on Monday, June 05, 2006 - 8:09 am:   Edit Post

great Inlay! what's missing is A "star" in northern Cal representing 'Santa Rosa'!
mica
Moderator
Username: mica

Post Number: 3373
Registered: 6-2000
Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 5:30 pm:   Edit Post

Inlay for the back of the peghead getting potisitioned for scribing:
leaf inlay

This is actually the back of the inlay - you can see the paper pattern between the inlay and the peghead, that's the front side, but who wants to look at paper when you can see shell.

Big inlay next. Stay tuned!
flaxattack
Senior Member
Username: flaxattack

Post Number: 1155
Registered: 4-2004
Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 6:37 pm:   Edit Post

simply freakin gorgeous billy boy....
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 1408
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 11:10 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks Flax. I stopped by today after hours to drop off my bass player's broken SF-2. I went back in the spray room and saw the completed inlay. WOW! Then, I turn around and, lo & behold, hanging right in front of me is the Scooter Tribute Bass. Way cool. I can't wait to see the top under finish.

Bill, tgo
adriaan
Senior Member
Username: adriaan

Post Number: 942
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 1:56 am:   Edit Post

Wow!

It looks really three-dimensional , seems like a shame to sink it into the finish ... And on the back of the peghead?

Anyhow ... wow again!
grateful
Intermediate Member
Username: grateful

Post Number: 144
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 3:12 am:   Edit Post

I've seen an inlay like that before! Looking really sweet Bill.

Mark

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