Neck lammed. Mahogany maple mahogany with a hairline of rosewood veneer on the joins. I dug this veneer out of the back of a cupboard and going by it's age it's probably Brazilian. Always nice to be able to say your guitar has a little Brazilan rosewood in it ;o)

I decided to segment the rosette that got damaged by the plane. I marked it out with a compass and then dremelled out some chunks, and cut pieces of pale cherry to replace them.

I've done another top with a plain walnut rosette too, so Steven can choose his preferred one.

both still need the outer & inner ring cut & inlaid.

Remember those good news-bad news games you played as a kid?

OK, good news back braced & glued in.

Bad news won't have time before Easter hols to get the box closed

good news glued in rosette (with purfling)

bad news, chipped a lump of it out planing it flat. (look closely at 10 o'clock..... )o; )

so.

Options at this point.

forget about it and fill the hole with lots & lots of varnish and then sand flat.

No good, it would look awful.

route it out and start again.

extreme, but may end up being the only solution

I COULD route out the damaged section and then inlay another piece of wood, maybe contrasting, then a couple of other pieces to make it look like it was intended.......

Worst case scenario? rout it all out again & start again, so I think I'll give this a go. I'll do another one with a plain circle rosette and let Steven decide which one he'd like best when they're done.

neck & tail block cut & glued

linings glued to top edge



top cut out & planed a bit......

rosette cut out & laid on the top.....

I'm trying to get as much done as I can before Thursday because then I'll be locked out of my workshop for two weeks (it's tough being a teacher!!)

realistically, I hope to have the back fitted to the body, and the rosette inlaid. Time will tell!!

So, progress on Steven's walnut/spruce guitar......

The back & top are joined, and I got the sides bent too. I LOVE working with walnut, it bends SO easily, looks great and sounds great too, what could be better?

Also, while rummaging through the wood pile I came up with a piece of walnut that would be useless for anything.....

except a pretty special rosette......

the crack in the middle will be cut out and I reckon that this'll look great!!

be a git to plane, but then, rough with the smooth, right?

New commission from Steven in England.

Yay!!

Ok Steven wants a guitar that is VERY similar to something I'd build for myself, so I'm hoping that this will be something REALLY special.

the spec is a 12 fretter, walnut/spruce body the same as the 12 string I'm just finishing, EI Rosewood fretboard & binding.

Timescale? Well, the Easter holidays are all but upon us but I'll try to get something done before Thursday when I get locked out of my workshop for two weeks (ah, the perils of building guitars in your lunch break eh? But still, it's warm, dry and I have free run of the machines!!)

So far I've resawn & planed the wood for the back & sides.

I'll joint both backs and see which one feels stiffest, then match up the sides to go with it.

The latest mando is done, tuned up and on ebay as I type. I'm really pleased with this one, bright & zingy and I've been picking away on it, getting some vibration into the top so that it'll be opened up a little for it's new owner.......

yeah, right!!







































Approaching completion is the 12 string. I have the strings on and the intonation sorted (BIG JOB on a 12!!). It's sounding nice, but I need to get the pickup/preamp (with a tuner) and the strap buttons sorted. the preamp is in the post, but sadly I don't expect it to be here before Easter, so it'll be another two weeks till I get to take this one home :o(

Mando & 12 string progress.......

these two have had their 1st coat of finish to spot any glue splodges that need dealt with. after a weekend to settle and harden I'll sand them both smooth and start spraying.

these will hopefully both be strung up before Easter......

the 12 is for me, the mando will probably find it's way onto Ebay