modifying the piezo pickups for 4 courses of strings today.

I've discovered that you can get 4 + 2 piezo strips for guitars that heave a split saddle like a Lowden for 1/3 the price of a 4 course strip.

even though it's EXACTLY the same except it has the extra 2 course strip joined on.

scale of market drives the price I guess....

anyway, I can get these here in the UK were as the same brand of piezos for a mando can only be had from the US or the Far East with the associated postage costs.

so, after some deft work with a set of pliers, a soldering iron and a heat shrink gun, we have this......

a custom made 4 course piezo strip ready for the OM or mando.

I made two.



then I did a little work on the bridge of the OM, re cutting the string slots and setting the intonation.



If I get the chance to work at it, this will be finished by the end of next week.

so far it's sounding very nice, soft and gentle with the short scale, but if the new owner wants more punch, then a heavier gauge of strings will sort that with very little aggro.

also today the madagascar Rosewood arrived for the cutaway jumbo.

very pretty, but as I know the price, I'm nearly scared to even look at it let alone start to cut it!!

the bearclaw sitka top for the jumbo is too wavy with the grain to take anywhere near the planer, so it'll have to be thicknessed with a handheld sander.....



but the bearclaw is gonna be gorgeous under finish!!



spent a little time with the cutaway mando. Levelled the frets & tidied the fret ends, and rough cut the nut



and then started work on the bridge.

We had talked about maybe a pinless bridge, but I'm just too paranoid about it pulling off the top of the instrument with all that mando tension on there.



the piezos for this and the OM arrived in the post today, so all the bits are here to get them done soon.

OM, the rest of the strings on.

it starts to look like something!!

the bridge is heavy because it will have a piezo inside it, so once I have that sorted I'll hollow it out to reduce weight & allow the top to vibrate that little more freely.

the pickup for this and the cutaway mando are in the post, so when they get here I'll get these both finished & set up.

finished for Christmas?

looking VERY likely!!



00 zouk, neck block fitted.....



linings glued in



started on a cutaway jumbo

the top is bearclaw sitka spruce from Alaska.



top joined.

yay, new camera!!!

so some work on the OM.

frets levelled & dressed



then after tidying off any finish that crept onto the fretboard, it is oiled, and work on the bridge starts



then a slot cut for the bone saddle & piezo, and a couple of strings to get an idea of how things are laying.....

so after two weeks to let the finish harden nicely, the tuner holes on the mando and OM were reamed out to clear any varnish and the tuners go on. I haven't got them tightened or the screws in yet, but at least they're in place!!