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Mahogany 4-String: First build

G

Getaway Driver

May 31, 2009
488
10
38
Omaha, NE
#1
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Rainbow Mahogany and Honduran Mahogany 5-piece body, 1-5/8 thick
Maple Neck
24-frets, 34" scale
Natural finish or slight fade to red around the edges
Chrome or black hardware (perhaps an upgrade for later)
3+1 MM-style lefty headstock, D-tuner on single tuner spot
2x EMG 35DC humbuckers
EMG BTS Preamp

The body pieces have been glued together with gorilla glue and planed to a rough 1-5/8 thickness. It's about 13" wide and I only have a 12" planer so the two smaller pieces were glued first, planed, then attached to the longer section afterward, hence the glue runoff visible. It'll get sanded off later. It's a hefty chunk of wood now, but with the excess cut away it should lighten up significantly. It'll also be getting a contour around the edges like an SG, I expect it'll be pretty comfortable weight-wise. Just a hair lighter than my 1-3/4 thick Mahogany Carvin.

I've got one pickup so far but that's about it, the rest of the goods are gonna run me about $240, so I'm waiting for my next paycheck or two. I can rout for the pickups and plan the control cavity. First to order will be the truss rod so I can get started on the neck and get a rough rout for the neck pocket. It'll be a 5-bolt style neck joint.
 
#4
barnaclebeau said:
L-o-o-ve building with mahogany, cool design! What are you doing for finish? That shape is begging for a glossy tint...red, purple, blue?
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Either completely natural or I might do a slight fade to red around the edges. If I'm feeling reeeeally creative at the time I might do red/purple but I like the grain in the wood and I don't think I'm going to get too crazy with the finish.
 
#8
poomwah said:
That's going to be great, that's a really interesting body design.
And the wood is gorgeous, where did you get it?
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A local hardwoods store. They labelled it "rainbow mahogany", I believe it's an african mahogany that grew with an unusually tight grain. It was the same cost as the plain african and honduran mahogany and it was 1000x prettier. $65 or so I think for a 12ft x 4 3/4in length. I should be able to get a second body out of it :)
 
#15
got the pickup positions figured. They should roughly fall under the 36th and 48th frets respectively. Strong harmonics should make for a lush sound. Now I have to order the truss rod and fretwire and pickout a fretboard wood. I'd like to use ebony but it's a little too expensive. I was thinking maybe cocobolo? The local place has quite a wide variety of coco, some pieces with more of the dark grain, others with a more orange color... Perhaps a darker one? Any other recommendations on a fretboard wood? I think rosewood would get lost next to the mahogany. Perhaps walnut? Wenge?
 
#18
Still holds true.

mikeyswood said:
In case you have yet to discover these resources:

anexotichardwood.com

gilmerwood.com
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If you are ordering a single board then yes, the shipping is tough. If you are ordering a bole, then no the shipping is not bad.

poomwah said:
Sorry for hijacking, but don't you find the shipping pretty salty? And also, don't you worry about not getting to inspect the wood first?
Lastly, where online do you recommend?
Thanks mikey
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