My first multiscale (experimental)

[Jon Clegg]

Hey @Jon Clegg
Is the Zpoxy completely clear? I was thinking of using West System for grain sealer, but it goes on real Amber, almost pink, cant use it under clear finish.

No. Zpoxy is amber. It looks great on figured maple because it pops the grain.

 

[singlemalt]

I was looking at the new winter build off project and I remembered this one.

How did the story end?

 

[ctmullins]

I was looking at the new winter build off project and I remembered this one.

How did the story end?

Hasn’t yet!

I’ve been twice frustrated with dips in the grain on the mystery maple. I’ll figure it out, but likely not in the next few months. But thanks for checking in!

 

[ctmullins]

Hasn’t yet!

I’ve been twice frustrated with dips in the grain on the mystery maple. I’ll figure it out, but likely not in the next few months. But thanks for checking in!

Getting back to this one after the WBO. Slowly advancing against this punky mystery wood. After four rounds of dye, finish, sand, grain fill, dye again, ..... I think I’m winning. Will know more in the next few days. Hope my last can of Varathane holds out....

 

[ctmullins]

Blew the entire last can, and got things to an acceptable level. Not great, but acceptable. Will block-sand a bit perhaps later.

Went for the first string-up last night. Well, I mean the first string-up after the last string-up, in which I completely misunderstood the function of the ABM string anchors. But first I had to cut the nut, and the angles added a new dimension of weird to what is otherwise a routine operation....

... and then I remembered that the entire neck had a back bow, presumably due to hammering big frets into tight fret slots. Ugh. The strings are not pulling hard enough to counteract that.

So it’s into the clamps, with a caul and a block in the center of the neck, to try and bend it back straight. I figure a week or so like this, maybe with some heat added, and we’ll see where we are.

And on top of all that, I somehow lost the truss rod nut....

 

[Dark Horse]

Blew the entire last can, and got things to an acceptable level. Not great, but acceptable. Will block-sand a bit perhaps later.

Went for the first string-up last night. Well, I mean the first string-up after the last string-up, in which I completely misunderstood the function of the ABM string anchors. But first I had to cut the nut, and the angles added a new dimension of weird to what is otherwise a routine operation....

... and then I remembered that the entire neck had a back bow, presumably due to hammering big frets into tight fret slots. Ugh. The strings are not pulling hard enough to counteract that.

So it’s into the clamps, with a caul and a block in the center of the neck, to try and bend it back straight. I figure a week or so like this, maybe with some heat added, and we’ll see where we are.

View attachment 3793381

And on top of all that, I somehow lost the truss rod nut....

Ugh

that sucks man .... Sometimes it seems like we’re taking two steps backwards for every step forward.

 

[Cran]

I'm dying of curiosity over here! What happened to the project? Is it still in the WIP stage?

 

[ctmullins]

I'm dying of curiosity over here! What happened to the project? Is it still in the WIP stage?

It’s gathering dust in a corner.

The finish is a tragedy. Again.

The neck has a permanent backbow.

The pins at the headstock bent when tuning up for a test.

I walk past it several times a week, and still can’t decide what to do with it. Or to it.

 

[Cran]

It’s gathering dust in a corner.

The finish is a tragedy. Again.

The neck has a permanent backbow.

The pins at the headstock bent when tuning up for a test.

I walk past it several times a week, and still can’t decide what to do with it. Or to it.

Damn. That was uhh.... a different response to what I expected. That sucks, it was such a cool idea, and had what seemed to be really great execution. Onward and upward to the next great project, I guess?

 

[ctmullins]

Damn. That was uhh.... a different response to what I expected. That sucks, it was such a cool idea, and had what seemed to be really great execution. Onward and upward to the next great project, I guess?

Oh, the idea isn’t dead, by any means! I just can’t decide whether to torch this and start again from a clean slate, or try and somehow redeem this carcass....

 

[ctmullins]

Gonna give this another go. No pics, but today I:

• Chiseled off the swoopy thing on the headstock
• Glued on a curly maple overlay
• Sanded most of the black off except on the perimeter
• Dyed that wine red (like a fake sunburst)
• Shot a few coats of rattle-can poly

I have decided that double ball strings are not in the cards for this one. This means I can use the individual headpieces further up on the headstock, like normal. We will see how that works.

More later.

 

[Cran]

excited to see the results! i'm glad you're still working on this

 

[ctmullins]

I’m done at about eight coats. It’s decent enough.

There is some nice flame in these pieces, glad to get to see it.

Still a few punky spots on the back, where the poly recoils in horror. I don’t even care at this point.

Now I can finally get on with stringing it up and playing it! Who knows, I might not even like playing a multiscale….

 

[Reedt2000]

It looks awesome

I'd give it a light, dry, level sanding at this point... then lay on about another 2 cans o' poly with at least one more light sanding in there somewhere

 

[Matt Liebenau]

I’m done at about eight coats. It’s decent enough.

View attachment 4261241

There is some nice flame in these pieces, glad to get to see it.

View attachment 4261242

Still a few punky spots on the back, where the poly recoils in horror. I don’t even care at this point.

View attachment 4261243

Now I can finally get on with stringing it up and playing it! Who knows, I might not even like playing a multiscale….

Don’t bother... you won’t like it. Lemmie shoot you my address so you can avoid the disappointment.

 

[Cran]

I’m done at about eight coats. It’s decent enough.

View attachment 4261241

There is some nice flame in these pieces, glad to get to see it.

View attachment 4261242

Still a few punky spots on the back, where the poly recoils in horror. I don’t even care at this point.

View attachment 4261243

Now I can finally get on with stringing it up and playing it! Who knows, I might not even like playing a multiscale….

HOLY!! it's looking fantastic! what pickups did you say you were gonna put in it?

 

[ctmullins]

Thanks for the encouraging words fellas. Y’all are swell!

I have a pair of Nordstrand Big Blades, Warm & Wooly. I’ve never even heard them before. Just going on faith there….

 

[sirsam22]

That thing looks sick! I love the Ric vibe. I can’t wait to hear how it turns out when you put it all together. And, I love that you decided to finish it.

 

[Freekmagnet]

Wow that’s cool you saved this project! Great job!

 

[ctmullins]

Thanks all! I promise you, this one looks decent as long as you stay at least ten feet away from it….

I bolted on the tuners and headpieces last night. The tuner holes were already there, but I had to measure, mark, and drill for the headpieces. Then it was time for the first full string-up. Surprisingly, nothing exploded!

String spacing couldn’t be much tighter. To me that’s a good thing.

These tiny little ABM headpieces look impossibly small and fragile. Thinks I, “There’s no way they’re gonna hold up.” But they’re ABM, which means I should have faith. I placed them a fair distance from the nut, for two reasons: so that the tapered portion of the string was under the set screw, and so I still have the option of chopping the headstock down if things go south. Then once installed, I grabbed a new set of strings, LaBella stainless rounds (they were on sale), and kept the thing pointed away from me while I tuned them up. And they held!

Action is a mile high, because the nut I made a year or so ago is still way too tall. That’s okay for now. My other big concern is whether having the strings tuned up to pitch will take out the back bow. Right now the answer is “maybe”. The neck is almost perfectly straight - with the truss rod slack, there is zero relief. We’ll see if that changes over the coming days.