Winter build off 2019 – Matsumoku's Victory,

[postalflunkie]

This year I'll be building a mash up of two guitars that have been on my wish list since the mid '80's. The Gibson Victory Artist, and Aria Pro TSB650.

First, the wood pile:

Body: Gibson Victory style (with contours) Mahogany core with maple accent and purpleheart top, no pickguard.

Neck: Aria pro style (neck thru),5 piece mahogany and purpleheart with maple accents between each layer,
Rosewood fretboard (donated from an old silvertone)
Aria Pro style 2+2 headstock

2 humbucking soap bar pickups
18v active electronics: Volume, Bass, Treble, Pickup selector switch, Master series/parallel switch

Gold hardware, Gotoh GB707 tuners, Steinberger bridge with E-string detuner

 

[postalflunkie]

Fretboard and templates:

Pickups will be mounted aria style, none of that angled neck pickup stuff

 

[Beej]

So much like...

 

[Jon Clegg]

Looks familiar

 

[postalflunkie]

Yay! Finally had some time to work on this thing. Never glued up a neck with so many laminates before, thought I'd never finish.

I'll give it a couple of days to cure up before running it through the planer. No rush right now, got a thousand other projects going on in the house anyway.

 

[postalflunkie]

This may end up being the slowest moving build this year
But, I got the neck blank out of the clamps, ran it through the planer, cut the initial headstock angle and planed it down with an old #8 hand plane

Hopefully more time tomorrow to cut the truss rod channel...

 

[2groggy]

This may end up being the slowest moving build this year
...

Nope, both of mine are slower. Time off for the holidays doesn't mean time to do what you want.

 

[postalflunkie]

Wish it was just holiday running around, we just moved my 92 year old mother-in-law Into our house.

 

[postalflunkie]

Body blanks glued up!
Never enough clamps, isnt that the moto here?

 

[ReasonablyHappy]

I haven’t even glued anything up!!! The lantern rouge it is...
That laminate looks great!!

 

[Beej]

Wish it was just holiday running around, we just moved my 92 year old mother-in-law Into our house.

Perhaps not everyone would agree, but I think that is absolutely wonderful, and have great respect for you for doing this. I can only hope that my kids will take me in and care for me one day, assuming I live that long!

 

[postalflunkie]

Home from the post office, and now the truss rod channel is done.

 

[postalflunkie]

Body blanks out of clamps and the edges cleaned up ( I use the router table as a jointer, works pretty good I think)

Then let's see what we've got with the neck in between them

And just for fun, the template and fretboard on top

 

[postalflunkie]

An hour here, an hour there... eventually I might catch up to everyone else
Tonight I got the neck roughed in. Next up will be to clean up the back of the headstock, get the wings glued on and glue on the front and back caps. Then hopefully start shaping the neck a little.

 

[83_Silberpfeil]

Wow, the purple heart and maple accents in the neck is beautiful. Great eye for design there, coordinating with the top/cap.

 

[postalflunkie]

Headstock cleaned up, wings glued on...
Back to waiting and catching up on all the other builds

 

[Jisch]

Looking good!

 

[Beej]

Yep, that thar's a nice looking combo of woods...

 

[postalflunkie]

Got up this morning and cleaned up the wings on the headstock.

And got the back veneer bent and glued on (thin maple and thicker mahogany on top)

Back to waiting for the glue to dry. Let's hope there are no gaps

 

[Beej]

Coming along!