Winter build off 2019 – Red

[Scoops]

Hey!

My mashup will be made up of the following design elements:

· Gibson Les Paul Special Body style
· Gibson ES330 size (15” lower bout)
· Semi hollow construction
· Mild carved top
· Rickenbacker styled neck
· Set Neck Construction

Specs:
Body: Mahogany with figured Mahogany top
Neck: Mahogany with Mahogany finger board
Neck Type: Set neck
Scale lenght: 33"
Strings: 4
Electronics: Lollar T-Bird
Controls: V-V-T
Bridge: God Of Thunder
Tuners: Hipshot Ultra Light
Color: Cherry Red with Ivoroid binding

 

[Scoops]

OK,

So I mixed up a batch of cherry juice which is a mixture of shellac and red aniline dye. This is very concentrated so I'll be cutting it with alcohol as I go

 

[Scoops]

So this is what it will end up looking like. I changed the F holes to Cats Eyes so I could put binding on them

 

[Jon Clegg]

Cat's eyes enhance the Ric tie-in

 

[IconBasser]

ooo Scoops is getting ambitious this year!

This is gonna look great, can't wait to see how it progresses!

 

[Scoops]

Cat's eyes enhance the Ric tie-in

Agreed.

Note that I have my cats eyes oriented with the wider end pointed toward the lower bout. On Ric's, it points at the upper bout

 

[Scoops]

Cat's eyes enhance the Ric tie-in

I was thinking, put a large roundover on the top, put the laminate on the back, and it would start to look like a 4005

 

[Jon Clegg]

I was thinking, put a large roundover on the top, put the laminate on the back, and it would start to look like a 4005

Just avoid the dreaded neck set issue that semi hollow Ric's are known for

 

[Scoops]

OK, got some of the first wood cut
First cut out on the band saw, then with the router, then a peek at the back. I just really like the look of a straight gained mahogany

 

[ctmullins]

That’s a really nice looking slab of hog! Love me some LPDC action.

 

[Five String]

This'll be a good one

 

[Scoops]

This is one of the hardest pieces of mahogany I have ever worked on.
It was sold to me as African Mahogany, but it's got the weight of Santos.

Took me all morning to hog this out

I'm considering a maple neck on this instead of a mahogany

Off to celebrate a birthday

Cheers

 

[Reedt2000]

This is one of the hardest pieces of mahogany I have ever worked on.
It was sold to me as African Mahogany, but it's got the weight of Santos.

Took me all morning to hog this out

I'm considering a maple neck on this instead of a mahogany

Off to celebrate a birthday

Cheers

View attachment 3258856

I've got an ES137 semi-hollow guitar with a mahogany block and maple neck that sounds awesome.

 

[Scoops]

I've got an ES137 semi-hollow guitar with a mahogany block and maple neck that sounds awesome.

You had to say this didn't you.

This would make a gorgeous guitar!

Needless to say, started coating the interior with schellac. Just getting a feel for how this will turn out on the outside.
I may make this a 5 banger. The body shown on this is 6lbs already.

I'm contemplating ways of removing wood from the center to reduce weight.

Thanks for looking

 

[Jon Clegg]

You had to say this didn't you.

This would make a gorgeous guitar!

Needless to say, started coating the interior with schellac. Just getting a feel for how this will turn out on the outside.
I may make this a 5 banger. The body shown on this is 6lbs already.

I'm contemplating ways of removing wood from the center to reduce weight.

Thanks for looking
View attachment 3263222

You might want to look at what @MPU did on his Bruce-i-fied Headless 4 String.

 

[ctmullins]

I’d remove wood from the center block except for where the bridge/pickups/neck mount.

Also, how thick is the back, and can you thin that out any more?

 

[Reedt2000]

I’d remove wood from the center block except for where the bridge/pickups/neck mount.

Also, how thick is the back, and can you thin that out any more?

Yeah, if you did that but left the edges of the block for rigidity it would probably be structurally sound. Essentially two bathtub routes, one in front of the bridge, one behind. I guess the only concern might be enough contact with the top for proper glue adhesion.

 

[Scoops]

I’d remove wood from the center block except for where the bridge/pickups/neck mount.

Also, how thick is the back, and can you thin that out any more?

Yeah, if you did that but left the edges of the block for rigidity it would probably be structurally sound. Essentially two bathtub routes, one in front of the bridge, one behind. I guess the only concern might be enough contact with the top for proper glue adhesion.

Yes, removing wood from the center block is what I'm looking at. Not sure on the exact dimensions of where I'm going to do stuff, but I have some ideas I'm going to explore. I'll probably remove wood from the neck pup area, probably in the rejoin between the neck heal and bridge/bridge pup area. This would give me air under the pup. Just need to figure out how I would mount a t-bird pup. This was my original design intent, but then gave up on it to eliminate complications to the build. I could probably get extra long screws, some springs, and threaded inserts. I will want to keep some of the wood in the center beam intact to keep body rigidity.

Right now, the walls are .7" thick, the bath tubs are 1.5 deep, and total thickness is 1.85. I could take some off the walls and make the tubs a bit deeper. Because I don't have a provision for a tummy cut, I'll want to put a larger roundover, so I'll have to be careful on pool depth, wall thickness, and round over size. I could end up with a piece of scrap

 

[Reedt2000]

Just need to figure out how I would mount a t-bird pup

Don't route as deep under each PU? In the pickup locations just route as deep as you would for the standard pickup route. The rest of the bathtub can be as deep as you dare for weight relief.

 

[Scoops]

I could punch a bunch of holes. This way I'd leave something to glue the top to