Birth of the Blue Missile

[blue missile]

I found a number ways to NOT make volume knobs this morning. Then the neck arrived around lunch time, so I pulled the frets, enlarged the slots and installed maple strips. I drilled out the small dots and installed 1/4" gold MOP dots. I re-tapered the neck to thin it down to the size of the SG, re-contoured the back and radiused the fretboard to the 12" Gibson standard.
Andrew

 

[blue missile]

I thought it looked very washed out so I went and put a thin coat of pre-cat on it for protection and now the ebony looks like ebony. I like the grain on this one instead of pure black.

 

[blue missile]

Today I got the headstock glued up and veneered. By the way you can never have too many clamps. The sun always turns the pick orange, the ones in the shop are what youll see most of the time.
Andrew
[ame="https://www.facebook.com/andrew.cohen.5492/posts/599936370122821"][/ame]

 

[blue missile]

I know this is not working on the Missile, but this is me getting what I desire in stead of compromising with Gibson.
Its all the same mindset though, nothing beats making one of a kind things.

Here is the alt8 for the bridge and the 59/custom for the neck. The entire guitar is bookmatched material, since the original one looked good I made a jig for punching the screw holes and I made a couple of sets of bookmatched covers for the pickups.
I also made a truss rod cover mirroring the headstock out of ebony and more bookmatched veneer.
Andrew

 

[MOBodyman]

I've got nothing here but..........WOW! That thing is going to be beautiful! I can't even play and now I want one just to look at lol.
Dallas

 

[66340SEDAN]

I know this is not working on the Missile, but this is me getting what I desire in stead of compromising with Gibson.
Its all the same mindset though, nothing beats making one of a kind things.

Here is the alt8 for the bridge and the 59/custom for the neck. The entire guitar is bookmatched material, since the original one looked good I made a jig for punching the screw holes and I made a couple of sets of bookmatched covers for the pickups.
I also made a truss rod cover mirroring the headstock out of ebony and more bookmatched veneer.
Andrew

What kind of wood is that? Some kind of funky maple? Awesome stuff Andrew rayer:

 

[blue missile]

66,
yes, good call. Maple burl to be exact. Left over from the pedalboard project.
Andrew

 

[Sunburnt-65]

:burnout:After its together, a plane ticket. Im not driving to FRIGGEN Canada!
Andrew

I go down to Texas once in a while.. I grew up in Laredo. Still have friends down there..

 

[blue missile]

I got the bookmatched billet of spalted quilt maple yesterday.I got it planed down to thickness and squared up, Today I got the headstock machined for the tuners and I got the neck cut down and glued to the back pieces.
This afternoon I got the rough shape cut out of the back. got it routed out for the wires and got the electronics area cut out. I also got the top cap glued down. More tomorrow.

 

[blue missile]

In spite of the fact life has pegged the stress meter, I got this far on the guitar today.
Tomorrow I need to make a template to route the pick up locations, and then finish the square cut shape.
Andrew

 

[blue missile]

Sorry for the lack of posts there was a while I could not up load images. Seems to be back to normal now.
I have the electronics assembled as a module, the guitar has all its finish, still have to polish it out, and put the logo on the headstock.
Andrew

 

[blue missile]

Here is the finished product, I got to play it last night and it is sweet!
Hopefully back to the Missile very soon.
Andrew

 

[blue missile]

Just thought i would drop you guys a quick note, I have been working on the funding for the rest of the Missile and the acquisition of a building for a shop. It looks like things are coming together and there will be a 7200sq/ft building in the plan.
Oh yeah Im building another guitar, they keep me busy and they are a lot cheaper than a hot rod to build.This time an Explorer out of claro walnut, macassar ebony and thuyla burl.
More later.

 

[daredevil]

That guitar would be at home in an art gallery.BEAUTIFUL! You never cease to amaze me.

 

[blue missile]

Sorry the Missile is still on hold, but So either my loving family bought me a surprise zither, or the claro walnut arrived.
I sanded it down from the roughsawn and threw a wash of lacquer on it for a looksee. I never noticed the sap (white) wood in the pics. There often is very cool grain at that transition zone, which is the case here, opening some interesting possibilities. I am favoring the one with more of the sapwood.
The fingerboard wood is called Red Cooliubah burl (From Australia). I will slice it and dice it so the flames ascend the length of the fret board.
Andrew

 

[MOBodyman]

That guitar would be at home in an art gallery.BEAUTIFUL! You never cease to amaze me.

Yes indeed! I'm looking forward to following the new project, too.
Dallas

 

[blue missile]

Well the reality of the new shop gets closer day by day, and with it a paint booth a motor and a tranny. Then we are off to the races. In the mean time I have re-sawn the burl and I am starting the process of putting the package together for the finger board. here are a couple of pics to give you guys the idea of where Im going.
Andrew

 

[Rockerdude]

WOW. How did I miss this? I am a guitar builder myself, and I am quite impressed! If you want to check out my stuff the page is https://www.facebook.com/AJEguitarspage

I have a new batch of guitars waiting in a large pile of black limba, 4A curly maple, and tons of time too of course. Very cool!!

 

[Carman340]

Love the stories from "The Time"
Those were good days in the USA.
If I were as good a story teller as you, Andrew, I would probably add a few of my own.. ..Like the time...

 

[blue missile]

Here is the layup for the fretboard, all the seams are at a fret, and there is plenty of room side to side.
Andrew

 

[blue missile]

Here is the finger board stock cut to width and with the Walnut, I think it looks cool.
Andrew

 

[Serj22]

Nice gibson. Can you come finish the guitar I've been building since 2007? lol I keep carving it into different shapes and forget to actually put the hardware in it. It's "done" now as I put the fretboard on it... but one day I'll have time. I made a solid block of Paduuk, Maple, and purple heart and carved it all out of that single piece. TRuss rod going through the neck will hopefully keep it from bending too bad.





I remember this fretboard template I made. I scrapped it too. Never been happy about the shape of it, but I'll figure something out...

 

[blue missile]

looks like a Batlith

 

[Serj22]

looks like a Batlith

lol. had to look that up. Klingon sword? I'd like to think it doesn't but I guess kinda. I just thought it'd be cool to do a single piece design. I saw an 80s guitar that was shaped like a rectangle, but the back end was where the pickups and hardware were, and one side was the neck, the other part of the body, and the "headstock" met the two parts with a big empty rectangle in the middle. I thought to myself - that looks so 80s cool. SO I made a modern one. The guitar I made before this was a M16 that I made each individual piece out of wood, and flattened them, attached a stock Fender neck and sold for $500. Didn't take long to make and someone enjoyed it obviously.

 

[blue missile]

Yes