Andyjr1515

Lovely

I passed this over to Matt today I'm pleased and relieved in equal measure to report that he is very, very pleased with it He will do some proper videos of him playing it sometime in the future but, in the meantime, I grabbed these quick mobile-phone clips of his first go with it, as they say, 'straight out of the box': https://youtu.be/-Bckzvnup7I https://youtu.be/4qQ9iHK22IE Well chuffed....

Thanks, @Hellzero

I'll suggest it to Matt

Great build.

That is such a good solution. Engineered sculpture.

If the capacitor is where you show it on your diagram, it looks to me like it is just bleeding some treble off at all settings.

Wonderful build! Going to be spectacular.

Lovely job.

Excellent

I think he will Having pretty much finished the setup, I put the 'proper' strings on today - and I reckon this sounds every bit as good as my own. So that means I get mine back too! Result

It'll be worth it, though. Looking good

And finished, bar the final set-up tweaks. Forgive the self indulgence: ..and the obligatory artyish fortyish shots:

I've yet to see a poor Darrell Braun video. They are always balanced, informative and based on fact rather than myth. And yes - heeding the 'don'ts' that he mentions ref vintage, lacquered or bound boards - this is a perfectly good way of doing the job.

Excellent!

I can't seem to copy the Axminster tools web link but if the budget stretches to £90 or so this one is a simply wonderful spokeshave: Veritas Flat Spokeshave - PM-V11

Perhaps - and that's actually what the longer allen key is effectively doing. The only way though, in either case, is to get your hand fully into the chamber with the soundhole around your wrist. It's a bit like squeezing your hand into a ladies bangle (so I'm told)

Hi John. Very kind of you but an allen key is actually the easiest way. There's so little room, the bulk of even the mini ratchets don't really help. I had another bash today having found an allen key with a longer long side and a shorter short side. I now have the basic neck angle where I need it - I now just need to go through (hopefully) one more time to get a gap free joint. The really encouraging thing is that - now I've got the strings at a playable action height - it sounds as good as I'd hoped

I've done a build and a number of mods for @wwcringe (Tom) where the tone circuit is completely by-passable or isn't in place at all. Tom's preference is, in any case, to use rotary switches rather than potentiometers so, in most cases, the signal is going straight from the pickup to the jack. My view is the same as @Hellzero 's in terms of an A/B comparison but I doubt if you'd notice the difference as the volume and tone difference from different venues has a much bigger impact than any bypassing of a full-off pot would. Very easy to try it - it's just a single disconnected wire from the volume pot to the tone pot.

It's in the nature of acoustics that, even when they LOOK close to being finished, they often AREN'T all that close to being finished. The thing that makes it look pretty close is that the strings are on: and the neck looks OK: But, in spite of me having had 3 or 4 goes at the neck angle - which is a right old b***ache because every time you have to get the neck off (not easy fiddling about with allen keys through the soundhole) and then chisel evenly and at the right angle the shockingly hard rock maple and ebony - nevertheless, it STILL isn't right. It isn't far out - probably a couple of degrees - but the action is far too high with a test saddle sitting at the lowest practical level, and thus the intonation and playability is pretty shocking. A couple of degrees, including the flush fit challenge and the multiple re-assembly to see how close it is (this is essential because overdo it and you have a REAL problem. Getting that right can change the scale length!!!) will take a disproportionate number of hours. I'm tempted to make up a custom sanding block so I can sand both sides and the bottom of the tenon at the same time. However, there is very little left to do beyond that - truss rod cover, tweak of the nut, final polishing up, heel strap lock - and, I have to say, the tone sounds promising So ETA for finish remains end of next week, albeit with allen-key and set-screw shredded fingers.

Yes, indeed - looking good!

What - you mean like the other one did.... ?

The body varnishing passed the three day rule: after three days the varnish will have dried sufficiently to reveal if there are any nasties that would mean a sand down and a few more coats So we are now definitely on the home run. Today was completing the sanding and shaping of the neck and starting to apply the finish: The extension blocks on the heel are the same walnut as on the rosette, headstock plate and tailstock and so should provide some visual links. The heel and back/top of the headstock will be gloss, with the playing area of the neck slurried-to-satin with Danish Oil. Bone saddle is on order, tomorrow I will make a truss-rod cover and then, once the finish on the neck is complete, if will be ready to assemble and string up.

It will be interesting to hear what the others feel. For me, I come away reminded to always use Switchcraft jack sockets and to take great care soldering. I can't imagine how it would feel if silence suddenly descended...

Thrilled. This is what they're built for - I love seeing my builds played Great gig today, Neil. I was on a tight time schedule so didn't have chance to catch up after you finished but the Daz Kelly Band just goes from strength to strength. Bass sounded great, too