Amazing that I've never been to this forum! Just found it this morning, even though I've been coming to rukind for many years just for tabs/chords. A lot of you folks blew my mind! I lost quite a few hours this morning checking out all the builds and mods and questions and setups...just everything. Cool place! Almost serendipitous actually, because I was out here in the shop, having just taken off the clamps on my new headstock and neck thru build.
I made this about 6 years ago. Birdseye maple bookmatch top, and 3pc birdseye back. It has a music man maple neck. Neck pickup when this was taken was a hot rail humbucker? I think? Middle and bridge are super II's. Only difference now is I'm running whatever the bridge pickup was from an old music man in the neck position because it gave me way more clarity for slide playing. Each is coil tapped now, all with dpdt switches, the 5 way is standard i guess, 1=neck, 2=neck+middle, 3=middle, 4=middle+bridge, 5=bridge. Master volume, middle knob is for middle tone, and bottom knob is neck/bridge tone. I even have a kill switch in it now lol. No buffer though.
I'm in the process of replacing it though. Not sure why tonights pics are fuzzy, but I'll make sure they're clearer as I go. This headstock is from some leftover mahogany from some custom exterior doors I made for a customer last year.(I do carpentry and woodwork for a living) Still needs some final planing to make it just right. I accidentally knocked a chunk off this morning, but no foul cause it's waste wood right there anyway. Neck is curly maple with a black cherry middle. Going to reuse the walnut pickup ring and electronics from my current guitar, but I'm putting in some new tuners and a new bridge. I'll probably make a figured walnut veneer to glue on top of this headstock. The round spot on the the top is going to hold a bleached white hickory sphere that I'm turning on the lathe. I'm using it in place of a signature or logo inlay, more like a signature in itself, not sure I've ever seen one like that yet.
The body wings are easily the densest, most tonal black walnut I have ever run across. This wood was dredged up from the bottom of the local Coosa River almost 80 years ago, and has been curing in log form, indoors ever since. I've just been milling it myself as I need it. Super dark, and extremely hard. These are a little shy of 1 1/2" thick. The completed body will be 1 3/4" thick.
And the body cap is pretty much wolf shaped, except I pointed the upper horn to match the lower. This is a much softer wood, bookmatched spalted sycamore which I milled a few years ago. It grew across the street from my parents house until the water board cleared the way for new lines. Back in the 80's, one of my brother's friends from school lost control of his truck and slammed into this tree, which wound up being fatal. So, I made it a point to rescue nearly every bit it. I've made many many cool things with it, bowls, cabinets, boxes, and whatever else I could think of. And it should be pretty nice for this guitar imo! (the boards are laying at angles in this pic, making the gap look big. I just have them laying on the section of neck that I have to route down the same thickness as these pieces so they sit flush with the bottom of the fretboard) No neck angle on this one either.
And finally, I'm building a couple of neck through's to sell. I only have one of them cut and glued tho. It has the same wolfish design as the other one I'm building. The neck and the body are both 7 layers, curly maple, walnut with mahogany centers. I've got my new ebony fretboard blank that just came in today laying on it
I haven't bought any of the parts for this one though. It might take a long time now since my work has slowed down and both my kids are in high school lol.
and a side view of the body
Sorry so long! Had a lot to share for a first post tho. This def seems like the place to do it tho lol. Hope yall enjoy the process as much as I will!
I made this about 6 years ago. Birdseye maple bookmatch top, and 3pc birdseye back. It has a music man maple neck. Neck pickup when this was taken was a hot rail humbucker? I think? Middle and bridge are super II's. Only difference now is I'm running whatever the bridge pickup was from an old music man in the neck position because it gave me way more clarity for slide playing. Each is coil tapped now, all with dpdt switches, the 5 way is standard i guess, 1=neck, 2=neck+middle, 3=middle, 4=middle+bridge, 5=bridge. Master volume, middle knob is for middle tone, and bottom knob is neck/bridge tone. I even have a kill switch in it now lol. No buffer though.
I'm in the process of replacing it though. Not sure why tonights pics are fuzzy, but I'll make sure they're clearer as I go. This headstock is from some leftover mahogany from some custom exterior doors I made for a customer last year.(I do carpentry and woodwork for a living) Still needs some final planing to make it just right. I accidentally knocked a chunk off this morning, but no foul cause it's waste wood right there anyway. Neck is curly maple with a black cherry middle. Going to reuse the walnut pickup ring and electronics from my current guitar, but I'm putting in some new tuners and a new bridge. I'll probably make a figured walnut veneer to glue on top of this headstock. The round spot on the the top is going to hold a bleached white hickory sphere that I'm turning on the lathe. I'm using it in place of a signature or logo inlay, more like a signature in itself, not sure I've ever seen one like that yet.
The body wings are easily the densest, most tonal black walnut I have ever run across. This wood was dredged up from the bottom of the local Coosa River almost 80 years ago, and has been curing in log form, indoors ever since. I've just been milling it myself as I need it. Super dark, and extremely hard. These are a little shy of 1 1/2" thick. The completed body will be 1 3/4" thick.
And the body cap is pretty much wolf shaped, except I pointed the upper horn to match the lower. This is a much softer wood, bookmatched spalted sycamore which I milled a few years ago. It grew across the street from my parents house until the water board cleared the way for new lines. Back in the 80's, one of my brother's friends from school lost control of his truck and slammed into this tree, which wound up being fatal. So, I made it a point to rescue nearly every bit it. I've made many many cool things with it, bowls, cabinets, boxes, and whatever else I could think of. And it should be pretty nice for this guitar imo! (the boards are laying at angles in this pic, making the gap look big. I just have them laying on the section of neck that I have to route down the same thickness as these pieces so they sit flush with the bottom of the fretboard) No neck angle on this one either.
And finally, I'm building a couple of neck through's to sell. I only have one of them cut and glued tho. It has the same wolfish design as the other one I'm building. The neck and the body are both 7 layers, curly maple, walnut with mahogany centers. I've got my new ebony fretboard blank that just came in today laying on it
I haven't bought any of the parts for this one though. It might take a long time now since my work has slowed down and both my kids are in high school lol. and a side view of the body
Sorry so long! Had a lot to share for a first post tho. This def seems like the place to do it tho lol. Hope yall enjoy the process as much as I will!
So now I guess I'll just have to use that ebony blank for my own guitar 
It's some seldom used local wood, sumac. This picture doesn't do it justic with it's metallic shiny greens and yellows and oranges and browns. The grain really compliments the shape though! (or is it the other way around?)
