Electric Classical

[Peter Crossley]

Re: Electric Classical

neck blank being routed for truss rod and carbon fibre
this blank is Qld Maple/Tas Myrtle pinstripes/Silky Oak/Purple Heart
\

Carbon fibre rods epoxied in



Neck cut from blank




Ebony Bridge Stock

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: Electric Classical

I am definitely looking forward to seeing how this turns out. Looks a great piece of work.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Electric Classical

Good to see ya 'round these parts Pete, I'd been wondering what had happened to you.

This project looks great, an interesting departure from what you usually show us. I'm really interested to see what your vision is for the completed instrument, it's got a lot of potential for a variety of 'looks'. What's the nut width going to be ?

 

[Peter Crossley]

Re: Electric Classical

Good to see ya 'round these parts Pete, I'd been wondering what had happened to you.

This project looks great, an interesting departure from what you usually show us. I'm really interested to see what your vision is for the completed instrument, it's got a lot of potential for a variety of 'looks'. What's the nut width going to be ?

Nut width on this is 47mm, which is around 2-4mm narrower than a "standard" clssical, also the neck joins the body around the 17th fret, again a departure from standard, as classicals traditionally only join at the 12th..
22 frets, and access to all of them, another departure, but I figure you need to get to those frets,

It really is a prototype when it comes to nylon stringers..

 

[Ashurbanipal]

Re: Electric Classical

Looking good; what kind of tuners and headstock arrangement are you going for? I'd expect something with straight string pull from you .

 

[Peter Crossley]

Re: Electric Classical

Looking good; what kind of tuners and headstock arrangement are you going for? I'd expect something with straight string pull from you .

No, being classical in thought, and the machine heads that will be used, tends to make it hard to get a straight string pull, although it should'nt be as pronounced a string angle as traditionals..


back of body glued and shaped onto sides



Inside showing kerfing and bracing, quite a thick back (Electric remember!!) 6.5mm so only minimal bracing



Tail end showing inlaid herringbone..

 

[Ashurbanipal]

Re: Electric Classical

^^ Yeah, you'd have to get custom made tuners. There have been makers who have done headstocks with straight pull, but I suppose on a classical it doesn't matter too much as you don't bend strings. In my experience, the D string tends to be most problematic, but a properly cut nut helps.

Here's a Southwell with a solution for straight pull.

Others have used flamenco style pegs with a solid headstock, like Trevor Gore from NSW.

 

[Peter Crossley]

Re: Electric Classical

Bridge Time...

Here is the ebony blank and the template I'm using.



This is the bridge rough shaped and with the paring slot to separate the string block from the saddle block



This is the jig I built so I could rout the paring slot, I will use it again to rout the saddle slot later



And this is what it will look like on the top, its in postion. Also I will be compensating the saddle, which is another departure from standard classicals, they are all straight, which I dont get..



More bridge works,

the saddle mount is more defined...

and I couldn't help myself...

a little inlay,


well.....


seeing as how the neck will be blank,


and ihate to see a nice piece of ebony without inlay...

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Electric Classical

Very clever. I can't wait to see more as it progresses to completion. Nice...VERY nice indeed.

 

[Peter Crossley]

Re: Electric Classical

slotting the fretboard.

I took this down to just over 6mm


Board slotted but not yet trimmed sides wise



edges cut and planed and end of board shaped



Top kerfing glued into place..

 

[Peter Crossley]

Re: Electric Classical

heres the back all sanded nice so that the figure shows..



Got a set of these
why are good classical machines sooooo farking expensive...

I got an extra set of black rollers for these, cos I dont like the white so much, $200.00 :yikes:

I saw some spanish ones going for $750.00



Having so much fun with this build I thought I would start another one..
On the weekend I caught up with a guy who supplies me some timber from time to time, Its all nearly extinct stuff..

No papers :shhhh

Most of it he gets from old woodworkers that have just got too old, and they sell off their hoards..

Got a lovely board of Rosewood quarter sawn, nice grain pattern which will be the sides, been sitting in some old guys shed for over 30 years.

This already has 60 mm taken off the edge for the new sides



and in closeup



It bends really well, surprised me actually, quarter sawn, hard as f**king nails, bends lovely


In the mould and tail block glued in



I also picked up this little score...hehehehe

Purple Heart, 2200 x 200 x 25 dressed......

Awesome plank!!!

 

[Ashurbanipal]

Re: Electric Classical

Yes, classical tuners are expensive; you could buy a decent guitar for these:http://www.guitarsalon.com/p4215-alessi-tuning-machines--simplicius-1925.html.

There have been critiques in the past of Smallman because he didn't use $1000 on his $30k guitars; I read something about it years ago and thought it quite amusing.

That's some excellent rosewood and purpleheart!

 

[Jocelyn]

Re: Electric Classical

Nice build. Lovely Purple heart. Nice to see something diff here, on the forum.

 

[Peter Crossley]

Re: Electric Classical

Neck Time












Little bit more.

Truss rod cover cut from a piece of Onyx synstone, inlaid, it will have the magnetic catch on it..
press the pointy end and it pops up.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Electric Classical

The woods look beautiful, and the quality of the craftsmanship is unquestionable.

Is the fretboard going to be flat, or have some radius ?

 

[Peter Crossley]

Re: Electric Classical

yes a 20" radius on the board, I like the feel of a radiused board a little more than flat ones...

and as the whole thing is a bit of an experiment anyway... might as well keep breaking traditions...

 

[Peter Crossley]

Re: Electric Classical

Box closed up, and neck pocket routed



Fretboard being glued on,

 

[scottish]

Re: Electric Classical

this is just way too cool.

 

[Peter Crossley]

Re: Electric Classical

Binding and purfling

This is the stepped cut

Binding is Cocbolo, which has to be bent on the bending iron, then a b/w/b fibre purfling



This is the purfling, its a maple purfling mounted on a flexible backing, thats glued in then I fill it with black epoxy (Z-poxy) then sand it all back.
Each little piece of maple is an individual piece...



and close up

 

[astrozombie]

Re: Electric Classical

nice !!!