SerpentineGtars

Our first GB&C documented build is for a Swiss client looking for a basic "workhorse" guitar. The budget was kept relatively low without compromising on quality - taking advantage of the UK pickup maker's, IronGear, products.

The guitar is based on a particularly well-known "offset-V" made by Jackson, combined with the headstock shape made popular by Metallica's James Hetfield...



Layout drawn...





Truss channel routed...





Neck (Maple/Walnut/Maple w/ Indian Rosewood fretboard) tapered, ready for final carve...





More updates to come soon!

SerpentineGtars

Now the body (Mahogany), through which a wiring channel has been drilled out to allow for the jack positioning on the inside-upper wing...



Neck glued and hardware (Schaller Roller-TOM, IronGear "SteamHammer" bridge pickup and Hipshot Grip-Lock tuners) test mounted...





Body bevelling...



Neck join/heel carve...



The guitar will be dyed black and oiled to finish - more updates to come soon!

TJHague

That is absolutely gorgeous. I will definitely be watching for more updates.

R45VT

Did the customer specify the recessed bridge?

Guitar looks fantastic. Please keep the thread updated.

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SerpentineGtars

Thanks for the kind words.

The Schaller bridge is not as tall as a regular TOM, so a slight recess for the bridge to sit in made more sense than adding a 1 degree neck angle. It was a joint decision between myself and the client.

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SERPENTINEGUITARS.COM | BRITISH CUSTOM MADE GUITARS - BUILT WITHOUT COMPROMISE

Completed Builds Post | Carve-top DC | Custom V | Custom Ash/Rosewood DC (in progress) | Ash/Wenge SC (in progress)

R45VT

Yeah.... 1 degree.

Can't wait to see it finished.

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SerpentineGtars

Black dye and Tru-Oil is the chosen finish for this guitar. So, after some final sanding, the first two coats of dye were wiped on - we're aiming for a solid black finish on this one...





This is now left until tomorrow before a very light sanding and one or two more coats of dye are applied.

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SERPENTINEGUITARS.COM | BRITISH CUSTOM MADE GUITARS - BUILT WITHOUT COMPROMISE

Completed Builds Post | Carve-top DC | Custom V | Custom Ash/Rosewood DC (in progress) | Ash/Wenge SC (in progress)

epiphone14

Looks great! But I'm biased that is my favorite type of headstock.

W4RP1G

What kind of dye do you use?

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SerpentineGtars

I'm using leather dye as I find it easier to achieve a solid black finish with less coats

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SERPENTINEGUITARS.COM | BRITISH CUSTOM MADE GUITARS - BUILT WITHOUT COMPROMISE

Completed Builds Post | Carve-top DC | Custom V | Custom Ash/Rosewood DC (in progress) | Ash/Wenge SC (in progress)

Jason Jillard

nice, reminds me of the RR style v i did in switzerland, it had a ken Lawrence headstock too



how do you find the oil finish interacts with dyes? ive always gotten major color changes, and with black, i found my oil rag was taking a lot of the black off.

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Handmade Custom Guitars: www.jillardguitars.com
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W4RP1G

Cool, I was wondering how it would react with tru-oil. I used an oil-based leather dye the other day and then sealed it with shellac, but the shellac seemed to lift the dye out of the wood. It never dried, just made a goop that I had to scrape off.

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SerpentineGtars

I've had problems in the past when using stain and oil - usually I found that the stain would lift.

I have done a couple of tests with the leather dye and oil (Tru-Oil) which went well... No lifting at all. Applying a very thin first coat to seal the dye seemed to do the trick.

I find that leather dye (when applied thick in a number of layers) creates a film on the wood surface, it doesn't soak into the wood so much as you'd find when using products intended specifically for wood, (W4RP1G) this may explain the gloopy mess you described - maybe the Shellac dissolved that film of dye.

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SERPENTINEGUITARS.COM | BRITISH CUSTOM MADE GUITARS - BUILT WITHOUT COMPROMISE

Completed Builds Post | Carve-top DC | Custom V | Custom Ash/Rosewood DC (in progress) | Ash/Wenge SC (in progress)

Jason Jillard

i wonder if misting the first few coats of oil on with a gun would help avoid lifting. it may the whole fact that its getting wiped on thats the issue...

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Handmade Custom Guitars: www.jillardguitars.com
Twitter! https://twitter.com/#!/JillardGuitars

SerpentineGtars

I expect that would work. However, I did apply two thin "sealer" coats of Tru-Oil to this guitar by hand rubbing today; not a trace of black dye on the rag whatsoever. I don't use Danish or Tung oil, so I can't comment on using those, but there appears to be no issues when combining a leather dye and Tru-Oil finish

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SERPENTINEGUITARS.COM | BRITISH CUSTOM MADE GUITARS - BUILT WITHOUT COMPROMISE

Completed Builds Post | Carve-top DC | Custom V | Custom Ash/Rosewood DC (in progress) | Ash/Wenge SC (in progress)

Speckled_Hen

Its looking really nice, can't wait to see it with the oil on.

Purely for selfish reasons of course. I want to do the same on my build :P

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SerpentineGtars

Not too much longer to wait then... last coat of oil going on later today... There should be some initial completion photos by mid-week

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SERPENTINEGUITARS.COM | BRITISH CUSTOM MADE GUITARS - BUILT WITHOUT COMPROMISE

Completed Builds Post | Carve-top DC | Custom V | Custom Ash/Rosewood DC (in progress) | Ash/Wenge SC (in progress)

Boonnoo666

Looks awesome!
May I ask, where did you get the wood for the body?

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Schecter Damien FR
Kramer Imperial
Peavey Valveking Head
Marshall 1936 JCM900 lead cab

W4RP1G

I'm excited to see it!

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Homemade pickup winder!