Back joint and center strip install

 The Custom MD uses Honduran Rose Wood for back and sides. This material has very nice quarter sawn cut. I joint the back, and then I installed the back strip and Black-white border. I do not sandwich the back center strip that some guitar makers sandwiches. I make a channel and then install the center strip in the channel. This makes much better back joint stability. Back strip material is Madagascar RW that has much darker color than Indian RW. I also added BW border to make nice color contrast. 

I also cut a laminate material for sides. I have been using Yellow cedar for the laminated side. Yellow cedar is a light weight material. However, this material has very nice high pitch tap tone. Spanish guitar makers have been using this material for back and sides for replacement of Spanish Cypress. I also use Yellow cedar for solid linings. Next week, I will have side bending and laminate work.

Top bracing work

I did top bracing work for the custom MD project. Bracing work starts from the bridge plate install. I picked a Brazilian RW for the bridge plate. All bracing wood are curved for 30' radios for the top doming. I have been using a custom vacuum clumping system for the bracing wood gluing process. Vacuum clumping technique is able to avoid glue voids, because air is sucked out, and it makes solid joints between brace wood and the sound board. Some people believe that the animal glue makes good sound. I do not believe the glue material has an effect for improving sound. I believe the perfect glue joint is more important than using glue material. It is very heard to use animal glue for vacuum clumping, because the animal glue set way too first. Thai is why I have been using the Yellow wood glue for my vacuum clumping system.

 

Rosetta making

 I did Rosetta making this weekend. MD has a Brazilian RW Rosetta with original ornamental. I have not done the install work for the ornamental. However, I will do in next couple of days. I also completed the sound hole cut. Inside of the sound hole, I also added a black dyed poplar. This additional layer is able to seal a moisture penetration to the spruce top cross grain. This additional work not only makes a unique look for the Rosetta, but also makes an additional moisture resistance. 

New bracing pattern and Top brace wood making

     This is a 12th fret joint MD model, and I need to modify the existing bracing pattern for 12th fret joint. I needed to move the sound hole position 10mm toward bridge. This modification requires for the 19th fret fingerboard design. Photo is the new bracing pattern for the MD 12th fret joint. Bridge plate location also needs to move a little bit tail side. 12th fret joint design is able to install the bridge at an ideal location on the sound board, from a view point of the sound board vibration. I am very excited about making a 12th fret joint MD model. This design will make very nice over tones. 

     I cut brace wood from chopped Adirondack spruce logs. This material looks like fire wood. However, this material has been stored couple of years in my shop. I have been using Adirondack spruce for bracing with very good results. Adirondack is also very easy for shaping using chisel, knife, and small plane.

Custom MD project Start

 I started a custom MD project. This is a 12th fret joint MD model. The goal is to make a guitar with  many overtones possible. Top is a Carpathian spruce. Rosetta is a Malaysian black wood with three original ornaments. I made original ornament couple of years ago. This cute ornament makes a unique Rosetta.

00 Mahogany complete

 00 size Mahogany body 14th joint model complete. Specifications for this guitar are shown below.

Size: Martin 00 size

String scale: 650mm

Strings: D'addario EJ-16

Top: Adirondack spruce with Adirondack X-bracing

Sides: Figured Mahogany with Yellow Ceder laminate

Back: Figured Mahogany with Adirondack spruce lattice bracing

Body has two carbon fiber rod reinforcements from the neck block to the body-back for preventing the body deformation issue. 

Body Bindings and Center strip: Ebony with BW trim

Rosetta: African Padauk with original ornaments

Neck: Three-piece Spanish ceder with Vee-jointed head.

Neck Joint: Permanent joint with two mortises (Ervin Somogyi style)

Neck reinforcements: One way truss rods and two Graphite rods.

Tuning machines: Schaller Grand Tune

Front Head Veneer: African Black wood 

Back Head Veneer: Catarox

Finger board: African Black wood 14th fret joint and 650mm scale

Neck Heal: Ebony

Bridge: African Padauk

Bridge Pins: Ebony

Nut and Saddle: Bleached Cow Bone

Case: Gator

Ukulele Complete

Ukulele Making is complete. I made this ukulele as a gift for my closed friends they recently moved to Maui Hawaii. This ukulele has the balsa and graphite epoxy composite top with A-frame bracing. This design created a very successful result. This ukulele showed super crispy sound. I also used super thin top thickness. I also installed a graphite rod in the neck. For the finishing, I used water based acrylic lacquer spraying. So, the ukulele has enough robustness for daily use. I hope, this ukulele becomes a nice music companion for the happy couple in Maui.