Beveled armrest and neck install

 Veneer for the Beveled armrest section was installed. This is the last piece of the binding. Veneer is an 1mm thickness of Cocoboro. After installed the veneer, I took a rough sanding session for entire body. Detailed sanding session will be done after complete the neck joint and fingerboard installation. I also have done the neck joint work. I have not done the detailed fitting work for the neck joint. I just cut a channel for the mortise joint. I also cut a mortise for the neck. I have been using a mortise cut jig for both the body and the neck. This jib enables to precisely cut for the desired neck angle.  

Next week, I will take a precise neck joint fitting and the neck install. Then, I will take the neck shaping work.

Binding Install

 Binding install work is almost done. This is a time consuming work. All mitered sections for the BW pirfling materials must be very precisely installed. I have been using a magnificent gurgle for the precise work. I also installed narrow binding sections for the beveled armrest. Binding material is the Madagascar RW. All binding materials must be precisely fitted to the body shape for the best quality. After install the binding material, I use a rope based clamping technique to make the best fitting. 

Body binding channel cut

 Body binding and purfling channel cut work is done. I also bended binding and purfling materials. Binding material is the Madagascar RW. Binding material requires precise adjustments to make very precise fitting to the binding channel. This process is very important to realize precise fitting for the binding install. Now, the body is ready for the binding and purfling installation. I did not show the completed fingerboard. I added some photos for the completed finger board on the neck. I added a 21st fret extension.

Neck making Part-2

After complete truss rod channels cut, neck volute was cut. Then, I adjusted the neck head thickness to 10.5mm. This makes total 14.5mm neck head thickness with head plate veneers. The neck head plate veneers were installed. Front side is the Madagascar rose wood, and back side is the African padauk. In the front side, black and white veneers were also laminated in between the Mad RW and the neck head.  I also completed the neck head outline cut. Now, the rough neck making is done. I will back to the body for binding installation.

Neck Making

 I move to the neck making. Neck material is an 1" thickness Honduras Mahogany. Neck has the three piece configuration. Fingerboard material is the Indian ebony. Indian ebony is herder than the African Ebony. This guitar has the 650mm fingerboard slotting. This guitar needs fingerboard binding. Binding material is the Madagascar rosewood. This neck has the V-joint between the beck and the head. I have a V-joint cut fixture to realize 15-degree neck head angle. Rough cutting for the V-joint has been done by the Band saw. After the rough cutting, detailed fitting work has been done for both neck head and the neck. Neck head and blanks were glue jointed using the tight bond.

Closing Box

      SSJ body is closed. Before closing the body, I applied three coats of shellac in side the body. Shellac coat improves the moisture resistance against environment change. For the top, I did final scalloping for the top bracing. Then, I applied three coats of shellac inside the top. After closing the top, I trimmed out over laps on the top and the back. I also shaped the beveled armrest portion. Now, the body is ready for the binding work.

      I did tapping test for the body. This body showed a slightly tight tap tone. Generally speaking, SSJ body shows tighter tap tone than MD body. This is due to the tight waste shape. I will take a little bit aggressive thinning on the top when it complete the binding installation. This process will be the final tuning for obtaining the desired tone. Before the binding work, I will make neck blanks and fingerboard.

Side laminate, block making, side assembly, and more ......

 SSJ making project has many progresses. Side laminate, block making, side assembly, solid lining making and install, and carbon rod install. The guitar body is almost ready for closing. All working steps have been done as I expected. At this moment, there is no issue, and everything is under control. I will close the box next week.