S906_6 Body and fretboard...

Trussrods... lots of trussrods. After cleaning them up with a file they need to be waxed on each end. The wax acts as a rust preventive as well as a lubricant and prevents any accidental glue from sticking to the rods.


With the CNC machine cutting bodies is about positioning on the table. I don't have a vacuum system yet so I have to use blanks big enough to have guide pins and screws hold them. This doesn't mean the top has to be that big. So here I positioned the top so that when we cut it out we don't miss....



Control cavity on CNC.


Bridge pickup on CNC.


While the machine is cutting the body I can work on the neck. Flamed padauk fretboard on the padauk neck should look pretty cool.



At least I got the top positioned right.



Looks pretty good.



The top joint looks tight.


A quick look at the rough cut body with a bit of naptha to see the flame.

S907_Express necks glued in...

Necks glued in, Neck pickups cleaned out and Heals shaped.



Which one is which? All taped up for fretjobs... a bit of overkill.


Fret dressing tonight.

Pickup spacers do not make themselves...

Wood spacers do not make themselves...

S907_Express frets and carves...

Headplates. I went with ash headplates to match the bodies. I wanted Padauk but I ran out... and looking at them now these were the right choice.



Starting on the tuner recess and holes.



Finishing up tuners.



Fretted


Body


Starting on stainless steal frets. I managed to destroy a set of flush cut side cutters and my favorite set of end nippers. Long story short my ideal angle side cutters that I turned in to flush cutters cut stainless steel fretwire like butter. They were great except they didn't fit in between the lower frets so I modified them. Now they are awesome.





Side dots



One is black now...



Another coat of black.




Rough carve. Something a little different that better suits the ash body.



Close to done.



Headplate


Shaping the neck.








Test fit.





Still a lot to finish but getting close.




The other one is black.











Mahogany one piece 7 string body.