News
The guitar builders blog | 260312
This weeks video blog.. an over-view and chance to see some of our work a bit closer… don’t forget to share! 
There comes a stage in a custom guitar build while the finish is curing and you lose focus.. . or start thinking about the next one A happy day is spent digging around in my timber storage.. this birdseye maple will be the top of the next guitar.. an acoustic
I was asked for a pic of the our drop top guitars.. and we can get even more of a curve if we want, I have an idea for a router tool that will allow me to rout a binding channel on this curved surface, it could be amazing!
Speaking of amazing.. more maple.. a burl this time.
Enough .. let’s start work.. the back and sides are selected
And need re-sawing
and book-matching.
Now, while I’m in the mood to create dust the stock(ish) guitars are in need of my angle grinder..
The headstocks are thicknessed down and the necks shaped.. a Dissident model with a padouk neck. The dust in the background is from just one guitar, and that is with two extractors going full blast!!
A Robert Fripp model next with a mahogany neck.
And that all important all-access neck joint.. comfort is key in one of our custom guitars.
By the end of the day I have 7 necks carved.. and need a shower!
The next day and Richard is in working away on the stock(ish) guitars.. the side dots are next up.
Now for me, the lacquer on the detachable twin neck guitar and bass has not fully cured yet, this makes the rubbing down process easier..
While Richard puts our new stainless steel and plastic side dots in..
I flatten the lacquer on the bass..
slowly..
very very slowly..
The guitar section is next.. just look at the marbling in this unique piece of poplar.
Two days later..
and we’re back in the spray booth, with a paint brush!! The hollow headstock was not very easy to spray and needed some more lacquer.
Remember the maple.. after going through the big drum sander the back is jointed on a shooting board I’ve been using for a decade!
titanium weight anyone? here’s a tip, do not buy a chunk of metal that you have no way of cutting, this stuff is hard! really bloody hard!!
The top is, in its turn, planed and sanded to thickness.
With the top and back curing in the background we get to this 45rpm guitar.. it is destined to contain a ton of electronics and fx pedals
and needs a huge control cavity. Pre-drilling with a forstner bit makes all the difference to the routing process.. we’re talking a time saving of about and hour for a job this size!
Finally the pin router is set up,
it routs away any material furthur away from the stop than, well, I choose..
and follows the curve of the top, but internally…
I leave you here.. with me updating the guitar builders blog.
All my best,
Ben
Crimson Guitars | Redefining the custom guitar