workshop diary | Crimson Guitars | redefining custom | Crimson Guitars

News

the Crimson Guitars workshop diary and video blog- 130212

This past week has been nothing if not difficult, there are few things more frustrating to me than having lots of work to do and being unable, through illness, to do much of it.. Luckily though I was able to come in and get on with the jobs that wouldn’t irritate my poor battered lungs (and they do feel like something you would find in the local chippy!)

First a stunt shot of me filming the diary footage for last weeks video blog..

And while looking through the job list for things that don’t involve dust I dug out my old Jazzer.. it is in need of a neck-mounted pickup and scratchplate..
For today I’ll just share a few photo’s, it is not in the gallery anywhere.. back then the cameras were not quite up to it!
The main problem with this guitar was the finisher I gave the job to.. all the purfling was covered in the way too thick black paint
though he rather graciously managed to leave me the abalone inlay on the back.. the lesson here is do the work yourself!
After a few days off I get to the new stock(ish) range of guitars.. each one will be unique and entirely custom.. part of that is in the binding and inlay choices.. with this ebony board the dots are stainless steel tubes with padouk centres to match the padouk binding.
the end pieces are mitred and glued in place..
This neck, made as a test piece by an apprentice a few years ago, is cut from the body.. a triage rather similar to the fate of the apprentice I might add! Somehow the neck ended up with a twist in the neck and one in the fretboard.. glue together plane flat.. fret and it plays great.. move the truss rod either way and it moves like the Millenium Bridge!! We have a better class of help these days and the replacement neck will be along soon.
Four of the stock necks have inlaid and are now fretted.. thank you Richard!
Now to Pauls paf, the headstock is roughly marked out.. each guitar we build is unique so our template is more of a guide than a definitive goal.
Once the tuner positions are worked out, we aim for perfectly straight string pull, the final shape is realised on the bobbin sander.
Richard using the overhead slot cutter to make a new padouk fretboard for the replacement neck.
And cuts a padouk veneer for Pauls paf.
so far so good
I cut out the truss rod access and rough headstock outline into the padouk veneer (if you can call 3mm a veneer?)
both fretboard and veneer are clamped up and left to cure.. a good day.
More inlay.. some relatively standard dots..
abalone..
ah, more abalone!
I love the flamed effect in this piece of abalone, we want unique guitars and this helps us get there!
A happy half hour sorting necks and bodies together.. I’m really looking forward to this first batch under finish..
excess inlay and glue is filed away and the binding begins.
Just a few more dots
Excess binding is planed away with my block plane
with the very last step using a sharp chisel to stop any chance of damaging the fretboard.
Four more waiting for frets..
Pauls paf.. tuners drilled..
This time I’m trying stainless steel for the logo inlay.. hard on the saw blades but attractive!
After roughly engraving the logo I mark around it with a sharp scalpel.
And it is glued in place.
Now, back to the replacement neck.. I want to apologise to the guitar so am plumping for something special..
abalone halos!
After carefully cutting them out I mark around with a scalpel.
Then, even more carefully, I recess each channel with a small custom made chisel.
And the glue is applied.. and the inlay pops!