Custom Building an AM style guitar

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Author Message Tg4080 Username: Tg4080 Registered: 01-2006 Posted on Thursday, June 01, 2006 - 9:39 pm:    Hi All, Anyone that knows me, knows that I play Ibanez AM's or my handmade guitars exclusively. It has been a while since I have built a guitar and I had never built a semi-hollow before so I figured it would be a fun project to build one based on the Ibanez AM series guitars. I am going to post pictures and comments on its progress periodically through the progression of the build. Here is my general plan so far, much of it is in the air and I look forward to your input... I decided to go with a flamed tiger maple top over a 2 piece mahogany body. For the neck, Stew-mac.com sells a mahogany archtop blank for about $60US or I may go to my local hardwood store and buy a mahogany, flame maple, mahogany three piece to build the neck blank with an ebony fretboard and medium, medium frets. The tuners I am still up in the air about...maybe gotoh autolocking tuners? I think I am going to go with the Tone Pros locking bridge and tailpiece, push-pull pots for coil tapping and either dimarzio virtual hot PAFs or a SD combination. I am not sure yet what kind of binding I will use and if I will bind the fretboard. As far as neck position markers, I do not know what I will go with. I am thinking I will probably do this one in gold hardware, which I usually dont use but I want it to look refined but not overboard. I may do a simple treble clef design in abalone..what do you guys think? I may opt for something more basic. Finally, I am still deciding on the color. I am leaning toward a tangerine-ish burst but some of the other options I am considering are cherry sunburst or transluscent red. Also the Tiger Eye staining technique that Paul Reed Smith uses looks really nice and I have never tried that before. When it is all said and done I am looking for an instrument that has the same feel as the vintage AM-100s and AM-205s with a curly maple top, plenty of sustain and tonal diversity. Here is what I have so far....... Tg4080 Username: Tg4080 Registered: 01-2006 Posted on Thursday, June 01, 2006 - 9:43 pm:    I spent a little while tranfering the general shape and layout from my AM-100 (which I just sold) and AM-205. Tg4080 Username: Tg4080 Registered: 01-2006 Posted on Thursday, June 01, 2006 - 9:50 pm:    Eventually, everything was marked out onto the master body shape inlcluding poteniometer positions etc. Next, I bought the wood for the body. I bought a real nice 1inch thick bookmatched, quartersawn, hard curly maple, plained it to 1/2inch and glued it together. I also opted for a 2 piece mahogany body. Two pieces are better than a single piece as they warp much less. Both pieces were kiln dried to approx 8% humidity and allowed to acclimate before working with them. Tg4080 Username: Tg4080 Registered: 01-2006 Posted on Thursday, June 01, 2006 - 9:55 pm:    The next step was to use a bandsaw and rough cut the body. The plan is to cut out the body shapes and hollow out the mahogany sides leaving a center block and then place the 1/8inch thick carved top on to the sides and back. This will give the guitar plenty of hollowbody sound and lots of sustain. The back will have a 1/4 inch of carving as well. Tg4080 Username: Tg4080 Registered: 01-2006 Posted on Thursday, June 01, 2006 - 10:00 pm:    Finally, today I bought a palm plane and I started carving the top as the old violin makers used to do. Both sanding and carving the top take patience and hardwork. Technically, I shouldnt have started carving until I have cut the F-holes and all the controls out, but I wanted to see how the plane worked and hopefully by tomorrow or this weekened I will have that taken care of and can finish carving the top! Let me know what you guys think so far and give me input on what pickup combinations, hardware, neck type, shape, and tuners etc you think might be good for this piece. I am looking forward to everyones input. Fg100 Username: Fg100 Registered: 03-2004 Posted on Friday, June 02, 2006 - 8:40 am:    Wow! Great! Keep us posted. Funkle Username: Funkle Registered: 12-2001 Posted on Friday, June 02, 2006 - 10:40 am:    Nice project! How are you going to carve the top to 1/8"? Tg4080 Username: Tg4080 Registered: 01-2006 Posted on Friday, June 02, 2006 - 6:52 pm:    I've just cut the Fholes and started more carving. I am using a violin's miniature palm plane with a radius cut. It is tough work but I like to do things like they did in the good old days. Here is a picture of the plane. Funkle Username: Funkle Registered: 12-2001 Posted on Friday, June 02, 2006 - 9:55 pm:    It must be very painstaking to keep the thickness consistent, and not carve through. Do you use some kind of a caliper? Artfield Username: Artfield Registered: 04-2001 Posted on Saturday, June 03, 2006 - 6:06 am:    TG , check your email Tg4080 Username: Tg4080 Registered: 01-2006 Posted on Wednesday, June 07, 2006 - 3:32 pm:    Artfield, Thanks for the email! I really like that guitar. Hopefully mine will come out as well. Do you know what he used to bind the body? It almost looks like he taped it off to get a natural maple look like PRS does. I would be interested in any ideas you have for color and appointments for this guitar. Funkle, I have just about finished carving the top now, I am just sanding 80-grit to finish off the contour and I will be posting more pictures soon. I am guessing that I will start carving the inside of the top tomorrow, and I have a variety of different sized calipers to give me an idea of the thickness. The hardest part is going to be around the F-holes as I am sure I could easily chip off a piece of wood as it gets closer to 1/8". Guitartim Username: Guitartim Registered: 04-2001 Posted on Wednesday, June 07, 2006 - 11:38 pm:    Tg4080~Amazing project! Obviously you are experienced at this complex woodworking/luthiery. Your blanks and design also look like a Gibson CS336 or CS356. Those are hollowed out mahogany bodied guitars with flame maple tops. Ibanez was first to offer the smaller semi-hollow style however. As far as pickups, what do YOU want this project guitar to sound like? A jazzer, rocker, or a little of each? Super 58's are the obvious, but you could put in any boutique humbucker or even something twangy like a SD Phat Cat. Really, the choices nowadays are huge. Please keep us posted on your progress. Tg4080 Username: Tg4080 Registered: 01-2006 Posted on Saturday, June 10, 2006 - 9:20 am:    Alright sorry it has taken so long to post a few more pictures. In this first picture it shows the top about 70%+ finished. This one shows the bottom being contoured. The final picture shows the top with a little more light. Hopefully tomorrow I can post some more updated pictures. I am almost ready to start the neck now. Guitartim, I am leaning toward a pair of Lindy Fralin PAFs somewhere around 8 in the neck and 9 in the bridge. Anyone give his pickups a try? He handwinds them in richmond virginia and he is one of the leading experts in original PAF design. Jimmys Username: Jimmys Registered: 05-2003 Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 8:12 am:    TG4080, You are doing what I have dreamt of doing for years. I even made a plan of the AM205 that I used to own so I could do this one day, but I think I'd have to start on an easier solid body design first! It looks like it is going really well. Where did you source the flame maple top wood from? I assume you are in the US. I am not but I am interested all the same. Thanks, James Johns Username: Johns Registered: 02-2001 Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 11:56 am:    TG4080: I'm totally into your project and watching it come together. Thanks for sharing so much of the process with us. Like Jimmys, I have a question about the wood, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind telling us the cost? Funkle Username: Funkle Registered: 12-2001 Posted on Thursday, June 15, 2006 - 9:01 pm:    Are you going to go thinner on the top, or is it finished? Do you do anything to "tune" it? I've not tried Fralins, but I thought he was known mostly for his single coils, even though he does make a humbucker patterned after the gibson PAF. Looking good! Please continue to post updates. Tg4080 Username: Tg4080 Registered: 01-2006 Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 6:37 pm:    Sorry for the delays... I bought the maple on ebay. and I paid 50 dollars after shipping which was a good deal as it is quarter sawn with a decent figure. However, If I were to do it again, I would definately buy a billet from Grizzly. They sell shop tools but the owner is a extravagent luthier and he has stockpiles of AAAAA quilt maple and curly maple at very good prices. The mahogany cost me about 40 or 50 dollars as well. I havent had much time to work on it lately as I have been very busy, however I should be able to post some more progress after this weekend :-) Tg4080 Username: Tg4080 Registered: 01-2006 Posted on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 - 10:18 pm:    Hello all. I have been very lazy about posting progress of my guitar build. However, I have made significant progress.... I am binding the guitar with a solid white binding and then ebony/maple/abalone/maple/ebony purfling The next set of pictures shows some of the progress on my neck construction. I was very fortunate to pick up this excellent piece of quartersawn honduras mahogany. I have now begun to use round microplane surforms and spokeshaves to get the neck shape I desire. At this point it is starting to look like a guitar kit. I have now installed the neck at a 4 degree angle. and in the following picture I have just begun the pickup routs. I wish I didnt have to edit my pictures in order to post them as smaller files but I should be able to post a few more soon. I am currently installing the binding and purfling. I have added headstock wings and cut out the shape of my headstock, which is different than my signature headstock but I am very happy with it. It complements the body style well. take care, Tom Fg100 Username: Fg100 Registered: 03-2004 Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 6:24 am:    Very nice Tom. Wildfield Username: Wildfield Registered: 05-2005 Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 10:18 am:    Wow, looks great. Many parts of guitar building seem very difficult to me (having never attempted to build a guitar) but joining the neck to the body seems particularly difficult. It must be incredibly hard to achieve a perfect 4 degree angle. Do you use shims or other adjustment devices to dial it in? Or do you have to just be precise when you cut the dovetail joint? Also, how did you cut the chambers in the mahogany body? Are the size of the chambers calculated, or do you just remove as much material as you can? Looks very nice...thank you for posting photos of your progress. Funkle Username: Funkle Registered: 12-2001 Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 11:57 am:    Great progress. Thanks for the pics. -Sven Guitartim Username: Guitartim Registered: 04-2001 Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 7:01 pm:    Tom~That is going to be one gorgeous guitar! Keep up the good work. You've got us all in luthier school with this project. Tim Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 05-2006 Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 8:54 pm:    This Lindy Fralin seems to be a very good PU specialist. The humbucker types on his website are interesting: split singles (look like Fender humbuckers), and Unbuckers... http://www.fralinpickups.com/humbuckers.asp#prices He rewinds to, at $50.= an hour, but there are some types and brands he resists working on (mostly European and British stuff). I was wondering: What would rewinding my MAXON Fender Humbucker imitation of my Kasuga Telecaster Custom cost? Perhaps it's better to buy a Twangmaster (split single) right away... For your project the "Unbuckers" are perhaps an interesting possibility. You could realize a coil split with push pull pots. (no extra drilling holes). Greetz, Ginger Ale Tg4080 Username: Tg4080 Registered: 01-2006 Posted on Wednesday, August 30, 2006 - 4:25 pm:    Hello all, I'm finally back. I really have not gotten much farther on my project because i have been quite busy with others orders and I have been waiting until I have the funds to spend the extras on the hardware. Gemberbier: Lindy is a good man. Knows all about the original PAFs and is pretty reasonably priced compared to most P/U specialists. I believe he said that a pickup usually takes an hour so it is up to you. I ordered a pair of Gold Unbuckers and I do have coil split switches going in. Too bad their's such a wait for his stuff. Wildfield: I am sorry--when I get working I forget to take a lot of pictures. The majority of the mahogany chambers were cut with a router with a roller bearing and a template I made. It was finished up with gouges, a finger plane and hand sanding so that I could get the air displaced by the string vibration to focus on the top and out of the F-hole. Here is an update on binding and purfling. Working with pure abalone purfling is very difficult and time consuming in order to get it perfectly smooth on top and to make it look like one long piece all the way around. In actuality, there are hundreds of little pieces all perfectly fitted together. Tg4080 Username: Tg4080 Registered: 01-2006 Posted on Wednesday, August 30, 2006 - 4:31 pm:    Wildfield, Yeah the 4 degree angle was calculated based on the bridge I choose (Tone Pros) and the height that it would sit above the body so to get close action on the neck. It is one of the most important aspects of building to ensure a great playing instruments and has to be very accurately cut. Tg4080 Username: Tg4080 Registered: 01-2006 Posted on Wednesday, August 30, 2006 - 4:51 pm:    Also, I have the following old hollowbody I am thinking about restoring.I am not sure of what factory it came from but am sure that its old --at least as old as the 50s. If I had to guess it was probably a harmony or something along those lines although it was rare to see 4 ply binding on those companies. If there is anyone interested, I will strip, refinish, build the neck and add the appointments that one should wish. Feel free to email me if their is interest. Pitviper Username: Pitviper Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Wednesday, August 30, 2006 - 10:51 pm:    Great looking work...I've watched your progress and am impressed, especially with the carving you have done with the mini plane tool. Nice old fashioned touch that I can respect...old school rules! I do have a question...do you plan on inlaying the neck? Or just plain dots?...seems a shame not to put a very nice neck inlay on that beauty. Wildfield Username: Wildfield Registered: 05-2005 Posted on Friday, September 01, 2006 - 4:37 pm:    TG - it's looking great. Thanks again for posting photos of your progress. You appear to be doing a fantastic job. Wish I had your talent. Tg4080 Username: Tg4080 Registered: 01-2006 Posted on Saturday, October 07, 2006 - 7:54 pm:    Sorry I have been so slow with the progress of this...I'm basically working as I have the extra money to spend on needed supplies. Pitviper, what would u suggest for the neck inlay. I do not want to "over do" this guitar as I have already put a quite extensive binding on the top and have a pretty nice headstock veneer. To be honest i have been debating just abalone sidemarkers and leaving the fretboard jet black or jetblack with one layer of binding aroundthe neck and headstock but i am certainly open to opinions. Pitviper Username: Pitviper Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Monday, October 09, 2006 - 7:54 am:    Tg, Sorry for the "book", but this is what I do( well used to do...now it's just special jobs for a select few)...hope it does not bore a person with your skill. As far as inlay goes...on this guitar I can "see" a few options that I would like if it were mine. First, abalone side markers would be appropriate and desirable too me in any inlay scheme..and leaving the fret board "blank" would look nice. Second, matching the abalone in the trim, standard "moons" would be especially nice. Side-rails (as I like to call them) in many configurations would also look great. A very tasteful vine or custom "personal" inlay on a handmade guitar is also exciting to think about. That would be the route I would travel..I would want something that took NOTHING away from the overall scheme and only added extreme beauty and value. To me a fantastic inlay is one that augments the natural beauty of a guitar, and enhances the "feeling" of your special baby in a tasteful way that no other non-electronic feature can do. I have a program that allows me to do just that. I input a body/neck style and then add the exact color of the fret board wood. Then the magic is I have standard inlay and custom shapes that I can "insert" into it that to match whatever color of material you might use...ie...MOP Gold MOP, abalone...etc..etc.. End result is then you can see what it will look like PRIOR to any work being done. I would use it to try a variety of patterns that "fit" and then select the one that is aesthetically pleasing to me. Sorry to post so many options, yet the sky's the limit in my mind. It's a blank canvis and there is no better way to start, as I'm sure you know...oh the possibilities. I would have the following if she were mine.. 1) Gold MOP Truss rod cover 2) Gold MOP nut 3) Paua abalone side markers 4) Paua abalone volume/tone indicators 5) Gold MOP Switch surround 6) Gold or Silver MOP switch knob 7) A tasteful vine inlay(think artwood)...and I mean tasteful..nothing "gaudy" 8) Vine thru the headstock.. 9) Back of neck would have a paua abalone line down the middle. 10) Custom wood pickup rings either the color of the body or fret board. 11) Builders name, intitals and or serial (#1) in back of headstock in MOP/abalone/silver/gold wire combo. Seems like a lot I know...but actually it's very tasteful and does nothing but enhance the look..instead of it being the "look". You have a beautiful work of art there...I would certainly love to have/inlay it.\ Pit Pitviper Username: Pitviper Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Sunday, October 22, 2006 - 2:21 am:    Btw...email me and perhaps you can take some measurements and I'll imput them...then show you a few styles in color and correct scheme, perhaps that might also assist you in determining what you would like. I don't have the vine inlay imput yet...but am working on it. Tg4080 Username: Tg4080 Registered: 01-2006 Posted on Sunday, October 22, 2006 - 7:26 pm:    Pit, Thanks for your input. I am actually in the process of moving across country from NY to California as I have just taken a job out there. I leave tomorrow so it will probably be a solid week before I am up and running again with internet etc. However, I really appreciate your ideas and would love to see what the guitar would look like in a couple different combinations. I will update the forum with my latest pictures and email or even call you with some dimensions and discuss the project when I get settled in. Wildfield Username: Wildfield Registered: 05-2005 Posted on Sunday, October 22, 2006 - 10:10 pm:    TG, What part of California? If you're moving to the Bay Area, there are a few of us here. Let us know if you need help with anything. Darryl Pitviper Username: Pitviper Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Sunday, October 22, 2006 - 11:57 pm:    Sounds good...actually I'm also in California. Jchester Username: Jchester Registered: 05-2006 Posted on Wednesday, October 25, 2006 - 12:04 am:    Amazing project! I haven't been in such a sustained state of suspence since "24" ended! Pitviper Username: Pitviper Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Saturday, December 02, 2006 - 6:27 pm:    Bump Acetan Username: Acetan Registered: 09-2003 Posted on Tuesday, December 05, 2006 - 12:30 am:    Just a suggestion for the neck inlaid. Pitviper Username: Pitviper Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Sunday, February 11, 2007 - 1:20 am:    Bump... You make it out here TG? Guidothepimp Username: Guidothepimp Registered: 9-2005 Posted on Wednesday, February 21, 2007 - 6:27 am:    +1, im yearning to see the finished product Tristan Username: Tristan Registered: 3-2005 Posted on Wednesday, February 21, 2007 - 9:51 am:    man, I bet it looks amazing. with those gorgeous abalone inlays and a nice PRS style flame it would put a real AM in the shadows.. Jchester Username: Jchester Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Wednesday, February 21, 2007 - 11:54 pm:    It's been a while... I hope he, and the guitar, are alright! Pitviper Username: Pitviper Registered: 8-2005 Posted on Saturday, March 10, 2007 - 11:10 am:    Bump Bump... calling TG....you make it ok?

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