Meanwhile in Las Vegas...

[Leo_Gnardo]

It all looks wonderful. I expect that cedar makes the workshop smell terrific too, what a nice side effect. Diggin' the nylon bolts you use to guide your fret saw, veddy clevah!

[Chuck H]

John,

I don't know if it would null the effort of selected tone wood for a finger board to use some sort of impregnation on the cedar to improve wear resistance. Maybe if it doesn't penetrate too deeply? I'm thinking about it because I know cedar isn't as hard as rosewood, maple or other typical fingerboard woods.

[John_H]

John,

I don't know if it would null the effort of selected tone wood for a finger board to use some sort of impregnation on the cedar to improve wear resistance. Maybe if it doesn't penetrate too deeply? I'm thinking about it because I know cedar isn't as hard as rosewood, maple or other typical fingerboard woods.

No, I'm sorry Chuck the fingerboards are rosewood. The new neck billets are Spanish cedar. I have a couple of necks that are further along. They're Honduran. One is for a for a guitar with a figured redwood top on a chambered Honduran body. That's where I'll need the impregnation. The grain texture on the figuring is chaotic with a lot of little voids. I'm not sure what I'll do yet. I usually use z-poxy. It's easy to work with, and super clear, but I don't think it'll penetrate well enough to harden the redwood.

[John_H]

It all looks wonderful. I expect that cedar makes the workshop smell terrific too, what a nice side effect. Diggin' the nylon bolts you use to guide your fret saw, veddy clevah!

Thanks! The scent isn't as strong as red cedar, but it does have a very pleasant aroma. I've used the nylon bolts for a few things. They're super tough.

[Helmholtz]

The wood species is cedrela (odorata or fissilis) aka cedro, a member of the mahogany family and close relative to swietenia, right?

[John_H]

The wood species is cedrela (odorata or fissilis) aka cedro, a member of the mahogany family and close relative to swietenia, right?

Yes, that's the stuff. I found this information also.
https://www.wood-database.com/spanish-cedar/

[Helmholtz]

Yes, that's the stuff. I found this information also.
https://www.wood-database.com/spanish-cedar/

Great! I am familiar with this database and also have some books dealing with timber identification.
Surely an excellent wood for necks (if straight grained and well seasoned) and all kinds of less heavy guitars.

[John_H]

Great! I am familiar with this database and also have some books dealing with timber identification.
Surely an excellent wood for necks (if straight grained and well seasoned) and all kinds of less heavy guitars.

I was lucky to be able to cull through several boards and select a very suitable piece. Really straight with symmetrical grain. I try to not use any timber that hasn't had a good chance to acclimate in this dry climate. This has been on the rack for months. I cut this up, and glued the scarf joints a few weeks ago. I'm in no hurry right now. Next step is truss rods.

[Chuck H]

No, I'm sorry Chuck the fingerboards are rosewood. The new neck billets are Spanish cedar. I have a couple of necks that are further along. They're Honduran. One is for a for a guitar with a figured redwood top on a chambered Honduran body. That's where I'll need the impregnation. The grain texture on the figuring is chaotic with a lot of little voids. I'm not sure what I'll do yet. I usually use z-poxy. It's easy to work with, and super clear, but I don't think it'll penetrate well enough to harden the redwood.

Ah, My mistake then. And I've always wanted to experiment with redwood as a tone wood. Except I don't build guitars Looking forward to hearing about that project.

[John_H]

The little Bogen amp that I was working on at the beginning of this thread wasn't all that well suited for guitar. The 7868 power tube doesn't have much harmonic distortion. I've already got a couple of small amps that sound good, so I'm going to use the Bogen as a little bass amp. I had an old Radio Shack full range 15" PA speaker hanging on the wall of sound that's now housed in a 19 X 19 X 12 box. I did the back so I could run it open, or closed. The low power speaker has a 3" aluminum dust cap over a 1 1/2" voice coil. It's pretty efficient. The cap is definitely audible. Almost like a horn giving the mid range some flavor. I covered it with brown tolex with wheat grill cloth.


The guitar in the picture is one that I built six years ago Jmastr sized mahogany body walnut top 5/8" wide figured maple binding. 25.5 scale bound fingerboard. It's in for the 50,000 mile service. The finish has checked pretty badly. I was using a different lacquer then, but I think it experienced a thermal shock that made it craze.

... I've always wanted to experiment with redwood as a tone wood....Looking forward to hearing about that project.

I'll probably get back to the redwood guitar next weekend. My next step on it is to slot the ebony fingerboard. I started it in the spring. It's pretty far along.

[Chuck H]

Considering the photo... So is that going to be a bass amp or a baritone guitar amp

Looks great! And I love the lightly spalted, rustic look of that guitar too

EDIT: Almost forgot kitty.. Animals are my favorite people. Clearly you have some similar inclinations if boots is willing to go near your amplifiers

[John_H]

Considering the photo... So is that going to be a bass amp or a baritone guitar amp

Looks great! And I love the lightly spalted, rustic look of that guitar too

EDIT: Almost forgot kitty.. Animals are my favorite people. Clearly you have some similar inclinations if boots is willing to go near your amplifiers

Thanks Chuck. I hadn't done that color combo before. I going to get some more of the tolex and make an enclosure for the little amp.

It's a drag about the finish on the guitar. It was gloss over the walnut. I used black grain filler. It was the sister guitar to this one of mine. Same body shape, and pickups.

That's the new cat. She's a year old now. My old sidekick Elvis had to be put down this year. He was a good boy.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Thanks Chuck. I hadn't done that color combo before. I going to get some more of the tolex and make an enclosure for the little amp.

It's a drag about the finish on the guitar. It was gloss over the walnut. I used black grain filler. It was the sister guitar to this one of mine. Same body shape, and pickups.

That's the new cat. She's a year old now. My old sidekick Elvis had to be put down this year. He was a good boy.

Handsome axe! Elvis too... And I see you have the requisite oil drip catcher strategically located under the VW engine on your buggy. That's lookin' good too!

[Chuck H]

I feel that John. I lost my best dog ever (Ben) just about a year ago and I miss him terribly. No new doggy yet, but the wife is starting to text me pictures of rescue dogs that she likes so it won't be long We lean toward the primitive or bully breeds (or a mix thereof) because they get along with other critters (cats, chickens, etc.) when the alpha (that's us) tells them too. Pit bulls are great for this believe it or not. Whatever comes next will be our fourth dog as a couple. I guess it's just how we roll

[John_H]

Handsome axe! Elvis too...

Thanks Leo, that's the closest thing I have to a tele.

And I see you have the requisite oil drip catcher strategically located under the VW engine on your buggy. That's lookin' good too!

That buggy was fun. Just an old school sandrail. It weighed around 900lbs, had about 90 hp. You could climb about anything, do wheelies, and go 100 mph on the flats with shitty brakes. All perfectly safe of course. I sold it a couple of years ago.

I feel that John. I lost my best dog ever (Ben) just about a year ago and I miss him terribly. No new doggy yet, but the wife is starting to text me pictures of rescue dogs that she likes so it won't be long We lean toward the primitive or bully breeds (or a mix thereof) because they get along with other critters (cats, chickens, etc.) when the alpha (that's us) tells them too. Pit bulls are great for this believe it or not. Whatever comes next will be our fourth dog as a couple. I guess it's just how we roll

Yes, don't shop adopt. Pitbulls and pitbull mixes are most usually wonderful pets. They don't deserve the stigma attached to them. Unfit owners are generally the problem.

I've only ever had one dog. It's amazing how attached you can get.