SWIFT CREEK GUITARS
  • Home
  • Bio
  • Collection of Work
  • Model Details
    • 000-12 w/ Venetian Cutaway
    • Black Limba OM w/ Sailboat Inlays
    • SG-Tele Style Electric
    • Deep OM in Figured Oregon Myrtle
    • L-00 Style, Cutaway with Sunburst
    • Walnut and Redwood Grand Auditorium
    • Maple OM
    • 000 12 Fret Maple and Leopard Wood ​
    • Small Jumbo w/ Florentine Cutaway
    • Grand Auditorium w/ Venetian Cutaway
    • CS-336 Style Archtop Electric
    • L-00 Style 12 Fret ​
    • Grand Auditorium w/ Florentine Cutaway
    • T-Style Electric
    • Slope Shoulder Dreadnought
    • 000 12 fret Cutaway
    • OM - Peruvian Walnut w/ Sinker Redwood Top
    • L-00 Style w/ Sunburst Top
    • Grand Auditorium - Black Limba
    • OM w/ Florentine Cutaway
    • Thinline Tele-Style
  • The Process
    • Neck Construction
    • The Rosette
    • Binding
    • General Construction Gallery
  • "On the Bench"
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Bio
  • Collection of Work
  • Model Details
    • 000-12 w/ Venetian Cutaway
    • Black Limba OM w/ Sailboat Inlays
    • SG-Tele Style Electric
    • Deep OM in Figured Oregon Myrtle
    • L-00 Style, Cutaway with Sunburst
    • Walnut and Redwood Grand Auditorium
    • Maple OM
    • 000 12 Fret Maple and Leopard Wood ​
    • Small Jumbo w/ Florentine Cutaway
    • Grand Auditorium w/ Venetian Cutaway
    • CS-336 Style Archtop Electric
    • L-00 Style 12 Fret ​
    • Grand Auditorium w/ Florentine Cutaway
    • T-Style Electric
    • Slope Shoulder Dreadnought
    • 000 12 fret Cutaway
    • OM - Peruvian Walnut w/ Sinker Redwood Top
    • L-00 Style w/ Sunburst Top
    • Grand Auditorium - Black Limba
    • OM w/ Florentine Cutaway
    • Thinline Tele-Style
  • The Process
    • Neck Construction
    • The Rosette
    • Binding
    • General Construction Gallery
  • "On the Bench"
  • Contact

A Carved Top Project

10/1/2016

1 Comment

 
I haven't posted in a while but it's not because I'm not doing anything.  I'm actually working on three builds at a time, including working on my first carved top (or archtop) guitar.  This is in the style of a Gibson CS-336.  It is sorta like a shrunken ES-335, with the exception that the construction is quite different.  An ES-335 has bent ribs (or sides) and the top and back are pressed laminated wood.  The CS-336 is constructed by hollowing out a slab of mahogany and the top is carved.  In order for the top to be able to be carved it must be thick enough.  I am starting with a 5/8" nicely figured maple top.

​Before beginning the top carving, I initially used a forstner bit to hog out most of the insides and that was followed by a router.  In addition, I had to rout the channel for the binding (I didn't take any photos of that procedure).  Also, I had to plane the appropriate angle for the fingerboard (and neck) to ensure that the strings are the right height at the bridge.  After this is done, I can begin the top carving. 
​
I have placed the maple top on the body with only screws at this time.  I will need to remove the top and carve out the inside of the top.  The objective is to have the top approximately 1/4" thick.  Once that is achieved, I will be able to rout the mortise for the neck , cut in the f-holes and complete carving the top. 

​I started carving by hogging off a large amount of maple using an attachment to a grinder.  That is followed by using a small concave bottom hand plane.  Of course all of this will be followed by a lot of sanding...  To access the electronics I installed an access hole in the back.  This is accomplished by using various routing templates.  There is a lot of work ahead...
​
1 Comment

    On the Bench

    This is my blog of what I'm working on now.

    Archives

    November 2020
    August 2019
    September 2018
    March 2018
    October 2017
    October 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016