Update!!! 7/15/2010

Just wanted to give a quick update. I was able to work on some stuff yesterday and I believe the Koa top TBM is finaly ready for paint. I was also able to get the new TBM bass body glued together that I am starting (see picture). I also got the new MG-1 pre-drilled for the wiring of the pick-ups and ground wire. I just need to glue the MG-1 body blank together. The new TBM bass will now be ready for routing out the body shape and I will also start on the necks for these two as well. Also on this new TBM bass I may call it TBM-V22, since it will be more vintage looking and have a 22 fret neck, not sure yet. I hope to get paint on the Koa top bass next week at some point. Well until next time Play On and pray for our country and it's so called Leader!

UPDATE!!!!!!!!! 7/12/2010

I got some good work done this week. I was able to get the Koa top TBM-4 pretty much done but I noticed some spots on the heel of the neck and the neck pockett that I wanted to touch up. So I added epoxy to those areas and I am just waiting for the epoxy to cure out for a few days before final sanding.

I was also able to get two more body blanks milled down and ready to be glued together. You can see in the pictures what they will look like. I am going to build another MG-1 4 string with, Chrome hardware, rosewood f-board w/ mother of pearl dots, white body, tortis pick guard, j-pups w/ passive electronics. Details subject to change if it becomes a custom order. Price as described $1,295.00

I am also going to build another TBM-4 which I think I may call it a TBM-4.22 because I am going to use the MG-1 neck on it, which is a 22 fret with in-line tunners. I want this to be more vintage looking with a PJ pick up set, passive electronics and a pick guard. Should be nice! It will be blue body, maple f-board w/ black dots, chrome hardware, mint or white pickguard. Subject to change if it becomes an order for a customer. Price as discribed will $1,295.00

In the next photo you can see the template to the new Guitar that I am working on. The template still needs to be sanded down to the final shap but it is close and gives you an idea to what it will look like.

Wow I said I was not going to start anything new until this Koa top bass was done and then I got all this done yesterday in the few hours that I had to work. Once I get the neck template and body sanded down to the final shap I will show everyone. Well I can't wait to start working on these other instruments now and will update you soon, I HOPE! Until next time Play On and feel free to comment, I love the feed back.

More pictures!

These are just more pictures that I wanted to add from this last update!

UPDATES!!! 7/6/2010

Well I cannot believe it but I was able to work on the KOA Top TBM model two times this past week and got a lot of work done. I think one more work day on it and it will be ready for paint. I was able to get the f-board radiused and fretted along with final shaping the back of the neck. I also got the neck and heel joint set up. I still need to level the fret markers on the side of the neck and final sanding of everything. I have other projects I want to start but I am going to wait until I get this one complete. Until next update, hope you had a great 4th.

Play On!

Update!!! 6/7/2010

Well I was able to get some good work done yesterday, on the Koa Top TBM-4 neck. I am going with a Wal style headstock where it is a 2+2 with a Fender style drop down headstock. As you can see in the pictures I have used my Safty Planer to do most of the work and this is the first time using it on a neck and it worked great. Also I used the same planner for the back of the neck to taper it from the nut to the heel making it thinner at the nut and getting thicker towards the heel. Once I got that done I started on rounding the back of the neck and I got that done. The only thing left to do to the neck is clean the back of the headstock wher it transissions to the neck and give it a final sanding. I almost forgot I have to radius the f-board and add the side marker dots and drill the tunner holes. Take a look at the pictures and let me know what you think.

Play On!

6/2/2010 Update!!!

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend! I was not able to work on the Koa top TBM-4 but I was able to work on the design of my first guitar model (no name). I also got the Mahogany body blank for my new guitar. The Guitar will have an all Mahogany body and neck with a rosewood f-board, chrome hardware with a tunomatic style bridge with tail stop. It will be a simple set-up guitar 1 volume knob and 1 tone knob with a 3 way pick up selector switch. I have not deceided which pick ups I want to go with yet P-90's or Humbuckers. This guitar is going to be all about bare bones simple and to the point. It will have a pick guard and black speed knobs. I will continue to work on getting this guitar ready then built. As you can see in the picture it is going to be a single cut design. The template is a shout from the back of the guitar or a left hand version because the other side of the template has so many lines on it you would not know what you were looking at. Let me know your thought on the new design.

As in my last post I had mentioned my router went out on me but it is magically working again and I am happy about this now I can continue to work on the Koa top bass. Until next time, Play On!

Update!!! 5/25/2010

Koa Top TBM-4: This week I was able to get the Truss Rode epoxied into the neck along with the f-board glued on. I also was able to get the neck pocket shem shaped and ready to be glued in. I did it out of Figured Myrtle and I think it will give a nice contrast. That is all this week. Next week I hope to get the f-board radiused along with the back of the neck and the headstock recessed.

I am also starting the scetches for the Guitar I am wanting to build and offer. It will be a semi hollowbody with a mahogany neck rosewood f-board and a mahogany or Poplar body. I have the body shape "I think" complete. I will need to cut it out and see. I am also considering shaping the top like an Archtop. It should be cool! I am going for a guitar when playing the neck pup it will be able to get that fat Jazz tone and when playing the bridge pup I nice dirty rock tone ala Jake White. I will post pic once I feel it is a good rendering of what I want in the end.

Until next time, Play On!

Update 5/17/2010!!!

Well this week I got some more work done on the TBM-4. I was able to get the neck surfaced down to the final thickness and straight as an arrow. I also got the truss rode c hannle cut along with slotting the f-board frett slots. Durring the truss rode routing my router started shooting flames out the top. The router still works but it want turn off so I think it is time to get a new one. I can't be to made because I have been using this router for 8 or 9 years now but still who wants to spend $300 on something. Anyway enough crying.

UPDATE!!!

Nothing to show this week. It being Mothers Day I was not able to get an work done. That was OK with me becaue I got to see everyone but I did not get to spend as much time as I would have liked with my Wife who had her first Mothers Day this year.

I did get the parts I needed in to continue working on the current bass and also I can start on my first guitar and I will be doing another MG-1 model as well. Well I hope to work on the bass this week, so until then Play On!

5/3/2010 UPDATE!!!!

I was able to get some work done on the Koa Top TBM bass this weekend. I was able to get the neck pocket routed out and it fits like a glove. I will have to make a peace of wood to go in the pocket to build it back up, so the neck will not sit to deep in the pocket. I also got the f-board milled down to final thickness and I am ready to start the fret slots. This is about all I was able to do this week because I need to get more parts in to move forward. I was able to order everything today to finish the bass and I hope to have everything by this weekend so I can get somemore work done. You will also see a picture of the TBM template for a five or more string bass body. Well I hope you like what you see and until next time. Play On!