Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

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Jason Rodgers
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Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:05 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

Post by Jason Rodgers »

Happy New Year, MIMF friends! I present to you here my fourth complete instrument. She was strung up and played yesterday, and given final fittings and adjustments today.

Details are as follows:
- One-piece maple body, purchased from David King.
- Two-piece maple bolt-on neck, scarfed headstock, CF tubes, flame-y maple fretboard, two-way truss rod.
- 25" treble to 26" bass multi-scale fretboard, perpendicular fret at the 12th.
- TransTint black onto bare wood and sanded back for much of the instrument. Fiebings Leather Dye Ox Blood red on the fretboard, with some black, too.
- All the black plastic is ABS sheet with the textured side up. Pickup covers are thermoformed 1/16" sheet and the pickguard, cavity control cover, and truss access cover are 1/8" sheet.
- Tuners are budget locking (i.e., Chinese Sperzel clones... a little rough).
- GraphTech Wilkinson saddles with a custom phenolic base plate.
- The humbuckers are my own pickups of a special recipe. They're the same as on the #3 walnut and spalted maple guitar that is its "twin". Simple 3-way switch for bridge, bridge-neck, and neck. Volume and a push-pull bypass tone: pull up for tone with a .022uf cap, push down to bypass the tone circuit.

This is, by far, my best effort. It plays and sounds soooo good! It's #4, and I think I'm getting the hang of this!
Maple- front.jpg
Maple- front.jpg (45.57 KiB) Viewed 25994 times
Maple- body.jpg
Maple- body.jpg (41.77 KiB) Viewed 25994 times
Maple- headstock.jpg
Maple- headstock.jpg (49.16 KiB) Viewed 25994 times
Maple- back.jpg
Maple- back.jpg (44.52 KiB) Viewed 25994 times
-Ruining perfectly good wood, one day at a time.
Gordon Bellerose
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Joined: Wed May 30, 2012 11:47 pm
Location: Edmonton AB. Canada

Re: Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

Post by Gordon Bellerose »

Very nice Jason!
I really like your body shape. The red/purple fingerboard works well too.
The pickguard is very well suited to the shape too.

Nice work on the multi-scale.

How is it finished? Lacquer?
I need your help. I can't possibly make all the mistakes myself!
Jason Rodgers
Posts: 1554
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:05 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

Post by Jason Rodgers »

Thanks, Gordon! I forgot to mention the finish in my list: splash o' shellac followed by Formby's low gloss tung oil on everything. The body got 6 coats of oil, and the neck and fingerboard 3. I love the oil on the neck, but I've been following Tweedy's thread and will get a quart of the General's Enduro-Var to try out on the next one.
-Ruining perfectly good wood, one day at a time.
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Hans Bezemer
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Location: The Netherlands
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Re: Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

Post by Hans Bezemer »

Happy newyear to you too.

And what a way to start 2016: Good work man!

I like it.

Hans
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Dan Smith
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Joined: Mon May 18, 2015 9:33 pm
Location: Texas

Re: Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

Post by Dan Smith »

Looks great, Jason!
The pickguard really goes well with the body!
The bridge and pickups look sweet.
Very nice!
Dan
Ever-body was kung fu fight-in,
Them kids was fast as light-nin.
Jason Rodgers
Posts: 1554
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:05 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

Post by Jason Rodgers »

Thanks, guys! And Dan, see I told you your black finish looks better!
-Ruining perfectly good wood, one day at a time.
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Dan Smith
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Location: Texas

Re: Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

Post by Dan Smith »

Jason Rodgers wrote:Thanks, guys! And Dan, see I told you your black finish looks better!
No, not better, just different.
Thanks,
Dan
Ever-body was kung fu fight-in,
Them kids was fast as light-nin.
Chuck Tweedy
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Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 6:25 pm
Location: San Diego, CA

Re: Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

Post by Chuck Tweedy »

Dig it Jason!!!
The photo's are a bit small - the couple you put up on Facebook are much more revealing.
very cool though - hope to see you again soon.
Likes to drink Rosewood Juice
Jason Rodgers
Posts: 1554
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:05 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

Post by Jason Rodgers »

Chuck Tweedy wrote:Dig it Jason!!!
The photo's are a bit small - the couple you put up on Facebook are much more revealing.
very cool though - hope to see you again soon.
Sorry: I'm sending myself pictures from my new phone and it's giving me different file sizes. Is there any shot you'd like to suggest I augment?
-Ruining perfectly good wood, one day at a time.
Chuck Tweedy
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Location: San Diego, CA

Re: Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

Post by Chuck Tweedy »

the second one showing mostly the top of the body.
Likes to drink Rosewood Juice
Jason Rodgers
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Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:05 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

Post by Jason Rodgers »

How's this file size?
Maple--body--bigger.jpg
-Ruining perfectly good wood, one day at a time.
Chuck Tweedy
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Re: Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

Post by Chuck Tweedy »

that's what i'm talkin' about.
Okay...
do the corners of your scratchguard stay down? Seems to me that ABS sheet like that is pretty flimsy in thin sections like that.
that point that points right at the player might catch his shirt / jewelry / hairy arms
i was just thinking that you could heat it and bend it down so it hugs the body it does have a tendency to lift.
Likes to drink Rosewood Juice
Randy Roberts
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Joined: Sat Jan 07, 2012 9:11 pm
Location: Omaha, NE (a suburb of Iowa)

Re: Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

Post by Randy Roberts »

Wow Jason..

That is one cool machine. I really like the neck/ guitar color combination. Everything about the design seems to fit together really well. It really is justification for you to go buy a bigger hat. You oughta be awfully proud of your work.
Jason Rodgers
Posts: 1554
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:05 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

Post by Jason Rodgers »

Chuck Tweedy wrote:that's what i'm talkin' about.
Okay...
do the corners of your scratchguard stay down? Seems to me that ABS sheet like that is pretty flimsy in thin sections like that.
that point that points right at the player might catch his shirt / jewelry / hairy arms
i was just thinking that you could heat it and bend it down so it hugs the body it does have a tendency to lift.
You calling my arms hairy? Eh, I am folically inclined. :roll:

Anyways, yes, the points of the pickguard did lift a bit when first fitted, but as you say, I did warm them with a heat gun and bent them down gently. They're laying flush now.
-Ruining perfectly good wood, one day at a time.
Jason Rodgers
Posts: 1554
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:05 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

Post by Jason Rodgers »

Randy Roberts wrote:Wow Jason..

That is one cool machine. I really like the neck/ guitar color combination. Everything about the design seems to fit together really well. It really is justification for you to go buy a bigger hat. You oughta be awfully proud of your work.
Thanks, Randy! Compliments on the cohesiveness of my design mean a lot.

I'm not much of a hat wearer, unless I'm at a soccer match, but I could use a drum sander. If I can unload this instrument or its brother, that'll be my first purchase.
-Ruining perfectly good wood, one day at a time.
Chuck Tweedy
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Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 6:25 pm
Location: San Diego, CA

Re: Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

Post by Chuck Tweedy »

I second that - the design is outstanding. It all works together very well.
Likes to drink Rosewood Juice
Jason Rodgers
Posts: 1554
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:05 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

Post by Jason Rodgers »

Chuck Tweedy wrote:I second that - the design is outstanding. It all works together very well.
:D :D :D
-Ruining perfectly good wood, one day at a time.
John Sonksen
Posts: 356
Joined: Sun May 20, 2012 12:16 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

Post by John Sonksen »

so having had a chance to hold this and play it on Saturday, I must again compliment you on this build Jason. Not only did you get the action and neck profile feeling nice, your execution is really professional looking and it's got a great blend of both simplicity and elegance. One thing I'm not sure really shows up in these pictures that much is just how thin and light this body is and how comfortable it is to hold. I really liked the fan spread on the multi-scale too, much better than your previous builds.

It really feels to me like you're locking in on this design, and nothing seemed like solution to a problem you didn't realize you had until you were in too deep! I really liked the satin finish on it and the mild burst, and well I just can't say enough. GREAT JOB!!!!
David King
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Re: Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

Post by David King »

Nice one piece maple top there too!
Jason Rodgers
Posts: 1554
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:05 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Jason's #4: All maple, dyed black and... purple?

Post by Jason Rodgers »

John Sonksen wrote:so having had a chance to hold this and play it on Saturday, I must again compliment you on this build Jason. Not only did you get the action and neck profile feeling nice, your execution is really professional looking and it's got a great blend of both simplicity and elegance. One thing I'm not sure really shows up in these pictures that much is just how thin and light this body is and how comfortable it is to hold. I really liked the fan spread on the multi-scale too, much better than your previous builds.

It really feels to me like you're locking in on this design, and nothing seemed like solution to a problem you didn't realize you had until you were in too deep! I really liked the satin finish on it and the mild burst, and well I just can't say enough. GREAT JOB!!!!
I value your opinion, John, and appreciate your comradery in this luthieristic pursuit. I'm glad you like it!
-Ruining perfectly good wood, one day at a time.
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