The neck has been cut to shape, and the top has been glued to the body. The neck has an adjustable truss rod as well as two carbon fiber bars. It makes for a very straight, stiff neck, but still allows for slight adjustment if it is ever necessary.
The point protectors are made of maple with three thin wood fiber pieces for accent. The binding around the edge of the top and back will match the points.
The X-braces have been carved down and tap-tuned to D#. The back plate has been tuned to A#.
The fretboard has been profiled to shape and the slots have been cut.
Now comes the decorative parts. Inlaying the peghead and fretboard, binding the body and inlaying the sound hole rosette.
Stay tuned.
Mark, forgive my ignorance here...what's a point protector? And how do you tune a piece of wood?
ReplyDeleteThe point protectors are the trim pieces that finish the pointed corners. The curved side pieces meet at the points, and this is a nice way to finish it off. The points are also the most likely part to get banged into a wall, so the trim pieces are usually made of bone, or a hard material so it won't dent or crack. As for tuning: spruce and maple have amazing resonance when carved into their final shape for mandolins and violins. Tapping on them with a felt piano hammer produces a very distinct tone that can be measured with a strobe tuner. Carving the wood raises the pitch as it gets thinner. There are all kinds of theories about it, but it's one way to be able to get consistent results.
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