OpenG Capo4's 2012 Challenge Build Thread -- COMPLETED

[OpenG Capo4]

It's happening. Still undecided on what materials or hardware I'll be using, but I'll have something picked out by tomorrow to show with my "proof of life" photo.

[sfcmark]

Congratulations on being the first to enter!

I'll be an innocent bystander this year, but I'm anxious to watch the mayhem.

[RogerC]

Congrats! I'll be joining you in 3...2...1...

[gitlvr]

Welcome and good luck!

[crazydave911]

Glad to see ya' in, good luck

Dave

[OpenG Capo4]

Here's my official entry:



Entry form didn't quite come out in the big picture (low res cellphone camera), lets try this again...



Thats a little better, at least.

Mahogany blank with some nice ribbon grain to it, and Mesquite for the top, Walnut for the neck, and Osage Orange for the fretboard. Still not set on pickup configuration or hardware. I'm thinking:

24.75" scale with as many frets as I can fit on a regular length neck (22 or 23?)
Bridge relocated forward to compensate for shorter scale length
LMI 2 way truss rod
Wilkinson half bridge
Electrosocket
All black hardware?
EVO gold frets

Still undecided on pickups. Maybe p90/p90, or something off the wall like Teiscos.

[OpenG Capo4]

Orange slice, anyone? Cut this off on the table saw, there was about a little sliver in the middle that the tablesaw blade wouldn't reach I had to saw out by hand.



This stuff is really, really yellow. It will turn to orange and eventually brown as it ages, with exposure to UV etc.


Crosscut the Mesquite on the table saw. Note the custom handle on the blade height adjustment:



Squared up the jointer and then ran the mesquite across it. Best to get a good edge for joining now that to run each piece through when its split:


Ripped it on the tablesaw on both sides. The tiny sliver in the middle after running it through the tablesaw was no match for the mighty Craftsman bandsaw/sander.



Pretty nice bookmatch. Gonna try to run all this stuff through the planer tomorrow.



I'm gonna try to run all this stuff through the planer tomorrow, and maybe get the top guled/clamped up. The template for chambering is screwed to the Mahogany blank so that might happen tomorrow as well, and if I'm lucky I might also get the neck blank cut out on the bandsaw.

[RogerC]

Osage orange and mesquite? And I thought mine was going to be indestructible

Nice progress today

[nosmo]

How do you keep that stuff on the counter? Oh I see, its stacked on the fridge.

But really... Mesquite is one of my favorite woods - beautiful stuff. O Orange is right up there too.

Good luck & carry on - you're doing a heck of a job.

[OpenG Capo4]

The Mesquite is really nice stuff, and I'm saving the shavings to use to smoke some BBQ:

Behold my state of the art collection system:





Brisket usually goes on sale the week after after St. Paddy's day.

[alexlaguna29]

Go, fellow georgian, Go!

[dwdantzler]

glad to see that I'm not the only one that saves shavings and cutoffs to throw in the smoker...

[crazydave911]

Originally Posted by OpenG Capo4

Behold my state of the art collection system:

, mine say "Food City" on them

[Allthesound]

Your off to a great start man Best of luck to ya!

[R. Stratenstein]

Originally Posted by alexlaguna29

Go, fellow georgian, Go!

Second !

[OpenG Capo4]

Hogged some cavities:


Routed 'em:


Planed and glued up the top. The dark streak is where the bar clamp rubbed against it. It got rained on a bit because I left it on my porch this evening and went out to dinner and it started raining before I could get back. But only one side got wet and it wasn't wet but about 30 minutes. I think it'll be alright:


I also ran the fretboard through the planer, and its looking awesome. I still need to run the neck blank through, as well.

I'll probably cut the body outline tomorrow morning and then thats probably it for the weekend. My friend's band (Soylent Red) is playing a show tomorrow night in Atlanta so I'll probably go out to that and spend tomorrow visiting family and recuperating.

Next week is a busy week as far as my day job goes, and I'm working on finishing the extended scale commission build as well. I'm gonna try to get all the time in I can for the challenge build though.

[OpenG Capo4]

Interviewing 2 candidates for an open position at work this week, and all sorts of other craziness.

And I'm trying to get all my paying work wrapped up as well. Gonna try to get the body cut out to shape and the top glued on this week though. The days are getting longer so I have a little more time to work.

[RogerC]

Get your paying work wrapped up first?! Come on, man, where are your priorities

[OpenG Capo4]

Cut out and ROSS'd close to the line. Will route the perimeter tomorrow.

Haven't decided if I want to put a F-hole in the top or not. I'm leaning towards not.

As a whole I'm still pretty undecided on pickups / hardware. I might as well just wait until payday to make that decision because it ain't gonna happen before that anyway.

I was thinking Teiscos until I saw Maricopa's post about Kay "Zippos". I found some nice sound clips on youtube. Unfortunately, my E-bay results were ehh... less productive.

The idea has been put forward by my friend to wind a pickup inside an actual Zippo casing. The main concern is it might be too narrow. But I would assume theres probably a Zippo knockoff out there that would be big enough. If only I had a winder....

[volowv]

Originally Posted by OpenG Capo4

If only I had a winder....

that's never stopped anyone before! find a hand drill. i use a sewing machine i got at the salvation army for $13. check on craigslist, it doesn't have to sew, you only need the spinny end. heck, scatter uses a fishing reel. there are many low cost options out there and tons of thread in the main forum that will help you figure it out.

looking good, btw. i've been wondering about mesquite... interested in seeing how it turns out.