Always wanted a J200

[1bad914]

I fell in love with the J200 model acoustic a long time ago, just never bought one, they are kind of pricey. So, I finally decided to build one.

I am very fortunate to be friends with a forum member that is very generous with wood that he has. Recently he graciously gave me a really nice piece of flame maple. This is the board cut into manageable pieces.

The plan is a very traditional J200, maple back, sides and neck. The neck will be laminated. Here is the wood after it was milled.

This is the back with a spritz of water. Not glued up yet, just eyeballing it. More to come:

 

[BB]

That will make a beautiful guitar. J200....man, oh man, congrats on making your own. I'll (as many others!) be looking forward to your build process.

I've also wanted a J-200 forever. The closest I came, was an early 80's Takamine J-200 copy. It was a very striking, very lovely looking guitar, played like a dream, but the tone was weak and choked.

A nice fella who used to stop by the store where I worked (and knew more about guitars at that time than I did) said...."They must have made it with green wood."

 

[Toadtele]

Awesome! Can’t wait to see the progress. Enjoy the build.

 

[Freeman Keller]

I want to watch you make the bridge....

 

[mr natural]

I had 1 of these for 20 years but with the lawsuit “open book” headstock. It was a beast but attracted hippie chicks like a magnet. Good luck with your build. Very ambitious.

 

[1bad914]

I want to watch you make the bridge....

Well…not sure if I will make it or buy it already made. Darn you Freeman, now I feel challenged to make it! Lol

 

[0SubSeanik0]

It was a beast but attracted hippie chicks like a magnet.

"I gave my love a cherry..."

 

[1bad914]

The form, internal clamp and bending form all ready to go.

Top/back shooting board set for my first run at it. I will shoot the edges until I can hold the pieces together and see no light through it when I hold it up to a light.

In the glueing jig.

 

[erix]

Damn you are moving fast! are you retired or something?!?!

 

[1bad914]

Damn you are moving fast! are you retired or something?!?!

Lol…or something…

 

[1bad914]

All glued up.

 

[erix]

I know what it is = no golf courses open right now….

looks great! So cool to make an entire guitar out of one piece of wood.

 

[1bad914]

I know what it is = no golf courses open right now….

looks great! So cool to make an entire guitar out of one piece of wood.

Exactly

 

[gitlvr]

I fell in love with the J200 model acoustic a long time ago, just never bought one, they are kind of pricey. So, I finally decided to build one.

I am very fortunate to be friends with a forum member that is very generous with wood that he has. Recently he graciously gave me a really nice piece of flame maple. This is the board cut into manageable pieces.
View attachment 942373
The plan is a very traditional J200, maple back, sides and neck. The neck will be laminated. Here is the wood after it was milled.
View attachment 942376
This is the back with a spritz of water. Not glued up yet, just eyeballing it. More to come:
View attachment 942377

Woohoo!

 

[crazydave911]

I think I know why Freeman said what he did about the bridge. Most are POS with two bolts through it and an inside bridge plate of crap. Since I know you are better than that I have no worries

 

[David C]

Wow, I'm impressed. Can't wait to see it move along, which should be a couple of days from now the way you are making progress.

 

[ndcaster]

Man, the woody chop of a J-200 is like bedrock. Way to go, OP!

 

[1bad914]

The back is out of the gluing jig. I mill the backs and tops to an initial thickness of .150, this gives a bit more gluing surface to work with. I will now mill this down to .110 or so. I leave them a few thousand proud of the final thickness for final sanding.

I also took a picture of an OM template sitting on the J-200 template. This is a fat bottom gal. Lol

 

[Freeman Keller]

I think I know why Freeman said what he did about the bridge. Most are POS with two bolts through it and an inside bridge plate of crap. Since I know you are better than that I have no worries

No, what I was talking about is the moustache bridge with all its cutouts and inlays. There was an article in an old issue of American Lutherie about how to make them. Looks like a total PITA (or maybe a good use for a cnc router).

 

[1bad914]

About to bend the sides. I pre-cut mine leaving the bottom a bit proud. Bandsaw blade broke last week, ordered a new on last Thursday, Amazon let me down for once, lost my order, so ordered it again this morning. Should arrive tomorrow. So I just marked the sides and got the bender ready. I do a mock bend so I know what blocks and springs I want to use. This is currently set up for a cutaway, one of the arms will be removed. As soon as the new blade arrives I will get busy.