Hollow body II build

[1bad914]

I was asked to build a Hollowbody II, but customize it a little. Here are the requested specs:
- Master grade flame maple top and back
- Good Honduran mahogany center
- 1 piece torrified flame maple neck
- Seymour Duncan SH-1 59 pickups
- Ebony fretboard and headstock veneer
- ToM bridge
- Ebony trapeze tailpiece
- Grover rotomatic or Waverly open tuners
- flame maple double binding on the body
- flame maple binding on the neck and headstock.
- Halfmoon fretboard inlay with a custom 12th fret inlay.
- 25 inch scale with 24 frets.

I have been in the planning stage for a couple weeks. I purchased some items and have made a couple of templates. Really had a hard time finding good quality carve tops and a big enough piece of neck wood.

I made a visit to American Specialty Hardwoods in Clinton Michigan today. I had spoken to Laura about visiting and they were very happy to have me. I arrived to find at least 30 owner selected sets of high grade flame carve tops for me to look at. The owner stayed with me and gave some advice then left me to look through all these. Once I had selected two I asked about torrified neck blanks 3.5x 2.5 30 inches long. He goes and gets a forklift and brings over a pallet. “Here you go!”

Great service and really nice wood.

The top and bottom I selected.

The pile of neck blanks.

The one I selected. 4x3x36

Yes it is quartersawn

More to follow on template builds…

 

[Freeman Keller]

Nice wood. I'll be watching.

 

[1bad914]

The wood pile for this build, including the mahogany.

 

[erix]

Lordy I’m glad I didn’t go with you this am!

 

[crazydave911]

Friggin wow

 

[TN Tele]

I have purchased quarter sawn neck blanks from American Specialty Hardwoods on several occasions and have had nothing but good experiences with them. Good luck with your build, I'm sure it will become a beautiful instrument. Please keep us updated with photos.

 

[1bad914]

I forgot to mention that I told the owner that I was interested in a mandolin set, but was concerned about bending torrified sides as it can be brittle. He walks me over to this pallet of wood and says “can you resaw this?” Yes I can. “You can have it. Try to bend it and let me know if it works. “ He hands me this beautiful 1x2x28 piece of torrified flame maple. Just a great experience.

 

[1bad914]

I never found plans for an HB II, so I am basing the shape on a PRS 22 Custom set of plans. I used those plans to make a foundation template. All parts will be based on it. I use 3/4 MDF. Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike MDF. Lol The smell gets me. I wear a good mask while cutting this stuff.

I then use this template and make one for the middle section. Then cut out all parts that are not needed. I was winging it on this part, all I had was a couple of pictures and thread of Ripthorn’s similar build.

Everything that is not template will be gone once I am done. Outside of a bridge block there will be nothing in the middle. The bridge block will be made from a piece of the center cut out.

 

[1bad914]

I cut the middle section of the middle section out. I changed a couple of things on the fly. I made the neck area a little wider to accommodate the full pickup route. I also left a little more wood around the right cutaway. That cutaway cuts into the center section about 4m, I wanted to make sure I had enough. I did not make a new template for that. I then cut the body shape out. I still need to route the outside flush with the master template.

I also started making the multitude of templates needed for the terrace cuts. If I follow the plans there are 14, @Ripthorn used 8. I like his idea better. Lol I also started the headstock process and also figuring out how to get two necks from this block of wood. At 5 am this morning another way dawned on me. Sigh

Lots of templates, oh my.

Number 0

Headstock template

My attempt to not waste good wood. This would require a heel block on the acoustic neck, but I may have a solution for that.

 

[1bad914]

Mid body routed and top and back glued up.

 

[Ripthorn]

The heel of PRS necks is 1 3/8" at the neck, not including the fretboard. Nothing wrong with a heel block.

 

[photondev]

The maple is awesome, following this build

 

[1bad914]

The heel of PRS necks is 1 3/8" at the neck, not including the fretboard. Nothing wrong with a heel block.

The PRS neck will be one piece. The acoustic neck I am going to steal from the rest of the neck blank will require a heel block. I was not very clear on my thread.

 

[1bad914]

…..templates, templates, teeemmmplates…

 

[Newbcaster]

Mid body routed and top and back glued up. View attachment 980136 View attachment 980137 View attachment 980138

Oh please for the love of all that is holy, where oh where are you getting 10top maple like this??? How much?

 

[peteycaster]

Watched. Looking really interesting. Sounds like you have found a great source for wood.

 

[1bad914]

Oh please for the love of all that is holy, where oh where are you getting 10top maple like this??? How much?

American Specialty Hardwoods out of Clinton Michigan. This is about 1.150 inches thick. They have drop tops also. Very accommodating. Not cheap. $200

 

[1bad914]

Slowly but surely getting templates made. This is the slow part.

I had been putting off the top and back cuts, today I decided to go for it.

 

[1bad914]

I cut the headstock angle, then cut the truss rod channel and rough cut the neck out. My shop smells really good. Torrified maple smells like a campfire when cut.

 

[1bad914]

Just an FYI, the other side of this neck blank will be used to make the neck for one of my Jumbo builds.