Current Happenings

[FuzzHugger]

I love this thread!

[Nelson Instruments]

It will really get exciting when these guitars hit the spray booth! I'd wager that the excitment level will go up even more when more electric instruments are built....you know...given the nature of the forum. =-)

[Nelson Instruments]

Fingerboards on!


Picked up another bandsaw last Thursday. It is from the late 20s/ early 30s.


All four ft20s fretted and ready for final prep before finishing. I'll probably be able to start finishing these by the end of the week!


And finally the foreman and I taking a break today. He has taken to sleeping in my arms and makes working difficult....nay... Impossible.

[Nelson Instruments]

So since the last update the necks were all fit to bodies,


Heating up the dovetails before gluing in with hot hide glue,


After all the necks are glued on the fingerboards go on.... again with hot hide glue,


Glued and clamped,


fingerboards are on! For perspective here are the bodies in descending order of size. The biggest one (the FT75) is 16.5" wide. The Ft27 is 14.5" wide, and the FT30 and FT20 are 13.75" wide.


Frets are installed and ready for dressing,



And now we are up to date. All 14 guitars are ready for final sanding and finishing. I should be able to start lacquering by weeks end! More photos soon!!!

[Chankgeez]

Lookin' pretty nice, Bobby.

Are the bodies on the right Guild F-20 size?

[Nelson Instruments]

Yes the little maple/spruce guitars on the right are guild f-20 sized. The mahogany bodies hanging up are the m-20 which is the same. So that is the long answer to your question. The short answer is.... Yes they are. Hahaha
There is one F-20 (which I am calling the FT-30) that is a "special" instrument. You see the local lumber yard that I was buying spruce from hasn't been able to get it for the last year or two. So I started doing research to find a suitable replacement. This one guitar is a prototype using Douglas fir as the top wood. The tap tone seems to be very similar and it is super easy to get nice vertical grained Doug fir. SOOOOOOOOO if this works out I might switch to Doug Fir as standard top wood with spruce being available as an option with an up charge attached to it.
Can't wait to string that guitar up and hear the sound!

[Chankgeez]

Thanks for the info, Bobby.

Yeah, I've always wanted an M-20.

It's awesome that you're building a guitar that size. Eventually, I'd like to get one. I'm gonna start saving up.

[kosta]

So cool to see how this is all done. They look great man!

[ifeellikeatourist]

I neeeeeeeeed a new job so badly so I can afford to get one of these! And a Coquette!

[Nelson Instruments]

Thanks everyone! I am currently sanding the guitars and have 3 to go. Sanding has GOT to be the most tedious part of all of this.
Tomorrow I should be able to assemble the spray booth and perhaps start applying color to the guitars.

[Nelson Instruments]

All guitars are sanded!
The spray room is set up!


Color is going on. On the right is an ft20 in "white wood" and on the left is one with color applied.


An ft30 with a shaded finish


Here is an ft30 with more of a teardrop shading.


And here is an ft27.


More coming soon!

[colin]

Those look great!

[Nelson Instruments]

The special order FT27. He asked for more of a vintage teardrop shading.


A shaded FT75


Another one.


A third one...


Backside of the third one...


Dinner break for the foreman


Filling pores on the ft27s.


After a few coats of lacquer, here are the FT75s.


Backsides


Some really nice maple on these!


The FT20s and a blonde FT30.


The FT27s waiting for the shader to be sprayed on the back and sides and the shaded ft30s.


One more shot of the ft30s with a 27 on the left.


More coming soon, so stay tuned!

[Chankgeez]

Yep, totally awesome. I kinda like the natural one.

[Nelson Instruments]

Decided to do a natural FT75 at the last minute! I'm glad I did because it looks really nice!