Sticking With The Plan

Yesterday, I was set to use a pair of control cavity covers for my Envirocaster guitars, which I had fabricated out of black plastic. I resisted the temptation and went instead with some birdseye Maple I had lying in my scrap pile. Then, I got to thinking about how much plastic I have in these guitar builds. In truth, these is only a very tiny amount, but that doesn't include the water-based topcoat. It's an acrylic lacquer. Now I have to rethink my opinion of plastic. In some cases, plastic is actually better than the alternative. I will always choose water-based lacquer over nitrocellulose lacquer.

eGuitar Plan's Daily Diary 12/08/11

Right now I have 3 different electric guitar builds underway. The closest one to being finished is a Highline Legato. Check out the progress up to this point:

So far, I have wiped on about 7 coats of tung oil to the body, neck and headstock. Tomorrow, I plan to examine the surface to see if I need to apply any more coats. What I'll be looking for are rough spots where more tung oil may be needed to make the surface smooth and consistent. Once I have achieved a uniform surface sheen, I'll lightly sand the surface with 400 to 600 grit sandpaper to remove any dust specks or lint fibers. Then, I'll wipe it down with another coat of tung oil and cover it with a plastic sheet to keep dust off the surface. Finally, I'll wipe on another coat 12 hours later. Once that last coat has dried, she'll be ready for final assembly.

The other two guitars I'm working on are a pair of Highline Envirocasters. The body blanks are resting on a shelf for the next couple of weeks since they were made by glueing two boards together. Glue adds moisture, therefore it's a good idea to let them sit and dry out before cutting out the body shapes.

While the blanks rest, I'll continue to forge ahead with the necks. The photo below shows my progress so far:

The top neck will be used on a single cut design while the bottom one will find a home on a double cut. Both necks are made from beautiful slabs of Birdseye Maple. The next step will be to make the fretboards. Stay tuned!

Winding Pickups For The Envirocaster

This guitar is going to feature a truly unique set of pickups. Based on the good-old P90 design, I made them almost completely from scratch. The bobbins and baseplate are Maple left over from the neck and fretboard. Of course the wire and magnets are made from traditional materials (copper and Alnico), but there isn't much I can do about that. I know that copper wire and Alnico magnets are probably not very eco-friendly to make, but as a total percentage of the guitar's composition, they represent only a small portion.

Speaking of the neck, dig the Birdseye!

Just a couple of coats of pure tung oil to seal and pop the eyes.

The first bobbin is done. Instead of potting in wax, I have opted for
a different method that uses brushed on water-based lacquer.

Make Way For The Envirocaster!

What the heck is the Envirocaster, you ask?

Birdseye Maple for the neck and fretboards and Swamp Ash for the body.

The necks are cut and ready to shape.

I even used American Black Walnut for the marker dots.

Back in August, the Gibson guitar factory in Nashville, Tennessee was raided by the US Justice Department who confiscated some of the wood they used. The USJD claims the use of this wood violates certain international laws. I'm not going to get into who is right or wrong in this case, but I can say it has had a scary affect on luthiers everywhere.

As a result of this action, I've decided to build a guitar using woods, which are not protected by any trade or environmental laws. To do this, I'll have to forgo my usual choice of imported wood. Most of the woods I have used in the past aren't subject to these laws, but that could change in a heartbeat.

For this reason, I have elected to go with woods that are responsibly grown and cultivated for our use. To be more specific, I will be using Swamp Ash for the body and Birdseye Maple for the neck. These woods are grown specifically for harvest and their use has little impact on the environment. Some species of imported wood, on the other hand, are clear cut from the world's rain forests, which is illegal. A guitar made from such wood can be seized, not only by the US government, but by others as well. It just goes to show that you have to do your homework before firing up the band saw.

A note about Swamp Ash: There really isn't a species known as Swamp Ash. In truth, there are many species of Ash in the Fraxinus family. Most of them produce a wood which is hard and heavy. Occasionally, Ash trees will yield boards that are substantially lighter than the norm. Why this happens is subject to debate, but it seems to happen more often with trees that grow in a wet environment, hence the name Swamp Ash. Many people claim that Swamp Ash comes from the Louisiana Bayou, but in reality, it can come from any Ash tree found growing in a wetland. Ash has a wonderful tone and resonance, however, if you try to build a solid body guitar from just any slab, the weight might break your back. The other day, I picked up a Telecaster made from ordinary Ash and it had to weigh at least 12 pounds!