Penny Guitars

The binding for the classical guitar came from a local luthier friend, I can’t remember what wood it is but it is not a common wood used for binding. It didn’t want to bend at all. I was in fact making a curve by bending a series of kinks into the wood. Obviously that was no good and I was getting a bit angry with myself for not being able to bend it. I think my aluminium-hot-air-blower bending iron is not getting hot enough. I think I will investigate my method a bit more and see if I can improve on things a bit.
I did manage in the end to get some light bends in the right places and managed to get the binding fitted. It is not as good a job as I wanted to do but it looks okay. You will be able to see what I mean by ‘light bends’ in the picture as I have only partly fitted the last piece of binding.

The binding is hardly noticeable when looking at the sides or back as it is only slightly darker in colour than the rosewood, of course it is very noticeable when looking at the sound board. I will not be removing the masking tape until tomorrow.

The neck is in its raw condition but the carving is complete, it took me all day to get it carved but it does look good and I am happy with it. There is about 2 or 3 more days of work to go into the classical guitar and then I can put it all together and see what is what.

Of course the 2 or 3 days required on the classical will not happen for a few days while I get some more work done on the steel string guitar.

It has taken me three days to (almost) complete the kitchen but I decided I would complete the classical headstock today.
It doesn’t seem to matter just how many times I tell myself that there is no hurry building a guitar but the truth is that I do see myself as being limited time-wise although I really don’t have any time limit. I know it sounds contradictorily but maybe you will understand what the heck I am talking about.

I put 40 pints of home brew beer on yesterday, I refuse to pay £2.00 a pint for beer when you can brew your own for less than 40p a pint. Home brew beer is always superior to mass produced beer but there is 3 rules to getting it just right, they are, in no particular order, patience, patience and patience. My beer will be ready in 4 weeks time and not a second sooner.
I know, what has beer got to do with guitar making? Everything. It relaxes the mind and helps the thinking process. Probably total bollocks but it will do for me. Let’s have a picture or two.

The headstock has an ash veneer topped with a kevasinga veneer. The idea was to get a fine white line showing in contrast to the kevasinga and it appears to work quite nicely. fine layers of plastic would look better but I want to use wood where I can.

The machine heads are Rubner with pearloid buttons.
I still have to carve the neck to shape yet and I hope to complete this classical neck by tomorrow and will then start on the steel string neck.