Redemptive Humidity (not relative)

Well, its been raining for 4 days with terrible flooding, and it finally stopped and the sun came out. I was  able to get back to the shop without a boat and guess what. Nature had done what I was afraid to do, simulated the environment that caused the damage to the new guitar body in the first place.

Yes, it was like a sauna when I walked in. I felt the guitar laying on the bench and the wood was very pliable and the glue was soft and mushy enough to put it back into shape and glue it back together. Wow, was I surprised. The picture of the hygrometer was taken about an hour after I opened the door and turned on the fan. It was probably 90% and about 85 degrees F when I first walked in .

I immediately grabbed my glue (yellow resin glue this time) and blue painters tape and went to work. Shaping and molding like a sculpture. It was pretty wild. It was like the guitar building Gods were looking over me. I was afraid to stop until I was complete because the conditions were changing rapidly back to normal.

Looking at this picture it looks a little lop sided, but who cares, we're moving again. It will never be perfect, but what in life is? Character comes from adversity, and this baby has had its share of that!

Will fill you in later with another update on this and some other stuff I'm working on.. I picked up some necks from the Martin factory that are sweet...thanks for checking on me..

Robert

Irene Update

We got hit pretty hard by Hurricane Irene. I hope everyone is safe and getting through the incredible damage caused by the storm.

At the shop the heat and humidity was so bad after the storm that the new guitar literally exploded. The glue softened from the heat and the wood swelled from the increased humidity causing it to bust loose from the seams.

I have been using liquid hide glue for this build, but I am seriously thinking that I will go back to the

yellow aliphatic resin glue. I cannot control the environment in the shop and it may hold up better for me.

When I get taught a luthier lesson I get hit hard, no subtle suggestions, just full blown explosions. This one was especially difficult to handle since I have worked so hard and long on this project. I am not certain if the guitar can be put back without exposing it to the same extreme conditions that caused the damage. By doing that I would be exposing the rest of it to the same conditions unless I could localize and control it. Man, thats tough, may have to hang her up and use her for future inspiration...or as a reminder of what not to do.. that sucks!

I will get back to you on this one, maybe I am being to emotional right now, and can fix it. For now I am not certain what to do, so I will drop back and punt..

In the mean time I need to get the chainsaw out and cut up that Dogwood that fell over in the yard from the storm. I already have plans for that wood, even though it will take a few years to cure properly. If you have never seen Dogwood, it has heartwood like walnut., with a contrasting white sapwood...beautiful.

Guitar Bindings

Working on bindings this week..

Got everything dry fitted and ready for glue..

Binding

I have been busy again, so not much getting done. I did get a chance to cut some binding from a piece of  leapordwood that I had. Cutting on the tablesaw and thickness planed down to about .085. I also cut 3/4" wide strips from the same leopardwood board and will use one for the end graft. In the meantime I ordered some w/b/w purfling and herringbone that should be here next week and I can get started routing and
installing the bindings.

Martin Ukulele Update

Well here it is finished and strung.

 A couple of things still to work on. One of the tuning peg screws does not hold and will need to be replaced. Good luck finding that... And when I was taping off the bridge my knife slipped and put a little mark in the finish that you can see in the picture. Other than that she looks pretty good and sounds great!

Guitar Build Update 6-17-11

I am thoroughly convinced that the reason for taking up this work is to keep me humble.

I believe that I have made every mistake that one can make during the building of this instrument. Despite my shortcomings and inabilities the project is moving forward albeit not quite the instrument that I had dreamed it would be.

 I have managed to put the body together, hopefully learning from my mistakes along the way.

My hope is that no matter how disfigured it may be that it plays beautifully when finished.

I will continue on, bindings and neck work next.


In the mean time I have already started thinking about the next instrument. I have brought in a 000 model for making some templates, and have selected some woods to use for it. The back and sides will be Bubinga with a Cedar top. I guess I am hooked...

Epiphone PR600N MIJ

I have not found much information on this guitar, so here is some basic info on this Japanese made Epiphone model. I find the guitar to be of good quality and sound, easy to play, and in my opinion underrated. If you are looking for a nice inexpensive small body guitar and can find one in decent shape I would recommend it. The price seems to run between $100 - $200 dollars.

Basic Info:
Epiphone PR600N (natural finish)
Light brown label reads Epiphone Kalamazoo Michigan with Made in Japan on lower right hand corner
000 size - 14- 5/8" lower bout, 10-7/8" upper bout, 9-1/8" waist, 18-3/4" length

14 Fret and 25.4 scale - mahogany one piece neck with truss rod
Unbinded rosewood fretboard with inlay fret and side markers
Spruce top with mahogany sides and back
Black single back stripe with black plastic binding front and back

5 stripe purfling on front only
3 stripe rosette with herringbone center stripe
Imitation tortoise shell pickguard

Plastic nut and 2 layer black/white truss rod cover
Epiphone inlaid in script on headstock

Closed chrome tuners
Spruce x bracing and spruce back bracing and kerfing

This particular guitar has some discoloration on the front top that I cannot explain. It shows up good in this photo, but under normal light it looks like normal aging. There is no crazing or checking, the finish is solid, but underneath something happened. The back and sides are in mint condition.

From Wikipedia;
"Epiphone Japan was first established by Gibson in the early 1970s with the dealership mostly being managed by Aria in cooperation with Gibson. The Matsumoku guitar factory in Japan was used to make the Aria Epiphone Japan guitars. In 1983, Epiphone export production moved from Japan to Korea

The Aria Epiphone Japan models that were made by Matsumoku from the early 1970s and ending before 1987 do not have a reliable serial numbering system but can be approximately dated using their Epiphone label colours."

Blue label: early 1970s-1980
Light brown label: 1980-1985
Brown label: 1985-1987

Thats all I have for now, hope it helps solve some of the mystery on these guitars.