Steve Benfords Surfmaster semihollow

[Steve Benford]

Heres my latest effort. Based on a Jazzmaster body style. I call it the Surfmaster. I was going for a water surf theme. My Sail "F-holes" are my normal F-Hole design and fit in great here too. Here are the specs.

Walnut body
Flame Maple top
Black Anigre contrast stripe
Semi-hollow
Sail "F-holes"
Transparent Turquoise burst gloss top
Tru-Oil back and sides
Flame maple neck
Reverse 6 inline headstock
Ebony fretboard
Abalone dot inlays
Abalone side dots
Wave 12th fret inlay
25" scale
12" radius
Medium jumbo frets
GFS Retrotron Liverpool Hot pickups
Master volume
Master tone
3 way switch
GFS Bigsby style trem
Wilkinson roller bridge
Fender LSR roller nut
Kluson locking tuners 19:1 gear ratio
All access neck joint
Dunlop dual design straplocks

Questions/comments welcome

STEVE

[Bob Francis]

That's really nice! I think the inlays are immediate surf mojo

[Warren May]

Way cool!

[Art Davila]

That is one nice guitar. I really like the color match of the top with the inlays.

As for the roller nut how well does that work? Have you installed many? Or play a guitar with one installed for a few hours.
I have never seen one installed.
I don't really lock locking nuts so that would be a cool complement to a tremolo if it works well.

[Steve Benford]

That is one nice guitar. I really like the color match of the top with the inlays.

As for the roller nut how well does that work? Have you installed many? Or play a guitar with one installed for a few hours.
I have never seen one installed.
I don't really lock locking nuts so that would be a cool complement to a tremolo if it works well.

Thanks Art.

The LSR roller nuts work great. I have installed a couple dozen or so over the years. Any guitar i've built for myself with a trem has one. Installing one on a current axe is fairly invasive. The nut slot is .219 as opposed to .125. The slot must be enlarged toward the body. Going back to a normal nut is possible, but you would need replace the wood removed. A downside is you cannot adjust the nut slot height.

On this guitar, there are rollers on the trem, rollers on the bridge, rollers on the nut, and string tree rollers. I havent been able to put this thing out of tune with trem use.

STEVE

[Markku Nyytäjä]

Very cool! That pretty much nails how a surf guitar should look like. I have planned to build one myself and now that you've finished this one, mine will look like a copy of yours. Not quite, actually. Mine will have a turquoise sparkle finish and a P90 at the neck, but the body resembles yours and the bridge pickup I've wound looks exactly the same. So you beat me to the surf. Congratulations for a fine guitar!

[Nick Middleton]

Looks great!

You mentioned you used tru-oil on the back and sides. What did you coat the top with?

What is the the notch on the back side? It doesn't look like it go through. Can you tell us more about that element?

[Steve Benford]

Looks great!

You mentioned you used tru-oil on the back and sides. What did you coat the top with?

What is the the notch on the back side? It doesn't look like it go through. Can you tell us more about that element?

Nick, the top is poly based lacquer. The top and headstock got sealed with clear. It got level sanded then sprayed with a tinted clear. After that more clear clear, wet sand and buff.

The notch is the output jack. It angles the chord up toward the strap pin. Its a idea that Yamaha uses alot in their electrics. I got a bug up my but to do that on a guitar and this one was the victim!

Thanks!
STEVE

[Steve Benford]

Very cool! That pretty much nails how a surf guitar should look like. I have planned to build one myself and now that you've finished this one, mine will look like a copy of yours. Not quite, actually. Mine will have a turquoise sparkle finish and a P90 at the neck, but the body resembles yours and the bridge pickup I've wound looks exactly the same. So you beat me to the surf. Congratulations for a fine guitar!

Thanks! Its funny you mention turquoise sparkle. That was the original idea for mine. A heavy flake. I ended up going for the flamed maple for a more watery look. Cant wait to see yours!


STEVE

[Art Davila]

The notch is the output jack. It angles the chord up toward the strap pin. Its a idea that Yamaha uses alot in their electrics. I got a bug up my but to do that on a guitar and this one was the victim!


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I love this idea,
I really dislike most locations with the input jack sticking out and getting bumped loosening the connection or just being uncomfortable to play holding it in your lap and having it hit the chair ( I don't play standing up). I have always wanted to do it near the strap button, but recessed some what like you did. I neve saw a Yamaha that did this but hey we all borrow from each other I will have to find a way to do one too.

[Eric Baack]

Nice, the typical jack configuration is why I like a 90 degree 1/4" jack