Some maple tops

[Steve Sawyer]

Peter - those are really, really nice. I love your use of color for the fret position markers!!

I'm getting really antsy to get my shop back in operation (it's been torn up in a year-long basement make-over) so I can get back to work on my first solid-body which is about half finished. These guitars are an example of why I'm so stoked to continue this project, and already have plans (and am "sandbagging" materials) for a second when that one is finished. All of my furniture is arts-and-crafts style, which I love, but it's somewhat limiting. I'll see various techniques either in finishing, or embellishment that I'd love to try, but aren't compatible with arts-and-crafts style furniture. Guitars are a whole new ballgame.

[Peter Wilcox]

Thought I'd add another I just finished to this thread. I tried a water base polyurethane and didn't like it at all. It blunted the figure of the wood, couldn't be applied over shellac (per manufacturer), and for some reason I haven't figured out yet I kept getting fisheyes, despite changing air filters and guns, and they appeared on both the maple and the alder, so it's not the wood. I'm beginning to believe it's a contaminant in the can, but I'll have to brush some on a piece of wood to see. I drop filled them and sanded them out, but I was frustrated and didn't do a perfect job. It's an auction donation, and otherwise an OK guitar, so folks will see it before they bid.

[Bob Francis]

That's really nice work.

[Peter Wilcox]

Thanks, Bob, Though it was a disappointment for me the way the finish turned out, it was a learning experience, and it made $750 for a worthwhile cause on Saturday.

[Peter Wilcox]

My son brought me 2 pieces of maple firewood from Washington a couple of years ago, and I resawed them a few months ago. Surprise!

He wants me to make him a guitar and a bass, so I thought I'd use that wood. The problem, though, is that it's only 15" long, so I had to make some adjustments.
I've made the bass, and just starting the guitar.

So the top is from #2 above - the guitar will be from #3. Body is alder, neck alder and walnut. Scale 34". Nitro finish.

[Peter Wilcox]

[Peter Wilcox]

Guitar is done too.

[Peter Wilcox]

Just finished a quilted maple top - chatoyance is remarkable.