Head design + jig

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Head design + jig

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Andy Culpepper

Posts: 3023
Joined: Mar. 30 2009
From: NY, USA

Head design + jig

Just cut out my tuner head today, using this jig that I spent a couple days making. Basically it bolts on to both sides of the head, and you zip around one side with a router, flip it over and do the other. Here's before routing:

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 6 2010 13:36:36

Andy Culpepper

Posts: 3023
Joined: Mar. 30 2009
From: NY, USA

RE: Head design + jig (in reply to Andy Culpepper)

Here's after routing and using a different jig to cut the holes and the slots (shown with Gotohs)

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 6 2010 13:38:48

Florian

Posts: 9282
Joined: Jul. 14 2003
From: Adelaide/Australia

RE: Head design + jig (in reply to Andy Culpepper)

jeez dude u got all that in youre house ? i didnt realize u are so heavly involved in luthiery too

i dont know what u saying ..but it looks cool and sounds ok

i am impressed by the machinery ..i need to grow up and buy some tools like a man..all i got is a screwdriver and a hammer

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 6 2010 13:44:07

Andy Culpepper

Posts: 3023
Joined: Mar. 30 2009
From: NY, USA

RE: Head design + jig (in reply to Florian)

quote:

jeez dude u got all that in youre house ?

Haha, no...I'm apprenticing with a guitar maker who is generous enough to let me use his stuff.
I'm hoping to do this for a living because I don't think I'm going to make it to pro music level anytime soon, and I've been a carpenter already for 5 years but it's very tiring work and not very inspiring. I think this suits me a lot better.

Good to see you back Florian

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 6 2010 14:39:05

Florian

Posts: 9282
Joined: Jul. 14 2003
From: Adelaide/Australia

RE: Head design + jig (in reply to Andy Culpepper)

thanks mate it is good to see you too ..always smilling

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 6 2010 14:45:34

mrMagenta

Posts: 942
Joined: Oct. 25 2006
From: Sweden

RE: Head design + jig (in reply to Andy Culpepper)

Very tasteful head design!

Your career choice sounds good to me and you seem to have found a nice way in. :) I've been day dreaming along these lines too, but still need to start building to see if dreams hold up to reality.

It seems there is, and will be a lot of competition in this line of work. On one hand that's great for the art of making guitars, on the other hand I wonder if it will be any easier to earn a living by making guitars than by being a professional 'foreign flamenco' guitarist. I think both careers are for people who can't live without doing these things.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 7 2010 5:56:28

at_leo_87

Posts: 3055
Joined: Aug. 30 2008
From: Boston, MA, U.S.A

RE: Head design + jig (in reply to Andy Culpepper)

hey andy,
that's really cool that you're getting into guitar making. i hope you won't give up on your music career though.

that headstock looks damn impressive, it has a slightly arabic vibe to it. can't wait to see the finished product. how many hours have you put into this guitar? how much longer?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 7 2010 18:00:55

Andy Culpepper

Posts: 3023
Joined: Mar. 30 2009
From: NY, USA

RE: Head design + jig (in reply to Andy Culpepper)

mrMagenta,
Thanks! I got really lucky. I don't think I ever would have tried doing this on my kitchen table with a swiss army knife like some guys do. For one thing I don't have a kitchen table

And it would just be frustrating without a great collection of tools. Given the opportunity though it's much easier to build guitars than be a pro player...the market is there especially if you're working for an established luthier.

Hey Anthony,
Thanks, I'm gonna keep playing and performing for sure, maybe when I'm 60 I'll be good enough to go pro

I was definitely going for a Moorish or Arabic design there.
Can't really say how much time I've put into this....I've been working on it for about 5 or 6 weeks but a lot of that time was fixing mistakes, jig-making, etc.
It should be playing "in the white" without finish by the end of next week! Super exciting. I'll definitely post more pics.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jan. 7 2010 19:23:23