Congrats on the Bosch router you made a good choice - I have the exact same model. Very cool first project, it looks very clean. it's a beautiful instrument, you did a great job.
Can you please give us some specs? Specs will really help us understand your instrument.
Body Type (Solid/Hollow/Semi Hollow/...) Solid Body
Overall Width - 14.5inch
No. Frets 24 frets
Overall Depth - 1.75in
Scale Length 35inch.
Binding type - no binding
Neck Width @ Nut - i will have to check, I know string spacing is 16mm
Fret Marker Style - I inlayed Abalone dots in a vine-like pattern from the body to the headstock
Side Dots Style - Abalone dots
Neck Width @ 12th - Ill have to check
Head Stock Thickness - 1/2in thick, the cover was trimmed around the machine heads so it is still 1/2 inch where it meets the posts
Fretboard Radius - 16 inch radius, used the block from StewMac, great buy. chalked the board to spot uneven areas.
Bridge Type - Hipshot 16mm string spacing
Body Wood(s) - Curly maple, walnut, purpleheart
Neck Type - 7 piece neck-through, Curly Maple, Purpleheart
Neck Wood(s)
Neck Thickness @ nut
Neck Thickness @ 12th fret
# and Type of Pickup(s) 2 Carvin Humbucking Soap Bars, I also used their 501B Active/Passive Module. Its discontinued now....what a shame, great product
Fingerboard Wood - Purpleheart. 1/4in thick. 16in Radius. Purpleheart is an amazing wood, very bright for tone. Super dense/heavy, prone to tearing, cuts brown and then turns purple due to either oxidizing or uv rays...Anyone Know? Some people have used a uv blocker to keep the bright purple aspect, idk if it works. I think the color/characteristics is more dependent on the individual piece of purpleheart. I encourage everyone to play with a piece if you haven't. Also, its on the higher end of toxicity.
Overall Weight - 9.3lbs
Overall Length Ill have to measure
Machine Heads Type - Black Gotoh 20:1 ratio
Truss Rod(s) Type - 2-way Hot Rod
Finish Type Truoil/wax both made by Birchwood, its primarily marketed for gunstocks
Finishing Schedule - I took all the wood to 220grit, raising and knocking back the grain with a little water and very very light sanding. First application of oil was put on thick using my hands to really work it in, wiped across the grain with a paper towel to remove any excess after creating the slurry. I waited a week, all future layers were relatively thin. After the first week and I felt it cured sufficiently, I added another layer and used it to wetsand lightly with 220 grit paper. Every 24 hours I added another layer of oil and increased the grit of sandpaper. I did a total of 16-18 coats and the last coat was hit with 0000 Steel Wool. I then used a 5 separate coats of wax, instead of sand paper, I buffed it with a polishing cloth. I could have done more coats fbut I was looking for a more matte finish, but one benefit of finishing this way, I am able to remove and reapply the wax and add more oil if needed in the future due to any wear or unforeseeable issues that arise. This type of finish offers very little protection to the instrument but I think it is the most natural look (let the woods speak for themselves). Another reason I chose this type is because how nice it reacts to sweat and heat. While playing, the neck feels smooth and fast.
Unique Features - I hid the jack inside the cutout at the bottom of the instrument. Havent seen this done before and wanted to mimic the headstock design into the body
. I had very little wood working experience but I am a fast learner and strive for perfection. I hand sanded most pieces to final size and dimension along with some rasps. Although this took forever, I enjoyed the intimate process of learning to work wood. The woods used are curly maple, walnut, /Hpurpleheart. The body has a walnut core, purpleheart veneer, maple top and back. The neck is CM/PH. The fingerboard is PH. Enjoy!
