Building a Hufschmid Guitar Redwood top! (lots of pictures)

[Helldunkel]

Hi guys,

I am currently working on some orders, here is one of them, took some pictures for those of you who might be interested to see my work and how its done...

I was recently very lucky to score this incredible top and another one (already built a 7 string with it), which both provide from a salvaged old growth 2000 years old Redwood tree and the figurine is

This is how it looks like once glued on the Sapelli Mahogany body...

Next cutting out the shape with the band saw...

Sanding the sides, notice the quatersawn and very tight grain of this Premium one piece Sapelli Mahogany body!

Working on the bevels and contours...
First comes the integrated armrest bevel...

Then comes the back bevels and I also routed out the control cavity and cut the recess...

starting to look like a guitar

The hardware is going to be awesome and all chrome!

For the bridge, high quality Hipshot and Steinberger tuners...
These tuners are going to give a distinguished look to the headstock which is going to be an old school modified reversed Fender Strat style headstock...

The fingerboard is some gorgeous Indian Rosewood, now slotted, radiused and ready for trimming...

 

[Helldunkel]

Working on the neck...

The neck is going to be "bolt-on" and not "screwed-in" (like on a Fender for exemple)

Here I am using threaded inserts (bolt-on) like on my very first guitars built in 1996-2001

Truss rod in place, very snug fit...

Which I then embedded in some high grade slow setting swiss made epoxy....

The cruciform (cant stand hex screws) screws have been custom built for me by a local company

This is how it looks like once the fingerboard got glued...

 

[Helldunkel]

Routing the neck pocket...

Now fitting the neck, very tight fit!

The heel is still going to need some shaping at this point to bring it flush to the neck...

as you can see, its very tight in there...

Next step is fretwork (which are now ready for the edge bevel) and shaping the neck using a file...

Getting ready to route the pickup cavities...

more to come!

 

[megamike]

looking good, can't wait to see the finished product

 

[Helldunkel]

Routing the pickup cavities...

 

[Helldunkel]

The bridge, first drilling the holes....

Now its time to fit my new PHD string block, since I dont have any CNC to pre make blocks, I must shape it and fit it like an inlay...

ready to fit!

very snug fit!

not bad for a first fit! Now ready for leveling out...

headstock!

Oh look, a guitar!

 

[joolzriff]

m8! thats jus fkn awesome!

 

[grooveHT]

Fantastic build! Love the bolts and threaded inserts, the bevel, and the end-adjust truss rod, all awesome touches! Have threaded inserts on a few of my guitars, not only does it provide a real tight bond, but you can take it apart and put it back together so easily. Looks like it'll be a beauty!

 

[OldSkoolNJ]

Awesome build Love that head stock

 

[Michi]

VERY_NICE!

 

[Helldunkel]

Fantastic build! Love the bolts and threaded inserts, the bevel, and the end-adjust truss rod, all awesome touches! Have threaded inserts on a few of my guitars, not only does it provide a real tight bond, but you can take it apart and put it back together so easily. Looks like it'll be a beauty!

I'm going all chrome with the hardware and pickups, I am really exited to deliver it to the customer, still lots of work left

 

[MARK1970]

Very nice!

 

[Death by Uberschall]

Cool build

 

[Helldunkel]

Just received the pickups, they have been custom built by my friend Kent Armstrong according to the sound that the customer wants...

cant wait to wire them up!

 

[sandman]

looks great !

 

[The Hoff]

Looks absolutely awesome!!!

 

[Helldunkel]

Been working on the finish today, this is the first sealer coat, then 7 more coats will go on top of that...

 

[Gjeven]

Looks great. How long does the whole process take, how many hours?

 

[Helldunkel]

Looks great. How long does the whole process take, how many hours?

about 80 hours of work for building a guitar from ground 0...

the finish is a tedious job, I use tru-oil which is different from regular oil finishes, it works kinda like lacquer...

so this first coat will dry for 24 hours, after that I sand it flush, and add the top coats leaving them dry 24 hours between eachother and sanding each time between the coats to level them out... etc...

still lots of work left

 

[wizardy]

Where do you buy all those nice pieces of wood?
Especially those wonderful top ?

thanks