Installing the preamp and wiring

Kirk and I decided that the lower bout was a good place for the input jack. Looks like "X" marks the spot . . .

Is it too late to change my mind?

Now, on to the Prismatone preamp, which is installed onto the access panel on the back. The preamp doesn't touch the guitar top or inhibit the vibration of the soundboard.

The battery is accessed through the panel as well- no more fiddling around through the soundhole to change a battery!

Kirk says "I love this battery setup! Click the photos quickly, and you'll get a stop-action movie." It's pretty cool, so I decided to make a .gif of the photos. Enjoy!

After connecting everything, Kirk sent me this photo of the finished guitar, front . . .

. . . and back. Beautiful!

Next time- final thoughts, sound clips, more photos, and how to order your own Craig Dobbins Signature Model!

Craig

P.S. If you can't wait, go ahead and email Kirk Sand or give him a call at 949-497-5570. 

Nut and tuning machines

Kirk sent me this fun photo of the stages of making the nut, from the large chunk of wooly mammoth ivory to the finished nut (sitting just in front of the sound hole).

Here's the finished nut, #642.

The nut installed, but not yet notched. Kirk does beautiful work- a real artist and craftsman, down to the finest detail.

And a side view . . .

We decided on gold Hauser-style tuners with ebony knobs, from Schaller.

Here's a test fit. Looks great!

And a closer view . . .

The headstock design, Brazilian rosewood head plate, Schaller tuners, and ivory nut- gorgeous!

Next time- gluing the bridge!

-Craig

Buffing and sanding the finish

So, how does Kirk Sand finish a guitar? I'll let Kirk tell you:

"I apply 4 coats (of lacquer) and then sand with 600 dry paper. Then I spray 4 more coats, and sand again with 600 dry."

"I then spray 4 last coats and let it dry for as long as possible. That isn't easy when you have a show coming up in 3 weeks."

Note: That's 12 coats, folks. 

"So, after sanding the lacquer finish all the way up to 2000 wet, I buff it out on my miracle buffer."

Here's a closeup of Kirk's buffing wheel.

And one more photo of Kirk at work. Notice the blue tape to protect the fingerboard.

The result- a beautifully finished instrument, front . . .

. . . and back.

Next time- nut and tuning machines!

-Craig

Frets and finish (and a little striptease)

While discussing fret size with Kirk (we went with tall frets, like Chet preferred), I received an email- from my guitar.

"Hi Craig! This is your new guitar writing to ya. I just got all my makeup on and I'd like to do a little striptease for you. OK? Hope you enjoy it!"

"A picture is worth a thousand words" as the old saying goes, so I'll let my guitar do the talking . . .

I hope you enjoyed the show as much as I did! By the way, the blue tape isn't for modesty- it's to keep the lacquer off the fingerboard and frets (and out of the guitar).

Next- making the bridge!

-Craig

Making the neck

Now, to make the neck. Kirk has the raw materials laid out on his workbench. From left to right, ebony center strips, mahogany neck strips, and in front of Kirk's ledger book, solid mahogany for the headstock.

After the mahogany sides are joined with a center strip of ebony, the solid headstock piece is grafted on. The result- a very strong (and resonant) neck.

Brazilian rosewood face plate #642- that's me!

Now, the face plate is joined to the neck blank.

After everything is glued up, it's clamped and put aside to dry.

Uh-oh, it's routing time again . . .

Perfect!

Well, we have a body and a neck. It's starting to look like a guitar!

Next time- more routing . . .

-Craig

Routing for binding

With the box completed, Kirk turns his attention to the binding. "I love binding when I am in the mood or groove for it," he says. "I am really into this one- it will be fun!"

First, routing for the back and side binding.

A careful pass around the entire body creates a channel for the binding.

I told Kirk I wanted red in the binding. My first Kirk Sand guitar has green trim in the Indian rosewood binding, so I wanted something a little different. (I also thought it would look nice against the lighter colored cypress.)  Kirk suggested a black/white/red scheme, bound with Brazilian rosewood to match the soundhole ring. Below are the binding strips, ready for gluing.

You can see how the binding matches the wedge on the back of the guitar.

Another view.

And another.

Both guitars bound.

A view of the access panel.

And a closeup. Says Kirk: "This was fun! I like this cypress/rosewood combo. It's new to me, so it's fresh and exciting."

Next time- binding the top!

-Craig

The box is done

"Hi Craig. Box is done. Ready for the Brazilian rosewood binding!"

When I got this short email from Kirk Sand, I couldn't wait to see the photos. So, without further ado, here they are...

Kirk's signature on the underside of the top, visible through the access panel:

View from the back side. (My best side, so I'm told. Actually, folks tell me the further away I get, the better I look...)

Love the figuring in that Brazilian rosewood! (Have I said that before?)

Closeup of the top. The Brazilian rosewood binding will match the soundhole ring (and the back wedge).

Here's a closeup of the soundhole ring again (before Kirk cut the soundhole), with black/white/red accenting the rosewood. The top will have the same binding scheme.

The top of my guitar, and the back of its twin.

Next time, the binding!

-Craig