# First build: 7FF single cut



## jahosy (Aug 30, 2013)

Specs: 

- Singlecut body inspired by Myka's fretless dragonfly
- carlo walnut top
- queensland ash body
- wenge maple 5 piece set neck, scarf joint walnut headstock
- flame maple fretboard, 25' ~ 26.5' 7 string multiscale, with flame maple / walnut filet bindings
- lace x-bar and deathbar 3.5" combo
- rondo string thru single saddles
- hipshot trimlock reverse 

Progress thus far:













Enough for 3 necks: 2 bolt ons /set and 1 neck thru.





Handsaw to bookmatch. 

















Will be away for 3 weeks, so stay tuned for more progress after


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## mwcarl (Aug 30, 2013)

Looks like good progress, but it seems like you're wasting an awful lot of wood on that neck. You might be able to get two blanks from something that thick.


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## jahosy (Aug 30, 2013)

mwcarl said:


> Looks like good progress, but it seems like you're wasting an awful lot of wood on that neck. You might be able to get two blanks from something that thick.



Thanks 

Think i could get 3 necks out of it! 1 neck thru, and 2 bolt-ons


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## BlackMastodon (Aug 30, 2013)

Really like those pieces of wood you got. Looking forward to seeing this progress.


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## capoeiraesp (Aug 31, 2013)

Are you by chance a fan of my Ormsby headstock?


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## esp_eraser (Aug 31, 2013)

capoeiraesp said:


> Are you by chance a fan of my Ormsby headstock?



 nice work mate, looking forward to this one


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## Daf57 (Aug 31, 2013)

Looking good! Subbed for updates!


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## Stompmeister (Aug 31, 2013)

Mate, this looks like its gonna be sweet! Subbed! 

PM'ed btw.


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## jahosy (Aug 31, 2013)

capoeiraesp said:


> Are you by chance a fan of my Ormsby headstock?



Am definitely hoping to achieve that  it's going to be a mixture of flame maple and walnut headstock, kinda cross between the Ormsby and vik headstock!

And thanks again for all the kinds words! Might seemed abit over ambitious for a first build but figured these materials wasn't to extravagant. 

Hope the final product will live up to it!


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## capoeiraesp (Sep 1, 2013)

Nice one! Let me know if you wanna pop around for a closer look some time.


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## CD1221 (Sep 1, 2013)

Very interesting. Subbed.


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## AwDeOh (Sep 1, 2013)

Lovin' the shape here man, I'm a real fan of single cuts like this. Question though.. I don't want to be the guy who didn't bring it up before you started with the router and the pattern bit - there are a few separate flat areas in the curve around the back end, notably around where your forearm will be sitting.

I'll risk seeming like a nit-picky dick on the off-chance you didn't spot it and were going to use that exact cut for the template routing.


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## TDR (Sep 1, 2013)

Subbed! 

After you're done with this you won't need that skervy anymore!


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## jahosy (Sep 2, 2013)

AwDeOh said:


> Lovin' the shape here man, I'm a real fan of single cuts like this. Question though.. I don't want to be the guy who didn't bring it up before you started with the router and the pattern bit - there are a few separate flat areas in the curve around the back end, notably around where your forearm will be sitting.
> 
> I'll risk seeming like a nit-picky dick on the off-chance you didn't spot it and were going to use that exact cut for the template routing.



I'm more than happy to get pointers from experienced builders so no worries  

Yeh will need to round up the edges abit more for the final template. Was just too anxious to get a feel on how the figuring would look! Lol


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## jahosy (Sep 26, 2013)

Resuming work after our recent overseas trip. Some updates:

My 'workshop' 













Hardwares




17' radius fretboard. 



Need some pointers here: What's the recommended finish for maple fretboards? Am heading towards tung oil, but will polyurethene work? 

Thanks in advance!


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## Cloudy (Sep 26, 2013)

I'd definitely suggest going with Tung-oil.


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## djohns74 (Sep 26, 2013)

I don't care for the feel of pure tung oil personally. I pretty much always use Minwax satin wipe-on poly for maple necks/fretboards.


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## quoenusz (Sep 26, 2013)

Tung oil tends to get grey if you play the guitar everyday. Eventually it will rub off and the maple gets stained by your fingers. I would recommend a lacquer or an oil like Danish oil because it hardens.


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## jahosy (Sep 26, 2013)

Thanks guys! 

Yeh was concerned about the maintenance required with tung oil. Will do more research on the other products!


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## jahosy (Nov 21, 2013)

Going slow on this one 

Some updates:

Bookmatched top 




Headstock cap - flamed maple with walnut veneer and maple bindings. Going for the reverse parker / ormsby styled design.

First and probably last time working with maple bindings. 













Scarf joint followed by headpiece.









2mm rebates for the tuner brushing....





... and hipshot (smallish) vs. gotoh brushing





Moving on.. ready for truss rod





Until disater struck 









The culprit 





But think i've an idea to fix this mess up. Stay tuned! 

Fitting in the hipshots





Prefer the smaller brushing.


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## Pikka Bird (Nov 21, 2013)

The bit came loose?! That happened to me once when I routed the truss rod channel. Kinda taught me to listen for "that sound", which I'm sure you also heard, no?

Looking forward to your fix. Wonder what it is? Overall this looks like very good work as well.


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## chrisxrome (Nov 21, 2013)

Gutted about that routing accident! I hope you can find way to fix this! Maybe fill with tiny scraps and dust from the same wood and sand out the back when it's done? Don't know if that will hinder the strength of anything within the neck, though. Apart from that, looks real nice man!


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## jahosy (Nov 21, 2013)

Pikka Bird said:


> The bit came loose?! That happened to me once when I routed the truss rod channel. Kinda taught me to listen for "that sound", which I'm sure you also heard, no?
> 
> Looking forward to your fix. Wonder what it is? Overall this looks like very good work as well.



Thanks mate. Yeah abit of rattling and it was too late.

Think the collet to the router was too close to the template which causes it to losen it's grip. 

Was too impatient as well since I went straight for a 10mm deep channel. Should have taken my time and done it at least twice at 5mm depth each.



chrisxrome said:


> Gutted about that routing accident! I hope you can find way to fix this! Maybe fill with tiny scraps and dust from the same wood and sand out the back when it's done? Don't know if that will hinder the strength of anything within the neck, though. Apart from that, looks real nice man!



Something similar.... Will probably route out the bits between the maple strips and put in a wedge to fill up the gap. Hopefully tje irregular pattern on tje wenge will make the cosmetic coverup easier.


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## DredFul (Nov 21, 2013)

jahosy said:


> Was too impatient as well since I went straight for a 10mm deep channel. Should have taken my time and done it at least twice at 5mm depth each.



Mistakes happen bro. You live and learn! And look at the bright side: you still have your fingers and (hopefully) your eyes.

I'd recommend taking something like 3-4 passes when routing trussrod channels. Just to be safe 

Loving your work by the way! Gorgeous top you have there!


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## BlackMastodon (Nov 22, 2013)

I know that feel, man. Same exact thing happened to me, so next time I'm just gonna set up the router in the router table and try it that way. You might be able to still salvage that, though. Hope it turns out for you!


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## dougk (Nov 22, 2013)

Rout the trc through the neck, fill with maple spline, rerout channel. It'll look intentional when your done. 

Love this build.


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## jahosy (Nov 23, 2013)

DredFul said:


> Mistakes happen bro. You live and learn! And look at the bright side: you still have your fingers and (hopefully) your eyes.
> 
> I'd recommend taking something like 3-4 passes when routing trussrod channels. Just to be safe
> 
> Loving your work by the way! Gorgeous top you have there!





BlackMastodon said:


> I know that feel, man. Same exact thing happened to me, so next time I'm just gonna set up the router in the router table and try it that way. You might be able to still salvage that, though. Hope it turns out for you!



Thanks for the words of encouragement guys. It sure is disheartening with the stuff up but the show must go on. Now is to find the best method to remedy the fault 



dougk said:


> Rout the trc through the neck, fill with maple spline, rerout channel. It'll look intentional when your done.
> 
> Love this build.



ahh like fender's with a strip behind the neck? Great idea  But I do have some left over wenge strip so i might use that instead. 

And some new materials for my 2nd build (if the first's a success  ) 





Redwood burl. Yum  




Black limba neck & body




Macassar ebony


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## dougk (Nov 23, 2013)

jahosy said:


> ahh like fender's with a strip behind the neck? Great idea  But I do have some left over wenge strip so i might use that instead.



Exactly.

Trust me it'll work into a happy accident. Half the details of my guitars are happy accidents that I turned into features.


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## jahosy (Nov 23, 2013)

dougk said:


> Exactly.
> 
> Trust me it'll work into a happy accident. Half the details of my guitars are happy accidents that I turned into features.



And my optimism went up a notch 

Guess the 5 piece neck construction helps in this scenerio.


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## jahosy (Dec 1, 2013)

Fretboard & dot markers





















The patch-up job


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## BlackMastodon (Dec 1, 2013)

I think that patch up will look pretty decent. Nice!


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## DistinguishedPapyrus (Dec 1, 2013)

Aww man, bummer about that botched truss rod slot. That EXACT same thing happened to one of my necks and I had to scrap it. Good to see you managed to patch it. Great work over all so far though.


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## jahosy (Dec 1, 2013)

BlackMastodon said:


> I think that patch up will look pretty decent. Nice!



Just plugged a whole chunk of wenge and fingers crossed  



DistinguishedPapyrus said:


> Aww man, bummer about that botched truss rod slot. That EXACT same thing happened to one of my necks and I had to scrap it. Good to see you managed to patch it. Great work over all so far though.



Thanks mate! Yeh a real bummer when these things happen where your heart just skipped. Guess i'm lucky enough to salvage whatever mishap that came to this poor timber thus far haha Still experimenting with all the different tools, their uses and some improvised techniques. I'm kinda like a boy with a new toy


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## CD1221 (Dec 2, 2013)

Loking good! Solid work on the patch.


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## jahosy (Dec 2, 2013)

CD1221 said:


> Loking good! Solid work on the patch.



Thanks mate! Hope it'll blend in seamlessly once the neck carving begins


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## sojorel (Dec 3, 2013)

Where are you getting your wood from?


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## Pikka Bird (Dec 3, 2013)

Arg! The fix has me even more excited to see this progress! I thoroughly expect the hole to be rather well hidden after the fact, but I can't wai to see _how_ well.


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## jahosy (Dec 3, 2013)

sojorel said:


> Where are you getting your wood from?



Tops mainly from EBay. You can find some good bargains  

For Australian suppliers try 

Lazarides Timber (QLD)
Australian Timber 

Mathews Timber (VIC) 
Timber Melbourne | Exotic Timber Supplier | Timber supplier Melbourne

Others
Northridge Hardwoods (US)
Bookmatched Guitar Tonewood Top Sets, Curly Maple, Quilted Maple, Koa

My favourite
Gilmer Wood (US)
https://www.gilmerwood.com/items.php?CID=31

Good luck!


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## jahosy (Dec 8, 2013)

Mock up.





Shaping up.


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## skisgaar (Dec 8, 2013)

What is it about walnut that makes it such a great wood for single cuts? I don't know, but good lord that looks noiche!


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## trent6308 (Dec 9, 2013)

Awesome stuff! Didn't realise you'd started building guitars mate. Can't wait to see how this turns out.


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## jahosy (Dec 9, 2013)

Thanks trent 

Haven't seen you on ss in a while. Hope you are well mate!


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## DredFul (Dec 9, 2013)

Dat redwood tho'


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## trent6308 (Dec 9, 2013)

jahosy said:


> Thanks trent
> 
> Haven't seen you on ss in a while. Hope you are well mate!


 
Yeah, going well!

Super Jealous of your luthiery skills my friend. I've always wanted to try something like this......


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## jahosy (Dec 15, 2013)

Things are picking up since I'm targeting to finish the bulk of the woodworking before xmas. 





Another stuff-up, this time of the truss rod access. Looks like a truss rod cover will be required. 





Planed out the patch work behind the neck. Looks promising!


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## DredFul (Dec 15, 2013)

Took some time before I noticed the patch. Nice work! It's practically invisible


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## jahosy (Dec 15, 2013)

DredFul said:


> Took some time before I noticed the patch. Nice work! It's practically invisible



Have to say i got abit 'lucky' there 

But i reckon the look of wenge made it easier. Not sure it'll work on mahogany / maple


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## skeels (Dec 15, 2013)

This looks great man! Stick at it even if things get goofy!

I've chopped up more guitars into kindling than I've finished building!




That would be six.


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## jahosy (Dec 16, 2013)

skeels said:


> This looks great man! Stick at it even if things get goofy!
> 
> I've chopped up more guitars into kindling than I've finished building!
> 
> ...



That sucks mate... literally no room for errors  

It did cross my mind at some point to start all over, but thought most of these mishaps were mainly cosmetic.


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## skeels (Dec 16, 2013)

jahosy said:


> That sucks mate... literally no room for errors
> 
> It did cross my mind at some point to start all over, but thought most of these mishaps were mainly cosmetic.



It's all part of the. .. well, addiction.


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## jahosy (Dec 19, 2013)

Fretted. Think this is the most tedious and least enjoyable stage for me thus far 









Did more work on a 40 degree day...


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## BlackMastodon (Dec 19, 2013)

The only thing more tedious than fretting is fret levelling and dressing. 
Looks great though so far!


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## jahosy (Dec 20, 2013)

Almost there!


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## TylerRay (Dec 20, 2013)

Very nice. I can't even see the patch job you had to do!


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## jahosy (Dec 21, 2013)

TylerRay said:


> Very nice. I can't even see the patch job you had to do!



Thanks mate! It's actually quite visible from about 1 feet away though. 

Couple more photos of the carved top, body and headstock. 





















Now onto the last picture.... while sanding back the ash, few gapping holes (about 1mm) started appearing along the joint lines primarily down the middle and where the lower horn meets the heel. Tried filling them up with a mixture of ash sawdust + titebond but doesn't seem to match. What other methods are there to solve this?

I can think of a dodgy way which is to stain the ash black


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## Obstsalat (Dec 21, 2013)

Man i have to admit, at first i was like 'that body shape is ugly as hell' but it really came out amazing!! stunning instrument you got there


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## Negav (Dec 21, 2013)

Dude, don't let this be your only build. You are very talented and I'd like to see you refine your skills. This build looks amazing and I'd like to see more.


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## jahosy (Dec 21, 2013)

Obstsalat said:


> Man i have to admit, at first i was like 'that body shape is ugly as hell' but it really came out amazing!! stunning instrument you got there



Haha thanks mate! I was having doubt about the body shape midway through the build. Think the body carve helped.  



Negav said:


> Dude, don't let this be your only build. You are very talented and I'd like to see you refine your skills. This build looks amazing and I'd like to see more.



Thanks for the kind words mate. Already lined up my second build. Should start soon so stay tuned! 

Anyway... photo of the Myka dragonfly from where i got the inspiration from: 





And of course Parker headstock:


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## littlemurph7976 (Dec 22, 2013)

This looks awesome! Love the ash and wenge combo, always been one of my favourites


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## MooseJuice (Dec 22, 2013)

Wow looks great, especially if it´s your first build. Really like that body shape.


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## DredFul (Dec 22, 2013)

MooseJuice said:


> Wow looks great, especially if it´s your first build. Really like that body shape.



Father?


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## jahosy (Dec 23, 2013)

DredFul said:


> Father?







MooseJuice said:


> Wow looks great, especially if it´s your first build. Really like that body shape.





littlemurph7976 said:


> This looks awesome! Love the ash and wenge combo, always been one of my favourites



Thanks guys! Have yet to try a wenge neck but the wenge / ash combo is being used quite often so its a pretty safe bet i guess


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## jahosy (Dec 27, 2013)

All strung up.













Still waiting on a few parts for the electronics to be fixed. Action on high E is prob 1mm too much. Will probably file down the saddle to compensate. 

Otherwise, sounds and feels good


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## DredFul (Dec 27, 2013)

DAYUM!


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## TylerRay (Dec 27, 2013)

Kicka**! Love it dude. There isn't much love for single cuts around here it seems... Glad to see your build. Quick question for ya, I'm doing a neck through single cut build and going with no neck angle, will probably recess my bridges if needed. Did you use a neck angle? Looks pretty straight but I can't tell.


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## jahosy (Dec 27, 2013)

TylerRay said:


> Kicka**! Love it dude. There isn't much love for single cuts around here it seems... Glad to see your build. Quick question for ya, I'm doing a neck through single cut build and going with no neck angle, will probably recess my bridges if needed. Did you use a neck angle? Looks pretty straight but I can't tell.



Thanks mate! Just wanted something more classic looking  

The neck angle is about 12-13 degrees. Flat ala Fender style? Not sure if it'll work but maybe with locking tuners?


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## TylerRay (Dec 28, 2013)

jahosy said:


> Thanks mate! Just wanted something more classic looking
> 
> The neck angle is about 12-13 degrees. Flat ala Fender style? Not sure if it'll work but maybe with locking tuners?



I was talkin the angle where the neck joins the body, usually to compensate for bridge height, I think you're referring to headstock angle.


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## darren (Dec 28, 2013)

That's a really ambitious first build, and it looks like it came out fantastic! You should be proud! Nothing like playing your own first guitar, is there?


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## jahosy (Dec 28, 2013)

TylerRay said:


> I was talkin the angle where the neck joins the body, usually to compensate for bridge height, I think you're referring to headstock angle.



Ahhh apologies! 

The neck was built straight, and the walnut top was contoured off from the bridge to the edge instead of recessing each individual bridge. 

But it's still insufficient as the high E string is sitting pretty high (12th fret 2.5mm). My options now are a) strip all the hardware off andre-sand the top, or b) file the saddle. 

 



darren said:


> That's a really ambitious first build, and it looks like it came out fantastic! You should be proud! Nothing like playing your own first guitar, is there?



Thanks mate! I'm sure there are lots of flaws to be found  

But it's definitely a fun and enjoyable process. Just need to be more patient


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## DredFul (Dec 28, 2013)

TylerRay said:


> Kicka**! Love it dude. There isn't much love for single cuts around here it seems... Glad to see your build. Quick question for ya, I'm doing a neck through single cut build and going with no neck angle, will probably recess my bridges if needed. Did you use a neck angle? Looks pretty straight but I can't tell.



Neck angle depends on what bridge you are going to use. I'm building a V with TOM and cut the neck to about 2.5 degree angle. I heard gibsons have neck angles from 2 degree to 3.5 so I went with something from the halfway  If you are going to use hipshot or floyd or anykind of "low profile" bridge I don't think you need a neck angle. Let me just find that one video for you real quick...

....

Yes, this is the one!


Skip ahead to around 17 minutes. In my opinion it was quite interesting to watch!


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## guidothepimmp (Dec 28, 2013)

Yes sir that is farking epic! Great job

Those fret markers look super classy and the detail with scalloping is great..

Well done.


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## darren (Dec 28, 2013)

jahosy said:


> Thanks mate! I'm sure there are lots of flaws to be found
> 
> But it's definitely a fun and enjoyable process. Just need to be more patient



NOBODY should expect to have the product of a new skill set come out perfect the first time. It's a constant learning process.


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## patata (Dec 28, 2013)

>



Ready to dj0nt.

Really like the guitar,would prefer a hollowbody version for some smoother riffing though.


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## guidothepimmp (Dec 29, 2013)

jahosy said:


> Ahhh apologies!
> 
> The neck was built straight, and the walnut top was contoured off from the bridge to the edge instead of recessing each individual bridge.
> 
> ...



Just read this again.. would recessing the saddles slightly not be an option? That way you would maintain the integrity of the saddle. Either way.. love the build mate.


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## jahosy (Dec 29, 2013)

guidothepimmp said:


> Just read this again.. would recessing the saddles slightly not be an option? That way you would maintain the integrity of the saddle. Either way.. love the build mate.



That's a possibility, just not confident in the execution


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## jahosy (Jan 1, 2014)

Done. I'm just going to leave it as is, not fixing the action at this point. 









Installed hex screws to the saddles instead. (except those few phillip screws which is only temporary)


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## esp_eraser (Jan 2, 2014)

....ing nice mate, well done. Been waiting to see this finished


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## capoeiraesp (Jan 2, 2014)

Bloody well done dude!


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## Ajb667 (Jan 4, 2014)

Holy crap  This is amazing O_O


You wouldn't get mad if I used a design like this for the one I'm going build, would you? I think I'm in love.


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## jahosy (Jan 4, 2014)

Ajb667 said:


> Holy crap  This is amazing O_O
> 
> 
> You wouldn't get mad if I used a design like this for the one I'm going build, would you? I think I'm in love.



Thanks mate! 

Sure it's not 'my' design to begin with 

Inspired by Myka's fretless dragonfly  I'm not usually into single-cuts but that was a love at first sight!


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## TDR (Jan 8, 2014)

This came up looking ....ing awesome man!


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## Walterson (Jan 9, 2014)

How did I manage to miss this? 

Well done!


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## mister V (Jan 9, 2014)

Very beautiful shape you've done, this combination of body and headstock looks killer! 

I have the same troubles with the gaps, but mine are between the two body halves and a neck-through piece. But it was totally my fault, I know that I can do a perfect edges for gluing with my router, but this time I stopped at just sanding the edges after jigsaw cutting. However, the plan from the beginning was to stain all the body with non-transparent color so I think there will be no problems.


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## jahosy (Jan 9, 2014)

mister V said:


> Very beautiful shape you've done, this combination of body and headstock looks killer!
> 
> I have the same troubles with the gaps, but mine are between the two body halves and a neck-through piece. But it was totally my fault, I know that I can do a perfect edges for gluing with my router, but this time I stopped at just sanding the edges after jigsaw cutting. However, the plan from the beginning was to stain all the body with non-transparent color so I think there will be no problems.



Thanks mate. Yeh I did the same mistake of sanding the edges. 

Anyway staining the body should work for yours. Good luck!


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## superash (Jan 9, 2014)

What a sexy single cut!!


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## dougk (Jan 9, 2014)

This is really coming along very nicely.


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## AwDeOh (Jan 10, 2014)

The body shape probably isn't everyone's cup of tea, but god damn - great workmanship. The neck laminate looks stunning.. wenge/maple always is, but that's something else. I'm scoring this 9/10 because the body isn't my cup of tea, and another 2 on top because it matters squat what I think of the body. XD


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## jahosy (Jan 10, 2014)

^ Thanks again guys for all the kind words / feedbacks. Learned so much from all the folks here and its so easy to get inspired reading all the build threads!

Just glad that i got this one finished


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## Neilzord (Feb 4, 2014)

Just saw this Skervesen, 

Knew it reminded me of something and it was this build! 

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd....0x720/1170758_522562581192377_516904285_n.jpg


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## Coreysaur (Feb 5, 2014)

Dude, this came out simply amazing!!! Wondering, if you had any prior woodworking skills?


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## jahosy (Feb 5, 2014)

Neilzord said:


> Just saw this Skervesen,
> 
> Knew it reminded me of something and it was this build!
> 
> https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd....0x720/1170758_522562581192377_516904285_n.jpg



I'm sure there're heaps of offset singlecuts that look similar  but thanks for the compliment! 



Coreysaur said:


> Dude, this came out simply amazing!!! Wondering, if you had any prior woodworking skills?



Wouldn't say 'skills' but i did an elective in high sch working with timber, metal and plastic for 4 yrs. Woodworking was my favourite


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## Grif (May 23, 2014)

Sorry to bump, but I was on ebay the other day and saw you selling this (would've got it myself if i had the cash) so I'm wondering what did you do to during the build process to make you want to sell it? and how do you think you would avoid those mistakes in your next build? Just looking for some friendly advice if i end up building my own


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