Ras Alan playing his Childres OMC
with Built-in Pick-up and Mic
Photo by Ken Voltz
I like to build and play guitars.
JAH 45 Mahogany #32016. AVAILABLE NOW!
Torrified Sitka spruce; ebony bridge and fretboard
Hand thicknessed walnut back
Waverly tuners with ebony buttons
JAH 45 Walnut #22016
Ebony fretboard; Herringbone purfling
Matte finish ebony headplate
Ebony trim and button
JAH 45 Mahogany and Walnut
Childres OMC #12015 For Sale (Or one like it)
Custom OMC form and spreaders
Laying out the top profile; AAA Sitka spruce
Laying out the back profile; East Indian rosewood
Measuring the sides to length
Fitting the internal spreaders
Gluing in the mahogany neckblock
Neck block in place
Gluing in the tail block
Hand planing the sides to the blocks
Gluing "ears" to the headstock
One piece Honduran mahogany neck blank
Making radius sanding blocks
Gluing in the kerfings; spruce on the top, mahogany on the back
Carving the mahogany side struts
Laying out the side strut locations
Gluing in the side struts
Laying out the back braces
Shaping the back braces
Recessing the tailblock for electronics
Gluing the mahogany back braces
Using shop-built jig to inlay rosette
Gluing rosette into the spruce top
Scraping rosette flush with top
Finished inlaid herringbone rosette
Thicknessing the top by hand
Radiusing top braces in 30' dish
Gluing in center strip
Gluing in aged spruce top bracing (from private stash)
Shaping the top bracing
Removing extra material
Voicing the top
Nice and clean
Gluing back to the rims
Routing end graft slot
Fitting ebony end graft
Almost ready for the top
Final electronics clearance check
Gluing top to rims and back
Routing for ebony binding
That's why they call it binding
Ebony back binding on
Routing the binding+purfling channel
Help in the tight curves
Scraping the sides and bindings level
The bound box
Laying out the headstock
Counter-boring for tuner bushings
Aligning the fretboard
Fitting the ebony heel cap
Tell-tale signs...
Laying out the neck profiles
Working the Honduras mahogany
Early morning start
Taking shape
Eyeballing the fret markers
Ready to cut the pearl
Sanding a 30' radius on the ebony bridge
Midnight oil
Checking the fit on the radiused top
Less is More
No sweat... just fret
Pearl side dots
Sanding to #320 grit works
Getting the volute right
Back of headstock detail
Getting there
Setting up to route for inlay
This is going to be good
Mortise and tenon bolt-on neck with 2-way truss rod
Attaching the neck
Working really, really small
Prepping for finish
Taped off and ready for applying 10,000 layers of "Moonshine Polish"
The ancient recipe...
Pore-filling with mahogany dust around the volute
The layers have begun
Many finish layers later...
The herringbone comes alive
Literally hand-rubbed. A lot.
First layers of finish on the ebony headplate
Nice and smooth on the back of the headstock
Waverly tuners with ebony buttons- jewelry for the guitar
Old-style tuner bushings
Fitting the ebony bridge pins
1/4" strap-jack for LR Baggs Anthem SL mic/pickup system
Volume control for internal mic/ under-saddle pickup
Compensated unbleached bone saddle in custom ebony bridge
2016 Childres OMC #12015. For sale. With hardshell case.
AAA Sitka spruce top
14 fret neck
Custom ebony bridge; Medullary rays in top. Great sound.
Compensated unbleached bone saddle
Herringbone rosette
Back of headstock
Back of headstock 2
East Indian rosewood back
East Indian rosewood sides 1
East Indian rosewood sides 2
Ebony binding 1
Ebony binding 2
Venetian cutaway detail
2 mm Mother of Pearl side marker dots
Ebony headplate with mother-of-pearl logo
Ebony heel cap and strap button
Herringbone purfling
Discrete volume control for internal mic and undersaddle pickup
One piece sawn and hand carved Honduras mahogany neck
Hand carved volute detail
TKL 25th Anniversary hardshell case
TKL case- Made in Canada. Not for cats.