Merkley #2

[sxracer193]

Some of you have seen a glimpse of this guitar in the recent update. No wood has been glued, cut, clamped or harmed in any manner to date yet Team Schroeder has been working on designing this guitar for weeks. This guitar is a twin to our #1 which is being made right now. It is not an identical twin. This will be another blood red chopper but semi hollow with two sound holes. Ryan got to pick inlays for #1 so Dad took a turn on #2. The inlay on this guitar is very detailed. Jason made the call to bring in Athena to drive this and we have been going back and forth for probably three good weeks to get to this stage. Besides being and artist, Athena possess some major computer skills. She has mocked up countless versions of the design elements to make sure we are all on the same page. Last week we got to a completed design for the inlay and started talking about materials and colors. I told Athena I wanted to make sure they went well with the finished color of the guitar and the next thing I know a completed rendering of the guitar shows up in my inbox. While going over final details of the spec the other day, Jason commented that this build is a little different than others in that he has to compete with the rendering. I am pretty sure he and the Team are up to the challenge. That being said, let me introduce you to "The Cobra"

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/DM_big_mock_1.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/inlay.jpg

[sxracer193]

After the design was done and Athena had produced the whole guitar rendering, we started on material selection. Athena writes great emails outling choices as well as giving suggestions. She backs it up with tons of picture examples. To help me visualize what some things look like, she has taken pictures of the proposed materials and placed them into the rendering. I wanted bright colors for the larger flowers but wanted to stay with natural materials. Athena suggested using stabalized colored buryl. And this is what she sent me to show how it would look

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraRoseMock1.jpg

This last picture is where we are up to now and shows the snake detailed in MOP. Just like all the scales are not drawn it, only a portion of the snake received the detailing so as not to waste time. I think you will agree that Athena provides excellent detail which make decisions easy.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraFBMock.jpg

Hopefully Athena and Jason will chime in and tell you more as they are the experts. It has been a ton of fun up to this point. All of you who have guitars in process with Jason know what a class act he is and how great he is to work with. Let me assure you Athena is cut from the same cloth. Thank you Jason, Athena and Team Schroeder

Dave

[snoopy]

OH my my. AWESOME.

[danno_eleven]

that's bad ass right there. nice work.

[Schroeder]

that's bad ass right there. nice work.

What's up Danno?!

Dave, I SWEAR to you I did not prompt him to say that! That is the term that so many people say when they see this guitar. "Bad-ass." Now all we have to do is make a guitar that looks like the picture! :D

[guitarnyc]

yes I saw the pictured posted a few days ago and was very curious to see the whole picture....it is amazing looking...a piece of art...I know Jason and the team can pull it off and I'm looking forward to seeing it done !
________
Expatriate Insurance Advice (http://www.insurance-forums.org/expatriate-insurance/)

[Athena]

Hopefully Athena and Jason will chime in and tell you more as they are the experts. It has been a ton of fun up to this point. All of you who have guitars in process with Jason know what a class act he is and how great he is to work with. Let me assure you Athena is cut from the same cloth. Thank you Jason, Athena and Team Schroeder

Dave
Thanks for the compliments, Dave! I'm so psyched to be working on this project. We're still in the process of tweaking the design and selecting the materials (hence the grey areas in the sketch (other than the sword).

Dave has been just fantastic to work with and made a fun job even more enjoyable. This is going to be one truly unique Schroeder guitar.

...Ath

[vangit]

That's just off the charts. Gonna be great to see progress pics of this build!

[austin]

Hot. Damn.

-Austin

[snoopy]

What is the inlay made out of ?

[sxracer193]

What is the inlay made out of ?

Right now, great computer skills. LOL When it is done, it will be made of a lot of things. We aren't done picking all the materials but here is the list so far:

Snake - Mother of Pearl (Athena has used shots of MOP ranging from brown to white to get the look you see in the last mockup)

Sword Blade - Silver

Vines - 18 K gold

Skull - Black and White MOP or possibly legal/mammoth ivory

Leaves and Flowers - stabilized wood, possibly mixed with some shell which you can see in the middle part of the full finger board mockup where the snake is now in shell


Below I have inserted some pictures of dyed stabilized maple burls that Athena sent me. I have also included some text from her as to why stabilized woods are good beside the fact they look fantastic (the red rose mockup above was made from a photograph of this wood)

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/RedMapleBurl2.jpg

"I use stabilized wood for a number of reasons. The main one here is that it
lets me used dyed woods to expand my palette. Inlay on a radius will get
sanded into and not get a finish on an ebony or rosewood board. So I can't
just stain/dye regular wood the way Jason does for the body. The
stabilizing process uses a vacuum chamber to force the solution and the dye
deep into the wood. As a result, it's completely full of both dye and
finish. Bass builders are making whole fretboards out of this stuff. " - Athena

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/MiscBurls1.jpg

"P.S. Here's a general feature list on stabilized wood:

Stabilized Wood doesn't warp, shrink, expand or crack w/temperature changes
or exposure to moisture like natural finished wood will.

It's resistant to most common chemicals/solvents like gasoline, suntan
lotion, line dressing, etc...

It doesn't require a finish, and can be re-buffed in a matter of seconds to
eliminate any slight wear to look like new....no need to re-finish anything.

It's more UV resistant than natural wood, and will exhibit less fading of
the color in the grain over long periods of UV exposure.

It doesn't yellow or fade like synthetic finishes do.

It allows us to work with Burls that normally would have too loose of a
grain structure to be structurally sound.

It allows us to work with woods like Calif. Buckeye and various other
spalted woods that otherwise would be useless because they are essentially
"rotten" and much to soft for any type of machining in their "wood" state.

It enhances the natural grain and brings out the figure of the wood w/o the
use of a separate finish." - Athena

I think it is fantastic how much information is learned in the approach Schoeder Guitars uses to making guitars. What a great way to treat your customers and friends.

Dave

[goof1073]

That's so killer it isn't even funny....great concept guys!!

I also noticed that you have the headstock mock'd up with a schroeder signature rather than an "s" inlay...interesting concept, but I always that that J wanted to utilize his signature inlay on the headstock??

[sxracer193]

Thanks, glad you like it. I think it will end up with a "S" on the headstock. I have something cool in mind that fits the theme. Jason's call if he wants the signature there. For me the mockup served to help pick inlay colors that would look good with the base color of the guitar.

Dave

[Shadscbr]

I agree with everyone else, that is just too cool. I can't wait to see things come together. :)

Shad

[r9player]

wow wow wow that is so awesome!

[sxracer193]

We are super close to done so Athena can start cutting material. There are still some blank where it doesn't pay to take the time to fill in but you can see the balance of wood and shell and the skull is now detailed. Athena has also thrown in a couple of critters you should look for.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraFBMock4.jpg

[Elizabeth]

That is going to be incredible. Very very detailed- I can't wait to see progress pics! :) Good luck Athena!

[sxracer193]

Athena sent me a new mockup today. Thought I would post it as I think it is the last one prior to starting. Enjoy

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraSwordButt.jpg

[guitarnyc]

holy....wow...good luck to whoever has to inlay that one...it's beautiful !
________
latin girl Cam (http://www.girlcamfriend.com/webcam/latin-girls/)

[sxracer193]

Here is the top we picked for this guitar

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/top45.jpg

Athena is working on the inlay and has the last 4 frets or so done. Looks incredible.

[vangit]

This guitar is going to be off the charts!!

[paintguy]

This guitar is going to be off the charts!!

You got that right!

[sxracer193]

Athena continues to work away on the inlay. She is going to kill me for posting pictures with paper glued to the pieces (not the best representation of a work of art) but I thought you guys would enjoy a little update. Two pictures. First shows remnants from the gold cutting process. 132 individual pieces cut to date. You can see a small area of the patter shows no pieces to there is a little left for.......... The second picture is one of the completed glue ups of a fret showing where the gold is being used wich is the vines for all the flowers. The total piece count has not been done. North of 1000.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra_Gold_Done.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra21Glued.jpg


I was thinking the other day how I would reply if someone asked how "I" came up with the design for the inlay. The answer is "I" told Athena I wanted a snake that didn't look bad, I wanted a skull incorporated and eventually I asked to throw in a sword. My point is, I have been completely involved in the process without really doing much ( love those updates). Athena sent me 500 pictures, 20 + different versions of the mockup and threw in little details here and there as a bonus. I had the hard job of picking the best of the best. I am pretty sure I will never build a guitar or do an inlay but I sure "feel" like I have. I think this is the best part about Schroeder guitars. :D

[r9player]

absolutely insane and amazing at the same time!

[goof1073]

I am pretty sure I will never build a guitar or do an inlay but I sure "feel" like I have. I think this is the best part about Schroeder guitars. Great way to put it....that really is one of the best perks of working with a small builder you really get involved with the process and have "your" guitar in the end. Sure buying one-offs / limited guitars from the larger makers is cool but you just don't get that interaction...not even from the Private Stock team.


Love the inlay thus far too! Ath really was great to work with and she sent me a good number of drawings and was very willing to listen / try to understand the image I had in my head for my "simplistic" koi design.

[vangit]

Thanks for the update Dave. What an amazing job the whole team is doing on this one.

[Shadscbr]

Thanks for the update Dave. What an amazing job the whole team is doing on this one.

+1

I'm glad you shared Dave, it's so cool to see all the various details of this project :)

Shad

[Athena]

She is going to kill me for posting pictures with paper glued to the pieces...
No way! I'm happy that you're happy and enjoying the process. I'm just sorry it's not a very photogenic process. Many artists won't do progress pics for that reason. I just need to get some sort of better lighting setup for closeup photography.

Thanks for all the compliments guys.

...Ath

[guitarnyc]

amazing work Athena...been watching it and it's a work of art !
________
Bestsquirt69 (http://www.girlcamfriend.com/cam/bestsquirt69/)

[sxracer193]

Here are a couple more shots that show how small the parts are and what they turn into. Most of the parts have the paper pattern attached still but you can get an idea of how great it is going to look when done. So pictures are 4 different frets in pieces then three of the 4 glued up plus an additional fret. To find the missing fret, look up in the previous post :D . I will post more as we going along if you guys want.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra19-22.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraJune1.jpg


Enjoy and have a great night.

Dave

[sxracer193]

Here is the "cup o parts" for the other fret shown above.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra19b-Thumb.jpg

I was just talking to Ryan about what I had put on this board and was telling him that Athena had posted another assembled fret tonight. I went to the site to show him and there was a huge suprise waiting there. Athena is so cool, she saw that I had posted a few parts and pieces so she dug out all the complete parts and laid them out on a fretboard and took a couple of pictures. I was already excited to show Ryan what she had completed. I was completely floored when I saw this:

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraComp1b.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraComp1a.jpg


The parts are just laid on a spare fretboard and put in place by eyeball. To me, it looks incredible, pattern paper, glue, and all. Thanks very much for putting this together Athena.

Dave

[vangit]

My goodness is that thing intense. Sick work Athena!!!

[Athena]

... Thanks very much for putting this together Athena.
You're welcome, Dave. I was looking for some frets to lay over the ragged, unfiled edges on the sides you won't see. I have a set I yanked off an old guinea pig guitar but I can't find the suckers.

My goodness is that thing intense. Sick work Athena!!!
Thanks Stu. We're hoping dragons cower in fear. ;->

...Ath

[danno_eleven]

unbelievable.

[sxracer193]

Fret 13 -22 are cut and glued. Great progress. Looking at #13, can you guess what is next?

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra13.jpg

"That one comes in at 107 pieces, which is the highest so far. Then next fret is 98 pieces, bringing the total so far up to 712"

[paintguy]

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[vangit]

Thats just amazing.

[Shadscbr]

Thanks for the progress pics, it's fascinating to watch an inlay of this magnitude come to life...looks great so far. :)

Shad

[sxracer193]

4 pictures of the same thing with one small change between the left and right pictures. Am I wrong to be PLEASED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D I don't think so. Hope you guys like this. I sure do.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraEyeCompare.jpg

Dave

[Shadscbr]

Wow, that's a great example of Ath's artistic use of perspective...very cool :D

Shad

[Benster]

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra19b-Thumb.jpg


Jason WHAT is that wood beneath the cup!!

that's the kinda Koa top i want for my #2! :D

[Athena]

Jason WHAT is that wood beneath the cup!!

that's the kinda Koa top i want for my #2! :D
It's a piece of very tightly curled Koa that sadly isn't large enough for a top. It'll make some killer peghead overlays, etc. some day.

Let's see what pix I have of it already uploaded. I have a few pieces of pretty stuff leaned against my wood shelf:

http://home.comcast.net/%7Eath3na/PurdyWood.jpg

Here's a closeup of the tightest:

http://home.comcast.net/%7Eath3na/KillerKurlyKoaKloseup.jpg

Most of my wood is fretboard-sized. I have over 50-some fretboard blanks or wood that could be cut to that size. I have a few interesting neck blanks. A huge stack of headplates. I collect small pieces of very tightly figured wood for inlay, trim, etc.

At some point I will create a webpage with nice photos of my inventory, inlay design ideas and eventually some RTS inlayed boards, peghead overlays, etc.

...Ath

[sxracer193]

Have I told you how excited I am about this guitar? Jason found a one piece quilted board that we can get a top and back out of, we have a couple of twists for the shape, and Athena keeps producing mini masterpieces as she completes the individual Frets. Not going to show the whole thing as it is not done but here is my favorite part of it so far. Introducting the one eyed FLY.......




http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Fly2.jpg

[Athena]

Have I told you how excited I am about this guitar? Jason found a one piece quilted board that we can get a top and back out of, we have a couple of twists for the shape, and Athena keeps producing mini masterpieces as she completes the individual Frets. Not going to show the whole thing as it is not done but here is my favorite part of it so far. Introducting the one eyed FLY.......




http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Fly2.jpg
It's finished now. I just finally got to taking a shot. Dave can post it here if he likes.

...Ath

[Benster]

Jason! find me a top like this! one-piece if possible :)

http://home.comcast.net/%7Eath3na/KillerKurlyKoaKloseup.jpg

[sxracer193]

One more mini masterpiece complete

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra11b.jpg

[guitarnyc]

That is amazing that's it's one fret of the entire puzzle....I have to keep going back to look at the full picture to see where each piece goes :)
________
Iolite vaporizer - cordless portable vaporizer (http://vaporizer.org)

[Shadscbr]

Looking great Dave...the floral detail is sweet! :)


Shad

[sxracer193]

Better get this on a guitar pretty quick or it might get loose and do some damage:D
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra-11-22.jpg

Just sitting on the board and not perfectly lined up but looking incredible. Super nice of Athena to keep doing this. Big thanks.

Dave

[sxracer193]

They just keep coming and they are all great. Enjoy

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra10.jpg

Here is the key incase you want to figure out where this goes;)

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraFBMock4.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/inlay.jpg

[goof1073]

Amazes me more and more as I see updates...

[Shadscbr]

The detail is incredible!

I guess the roses and skull are next, which is really going be cool to see pieced together.

Thanks for the updates! :)

Shad

[r9player]

Just crazy stunning!

[Athena]

The detail is incredible!

I guess the roses and skull are next, which is really going be cool to see pieced together.

Thanks for the updates! :)

Shad
You are correct. The 9th fret will be coming up roses...3 of them, in fact. And the skull starts on the 8th.

The 9th fret is also a record-holder topping the charts at 130 pieces, bringing our total up to 1025 so far. I promised a four digit piece count, but even I didn't think we'd break 1000 pieces so soon. I'm not usually that much into the statistics, but this one is so epic, it's worth the minor effort. Somebody's going to end up asking Dave at some point. I just thought it'd be nice for him to know the answer.

...Ath

[Athena]

Better get this on a guitar pretty quick or it might get loose and do some damage:D
LOL... it's scaring the crap out of my cat already. ;->

Super nice of Athena to keep doing this. Big thanks.
No prob, Dave. Glad you enjoy it.

...Ath

[sxracer193]

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra9done.jpg

8 more to go and we get to see final assembly and sand/polish :D

I am pretty sure I couldn't be happier with this. Hope you guys enjoy.

Dave

[vangit]

Incredible guys. Amazing Athena!!!

[sxracer193]

Go on a trip for a few days and what do you come home to? This :D

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra8.jpg

You can see the jaw of the skull in the upper right side. 7 more to go. I can't wait. Should be seeing some wood soon as well.


Dave

[Shadscbr]

Great contrast of materials, i can't wait to see the various wood tones as they're introduced into this monster of an inlay.

Thanks again for sharing the details...very cool :D

Shad

[Athena]

Should be seeing some wood soon as well. LOL...

Sorry I'm having a Beavis & Butthead moment. ;-> I think it's the superglue fumes.

And I was about to explain that you have been seeing wood already as the roses and other flowers are dyed stabilized maple and box elder burl wood... but you're probably referring to Jason's... uh... wood... LOL. Plus you can't really see the wood because it's covered with gluey paper patterns that won't fall off easily (like the brownlip shell).

Don't mind me... I'll go back to my glue fumes.

...Ath

[sxracer193]

Great contrast of materials, i can't wait to see the various wood tones as they're introduced into this monster of an inlay.

Thanks again for sharing the details...very cool :D

Shad

The thanks goes to Jason and Athena for agreeing to do this guitar and to Athena for doing so many awsome updates. There is so much going on with this and not many people request such a huge inlay, I figured it would be a shame not to share especially since Athena has made so much of the process available to see. Thanks to both Jason and Athena.

[sxracer193]

LOL...

Sorry I'm having a Beavis & Butthead moment. ;-> I think it's the superglue fumes.

And I was about to explain that you have been seeing wood already as the roses and other flowers are dyed stabilized maple and box elder burl wood... but you're probably referring to Jason's... uh... wood... LOL. Plus you can't really see the wood because it's covered with gluey paper patterns that won't fall off easily (like the brownlip shell).

Don't mind me... I'll go back to my glue fumes.

...Ath

I thought about this when I wrote it. I figured I was the only one who would make the Beavis and Butthead connection. And yes, I did say WOOD. :p

Dave

[vangit]

incredible guys (and gal :))

[sxracer193]

Something new

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/SkullLoose.jpg

I told Athena I was going to wait until this fret was finished to post it. I went back to her post (I like to look at every fret about a million times) and I had missed that she might do something to highlight the "cracks" in the skull that will make this hard to see so here is the partially complete 7th fret.

Dave

[sxracer193]

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra6.jpg
WOW. Can you imagine how beautiful this will be when the pattern is off and cleaned up. Hard to believe you can fit so much in one Fret. Thanks again Athena for the update.


Dave

[sxracer193]

One more mini masterpiece from Ath. :D I couldn't be happier with how this is turning out.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra5.jpg

[Shadscbr]

Wow, it's really looking great! I love the curled leaves on the flower :)

Shad

[vangit]

Just amazing guys!!!

[RedRider]

WOW!!!! I thought my undersea landscape that Ron Thorn is in the middle of was a ton of work or Mikes Parrot guitar than Ron did last year with the fiber optics, but this is just nuts!! So all these pieces are superglued together to create one piece, then it gets inlayed to the actual fretboard....so how to you cut the fretboard??? Some microscopic dremel?? I know jason doesnt use a CNC so how does it get cut?

[edgarallanpoe]

so how does it get cut?

Very carefully....LOL!!!

[vangit]

WOW!!!! I thought my undersea landscape that Ron Thorn is in the middle of was a ton of work or Mikes Parrot guitar than Ron did last year with the fiber optics, but this is just nuts!! So all these pieces are superglued together to create one piece, then it gets inlayed to the actual fretboard....so how to you cut the fretboard??? Some microscopic dremel?? I know jason doesnt use a CNC so how does it get cut?

Ron who? :) Just kidding, his work is amazing. But I have never seen anything like this before. Dave, Athena and Jason are doing something that I don't know has been seen before. And yes, no CNC.

[guitarnyc]

This inlay really is mind blowing to watch come together !
________
blonde girl Cams (http://www.girlcamfriend.com/webcam/blonde-girls/)

[Athena]

WOW!!!! I thought my undersea landscape that Ron Thorn is in the middle of was a ton of work or Mikes Parrot guitar than Ron did last year with the fiber optics, but this is just nuts!! So all these pieces are superglued together to create one piece, then it gets inlayed to the actual fretboard....so how to you cut the fretboard??? Some microscopic dremel?? I know jason doesnt use a CNC so how does it get cut?
Sometimes a simple, spare design is nice. Sometimes nothing succeeds like excess. Yes, it's nuts. :-) It's rock & roll! I thank Dave for the chance to say screw moderation, let's see how far we can go... to see how wild and crazy we can get. I'm up to 1526 pieces with 4 more frets to go.

The pieces are cut by hand with a jeweler's saw. The fretboard will be routed with a Foredom flexshaft tool with small carbide end mills. For details I usually use from .030" - .016".

I don't use a microscope (yet). I do have to use one of these:

http://home.comcast.net/%7Eath3na/Headset.jpg
...on top of contact lenses and glasses.

...Ath

[vangit]

Hey Athena. I got a new computer and don't have your e-mail anymore. Shoot me an e-mail when you have a second

[sxracer193]

Hey guys,

Thought I would post the latest on the inlay. Two more frets to go and Athena gets to start putting this thing on the actual fingerboard. I just love how the inlay is coming out. Getting pretty pumped for the guitar part too. :D Here are Fret's 3 and 4

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra3rd.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra4th.jpg

[Sevenstringer]

WOW
I was just looking thru this thead
Man, that is AMAZING!!
I'm speechless......

[RedRider]

OK, at some point in this process we HAVE to have a picture of you with your "inlay Helmet" on!!! LOL Reminds me of the kids cartoon Atlantis, and the little Mole guy!! (for those that dont have kids can ignore that statement..LOLOLOL)



Sometimes a simple, spare design is nice. Sometimes nothing succeeds like excess. Yes, it's nuts. :-) It's rock & roll! I thank Dave for the chance to say screw moderation, let's see how far we can go... to see how wild and crazy we can get. I'm up to 1526 pieces with 4 more frets to go.

The pieces are cut by hand with a jeweler's saw. The fretboard will be routed with a Foredom flexshaft tool with small carbide end mills. For details I usually use from .030" - .016".

I don't use a microscope (yet). I do have to use one of these:

http://home.comcast.net/%7Eath3na/Headset.jpg
...on top of contact lenses and glasses.

...Ath

[sxracer193]

I just sat here staring at my computer screen trying to count all the little pieces in these latest two frets. I started over so many times I haven't a clue to the exact count. It is well over 100 each fret. Approaches 150 in both I think. Looks like 1800 pieces + for Ath at this point with two to go. If she doesn't hit 2000, we'll have to find a virgin spot somewhere and add a little more :D Great job Ath. You see why those fancy specticles come in handy.

Dave

[vangit]

It really is simply amazing. I' looking at each piece. Remarkable is cut at all.......to think it was done by hand is just nuts. Hey J....get a good night sleep when you're ready to cut it for frets :). Or is Ath going to do that?

[Schroeder]

I am getting wiser in my old age. The inlay was cut in sections so that the slots will still be there after it is inlaid. It will still be streeful though!

[vangit]

I am getting wiser in my old age. The inlay was cut in sections so that the slots will still be there after it is inlaid. It will still be streeful though!
LOL...I'm sure it will be!

[Schroeder]

I am getting wiser in my old age. The inlay was cut in sections so that the slots will still be there after it is inlaid. It will still be streeful though!

Streeful? LOL.

[Athena]

I just sat here staring at my computer screen trying to count all the little pieces in these latest two frets. I started over so many times I haven't a clue to the exact count. It is well over 100 each fret. Approaches 150 in both I think. Looks like 1800 pieces + for Ath at this point with two to go. If she doesn't hit 2000, we'll have to find a virgin spot somewhere and add a little more :D Great job Ath. You see why those fancy specticles come in handy.

Dave
The official piece count for fret #3 was 160. It actually comes in second to fret # 6, but it felt like more because so many of the pieces were really tiny.

I'm pretty sure we will actually hit and slightly surpass 2000 pieces. The next fret has a lot of little scales and is a very tall fret. My guess is that it will come in close around 180-ish. I won't know exactly until I get all the ID labels on the pieces. I'm working on that fret's pattern right now.

Yep, I can't work without my fancy lighted magnifying headset. I was really happy to meet it's maker, Ira Cooper from QED (http://www.qedisit.com/)/Q Lighting (http://www.Q-Lighting.com)/Burriss Amps at Summer NAMM this year and thank him in person. Ira's a great guy.

-Ath

[sxracer193]

One more to go and then Athena gets to put this giant puzzle into the fretboard. I can hardly wait. Here is the #2 fret and I added the #3 fret below it (not quite the same scale picture) so you guys could see how they go together.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra2nd.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra3rd.jpg

[sxracer193]

Thought I would through in a picture of the original rendering so you could see what the colors should looks like when the inlay is all cleaned up.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/DM_big_mock_1.jpg

[Vinni Smith]

Thought I would through in a picture of the original rendering so you could see what the colors should looks like when the inlay is all cleaned up.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/DM_big_mock_1.jpg

This is some AMAZING work!

[Whitestrat]

This is some AMAZING work!

Yeah... I hope they finish this one up quickly so Jason can get to work on the other orders... I think it's holding the queue up for some others. Like mine! Hahahaha...

Just kidding...:D

[sxracer193]

Yeah... I hope they finish this one up quickly so Jason can get to work on the other orders... I think it's holding the queue up for some others. Like mine! Hahahaha...

Just kidding...:D

The good news is this one isn't really in the woodwork queue right now. Jason has done a lot of planning so when it does hit the line, it should fly through.

[vangit]

Looks insane Dave and Athena. Really is remarkable

[sxracer193]

Friday the 13th, 2076 pieces cut, time to start cutting some ebony. Woo Hoo If you can't tell, Ath has finished cutting all the pieces for every fret of this guitar. I am super pumped. 2000 + friggin pieces. There is still one thing about this guitar that is yet to be revealed and maybe we will get Ath to add it little more of her magic here and there. Super pumped. Here are the last four frets together.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra1st.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra2nd.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra3rd.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/Cobra4th.jpg

[Shadscbr]

Spectacular!!...please don't bump the table :eek: :)

Shad

[sxracer193]

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraAllSawed.jpg
Next picture should be all of this inlayed into the finger board. I can't wait to see the colors emerge as this is all cleaned up and polished. It is going to look incredible. Way to go Ath.

[Vinni Smith]

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraAllSawed.jpg
Next picture should be all of this inlayed into the finger board. I can't wait to see the colors emerge as this is all cleaned up and polished. It is going to look incredible. Way to go Ath.

WOW!!! That is just amazing! You talk about art!

[AK_NorPine]

Words can't do justice to that work.

[RedRider]

Not sure it really matters what the fretboard is made of in this case...LOL that is a WHOLE LOTTA INLAY!!!

[Athena]

Not sure it really matters what the fretboard is made of in this case...LOL that is a WHOLE LOTTA INLAY!!!
Yeah... just like a Whole Lotta Love... and A Whole Lotta Rosie... in the long-standing Rock & Roll tradition. :-)

Believe it or not, there is some ebony left underneath the rout. The pieces are only .060" ( almost 1/16") thick. And there's a fair amount of wood in this inlay too. So it's not really open to the "Gee is shell a tonewood?" comments. ;-> Not that anyone's made them yet. At least it's all natural materials.

-Ath

[r9player]

Absolutely amazing, also absolutely wonderful to see this coming together!

[sxracer193]

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraRout3.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraRout3-1-1.jpg

Thought you guys might like to see the progress. The routing is underway. First one is as it sits. Shows the color of the board. I enhanced the second one so you could see the detail.

Preatty cool

Dave

[vangit]

wow Dave...that's so cool.

[WinstaBull]

Stunning work. This could be the most intricate and complex inlay ever. I can't recall anything more detailed. Maybe one of those PRS dragons, or a Thorn? Either way its gonna be awesome.

[Athena]

Stunning work. This could be the most intricate and complex inlay ever. I can't recall anything more detailed. Maybe one of those PRS dragons, or a Thorn? Either way its gonna be awesome. The dragons actually aren't all that complex. They couldn't mass produce them if they were. They do cover the fretboard with a lot of pearl, but it's mostly large pieces of Abalam. On some of them, the dragon's body appears to be one large piece. They shell is highly figured and Abalam tends to exhibit a lot of lines here and there, so it looks like more pieces than it really is. Some of them might end up being only a few hundred pieces. Nowhere near 2076.

All the dragon body inlays have huge pieces. The singlecut has a lot of airbrushing to give it more detail. The doubleneck has more detail and is well designed, but still it's a huge area to inlay. Hard to compare that to a fretboard.

Here are some of the dragons:
http://home.comcast.net/%7Eath3na/PRSDragon2.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/%7Eath3na/PRSDragon1.jpg

As far as Thorn goes, I probably haven't seen everything they've done, so I can't say. The parrots are like dragons - impressive from a distance, but not a lot of detail up close. At most maybe 20-some pieces per fret. The Warrior Archangel is reported to be 467 pieces. The Octopus' garden has some very well-chosen materials but still not a very high piece count.

Larry Robinson (http://www.robinsoninlays.com), who did the Millionth Martin, claims he's never put 2076 pieces on a fretboard. I think he's done the most complex work out there. Larry actually did the first parrot fretboard and says it was based on a classic Japanese banjo design.

...Ath

[Athena]

I finally found it! I knew I had a piece count for one of the dragons. The 3rd dragon was 438 pieces:

http://home.comcast.net/%7Eath3na/PRSDragonIII.jpg

Not that piece count is everything. But when it comes to detail, Dave's Cobra kills the dragons 4 times over.

Wanna see a dragon body inlay naked? No airbrushing. Just the raw inlay:

http://home.comcast.net/%7Eath3na/PRSDragonRaw.jpg

I haven't seen any good, big close-ups of the 2009 dragon yet. If anyone snags any, please let me know. :-) So far it seems to have great color... but it's a bit confusing from a distance.

I've also never seen a good close-up of the old waterfall (you can't see much more detail looking closely at the Private Stock poster). After all these years, that one still remains a mystery.

http://home.comcast.net/%7Eath3na/PRS-ps184.jpghttp://home.comcast.net/%7Eath3na/PRS-ps184C.jpg

Nor have I seen anything but the dark, artsy shots of the Japanese Waterfall Special #1948

http://www.prsguitars.jp/showcase/private/waterfall.html

It looks pretty detailed and very classy though.

...Ath

[Athena]

As soon as I post about my lack of 2009 25th dragon photos, teh interwebs provide:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11101975@N03/sets/72157623052680268

Definitely has some serious fretboard coverage. That there's a metric buttload of Abalam and recon stone.

It covers more of the fretboard than Dave's... but it's still not as detailed. Even if it's twice as many pieces as the Dragon III, that's only 800-some. So I think his world record is safe so far. ;->

...Ath

[francric]

Cool stuff, thanks for sharing..................................

[guitarnyc]

I'm rootin for you Athena ! You are light years ahead of any of that PRS stuff :)
________
Prilosec settlement update (http://www.classactionsettlements.org/lawsuit/prilosec/)

[Athena]

I'm rootin for you Athena ! You are light years ahead of any of that PRS stuff :) Thanks Tommy! This is a one-off, so I can get crazier than they can with even a limited run.

...Ath

[sxracer193]

I just checked the Cobra page on Ath's site and look what I saw. I can't friggin believe this thing. Can you imagine what it is going to look like all polished and on the neck??????? Stunning.

Also, we are getting pretty close to being able to show the body for this thing. The core is cut and J is getting ready to cut the top and back and do some shaping. :D I think you guys are going to really flip when you see it.

As always, I want to thank Ath for documenting this project so well and allowing me to share the pictures with you guys. Hope you enjoy it.

Dave

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraFitted1.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraFitted2.jpg

[Athena]

I just checked the Cobra page on Ath's site and look what I saw. I can't friggin believe this thing. Can you imaging what it is going to look like all polished and on the neck??????? Stunning.

Also, we are getting pretty close to being able to show the body for this thing. The core is cut and J is getting ready to cut the top and back and do some shaping. :D I think you guys are going to really flip when you see it.

As always, I want to thank Ath for documenting this project so well and allowing me to share the pictures with you guys. Hope you enjoy it.
You're very welcome Dave! It's been such an epic project that it had to be documented.

...Ath

[Elizabeth]

I just checked the Cobra page on Ath's site and look what I saw. I can't friggin believe this thing. Can you imagine what it is going to look like all polished and on the neck??????? Stunning.
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraFitted1.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraFitted2.jpg

UNBELIEVABLE work, Ath. Great job.

[vangit]

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraFitted1.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraFitted2.jpg

HOLY CRAP.

[sparky_8]

I just checked the Cobra page on Ath's site and look what I saw. I can't friggin believe this thing. Can you imagine what it is going to look like all polished and on the neck??????? Stunning.

Also, we are getting pretty close to being able to show the body for this thing. The core is cut and J is getting ready to cut the top and back and do some shaping. :D I think you guys are going to really flip when you see it.

As always, I want to thank Ath for documenting this project so well and allowing me to share the pictures with you guys. Hope you enjoy it.

Dave

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraFitted1.jpg
http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/CobraFitted2.jpg

AMAZING!!! The big question... how many pieces did you have to re-cut because they fell on the ground or mysteriously were missing? :) Had to have happened right?

[Athena]

AMAZING!!! The big question... how many pieces did you have to re-cut because they fell on the ground or mysteriously were missing? :) Had to have happened right? Of course it happens. Some of these pieces were seriously tiny. You could breathe and blow them across the room. Sometimes the shell cracks before you get near enough to the end to start holding on to the piece seriously and it flys across the room or gets sucked into the shopvac.

I didn't keep a count of that though. It's just a little bit of extra work for shell and wood, but when you're working with gold you do not lose pieces. [Where is that Eeek! smiley?]

...Ath

[WinstaBull]

Athena, you are an artist and a scholar. That inlay looks great.

[sxracer193]

The Cobra is coming along. Jason showed a pic of the inlay and the body in his latest update. Thanks to Ath and Jason, the inlay is mostly leveled and most of the pattern and glue is removed. They stopped short of finishing it and are waiting to glue it to the neck so that Jason can work his magic and get the curvature perfect. Look for a super cool twist as Jason works to complete the body. Got a closeup of the fingerboard that really shows the color which is included for your enjoyment.

Dave

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/IMG_1381.jpg

[sxracer193]

Theon emailed me this weekend and showed me this picture from Jason's update and asked me if I knew what was on this drawing.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/4295022521_50114b65a6_o.jpg

I sent the following back and said "What, this drawing?"

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/IMG_0851.jpg

I talked to Jason and he told me it was ok to let the cat out of the bag. The Cobra does indeed have a tail. :D

[sxracer193]

The core of the Cobra Teardrop is Mahogany.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/IMG_1040.jpg

The top and back are one piece quilted maple. Jason is working up some really cool ideas for the binding and he thought he would like to wrap the sides in guilted maple to finish off the look so.....

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/IMG_1420.jpg

First step done

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/IMG_1424.jpg

On to a side

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/IMG_1428.jpg

Man that is a bunch of clamps. One more side to go after this, then J starts working on the top and back. Jason, I can't thank you enough for taking this on. I think this is truely going to be a special guitar.

Dave

[Schroeder]

Wanna see something funny? I actually pitched this as a Private Stock to PRS in about 2002. I honestly can't remember if they even said they would do it!! I drew this around that time and have wanted to do something like it since I saw the D'Angelico and D'Aquisto Teardrops.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2777/4306145190_d5d35847ee_o.jpg

For the Cobra, I wanted to add a bit of my own flavor so I added the extra tail. It was inspired by a violin side...

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41652000/jpg/_41652796_strad_203x300.jpg

[r9player]

Woah a Tail very cool!

[Schroeder]

Bass side veneer ready to glue...

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4308146486_0c39aab577_b.jpg

And here it is half glued/clamped... Not the most elegant clamping system!! But it works.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4308147542_97429821b4_b.jpg

[AK_NorPine]

Wow, that body is something else! The whole world is gonna know about JZS (and Athena too) when the Cobra is complete. Way to go you all.

[Schroeder]

Slithering into the thickness sander!! And ready for top and back now...

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4309817853_cb203ddf75_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2574/4309819395_52ac0124fc_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4309817605_31a2feb59f_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4310555132_78774d0316_b.jpg

[vangit]

wow...thanks for sharing these pictures.

[sxracer193]

Slithering into the thickness sander!! And ready for top and back now...


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2574/4309819395_52ac0124fc_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4309817605_31a2feb59f_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4310555132_78774d0316_b.jpg



I am pretty sure this is the coolest thing I have seen:D

[Athena]

I am pretty sure this is the coolest thing I have seen:D

I'm totally sure this is the coolest thing I've seen. And I've had the luxury of seeing it up close. :-D Not to rub it in or anything.

It's like a gorgeous mahogany cake with luscious creamy quilted maple icing.

...Ath

[Roscoe]

I just knew there was something strange brewing out there.No body shots for so long.So much emphasis on the inlay.Rightfully so Athena laid that one DOWN.I had no idea this would be so different.This has been a fun build to follow.Jason you are the best!The Rose then Edge now this one.Great designs. Thanks for the photos Dave!

[Whitestrat]

Hmm... I wonder what the headstock is going to look like...

[Schroeder]

Here is the carve in process. I will post pics tomorrow when the final shape is roughed in. The carve is still pretty "PUFFY" so I have a lot of wood to remove yet. But it is really coming to life. Can't wait to see it with "S" holes.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4326794428_67e91684e7.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4326059025_35bebc1060.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2694/4326059121_b5fcc9c1aa_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4326058945_7f481f37b6_o.jpg

[goof1073]

The carve is still pretty "PUFFY" Geez...there's a word I never thought that I would hear to describe a guitar in any form. :rolleyes:


Seriously though; KILLER work J!! I was pretty happy to see that old drawing of yours come to life in one form or another...I still remember when you posted that up on BAM for the first time. I actually remember saving a copy of it...

[sxracer193]

Well, there are two carved surfaces. Pretty cool

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/piecesbig.jpg

Top hollowed out and ready for soundholes

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/hollowbig.jpg

"S" holes

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/soundholesbig.jpg

I added this because I think this shot is just killer. The piece is still not completly leveled but Jason got some really good light.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/fingerboardbig.jpg

[vangit]

Holy Crap!!!!

[Whitestrat]

Killer!!! Wait. What is that binding material on the fretboard?

[Vinni Smith]

Once again, AMAZING work.

That body style is very cool indeed.

V

[Schroeder]

Hey Guys,
Lots of progress on this one... Check out the flickr site for more pics. They are all located in the Cobra Teardrop folder:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23662702@N03/sets/72157623384541460/

Here are some new pics of the purfling process. The top and back have 7 layers of real wood purfling that are cut into the top of the guitar. So the very outside edge of the guitar is the actual top. I cut a channel around the perimeter of the top and laid the purfling into the channel. I swore I would never do this again until I bought a CNC!! But it was the right thing to do and it is really dramatic (like everything else on the guitar!).

Routing the purfling channel:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4042/4400096178_b57339743c_o.jpg

Cutting out the points with a utility knife:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4400095932_32b8b56e2a_o.jpg

Purfling is in and ready for trimming:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2721/4403081116_da7e13f282_o.jpg

[Schroeder]

Purfling lined up nicely. Still some final shaping to do on the outside of the points:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4402315605_e264596433_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2784/4403081184_66b96b2b54_o.jpg

And here is the back sitting on the body core:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2762/4403123806_e37520f877_o.jpg

Ready to finish up the purfling tomorrow on the top and get on with the rest of the build!

[vangit]

Unbelievable Jason.

[sxracer193]

:D You sir, do great work.

[Shadscbr]

Great work Jason!! :)

Shad

[Schroeder]

Top purfling being trimmed:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4405296516_46efc6acde_o.jpg

And ready for glue up to the body core:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2750/4404532567_560f2d055a_o.jpg

Teaser for Dave!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4405296570_8222b4ffd6_o.jpg

[Whitestrat]

Totally wicked!!!

[Schroeder]

Thanks for all of your comments guys!

[sxracer193]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2750/4404532567_560f2d055a_o.jpg

Teaser for Dave!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4405296570_8222b4ffd6_o.jpg[/quote]


THUD.............................................. .................................................. .................................................. .........

Forgive me, I am having a hard time getting my jaw off the floor. WOW

[Vinni Smith]

I bet Brian May would LOVE that guitar.

Jason, that purfling is out of the ballpark! I am speechless. I have not seen anything like that before.

[Whitestrat]

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4405296570_8222b4ffd6_o.jpg

Waitaminnit!!! Jason! You forgot the pickups!:D
THUD.............................................. .................................................. .................................................. .........

Forgive me, I am having a hard time getting my jaw off the floor. WOW[/quote]

[r9player]

That is very very sweet!
I do wonder what pick up configuration will this become? and .. where are the strap locks going to go?

[thejackel16]

man, the fretboard work is just amazing. will the purple binding darken when the body is finished?

[Schroeder]

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4904924190_7d201fc5b2_z.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4119/4904335315_b8bf444f5c_z.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4102/4904923882_68dc8ceba5_z.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4904924020_b5a7c38c93_z.jpg

[Schroeder]

Mockup and preparing for the headplate glue. Adding to the width at the top of the headstock:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4102/4922478490_2629a5cfa0_z.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4921883527_9c8696010e_z.jpg

[sxracer193]

I have been asked for weeks by my wife and kids what I want for Christmas. I keep coming up with the answer "Nothing". For some reason, I just don't want much. Maybe its because I know this beast is in the works :D

Happy Holidays to all.

Dave

[vangit]

I have been asked for weeks by my wife and kids what I want for Christmas. I keep coming up with the answer "Nothing". For some reason, I just don't want much. Maybe its because I know this beast is in the works :D

Happy Holidays to all.

Dave
Yeah....with Santa Schroeder, you need nothing from your family!

Happy Holiday to you too Dave

[Whitestrat]

Ok. So what's happening with this build?

[sxracer193]

It is coming along. Thanks for asking. Jason called me today and told me he was inspired, with regard to the finish. Music to my ears. Because this guitar is so custom, lots of things have to be thought through and designed for the first time. Sometimes, there is no clean answer so the guitar is put aside and other guitars in the que are worked on. Sooner or later there is a moment of inspiration and Jason turns it into something magical. Couldn't ask for a better relationship.

A super side benefit is the advantage of seeing all the other incredible things coming for Jason's shop. Tons of new inspiration, :D

[Whitestrat]

I heard this is going to be a 7. Is that true???

[Schroeder]

True! Cat's outta the bag!!!

[Shadscbr]

True! Cat's outta the bag!!!

That spec just made it perfect :D

Shad

[sxracer193]

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/2011-09-28_19-00-28_54.jpg


Update

[vangit]

Incredible Dave!

[sxracer193]

Thanks Stu. Here is a picture showing the edge binding overhang. I absolutely love how this is coming out.

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj226/bigdave-ryan193/2011-09-29_15-46-44_850.jpg

[jmckenzie]

This thing is UNBELIEVABLE!!! I have enjoyed watching the whole process... Can't wait to see what else you and Jason have planned