Binding a redwood parlor guitar This newly commissioned acoustic guitar will sport a fancy curly maple binding and end graft. Anywhere there is this ornamentation, a clean, square channel must be cut. Here the end graft is fitted. | | |
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The binding stretches around the perimeter of the instrument and must be pre-bent to fit. The figure in the wood makes it that much more delicate, so great care is taken in this process. | | |
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The binding is now complete on the back of the instrument. Notice how it is sized to fit just proud of the top and sides of the guitar. This allows that we can shave it perfectly flush and achieve a nice, clean job of it. | | |
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This is the finished box. The rosette, which surrounds the soundhole, is a laminate of the same flame maple and Indian Rosewood from the fretboard. | | |
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Paul Reed Smith Customization In the late 80's Paul Reed Smith guitars started producing bolt on neck instruments, introducing a new range they called CE for Classic Electric. These are somewhat more budget friendly, but good quality instruments to be sure. Not luxurious, but well sufficient. The only downside is the cumbersome rotary pickup switching. This one had taken a nasty spill, was repaired but fell out of the rotation with the owner, and now has reappeared as the platform for a dream guitar project. | | |
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That would be a three pickup Paul Reed! Here the rout is made for the middle pickup, and a fresh PRS HFS pickup is on the way. | | |
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Instead of pickup rings, we decided to make a pickup plate for all three. This is in a brown tortoise shell celluloid. | | |
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The standard for three pickup instruments is five way switching. That came in with Fender, it's simple and versatile. In this case, the slot for the blade switch must be carefully machined through the surface of the instrument. We will add to this a master volume and tone on either side. The third knob will be a Fralin mod "blender" to roll the lead pickup in no matter the pickup position. Turn it up to bring the lead in, down to bring it out. This allows cool sounds like all pickups at once, that aren't possible otherwise. | | |
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But wait, there's more... Each of these knobs can pull out, engaging parallel mode for its respective pickup. This is an open, more airy tone, I find it scratches the single coil itch with less signal drop. It is achieved by changing the relationship between the two coils of each humbucker pickup. Pictured is one push/pull potentiometer. This one wired for the tone control. | | |
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A little test fit of the pickup plate! | | |
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Here's all that wiring I mentioned. | | |
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And we had to hit the frets a little while we were at it... | | |
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And here it is complete! Click below for demo of the controls, and further down for an audio demonstration. | | |
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