Wenge & Walnut Explorer style

Planta Fantasma

Planta Fantasma

Inspired
Starting the new year off by building a custom Wenge & Claro Walnut chambered Explorer style.
I was extremely fortunate to find this 2" thick Wenge plank. It's been a while since I've seen such a nice piece of Wenge.
Will work perfect for this two piece body & one piece neck. Topped w/ a 1960's Gaboon Ebony fretboard & (matching headstock veneer) not pictured.
The jet black ebony is getting harder to find by the day.......
More pics coming soon. :)

Cheers!
Gabe
 

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Love how the grain follows the headstock profile. Never worked Wenge myself but it sure is pretty. I was lucky enough to attend a small workshop with Sam Maloof long ago and he was building a rocker out of Wenge at the time. Gorgeous piece it was.
 
Wow nice score on the Wenge! I have some nice looking pieces but they are small examples. That is going to be a killer looking guitar! What router bit did you use for the neck carve?
 
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Hello Sixstring!
Years ago I shaped what I considered to be my perfect neck. So I cut it in half exposing the cross section at the 12th fret.
I made a mechanical drawing of it & sent the drawing & the cross section to Whiteside. They made me the exact profile in a router bit.
I use a tapered ramp under the face of the guitar neck & I can shape right down to my intended thickness leaving me some room for filing my volute & sanding.
 
Beautiful pieces of wood. Whenever I think I’ve seen the wildest grain and look something comes along to surprise me. Besides the grain the darker color is so attractive. Definitely want to see the progress and finished work.👍
 
I put another Explorer style body together this weekend. Made from Wenge off cuts & red veneer, book matched out from center of the body core.
Top & back are book matched, flitch cut, California claro walnut. Rear cover plates were cut from the back before gluing. :)
 

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skolacki said:
Wow man that is excellent work. What saw is used to cut the covers without having big gaps?
Click to expand...
I used a scroll saw when I first started & now I have a CNC cut them out w/ a micro end mill. I think my smallest end mills are .oo7".
I learned to build by hand & did it for 20 years before buying a CNC. I use it mainly for routing channels, chambering bodies & cutting logos.
Both my wrists & eyes have seen better days. :)
 
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