My '59 Les Paul Doppelganger

[shotgunlew]

IM guessing it prolly takes a little while, Maybe try upping the power of the bed.

[treddingjr]

It's been on the max each time. I'll keep at it. One side effect I did notice, the lacquer seems even smoother than it did before I started tanning it. They're the 'hot' bulbs for what that's worth.

[Garrace]

Did you use a angled or straight rout for the truss rod channel and how deep? Beautiful job!

[treddingjr]

Originally Posted by Garrace

Did you use a angled or straight rout for the truss rod channel and how deep? Beautiful job!

Thank you for the compliment.

It is angled, and I'd have to measure the one I'm building now to give you an exact measurement. Since I have pressing yardwork and a bad weather forecast for the next few days, it will be a day or two as my body is not home right now.

I would estimate that it is just over 1/4 of an inch from the back of the guitar and I think it shows, either in one of the pictures from this build or my current one.

Korina LP Replica Build

[jhollon]

absolutely incredible. i am extremely impressed. GREAT THREAD!!!!

[chokkan]

all of your works are beautifull. i hope mine will turn out like that.
did you pay any atention on the grain of the wood for the neck?
becouse some guy on the other forum point out, that in my build (this is my build) the neck could get warped.

thanks

[treddingjr]

Originally Posted by chokkan

all of your works are beautifull. i hope mine will turn out like that.
did you pay any atention on the grain of the wood for the neck?
becouse some guy on the other forum point out, that in my build (this is my build) the neck could get warped.

thanks

Thank you for the compliment.
YES, it's very important that you cut the blank the right way.
I'd have to look at one to tell you which way but it is evident from the end of the blank BEFORE you cut anything.

[chokkan]

is that orientation good? or should i turn it for 90 degrees?

[treddingjr]

The grain is 90 degrees to the frets.

[treddingjr]

Time to admit the front is not going to change anymore from the tanning bed.


The back, however, really changed.


The replica is on the left, the refinished pre-historic on the left.

Next for the tanning bed, my special, and then my korina replica when it's finished.

[Texas07R8]

f'ing beautiful...

[treddingjr]

Originally Posted by Texas07R8

f'ing beautiful...

Thank you!

[Br0ken68]

Awesome job I've been following yours a lot of builds here and elsewhere over the last few months. I've came to the realization that I'm not going to be happy until I at least attempt one of these builds. Looks like I'm gonna have to get my feet wet sometime. I just hope mine looks half as good as yours.

[The Thruth]

any news on fading?

[treddingjr]

Originally Posted by Br0ken68

Awesome job I've been following yours a lot of builds here and elsewhere over the last few months. I've came to the realization that I'm not going to be happy until I at least attempt one of these builds. Looks like I'm gonna have to get my feet wet sometime. I just hope mine looks half as good as yours.

Thank you. It's a labor of love and the more time you take, the better the results will be.

[treddingjr]

Originally Posted by The Thruth

any news on fading?

No change. I gave up and left is semi Brockburst in color. The back changed nicely and looks fifty years old. I guess I'll have to abuse the top but I can't bring myself to do that to any of my guitars!

[voices]

i second the person who said "i wish i had a teacher like you.

awesome job!

[treddingjr]

Thank you.

[treddingjr]

Two years ago today I finished my first build and like any proud parent, took pictures of my 'baby' on its birthday.
Thanks to everyone who has looked at this thread in the last two years and again for all of the compliments.

[decoy205]

Happy 2nd Birthday Treds Dopple!

This was an awesome build and it turned out fantastic.

[MRJ5]

It was a GREAT building thread then and still is an awsome guitar!

How is it sounding? Is her voice maturing any now?

[landsharkey]

It was a GREAT building thread then and still is an awsome guitar!

+1 - Do you have a build thread with the special that was in this one for a few shots?

[Mongrel]

Wow how beautifull your two year old is!! That is just beyond words, great job!

[rick31797]

That is one sweet guitar.. i hope to build one similar someday. I have the machines as i have a woodworking shop, the knowledge, i am not sure about. More of a furniture maker.
I would just like to build one to say " i did this".
Rick

[treddingjr]

Thank you all.
It doesn't sound all that different to me but then I play it every day unless I force myself to play one of my other guitars. Lately I've been using the bridge pickup more when I play along with my iPod. It seems to blend with the EQ better. When I just plug it in and crank it, the neck pickup has a warm, round tone while the bridge has a very sharp, articulate tone.
I do have pictures of the last stages of the specials but never posted them. I will add them for you and anyone else who might be interested. I made all three at the same time and the build paths diverged once I put the maple cap on this body.

An interesting, to me anyway, story about the specials. I gave one to my brother. Just put in the hands of FedEX and shipped it to him. He had no idea. Recently, he told me his son, who is 26, had several musician friends over to their house and they got out his guitars. (He has an eclectic collection; Gibson, Fender, Martin, Gretsch, Silvertone, Aria, etc.) They only wanted to play two; the 335 I sold him in 1974 to buy my first Les Paul, and the Special. I am still smiling about that.

Rick, go for it. The satisfaction you will get will be immeasurable.

Again, thanks for the compliments.

[treddingjr]

I got a new phone and was playing around with it. Uploaded the video to my Mac through the Bluetooth and then edited it in iMovie. Good thing since it was recorded upside down.

So I thought I'd share it here.

You Tube

You Tube

[ojedad23]

sounds good!!!!!!!!!!!

[The Thruth]

treddingjr, this doppelganger is a real beauty
and please give us some pictures of goldie

[mattsblues]

Nice build!

[treddingjr]

landsharkey asked for pictures of the two Specials I built at the same time, so here they go. Please keep in mind that I was not going for historical accuracy but I did use most of the historical assembly techniques. You will see where I strayed from the accurate in favor of making these fun little guitars that you could play for hours, especially since the raw mahogany blocks for these bodies were very dense and very heavy; over fifteen pounds each before they were planed and routed, etc.

I did not take as many pictures because at the time my focus was on the Standard as far as documenting what I did went.

Here are the necks and nearly finished bodies ready to be assembled using hide glue.



Here's how I made those heavy bodies a playable weight. After consulting several people, I felt that the best way to weight relieve a body was to make the cuts parallel to the grain as opposed to the swiss cheese way that Gibson used or the more radical method currently employed on ALL Gibson USA Les Pauls where almost the entire inside is routed away.



I had Charm Lumber make me a piece of mahogany 3/16ths of an inch thick and veneered the tops which covered all of my routs. Once I rounded the edge and put on the bleeding cherry stain, the line disappeared.







Now that you know the secrets of these two guitars, I may have to go all CIA on you. LOL