Paragon '59 Build Thread

[DGNRepair]

This is something I have been thinking about for a long long time. This won't be the quickest moving thread but I will try to stay steady with it, and most importantly try to take a lot of pics.

Basically what I am doing is taking my Paragon body style cues, cutaway, headstock and merging them with a replica build. This guitar will ultimately turn into a new model for my company. This is my way of being able to build and sell a high end replica style guitar, but put my stamp on it.

For this build I have pulled together the last of my Old Growth Honduran Mahogany and other killer tone woods. The neck blank is almost perfect quarter and the body looks terrific. I have a nicely grained Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard and the top is off the charts!! Here are a few pics to get it rolling.


Group Shot of the woods

The Top

Other Side of the Top

Fingerboard

Nice color match of the freshly planed body and neck woods.

The Paragon '59 headstock.

 

[shorty85]

This is gonna be a cool thread! I'm looking forward to seeing it all come together. Thanks for sharing.

 

[DGNRepair]

I have a few other things coming in before I get rolling on this thing. Binding from Bartlett and then I need to run down to my lumber yard for some holly for the headstock.

Soon enough.

 

[cain61]

I love your redwood builds but that new ax looks like it'll be mighty tasty!

 

[Barnaby]

This makes me wish I was a player, not a maker. I'd buy this guitar, lock myself in a room for as long as it took, then emerge and conquer the world with my monster tone!

 

[Reverend D]

This makes me wish I was a player, not a maker. I'd buy this guitar, lock myself in a room for as long as it took, then emerge and conquer the world with my monster tone!

I tried that, I was only able to conquer a crummy bar that's close to my house (which was cool when I broke equip, I'd get them going on a long blues and be back with new gear before the song was over haha.. ), guess I need to retire to the room again and work on tone more, I accept being solidly average, its no shame... I guess I need that guitar! haha..

Regards,

Don

 

[DGNRepair]

This makes me wish I was a player, not a maker. I'd buy this guitar, lock myself in a room for as long as it took, then emerge and conquer the world with my monster tone!

That's why I build them and am not in some band touring the world. Someone has to build the guitars that those guys tour with.



Still waiting on a couple of little things. Also decided to go with Bartletts templates as well so this baby will be perfect, well except for the headstock and cutaway horn. Cork sniffers need not apply.

I have one monster job to finish before this build kicks into high gear. Don't worry you will all know when that one is done. I will also get some shop pics in here somewhere so you can all see my tools jigs and craziness.

 

[Claymore]

Sweet woods Dan, looking forward to seeing this come together!

 

[TKOjams]

Lovely choice of wood for sure and I get to watch a master builder at his craft.
A chance like that doesn't come along every day.
I'm in!!!!

 

[dougk]

I hereby approve this thread.

 

[DGNRepair]

I hereby approve this thread.

Thanks. What time do you get into the shop tomorrow? Been meaning to give you a shout for weeks. With a full time painter you have plenty of time to BS now.

 

[dougk]

Thanks. What time do you get into the shop tomorrow? Been meaning to give you a shout for weeks. With a full time painter you have plenty of time to BS now.

I'm usually there 8-5 now.

The poor painter... I've got him working his ass off! Cranking stuff out for LA this coming weekend.

 

[52trapeze]

Im glad that i sent mine to you Dan! So your building yours next to mine? thats sweet!

 

[gator payne]

Oh yhea! i want more pics! NOW

 

[Murkar]

awesome! I'll be watching this one, your builds are fantastic DGN

 

[DGNRepair]

Now that I let the 8 Neck cat out of the bag, we will get this build rolling early next week. Stay tuned.......

Up next, shop tour.

 

[DGNRepair]

Ok, lets get this thing rolling. The day came to an abrupt ending because of a broken machine, but here is what I got done before that happened.


So I decided as I was gearing up to start this build that I wanted to do 2 guitars. The first will be the more traditional woods, Old Growth Honduran, Eastern Maple, Brazilian Rosewood and the second guitar I wanted to be different so it will have Spanish Cedar for the body and neck, Old Growth Figured Redwood for the top, and Honduran Rosewood for the fingerboard.

I'll start with a shot of my workspace and some larger tools and machines.

My Duplicarver

Dead Head Sander (still being put together)

Overarm Pin router and Table Router

18" Drum Sander

Here is a Group Shot of the Traditional Woods

Group Shot of the Non Traditional Woods - The Spanish Cedar neck will be 2 piece laminated so the grain is perfect quarter.

Nice piece of Honduran Rosewood

Killer Old Growth Figured Redwood Top

Here I prepped the body blanks, thickness sanded them to the proper thickness and rough cut them on the band saw.

Next I screw on my Master Template and Route the body shape on my Table Router with a 2"x 1/2" Spiral Pattern Bit

Since My master Template includes the cavity routes, I flip over the body and go right to the pin router. I start with the cover plate routes and then to the cavity itself.

I went to lower the router to finish the cavities and this happened. Looks like a bad casting to me.

Unfortunately the broken collar means I am done for today. It also doubly sucks because I have 3 other guitars behind these that needed to get routed today. I have already ordered a replacement and its being sent overnight. As they say, shit happens.

So that's it for today but plenty more to come tomorrow. Stay tuned.

 

[MikeP]

I feel your pain buddy. There's nothing worse than grinding to a halt when you're all set to hunker down and make some progress. Looks like a sunny day, go have a beverage and wait for the FedEx guy

Mike

 

[Bruiser74]

Nice to see your shop and things rolling.
Hope the part and fix come soon=more updates! lol
B

 

[DGNRepair]

I feel your pain buddy. There's nothing worse than grinding to a halt when you're all set to hunker down and make some progress. Looks like a sunny day, go have a beverage and wait for the FedEx guy

Mike

Yeah tell me about it. I have been redoing my templates in my spare time for a couple of weeks now. Finally got them all dialed in last night and was set to start ripping out bodies today. Oh well, this gave me the time to finish my Dead Head Sander.

Nice to see your shop and things rolling.
Hope the part and fix come soon=more updates! lol
B

Thanks. The new collar should be here sometime in the am. The carriage assembly is all apart and waiting. I can't wait to continue with these guitars.

By the way, that is the wood shop part of my shop. I'll sneak in some pics of the other part of the shop when I can. Its a disaster now so maybe I will clean up a bit first.