Welcome to Charles’ 000-12 Custom Guitar Build page! This page will contain picture updates of the progress on Charles’ guitar as it is being built. Updates will be posted weekly.
Some of the features of this guitar include:
- Mahogany back and sides
- 4A Sitka Spruce top
- Venetian/soft cutaway
- Arm bevel
- Black Walnut binding, back strip, and bevel
- Sound port
- Ebony headstock veneer, fretboard, and bridge
- Gold EVO frets
- Slotted headstock
- Custom rosette
- 24.9 scale
- 1 3/4 at the nut
- Satin finish
Charles Custom 000-12 Final (3)
Charles Custom 000-12 Final (1)
Charles Custom 000-12 Final (2)
Charles Custom 000-12 Final (4)
Charles Custom 000-12 Final (5)
Charles Custom 000-12 Final (6)
Charles Custom 000-12 Final (7)
Charles Custom 000-12 Final (8)
Charles Custom 000-12 Final (9)
Charles Custom 000-12 Final (10)
Charles Custom 000-12 Final (11)
Charles Custom 000-12 Final (12)
Charles Custom 000-12 Final (16)
Charles Custom 000-12 Final (14)
Charles Custom 000-12 Final (13)
This is where the build begins
Sitka top being joined
Joined Sitka Spruce top
Side being prepared for bending
Mahogany sides are being bent in the side bender
Bent Mahogany sides
Bracewood and binding have cut
Back glue-up with Black Walnut center strip and black and yellow purfling strips
Kerf lining slicing is complete
Neck shapping in progress
Kerf lining being made
Neck and tail blocks being prepared
Neck and tail blocks are installed and mold has been adjusted for the 000-12 shape to support sides while lining is installed
Kerfing liner, side braces, and arm bevel block are ready to be installed. Double liner will be bent first.
Kerf lining is being installed
Arm bevel block is being designed and fitted (2)
Sound Port reinforement patch being installed
Top and back ribs are being profile
Ribs are 95% complete with a little more sanding before sealing
Top Bracing glue-up
Back Center strip glued in after back braces have been carved
Koa rosette completed
Rosette in process of being scraped and leveled
Rosette channels routing complete for Koa Rosette
Rosette in the making
Side view
Back view
Rosette view with soundbox closed up
Front View
Closing up soundbox
Inside view – back with sealer
Inside view – top with sealer
Shaping and voicing top braces
Neck shapping in progress
Neck and fingerboard in progress
Top binding channels cut, purfling channels in progress
Neck Heel OOO-12 Finsh is on and hardening before hand rubing finish (3)
Back binding and purfling channels cut
Binding channels being routed
Back – Leveling and sanding after binding
Top – leveling and sanding in progress after binding
Arm bevel sanding 3
Arm bevel sanding 2
Arm bevel 2
Binding and purfling in progress
Leveling binding and purfling
Preparing for arm bevel overlay
Sneak preview back – while neck is being finalize and body prepared to finish
Sneak preview front – while neck is being finalize and body prepared to finish
Everything is being leveled in preparation for the finishing process
Fretboard is being glued onto the neck (2)
Neck reinforcements-being prepared before gluing on the fretboard
Frets being prepared for fretting
Gold MOP dots ready to be inlaid into the fretboard
Fretboard is being prepared for blind frets
The Peghead veneer will match the neck but hide the end grain
Tuner holes are being drilled out
Headstock 000-12
Arm Bevel 1 OOO-12 Finsh is on and hardening before hand rubing finish (1)
Arm Bevel 2 OOO-12 Finsh is on and hardening before hand rubing finish (2)
OOO-12 Finsh is on and hardening before hand rubing finish (7)
Side OOO-12 Finsh is on and hardening before hand rubing finish (8)
Sound Port OOO-12 Finsh is on and hardening before hand rubing finish (9)
Back OOO-12 Finsh is on and hardening before hand rubing finish (5)
Top 000-12
000-12 front view
