In Small Things Remembered

With the main components of The Crow guitar completed, I spent some time getting the ancillary parts assembled. My Signature Guitars each have a singular theme and I want the parts of the guitar not only to be appropriate for the build, but to be unique as well. The binding on the guitar is an Italian cellulose "faux" tortoise shell, backed by an off-white ivoroid purfling, so I wanted something that would match. Off the shelf parts proved to be a disappointment so I decided to make my own. I'd located some Asian Buffalo horn pieces that were stained a deep amber brown, so I thought that making some of the parts from it was worth a try.

A lathe is on the shop wish list, so I had to use a drill press for the meantime. Here I'm using a file to rough out what will be a strap button. I started with a piece cut to approximate size and rounded enough to get into the chuck.

Once I get the shape, I cut off the button just under the flange and then sand everything smooth down to 2500 grit. The next step is to drill a hole for the mounting screw that will hold it onto the guitar.

I'm going to thread it only slightly, relying on some Devcon for the ultimate bond. I also decided to put a small abalone dot in the center, this matches the side markers on the fretboard.

The switch tip for the pickup selector should follow the theme, so I turned a shape I liked on my makeshift lathe, using finer files as I go.

Center drilling required the fabrication of another set of wooden "clamps", and after finishing that I used a bottoming tap to put the proper threads inside the hole.


The last step was to use a progression of buffing compounds to bring it to a finish that would compliment the rest of the hardware.

The tip really looks great on the switch and it adds to the exclusivity of the build.



The result is a matching set of buttons that are unique not only to this guitar, but cannot be bought from any supplier. That's all in keeping with the idea behind each signature guitar I build. 

Comments

[Dan Volpe]

Way to go Joel! I think that taking it that far only shows that you care to still give it your personal best!

[Kevin Madison]

WHOAH! That is just insanely cool. Some people talk sh*t about how high your prices are, but they obviously DON'T GET IT!

[Mark Elias]

Hey Brother, I am fed ex-ing an emergency batch of Cornhusker's Lotion!

Just kidding! Great update!

[Jol Dantzig]

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. Mark, I guess that Cornhusker's would be a good idea. I usually don't think about my hands unless they hurt—which is more and more often as the years go on. The photos don't lie. You can see that I don't sit in an office pushing paper. I actually make something, which is why I love what I do.

[Jason]

Hi Jol. You are still kicking it big time. Now the world can see who really is the mind and hands behind all your success.

[Bud]

I'm curious why you didn't drill & tap the pieces before turning, particularly the switch tip. Seems like it would be easy to break the thin walls.

[Jol Dantzig]

@Bud, I guess it can be done either way. Oddly, I wasn't too worried about breaking the horn with the drill. I guess if you cut the piece to length and tap it, you'd need to put it on a threaded shank in order to put it in the chuck for turning. Seems like just one extra piece of kit that I'd need to do the job.

[Mark Elias]

Jol, looking closer, the parts above are amazing.How strong is buffalo horn? I mean in the case of the strap buttons, is it sufficient to hold a solid body guitar?

I have no idea, just asking!

[Jol Dantzig]

@Mark, It shouldn't be a problem, the horn is similar to ivory or bone and pretty strong. My estimate for finished weight is under eight pounds, so that's a factor too. The option to quickly substitute metal buttons is made possible by the use of a common stainless screw.

[Mark Elias]

Regardless they are beautiful parts, but it's cool to see you thinking through into the future!