With the body back from the painter, I am able to perform the final fitting of the neck and finalize the size and shape / contour prior to applying the finish to the completed neck. Since most of the milling has been complete and the material has had a chance to settle, it’s time for the sealing and finish coats. The settling process is very important due to the small changes the wood goes thru due to the stress and heat / friction of the shaping process. Larger companies have many necks setting there for days adjusting and acclamation so there are no delays. With a small custom shop, there must still be the wait for the settling. If not, there are shifting and cracking possibilities.
Once the neck is dry, I’ll pack it up and ship it off to Las Vegas to the RIPCC Contractor. They will apply the final coats of sealing and then do the custom color to match the completed body. I’m using the same artist as with the body to avoid having to re-explain the entire concept. I’ve already been thru the planing and design on this project with this artist.
I’ve also heard back from my engraver and he has sent me a photo of the first look at the Vai logo engraving on the truss rod cover plate I made a few days ago. This will be polished a bit more as well as having the outline sharpened. I’ve made several custom covers over the past several months for many styles of guitar. If you have an part you can’t seem to find or you want something special / unique, let me know. CLICK HERE!
Both items will be heading to Vegas in the next day or so to be painted / chrome plated and returned to me for assembly in the next week. Over the next few days, I’ll be preparing the body for the bridge installation and will install all the electronics into the pick-guard as well.
Casper's Custom Guitar Shop 