Does Jackson use CNC machine?

[Nidec]

Does Jackson/Charvel use CNC machine? or do they just use band saw and shape the body and necks by hand?

[Devotee]

Both:

[xenophobe]

Bodies and necks are probably all made with CNC duplicators. Those duplicators use the patterns hanging on the wall in that picture.

[Jack Napalm]

I have video somewhere of the Tim Wilson and Mike Shannon talking that necks and bodies are rough cut or CNC'd and final shaping is done by hand. This was from the Jackson Custom Shop clinic back in 06? I think it was 06.

[Accept2]

I think they also use a blind man named Pablo to make the really fucked up stuff. Not sure what he uses, maybe a hand saw, maybe dynamite, maybe even some hallucinogenics. Whats wrong with CNC? It makes everything come out nice and consistent.........

[Learn Guitars]

Pin router is one of the most used pieces of equipment in the custom shop. Think about it, a custom guitar will require many hours of reprogramming and retooling a machine for one piece, so a pin router is often used to make things more economical to the buyer. It is much easier to swap out pattern routing templates.

[Chief_CrazyTalk]

I always assumed CNC machining was what made the jap C/J's so consistently good.

[SignoftheDragon]

Nowadays re-tooling and adjusting the programming for CNC machines involves just a few mouse clicks, etc.

Most CNCs worth their salt are equipped with auto tool changers, etc. so I'd be surprised if they aren't the norm in a well-equipped manufacturing facility.

Pin routers are great & reliable, but they involve a LOT of hand-work. I guess in the custom shop it might make sense, but I'd still be surprised if most of the parts aren't at least roughed in by CNC and then finished off on the pin routers and other hand techniques.

On the other hand- those patterns are what would be used with a pin router. CNC machines wouldn't need a hard reference like that; they have all the info programmed beforehand. I wonder how current those photos are.

I worked under the son of one of the pioneers of both pin-router and CNC router technology- there's some pretty cool stuff that they could do before the whole digital revolution, but the CNC stuff is simply jaw-dropping. Even cooler though are the newest generation of 3D printers- a few more thresholds to pass up, and it'll be like Star Trek- tell the computer what you want, and it'll poop out an exact replicant of your loved-but-lost-first-RR in a few seconds!

[xenophobe]

On the other hand- those patterns are what would be used with a pin router. CNC machines wouldn't need a hard reference like that; they have all the info programmed beforehand. I wonder how current those photos are.

Except, there are CNC duplicators that use templates. They take the basic shape information from a physical template but script data includes where to start cutting and also guides cuts and holes. Gun stock makers usually use machines of this type, but they can fabricate all sorts of things.

[SignoftheDragon]

Except, there are CNC duplicators that use templates. They take the basic shape information from a physical template but script data includes where to start cutting and also guides cuts and holes. Gun stock makers usually use machines of this type, but they can fabricate all sorts of things.

Never seen one like that, and it doesn't make sense to me. What would be the point of a Computer Number Controlled machine that didn't operate on the numbers from the computer? It's kinda the whole point of the CNC machines.
Admittedly, I don't know everything that's out there- and my interest has been piqued; I've been somewhat involved in the development and implementation of quite a bit of this technology in the sign industry for the last 20 years, and this is the first I've heard of a CNC operating from a template reference like that.

Do you have any pictures and/or links to satisfy my curiosity?

[bratfink]

I have an article where Fender claim they had to adopt 3d modelling and cnc machining when they bought Jackson in order to be able to make the compound radius necks consistently.

[Rich#6]

For the Jacksons I thought they brought the old equipment over. Fender did get one machine that could to the compound radius because that's what the charvels were made on. Now some fender model is made on that machine.

[LouSiffer]

They actually use a Peep lap wheel and a Peep pin router. The different colors of Peeps Indicate grit coarseness while the marshmellow center allows them to do amazing contours without burning up or chipping the wood. -Lou

[MikeStrat]

Considering the wait times, I thought they used the whittle method for the bodies. Sorry, I couldn't stop myself from saying it.

[VitaminG]

I'm disappointed each guitar isn't hewn from a single tree trunk by the luthier's fingernails. Will never buy another new Jackson