Model 2 Project...please don't laugh!!!

[VitaminG]

Is that fretboard EBONIZED?

doesn't look like it. The fretboard on my Model 2 is about the same colour. Nice, rich & dark piece of rosewood. Like Sexual Chocolate...

[heartfielder]

Very nice Mark !!! You never cease to amaze me !!! Good stuff man !!!

So are you trading for another 3DR ?

[mm2002]

Very nice Mark !!! You never cease to amaze me !!! Good stuff man !!!

So are you trading for another 3DR ?

Well Paul...not just "another" 3DR. I'm getting one back that I sold about 2 or 3 years ago (and regretted it ever since). By doing that, I'm basically giving this paint job away free.....but it will be worth it to me. All's well that ends well!

[Superfly]

Did you get my mail Mark?

[micha]

just plain awesome again!!!
I wish I was able to do something like that...
respect!!

[Model1VH2]

It's not a dumb question, but why would you want to add more wood?? Adding wood "blocks" or anything else in there just adds to the variables, and chances of failure down the road. I use bondo alone, and it works great.

EXCELLENT job Mark!
I am a little confused with how a block of wood can "fail" though.


I'm guessing with the amount of bondo shown spread out all over the top of that guitar, that you beveled the edges of the cavity and feathered in the bondo.
Still, I'd be a little concerned with using that much Bondo.
Don't get me wrong ... your work with Bondo is incredible and the finished projects look great, but I do wonder how these Bondo guitars hold up over a period of time.
Isn't Bondo subject to shrinkage and cracking? I would think this would be especially true if it were being used in large quantities (such as to fill an area as deep as a pickup cavity).

In short, I would think a block of wood = less Bondo = less chance of shrinkage and cracking.

I've also heard that Marine Epoxy works really well for this type of application.

[Shotgun]

My hero.

[mm2002]

EXCELLENT job Mark!
I am a little confused with how a block of wood can "fail" though.


I'm guessing with the amount of bondo shown spread out all over the top of that guitar, that you beveled the edges of the cavity and feathered in the bondo.
Still, I'd be a little concerned with using that much Bondo.
Don't get me wrong ... your work with Bondo is incredible and the finished projects look great, but I do wonder how these Bondo guitars hold up over a period of time.
Isn't Bondo subject to shrinkage and cracking? I would think this would be especially true if it were being used in large quantities (such as to fill an area as deep as a pickup cavity).

In short, I would think a block of wood = less Bondo = less chance of shrinkage and cracking.

I've also heard that Marine Epoxy works really well for this type of application.

Yeah, that's always been a huge debate. My theory on this is that if you put a block of wood in there, it is probably going to expand and contract differently than the body wood around it, then add to that the "possible" expansion and contraction of the bondo, and you have three elements to deal with. My experience with bondo is that if you mix it correctly, it'll never change shape, ever. Also, I've seen guitars that had wood blocks alone used to fill cavities, and the repair was visible. So far I have guitars that were done over a year ago with absolutely no visible traces of the fills. I know of at least one car that I've seen recently (which I did about 20 years ago), and there are no signs of shrinking or cracking in the bondo areas. The bondo we use today is also a lot more stable than what I was using 20 years ago. Sooo....how will these guitars look in 20 years? Who knows......possibly like crap!

[White81]

Great Job!

[Erez]

Very nice work, but why did you change the headstock logo?

[VitaminG]

Very nice work, but why did you change the headstock logo?

From the very first post in this thread:

And yes, I did a matching headstock with a Jackson logo. I didn't have a Charvel stencil or I would have used it!

[JRE]

AWESOME!!

I am jealous of your guitar and even more so of your talent for the job done!

CONGRATS!

[slash]

I don't spend much time in the import sections on the board so I missed this thread. However I've seen some of these pictures before from Mark and it's just another outstanding Job from him. Great work and a cool color combo.

[SGplayer]

Looks Great, too bad not the Charvel logo though.

[mm2002]

I got shipping confirmation from Warmoth Friday, and the new neck should be here Tuesday! Hopefully I'll have some "completed" pics later in the week. This will be the first neck I've ordered from them so I really hope it lives up to their reputation. Thanks for all the input!