With the basic scene hand-drawn by her mother, Mica can now get to work on turning it into vector art.  The original images get scanned into the computer, then Mica converts the lines into vectors (by hand and with a mouse – a painfully long procedure).  Where traditional computer graphics represent images as pixels (raster graphics), vector-based graphics rely on primitive shapes and mathematical equations to display images.  Basically, that means that as you zoom in on an image, it doesn’t start to look blocky and pixelated – it always stays smooth.  Since we don’t know the exact size of this inlay yet, we will be able to scale the images up or down to get just the right size, and the artwork will always look smooth.

The other thing that needs to happen during this process is line thinning.  Susan draws with (I believe) a .3mm drafting pencil, but that line is still thicker than the actual saw blades that will be used to cut the various materials.  Once the drawing is turned into vector graphics, Mica can thin the lines to create an ultra-precise guide for the cutting process.

For a short while, I contemplated not including the medallion inlay in the blog.  I figured it would be a nice surprise for family and friends when the guitar finally arrived.  I quickly realized, though, that the medallion is really the spiritual essence of the instrument, and to exclude it from discussion would be kind of ridiculous.  It is something that needs to be shared with others.

So without any delay, here is the first sketch that incorporates all the major elements of my design.  Jack is very contently lounging in an Adirondack-style chair, smoking his familiar pipe.  On his ears, large headphones play some of his favorite music.  In a well-worn shirt, he surely couldn’t be more happy.

When I received this sketch, I was at a loss for words.  How difficult it must be, I thought, to evoke emotion (especially one as subtle as contentment) out of a skeleton!  That this first sketch seems to me so easily identifiable and familiar, is really a wonder.

This concept sketch was sent for my approval so I could let Susan and Mica know if they were heading down the right path… Needless to say, I’ve given the go-ahead to develop this scene.  Subtle refinements, the addition of color and texture, and the selection of materials will soon follow.  It will probably be another month or so before I see some evolution, but I will have a full-color, to-scale rendering to approve before any material procurement or carving begins.

As for Jack, I wish I knew for sure what he was listening to.  Although I have some ideas of my own, I think this just might be one of the great unanswered questions of our time!

OK – we’re getting real close now!  I just had to change a few elements of the previous layout.  Most notably, the three switches at the bottom have been moved closer to the pickup selector (actual hardware shown below the guitar).  I wanted them to present themselves as an extension of the selector, so the switches begin as the selector ends.

Also, I asked that the two 1/4” jacks be offset from each other a bit more than they were.  This move should help with the strain relieve on the cables and plugs, and provides a more natural angle for the cables to fall.

This is very close to what will be the final layout, but I’m not quite there yet.  The four main volume/filter knobs are now a bit too close together.  I’m asking Mica to move the two knobs furthest from the 1/4” jacks a bit to the right, more like they are shown in the previous post.  I think it will be more aesthetically pleasing that way, but I also like the idea of having the main volume knob a little inside of the bridge.  That would put it in a more natural position for my hand to reach while I’m playing.

I’m hoping to have a revised layout very soon.  One more pass at this should be all that’s needed…  You can measure and design many times, but you can only drill once!

After contemplating the initial control layout shown last week, I was able to give some more refined direction to Mica, and the result is shown above.  I explained that I could not accurately make any location decisions without seeing the guitar from directly overhead (the angled photos were skewing my perception a little too much).  Additionally, I requested that she place a bridge and tailpiece on the guitar, exactly in place, so I could better orient where my hand would actually be when playing.  Again, these are (quite obviously) not the bridge and tailpiece that will be on the finished instrument.  These extra points of reference have helped tremendously, so we’ll keep this system going as we perfect the positioning.

For this round, I asked that the two MIDI buttons get placed in line with the two upper knobs, centered.  The other request I made was for the three small switches to follow the contour of the guitar.  Mica placed them further away from the pickup selector than I ‘d intended (we’re still trying different things), but at least I can check out some alternative layouts before making a final, irreversible decision.

It’s been several months since the last update, but in that time, some important things have happened.  For one thing, the guitar now has about 10 coats of sealer on it, which means there’s probably another 10 or so to go before it can be buffed.  Half way through the sealing process is often when any final drilling/routing occurs.  This is so even the insides of the  holes for the controls are properly sealed.  Any body inlay work would get done at this time as well, so the artwork won’t have a ton of sealer over it.  In the last few months, I’ve also had time to think about the inlay work, and have given some direction to Susan, Alembic’s matriarch and chief artist.  I’m hoping to have some artwork to look at soon…

The knob locations were first mocked up back in July, months before the body completed.  This was mostly to make sure all the electronics would fit in the instrument.  Now that we have the actual guitar to mock up, hardware is simply placed directly on the instrument, so I can see where all the controls will fall with regard to shape, wood grain, etc.  What you see here is Mica’s first pass at control placement.  Please note that none of the hardware shown here is what will ultimately be on the guitar.  They are only used as position indicators – in other words, these aren’t what the knobs, buttons, and switches will in truth look like when the guitar is done!

Here’s the flip side of the guitar, now sealed.  The neck and core Western Flamed Maple look great!  The last time we saw the back of the guitar, there was still a lot of carving that needed to be done.  As you can see, the carving is now complete.  The transitions between the neck and peghead on the one end, and the neck and body on the other are expertly contoured.

Also, the continuous wood backplates have been reunited with the rest of the guitar.  With wood this nice, it would truly be a shame to waste it with metal backplates!  I’m going to see if Alembic has black screws instead of the stainless steel ones shown here.  I just think they’ll blend in a bit better.

A few weeks ago, I commented that this project had reached a milestone.  Today, it reaches its first moment of truth.  One of the ironies of building an instrument from scratch is that, in spite of all the advanced planning and prep work, certain fundamental qualities do not reveal themselves until well into the building process.  One of those is color.  With all the agonizing over wood selection and template placement, I still could only guess as to what the color of the instrument would be.  It is not until the wood receives its first sealer coat that the wood comes to life, and its true color is revealed.  The best I could do was to look at previous builds and try to compare the finished products with the unfinished woods used to create them.

Here’s a great shot of the final contour of the neck being hand-shaped.  The heel is almost done (it is much less blocky than the previous picture).  The back (and presumably the front) has already been routed.  You can see the electronics and battery cavities, as well as an access hole for the pickup wires to travel through.  They weren’t lying when they said sawdust would be flying in my name!

By the time I post this, carving will be complete.  The next step will be the wood sealing process, where I’ll finally get to see the finished color of the wood.  Can’t wait for that!