Bill's Custom Further

[mica]

You've seen this stuff in person already I think,  but here's some photographic evidence:  

 Sanding always makes the figure fade back a bunch. In person you can tell it's super duper.  

 Crazy cooky swirlies!  

 Before they are plywood, here's the larger plate fallouts from your guitar.

[lbpesq]

Mica:
 
What is this, torture?  I finally get a thread ... I gasp out loud ... goosebumps appear up and down my spine ... I hold my breath ..... click ..... AND THERE IS NOTHING!   BWWWWWAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!
 
 
Don't worry, I'm sure it's on the way.  Now I know how the kid felt when he woke up on xmas morning to find a pile of horse manure in his bedroon and immediately jumped into it exclaiming Hooray, there must be a pony!  My pony is on the way.  Just a matter of time now.   I just have to wait ...  be patient .... I can do it ... I think.
 
Well, at lest this is better than getting my teeth pulled, right?
 
Bill, the patient guitar one

[lbpesq]

Mica:
 
I swear when I first clicked there was nothing!  Our postings must have crossed in the netherworld of the net.  Thanks for the pix.  You wouldn't believe how exciting it is to see this!  (Or maybe you would, you've probably heard this before).  Now my poor wife will have to listen to me blather about this all night.  Well not really all night - we're going to the Fillmore tonight to see John Prine.  Hey, my FTC thread and John Prine on the same day! Life is indeed good!
 
WOW (... breath in ... breath out .... in .... out ...)
 
Bill, tgo

[tom_z]

Wow Bill, looks great so far. Very interesting to have a maple top and a cocobolo back. The cocobolo is breathtaking - too bad there has to be a back  - two beautiful pieces of wood.

[lbpesq]

I picked out the cocobolo in person. It just floored me - very unusual and dramatic pattern.  The maple is no slouch either.  It comes across better here:  
 
http://alembic.com/club/messages/2344/14170.html?1106395272
 
 
The pattern will be flip-flopped on the peghead - cocobolo front and quilted maple back.  The May, 2002 COTM had cocobolo top and quilted maple back.  The peghead on that one was ebony with the maple on the back.  See it here:
 
 http://alembic.com/info/fc_scf.html
 
This is gonna be BIG fun!
 
Bill, tgo

[mica]

Here's those flip-flopped parts:  

 

 The outline is not where your peghead will be - Chip reconsidered after he drew that.   And the whole fron tof the neck:

[lbpesq]

Mica:
 
It's hard to tell from the picture, and the need to redraw, but this looks a little like the Rounded Crown peghead on Further & Beyond in the custom archive.  I hope that's not the case as I prefer the standard Further pointed crown (Bless its pointed little head!)
 
I was also wondering why it looks like some of the vermilion lams are missing, then I realized, DUH, truss rods!  Thanks for the pix.  This is very cool.
 
Bill, tgo

[mica]

Oh, that's no rounded crown, it's the real thing - just floating off the edge on the back of the peghead. See how the curve folds back on itself - that's the Crown for you!

[mica]

Ready to carve the neck feel:  

 

  Not sure if you got my message, but it's on hold until Tony can a) speak with you or b) feel your reference guitar neck.

[jacko]

Wow, this is looking fine Bill. What a shame to hide that gorgeous Coco Bolo round the back though. You're going to have to learn to spin your guitar during solos ;-)
 
Graeme

[jalevinemd]

Bill,
 
Whenever you play this guitar live, you'd better have a mirror behind you, because that back is far too pretty to be enjoyed only by your stomach!
 
Jonathan

[foth]

But remember, those who play with mirrored stomachs shouldn't play Rolling Stones songs.

[lbpesq]

I just got back from NY and four days without a computer.  I hadn't checked the site yet and I had to go to Santa Rosa today, so I stopped by and checked out my Further and WOWWWWW!!!!!  It was very cool to actually hold it in my hands.  Thanks sooooo much to everyone at Alembic.  The guitar is coming together beyond my expectations.  
 
 
Graeme & Jonathan:
 
You guys are right, the back piece is pretty spectacular, but the front is going to have the wonderful 3-D effect of quilted maple - my personal favorite.  I think I picked out a piece that will hold it's own with the cocbolo once the elves do their magic.
 
This is fun!
 
Bill, tgo

[mica]

I got lucky, just barely before Bob was going to prep:  

 Now the front is begining to shine. The fan-shaped quilts are highly dimension and just outright beautiful.  I stepped over to take a picture for Hardy, and on the way back, the back was already prepped:  

 That Bob is quick I tells ya!

[sfnic]

It's weird.  You see pictures of the pieces in-progress and think Yummy; that's going to be a really neat guitar.
 
You see pictures of the beastie assembled and you think Yeah, that's a really neat guitar.
 
You see pictures of the guitar under finish, and you think Holy Crap!  That's un !@#$%^* Un!@$#%^*believable guitar!
 
Seriously, Bill, you and the crew have absolutely nailed the perfect balance of all-out WOW and completely understated elegance.  There's a huge amount of stuff going on, visually, but it all balances out and supports the overall look.  Without going one step overboard, she's a museum-quality piece.
 
Major congrats!