Pics of the new neck I had made for the next BackPacker...

[Boggs]

24.75" (Les Paul) scale neck. 10" fingerboard radius. This will be matched up with my more spectacular Koa top and back or the Goncala Alves... Any opinions or preferences?

 

http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/boggs.com/CamelBackPacker/BackPackerNeck1S.JPG

 

http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/boggs.com/CamelBackPacker/BackPackerNeck2S.JPG

 

http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/boggs.com/RockBeach_Web_Photos/Koa7w.jpg.jpg

 

http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/boggs.com/RockBeach_Web_Photos/Koa8w.jpg.jpg

 

http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/boggs.com/RockBeach_Web_Photos/GoncalaAlves3.jpg

 

http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/boggs.com/RockBeach_Web_Photos/GoncalaAlves4.jpg

 

Enjoy!

[fantasticsound]

Wow! That is truly gorgeous, Boggs!

[A String]

Looks fantastic Boggs! I love it!

[Mudcat]

That is really nice!

 

I like this headstock design. I much prefer this headstock to the one used on your original guitar.

 

Is this one also a Carvin?

 

Good job!

[picker]

Nice wood, Boggs. Great job. I like the headstock too.

[Pappy P]

Very Sweet.

[Boggs]

Thanks. That will be (or a refined variation of the theme) the basic headstock design I will use for both guitars. The neck will be for the smaller body version.

 

I am getting a lot of very positive feedback on its tone and comfort as I put it in peoples' hands. Really big tone... thick with great string definition, crunch, and power. The shorter scale length with the 3+3 headstock (the engineering model used a 25.5" scale with a 6-in-line headstock of my own design) ought to put it over the top!

[Ol Boy Rivers]

Peerrrrttteeeehhhh wood man. Personally im a fan of figured eye maple ( My strat has a Figured maple neck ) OR if you really want to get goofy, Birds eye. But your the man guy, Necks are NEVER easy to craft correctly, Looks like you hit it dead on.

[Guitarzan]

i like it Boggs. it has a certain Godin vibe

i like the wood as well, the spots on the second one add to the vibe. i like imperfections in wood.

perfect pieces look to fake to me.

also it makes each guitar truly unique.

[The Geoff]

Ooooooohhhhh Baby!!

 

Come to Daddy!!!!

 

 

G.

[Boggs]

The guy that built it to my "specs" and requirements is named Lary Karosa. I found him on eBAY of all places. I told him my history and what I do and what I was looking for and suggested woods and why I like particular woods and he, being an artist with woods, found the stock he used for this and built it up for me... I don't have the equipment to be able to make necks, so I leave that up to the specialists and their years of experience. I have no intention of taking credit for his work. I will share in the vision, however!

[Boggs]

Originally posted by guitarzan:

i like it Boggs. it has a certain Godin vibe

i like the wood as well, the spots on the second one add to the vibe. i like imperfections in wood.

perfect pieces look to fake to me.

also it makes each guitar truly unique.

The "spots" are worm holes I filled with epoxy. Most will be removed as that is mostly where the neck pocket will be, but I am in agreement with you that natural "imperfections" are character and add to the uniqueness. Thank you for the feedback... from all of you who took the time!

[picker]

Can you give us a couple of pictures of the body woods you mentioned? I'd love to see some figured Goncalvo Alves.

[Boggs]

Well, the top ones are koa on the original post, and the bottom two are Goncala Alves. Here is my other set of Goncala Alves...

 

http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/boggs.com/RockBeach_Web_Photos/GoncalaAlves1.jpg

 

http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/boggs.com/RockBeach_Web_Photos/GoncalaAlves2.jpg

[Boggs]

Got the official word, the neck is all pau ferro and one coat of teak oil... He felt a little extra quality was called for (in his own words)! I will (assuming it is compatible) put on Murdoch's hard oil as I feel it is a more durable finish and still has a great feel...

[Dr. Ellwood]

Boggs, amazing work and congratulations! I think it would be interesting for you to maybe give us a little back ground or insight into your training or apprenticeship or experience in the trade. It sure looks like you have studied under some wonderful craftsmen. When you get time please give us some of the details. Thanks..

[PBBPaul]

That looks really beautiful Boggs.

 

Someday I'll get back to Rochester and play one of your beautiful guitars.

[Ol Boy Rivers]

OT Question, Does the Backpacker have fairly decent tone?

[Boggs]

Originally posted by ellwood:

Boggs, amazing work and congratulations! I think it would be interesting for you to maybe give us a little back ground or insight into your training or apprenticeship or experience in the trade. It sure looks like you have studied under some wonderful craftsmen. When you get time please give us some of the details. Thanks..

I wish I could say that I did all that, but the truth is that I read a couple of books on how to build guitars and basically ignored their recommendation to build simple first. I have no background or training in woodworking or lutherie but have a great friend who is a real craftsman and we tutored each other along the way on our first builds.

 

What I do for a living is work as an engineering technician at Xerox and a big part of my job is learning on the fly and finding ways to do things that the machines were never meant to do. Eye for detail is critical inthat job and it translates pretty well to how I think in terms of designing and building guitars. Everything is for a reason, and there is ALWAYS a better way.

 

Additionally, I used those thought processes in designing and building my original Formula Vee camber compensator and race suspension that I found out afterwards that Grant Nubury (chief engineer for Penske in '93 and '94) used without my permission in their indy cars with AL Unser Junior the years he dominated. My car set the record on North America's fastest road course at Watkins Glen Nascar Course in 1987 and it was never bettered despite relaxed rules for the class since. A number of years after that, they changed the layout adding "the bus stop" and so the record for that configuration will stand. I converted it to an autocrosser where the new owner soundly stomped the 7-time national champion in the next faster class at their division championship with the improvements I recommended to him.He couldn't make the National runoffs due to a new baby but the guy he beat soundly beat his class national champion.

 

Back to guitars... I went to Pittsford Lumber here in town and saw this gorgeous piece of African Padauk which I had never seen before and not even being a wood worker decided that I HAD to build something with it and due to my love of guitars, that was it. My instincts told me that a solid body guitar would be too heavy and sound shrill so I decided on a chambered body and felt that the mahogany skeleton and neck would tame and enrichen it. My instincts were dead on based on the tone and my design was so comfortable that I then decided that I should make this available to others and this was hatched. That is the long and short of it...

 

Thank you so much for the kind and a bit undeserved words, Ellwood. I hope I haven't disappointed you too much... You really did make my day though! Boggs

[Boggs]

Originally posted by PBBPaul:

That looks really beautiful Boggs.

 

Someday I'll get back to Rochester and play one of your beautiful guitars.

I can't wait, man!!! Say the word...!!!

[Boggs]

Originally posted by Ol' Boy Rivers:

OT Question, Does the Backpacker have fairly decent tone?

It not only has outstanding, thick tone with a lot of punch, it is, like its big brother, a chameleon in that it can cover a wide array of tones and vibes. It is a bit drier and more direct than its big brother and I think some of that is due to the use of the Hipshot bridge and maple neck vs. the TOM bridge and mahogany neck in the CamelBack for a direct comparison. The BackPacker was originally conceived to have a 24.75" scale length, but I built it with a 25.5 again for a more direct comparison to see the body size's and the bridge's influences. Rockers would probably like the BackPacker configuration a wee bit more for its drive and being a bit more out front, but Jazz players would more go for the CamelBack's richness. Both are really knock-yer-socks-off when you hear them. EVERYONE who has played them has found a favorite tone. There are 24 available due to my electronics, so it would be hard not to!

[picker]

My choice for the body wood is the Koa. It's prettier to me that the Goncala Alves.

[Ol Boy Rivers]

Hmm. Mabye i should look into it, Ive been meaning to get a nice travler.

[Boggs]

Here's the other koa set I have... You will notice that on that set I have added an inlay of maple and cocobolo...

 

http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/boggs.com/RockBeach_Web_Photos/Koa5w.jpg.jpg

 

http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/boggs.com/RockBeach_Web_Photos/Koa6w.jpg.jpg

 

You would have a choice of longer scale (25.5") with 6-in line headstock or short scale (24.75") with the 3+3 unless you want a neck built specifically for your needs. If you want, I can e-mail you a list of options for the neck...

[mdrs]

Boggs,

 

That one is just plain SWEET! Where were you when I was SUFFERING at the U. of R.???

 

Don

[Boggs]

I was here. You must not have been looking!

[Braxat]

mental orgasm INC... too late, its here.

 

nice job man, really nice job.

[Boggs]

Thanks!