Project: Duo Sonic

[MWaldorf]

Silly question, but have you tried looking at auto paint chips? Fender used auto paint for their custom colors; maybe they also did for the Duos? There's a late 50s Mercury wagon that I see occasionally around town that was a similar shade.

[dubtrub]

Silly question, but have you tried looking at auto paint chips?

That's all I've been looking at. The only problem is I can't get it in nitro lacquer, or acrylic lacquer. I did get some hobby lacquer in Desert Sand but it is the color of the new Duo Sonics. If I can't get the right color I'll probably go with the Desert Sand. However that sort of defeats the purpose of building this particular style guitar. Strictly nostalgia.

Man, getting the right spacing for those inline tuners was a bear. I finally found that a spacing of 0.950 was about right. Now that I've worked it out on paper and a practice piece of wood, I'm about ready to rout the trussrod channel. Since I'm going to use the Mosrite style truss rod, which is much better than the Fender style IMO, I've got to work it out so that it is recessed in the neck a short distance. It will be adjustable from the body side so I only want to have a small 1/4' round hole visible.

[MWaldorf]

Have you looked at the DuPont Historic Paint Library?
http://pc.dupont.com/hcl/?locale=en_US

Looking around, I see that Cadillac had a Dakota Red in 1957, so maybe Desert Tan is a GM color? As for lacquer or enamel, I don't know the issues as well as you do. But it doesn't come as a surprise that nothing would be easy.

Cool idea to use a Mosrite style truss rod; I agree much better design.

[dubtrub]

Got your pm Mel. Thanks!

Here I have started rough cutting the neck. Hard Rock Maple and is it ever hard. It's no wonder that Leo didn't think his necks needed a truss rod. Next I'll rout the truss rod channel and saw out the linear outline of the neck. I'm am no going to make any jigs, just paper patterns and it will all be free style cutting and final shaping by hand. For thinning the headstock I'll use the little tool recommended to me by Terry, it is the Safe T Planer. It is probably the best tool in my humble little shop.

[GattonFan]

Ford used a color very similar - my dad had a '56 two-tone about that color.

[Sarah93003]

Excellent pictures, Danny! Thanks for sharing them.

[MWaldorf]

In case anyone else (besides me) is interested, a Safe T Planer allows you to use a drill press as a planer to make a smooth, even surface. Pretty cool. Of course, a drill press would be a useful first step....

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Planes/Wagner_Safe-T-Planer.html?tab=Pictures#details

[Sarah93003]

In case anyone else (besides me) is interested, a Safe T Planer allows you to use a drill press as a planer to make a smooth, even surface. Pretty cool. Of course, a drill press would be a useful first step....

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Planes/Wagner_Safe-T-Planer.html?tab=Pictures#details

That is a very cool tool! It is on my "To Get" list.

[Veenture]

Danny, the neck and headstock as-is would make a grand cheese-/ bread board (seriously!)

[dubtrub]

Danny, the neck and headstock as-is would make a grand cheese-/ bread board (seriously!)

Too late.



I moved the truss rod back closer to the opening so now I've got to fit a spacer for the other end.


Tomorrow I'll cut the fret slots, drill for position markers and glue the fretbaord on to the neck.