The neck has been carved and fretboard bound and radiused on Prototype 2!

I’m very pleased with the results. I smoothed out the contours on the heel to flow more seamlessly into the neck. It’s now a little more “SR-71″ and less “F-117″… you aviation geeks will know what i mean.

I actually did some of the final shaping of the neck joint with the neck bolted up to the body. There’s a seamless flow from the neck into the body like i’ve never seen before on a bolt-on instrument.

Take a look at the Prototype 2 build page to see the whole evolution.

I didn’t get as much done on the fretboards as i would have liked last week, but i did get them prepped for slotting. We just couldn’t find the proper wrenches to change the blade on the table saw.

So instead, i spent time carving and shaping the neck heel on Proto 2.

Proto 1 and Proto 2 inched one step closer to completion over the weekend, with the neck joints being drilled, T-nuts inserted and a test bolt-up of the necks and bodies.

This is the first time we’ve actually been able to sit down with both of these body styles as (more or less) actual instruments. The ergonomics are fantastic, even without the neck and body carves done. Balance seems to be excellent, and playing position of the Javelin in a seated position is perfect.

The Aviator is stunningly lightweight, though the white limba body and neck is quite soft, and this guitar will require a good hard clearcoat to keep it from damage.

The Javelin is the complete opposite… the solid East Indian rosewood neck and 2″ thick figured walnut body make for a hefty instrument. But it’s important to note that neither the neck nor body have been carved yet, so it will likely lose about 1/3 of its mass. (We have some fairly dramatic carving ideas for these bodies.)

Stay tuned!

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