Instrument details: Ralph Hope - Electric guitar

Work starts with joining the swamp ash body

Photo added on 09/04/2023

Ralph has made his own template for routing the neck pocket. This ensures a perfect fit for his own particular neck dimensions rather than sticking with generic examples.

Photo added on 09/04/2023

Gluing the fingerboard. A walnut tube is fitted for access to the truss rod and a red veneer has been glued between the rosewood and maple.

Photo added on 09/04/2023

Trimming the fret ends. Ralph has fitted turquoise fret markers.

Photo added on 09/04/2023

Carving the neck

Photo added on 09/04/2023

Swamp ash has large pores and requires the grain to be filled prior to finishing

Photo added on 09/04/2023

The body has been sprayed blue over a white base coat

Photo added on 09/04/2023

Almost all of the wiring on this type of guitar can be done on the scratchplate, away from the guitar.

Photo added on 09/04/2023

The finished guitar is hung to cure prior to polishing

Photo added on 09/04/2023

Polishing the lacquer

Photo added on 09/04/2023

Trying out the finished guitar

Photo added on 09/04/2023

Ralph with his finished guitar

Photo added on 09/04/2023