Froggy's Blog

We have a winner — Chris and Jascha from Warren, VT went...

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:42:00 -0400

We have a winner — Chris and Jascha from Warren, VT went home with the guitar at the end of the Jackson Browne concert Monday night. Many thanks and heartfelt appreciation from Froggy Bottom and L.A.C.E. to all of you who participated in the raffle. Your generosity will be serving local agriculture in central Vermont in the months and years to come.

From those of us at Froggy Bottom Guitars a special thank you to each and every one of you. We’ve had more fun with this project than any three boys have a right to hope for.

left to right: Andy Mueller, Jackson Browne, Chris, Eric Goodenough, Chris’s wife, Jascha and Michael Millard.

The guitar on display at the Sunday brunch at L.A.C.E. Raffle...

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:40:30 -0400

The guitar on display at the Sunday brunch at L.A.C.E. Raffle tickets are still available. Come on down!

Photo

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:27:23 -0400

Photo

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:26:58 -0400

Since the last post...

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:51:52 -0400

Off camera, lacquer has cured for several weeks. Larry has wet sanded neck and body and buffed...

The glue is allowed to dry overnight. Here we see the bridge...

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:51:23 -0400

The glue is allowed to dry overnight. Here we see the bridge pin holes being drilled through the top.

Andy is shown cutting the string leads in the bridge with a jig...

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:50:51 -0400

Andy is shown cutting the string leads in the bridge with a jig saw blade.

A bone saddle blank has been fitted to the saddle slot and...

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:50:29 -0400

A bone saddle blank has been fitted to the saddle slot and curved to match the fretboard radius. In the setup procedure the saddle is left slightly high until string notches in the nut have been set to their final depth for proper playability.

The bone nut blank is being fitted to the neck. Each one of...

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:50:08 -0400

The bone nut blank is being fitted to the neck. Each one of these is unique and fitted completely by hand. This allows complete latitude for varying the feel of the guitar to the individual player.

Once the shape of the nut has been formed and it is perfectly...

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:49:41 -0400

Once the shape of the nut has been formed and it is perfectly seated in its channel the first and sixth strings are located and notched for lateral position. Preferences for positioning of these two strings vary widely from one player to another. It’s got to feel just right.

Once the two outside strings have been located, the remaining...

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:48:39 -0400

Once the two outside strings have been located, the remaining four strings are located laterally and notched. Spacing between strings must be uniform. After all six strings are positioned properly, their depth is set, saddle height is adjusted and all facets of the setup are given final check and any required adjustments are made.

Here we go! This is like being in the delivery room at the...

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:48:04 -0400

Here we go! This is like being in the delivery room at the hospital and hearing your child for the first time. If we’ve really done our work well we should know exactly what she’ll sound like with that first note.

What do you think Andy?

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:47:37 -0400

What do you think Andy?

It’s a Froggy!Later today we’ll take her to our...

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:47:00 -0400

It’s a Froggy!

Later today we’ll take her to our friend Herve Pelletier for her first formal photo shoot and then Tucker Barrett will install her pickup. After all those who have had a hand in her creation have had a chance to try her out we’ll be ready to take her to L.A.C.E. on Sunday.

Everyone who has seen or played this guitar has just been blown away by her voice and her beauty. We’ll have a complete set of pictures for our next blog segment in a few days and another segment to follow from the festivities at L.A.C.E. on Sunday.

Raffle tickets are still available. If all are sold by Monday night, the drawing will go on as planned at the Jackson Browne concert. Any remaining tickets will be available that evening.

The body and neck of our SJ prototype have been completed. It’s...

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 10:44:06 -0500

The body and neck of our SJ prototype have been completed. It’s time for finishing! Larry is applying lacquer topcoats to the body. There will be several rounds of spraying, with sanding between coats, followed by a period of curing, final sanding then buffing.

A new guitar is born....

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:41:00 -0500

When we decided to create a new model and offer the prototype guitar to L.A.C.E. in Barre, VT for a...

Andy smiling at the fret press, installing the frets in the...

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:39:18 -0500

Andy smiling at the fret press, installing the frets in the fingerboard. The fret ends will be trimmed and beveled, but not given their final dressing until the last stages of set-up.

All necks are rough carved on the CNC router. Final carving and...

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:38:46 -0500

All necks are rough carved on the CNC router. Final carving and shaping is done by Michael with rasps, files and sandpaper, to order for each guitar. A few thousandths of an inch can make a significant difference in feel and playability.

The heel is carved first, then the headstock transition area,...

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:38:20 -0500

The heel is carved first, then the headstock transition area, and finally the running length of the neck.

The binding channel on the headstock was routed and the trim of...

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:37:38 -0500

The binding channel on the headstock was routed and the trim of cellulose lines glued in and allowed to dry. Eric is removing the tape which holds this trim in place.