The Swallowtail Hummingbird

[Goldhedge]

Thanks for the Hobbies forum! What a great idea!!

Here's what I do in my spare time when not playing pickleball....

I made the inlay out of pieces of yellow abalone, red-lipped abalone, black-lipped abalone and the tail feathers are from the edge of the shell. Pearl dot eye. I forget what the branch is from - abalone of some kind.





The wood is from Jamaica where the Swallowtail Hummingbird lives (among other places)




Spruce makes a great soundboard because of it's straight grain



Sound hole has abalone dots and black (died) wood in a diamond shape, maple is the whiter wood.



The 'dots' are little humming birds






This is how I cut them out using a jeweler's saw and Black Lipped abalone. Printed out birds on computer and glued to shell.

Router bit was to cut the hole they sit in.




Here is a picture of a Swallowtail Hummingbird (Trochilus Polytmus) in the wild and where I got the idea

 

[pmbug]

I used to have a next door neighbor that built guitars (in his garage) for a living. He got divorced and moved away. The (ex-)wife is still there. She doesn't make guitars though. /csb

That guitar looks great. Nice work.

 

[.41Dave]

That guitar is gorgeous. I admire the skill it took do do much beautiful work. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Newmisty]

Thanks for the Hobbies forum! What a great idea!!

Here's what I do in my spare time when not playing pickleball....

I made the inlay out of pieces of yellow abalone, red-lipped abalone, black-lipped abalone and the tail feathers are from the edge of the shell. Pearl dot eye. I forget what the branch is from - abalone of some kind.

View attachment 1364



The wood is from Jamaica where the Swallowtail Hummingbird lives (among other places)

View attachment 1366


Spruce makes a great soundboard because of it's straight grain

View attachment 1367

Sound hole has abalone dots and black (died) wood in a diamond shape, maple is the whiter wood.

View attachment 1368

The 'dots' are little humming birds

View attachment 1369

View attachment 1370


This is how I cut them out using a jeweler's saw and Black Lipped abalone. Printed out birds on computer and glued to shell.

Router bit was to cut the hole they sit in.

View attachment 1365


Here is a picture of a Swallowtail Hummingbird (Trochilus Polytmus) in the wild and where I got the idea

View attachment 1372

Simply exquisite GH. Standing applause!

 

[EricTheCat]

Thanks for the Hobbies forum! What a great idea!!

Here's what I do in my spare time when not playing pickleball....

I made the inlay out of pieces of yellow abalone, red-lipped abalone, black-lipped abalone and the tail feathers are from the edge of the shell. Pearl dot eye. I forget what the branch is from - abalone of some kind.

View attachment 1364



The wood is from Jamaica where the Swallowtail Hummingbird lives (among other places)

View attachment 1366


Spruce makes a great soundboard because of it's straight grain

View attachment 1367

Sound hole has abalone dots and black (died) wood in a diamond shape, maple is the whiter wood.

View attachment 1368

The 'dots' are little humming birds

View attachment 1369

View attachment 1370


This is how I cut them out using a jeweler's saw and Black Lipped abalone. Printed out birds on computer and glued to shell.

Router bit was to cut the hole they sit in.

View attachment 1365


Here is a picture of a Swallowtail Hummingbird (Trochilus Polytmus) in the wild and where I got the idea

View attachment 1372

Beautiful work.

 

[Newmisty]

I for one would love to see any and all aspects of the planning/building process of your instruments.

Please share more when you get the chance!

 

[EricTheCat]

Just bumping this thread because this is such a cool project. I was just telling my mom about it.

 

[gringott]

Amazing. Great work sir.
Thank you for sharing.