My custom Ryan Rukavina lap steel - in progress

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Juan Calama
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My custom Ryan Rukavina lap steel - in progress

Post by Juan Calama »

Just joined the forum after reading for a long time and wanted to share with everyone here the beginning of my custom lap steel being built by Ryan Rukavina in Missoula, MT.

For starters, I just want to say that Ryan has been great to work with. He's answered more emails than I would have expected from anyone (I ask a lot of questions and have changed my mind about things more than a few times) and so this is in part a homage to his patience and dedication.

The first picture is of the Bastogne Walnut billet that I purchased from Cyril Jacob in Oregon (thanks again Cyril for an awesome piece of wood):


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The next two pictures are of the board (one wet with mineral oil to show the figure and flaming better, one au natural) with the body traced out.


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And this last photo (for now) is of the body and neck blank already cut out.


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More pics as the project progresses.
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Brian Hunter
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Post by Brian Hunter »

That's going to be beautiful. I had been thinking of building my own and when I had questions about the bridges and nuts he makes, he was a super nice and helpful guy.
Brian
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Mike Neer
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Post by Mike Neer »

Too bad you couldn't find a nice piece of figured wood... :lol:
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Juan Calama
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Post by Juan Calama »

Mike Neer wrote:Too bad you couldn't find a nice piece of figured wood... :lol:
It is not exaggeration to say that is the funniest thing I have heard today...

Thanks, you made my night.

:D

The hardest part was deciding whether to bookmatch the top or to do one-piece...I am happy that Ryan convinced me to let the natural beauty of the wood win the day and do a one-piece.
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Mike Neer
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Post by Mike Neer »

Yes, it is going to be a killer guitar. I love walnut!
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Bill Hatcher
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Post by Bill Hatcher »

nicest wood selection you could ever make! a hundred years from now....someone will thank you!!!!
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Andy Sandoval
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Post by Andy Sandoval »

It's beautiful! I love that body shape too. :)
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Laurence Pangaro
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Post by Laurence Pangaro »

Yeah, that's gonna be really lovely. I hadn't seen Rukavina's stuff before, but after taking a look at his website I'm really looking forward to your updates.

LP
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Tom Pettingill
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Post by Tom Pettingill »

Thats a great looking chunk of walnut Juan!
Now that Ryan is doing Tru Oil finishes, the natural colors should really come to life.
Are you going to go for a mirror glossy finish or just a satin?
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Juan Calama
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Post by Juan Calama »

Tom Pettingill wrote:Thats a great looking chunk of walnut Juan!
Now that Ryan is doing Tru Oil finishes, the natural colors should really come to life.
Are you going to go for a mirror glossy finish or just a satin?
Probably a satin finish, though to be frank, I did not know that a mirror glossy finish can be achieved with the Tru Oil finish...
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Tom Pettingill
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Post by Tom Pettingill »

Sure, I do it all the time. It takes a lot of work, but Tru Oil will build a film and you can get a gloss that rivals lacquer.
Here is a steel with walnut very similar to yours all decked out in Tru Oil.
Also lots of other high gloss Tru Oil examples in my Photobucket link.

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Juan Calama
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Post by Juan Calama »

Tom Pettingill wrote:Sure, I do it all the time. It takes a lot of work, but Tru Oil will build a film and you can get a gloss that rivals lacquer.
Here is a steel with walnut very similar to yours all decked out in Tru Oil.
Also lots of other high gloss Tru Oil examples in my Photobucket link.

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That is just lovely...could be that you have just given Mr. Rukavina more work...had no idea the Tru Oil finish could be made to be so shiny, however, the satin finish has an understated grace to it as well...decisions, decisions...

Out of curiosity, which would you choose for yourself based on this cut of bastogne walnut?
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Tom Pettingill
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Post by Tom Pettingill »

Thanks Juan! That is my Junkyard Dog model and I was tickled how it came out.
Out of curiosity, which would you choose for yourself based on this cut of bastogne walnut?
I don't think you could go wrong either way, the beautiful grain and color will come through regardless.
For myself, I'd probably go glossy, but I'm a glutton for punishment. Like I said though, I don't think there is a wrong choice.
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Juan Calama
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Post by Juan Calama »

More progress, more pics...

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Mike Neer
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Post by Mike Neer »

Beautiful, Juan. That'll be a helluva lap steel.

Tom, that Junkyard Dog really is drool-worthy! Really stunning.
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Juan Calama
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Post by Juan Calama »

Again, more progress, more pics...

Time between postings should be speeding up here as Ryan has just cleared his bench of other projects and will have more time to work on this one.


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Liz Williams
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Post by Liz Williams »

Thanks for posting these, Juan. I love the way the cut of the fretboard echoes the wood grain. This one will be a stunner. Can't wait to see it finished. No pressure, Ryan. :-)
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Juan Calama
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Post by Juan Calama »

Liz Williams wrote:Thanks for posting these, Juan. I love the way the cut of the fretboard echoes the wood grain. This one will be a stunner. Can't wait to see it finished. No pressure, Ryan. :-)
The body, neck and fingerboard are all from the same piece of bastogne walnut and so Ryan has been able to keep a kind of "asymmetrical symmetry" with this build and yes, I agree, it is going to be stunning...

No pressure Ryan...

:D
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Tom Pettingill
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Post by Tom Pettingill »

Thats shaping up real nice :)
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Mike D
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Post by Mike D »

Psychedelic baby!
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Juan Calama
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Post by Juan Calama »

And then there was binding on the body...well, half of it at least...


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Liz Williams
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Post by Liz Williams »

Getting faint, over here. Lordy!
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Juan Calama
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Post by Juan Calama »

And he said, "It was good" and bound the other half...and took a picture of the back too...


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Juan Calama
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Post by Juan Calama »

Neck, meet body...body, meet neck...

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Kekoa Blanchet
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Post by Kekoa Blanchet »

So how is the neck joined to the body? Is that a glued butt joint or is it more complex than that?
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