It’s surprising how often people ask, “Where are you?”
Perhaps a tapping-guitar factory on the slopes of a volcano way up in Northern California is somehow unusual … and to answer that question more fully, here’s a view of the local scenery …
Here at the Megatar World Headquarters, we’ve really been enjoying our new shop. Partly because we have lots more room. Partly because we have a separate room for the LOUD MACHINES!
And partly because we have our own spraybooth, so we can control our finish process much more completely.
I’ve drawn a rough diagram of how it’s laid out –
This photo, taken just outside the spraybooth door, shows a detail of the Incoming Air Filters (on right hand side of the diagram above). These filters keep sawdust and fine dust particles out, while allowing clean air to flow easily into the spraybooth. This incoming soft airflow makes controlling the fine spray of finish easier.
Inside the spraybooth, a powerful exhaust fan draws the air *out* of the spraybooth. There is a second set of air filters in front of the exhaust fan, to prevent a build up of finish particles from accruing to the fan. So, we filter the air coming in, to keep out dust, and we filter the air going out, to keep the fan clean.
The finishes we use are quite beautiful, and they protect the instrument. Protection of the instrument is the *number one job* of a finish. However, our finishes are also eco-friendly. They don’t pollute the air, they don’t create dreadful fumes for us to breathe, and they don’t contain volatile solvents that suddenly explode in a great ball of fire. We think that’s important.
Below is a batch of four Megatars. They’ve come off the computer cutting machinery, and Patrick (the shop foreman) has already smoothed and sanded them, so the contours are pleasing to the eye and the touch.
The two blondies on the left and right will probably become TrueTappers — Eclipse, Dragon, or Storm — and the two dark wood instruments in the middle have parallel frets, so they will become either MaxTappers, or perhaps Dark Dragons, or Dark Storms.
The black paint inside the pickups cavity in the body is a conductive paint. This shielded paint, attached to a layer of copper foil on the underside of the pickups array (when we later install it), makes a Faraday cage around the electronics, to shield them from radio-frequency interference (noise or humming). The green protective tape covers the fretboards of the dark-wood instruments, because the dark-wood fretbooards feel (and look) better with a polymerized oil finish, which we’ll rub into the fretboard in a later step.
The next step of hand-finishing: Below you see Patrick sanding (again) at the prep table, after applying a wood-filler that seals the pores in the wood. This first step helps the finish to protect the instrument.
You want to create a strong barrier against the wood either gaining or losing water vapor from the air. Wood filler of the correct type, sanding, and then multiple thin coats of finish with sanding between coats still makes the most beautiful, and the most protective finishes.
Below is the batch of four Megatars, each awaiting their turn for the next coat of finish to be applied.
While we are spraying one of them, these hooks keep the others out of the airflow. We want them to have just enough finish, and not too much! That makes for the greatest beauty, and the best protection.
Below is Patrick, our finishing expert, with Mr. Spraygun.
We use an air-turbine driven high volume, low pressure system, as this technology applies thin even coats, is easier to apply very smoothly, and less finish is wasted in overspray during the process.
Below we can peek over the shoulder of the artist at work. The entire trick is a smooth even motion that applies an even thin coat of finish to the entire instrument. It also helps to have lots and lots and lots of light! (Our booth has two natural-light windows, plus three fluorescent arrays, and some incandescent lighting as well.)
Behind the Megatar you can see the outgoing air filters that keep any overspray finish off the exhaust fan, which is mounted in the box-like shape behind the filters. On the wall just below the lamp in upper left, is a thermo-hygrometer so we can keep track of temperature and relative humidity, extremes of which can affect finishes to a surprising degree.
We experimented with several different ways of suspending the Megatar while applying the finish. The simple solution shown here is the one that gave the best results. A thick electrical wire of moderate stiffness is affixed to the ceiling, and simply by threading it through one of the tuner holes, the Megatar is suspended safely and securely.
We’re really blessed to have our nice shop, and we’re lucky to have our own spraybooth. It’s a simple technology, but it’s enabled us to get a more consistent (and more beautiful) finish on all of the Megatars that ship out the door. Protects them, and keeps them beautiful.
We like it!
We’re back in full production, faster and better than ever before!
Finally the big move day came, and we were ready to box up and move all the assembly stations, all the parts, all the shop tools, and supplies and the hundreds of jigs and special devices that go to make Mobius Megatar instruments, so you can make music!
(1) The Big (empty) Assembly Room — before move-in day:
… and after moving in …
(2) The fretboard tools, where we cut fretboards to precise size before they get assembled onto the instruments:
(3) After computer-cutting machine #1 (Bobby) has cut the fretboards, he cuts out the 3D neck, and then cuts out the instruments. Just like paper dolls, only much, much louder!
(4) The pickups-array jig tools, where we make the pickguards to be loaded with pickups, electronics, active circuit preamps, piezo and midi circuit boards, tone/volume knobs, and stereo outjacks …
(5) The sanding station, where sanding and rasping prepare the cut-out Megatars for the finishing booth:
(6) The finish station, where we mix our finishes and sand the instruments between coats …
(7) Parts Store A, where we keep about a third of the small parts that go into the making of a Mobius Megatar instrument …
(8) The assembly table, with new-cut instrument far right, and instruments nearing completion with finish and frets and pickups on the left:
(9) The ‘Almost Ready’ stock of completed and boxed instrument bodies ready for fast assembly into the custom instrument of your specification:
(10) The shipping station, with two Megatars boxed (on right) and ready for shipping around the world:
(11) Patrick (shop foreman) working on a fretboard …
(12) Traktor testing the Feiten Intonation System on an instrument that’s ready to ship out:
(14) Shop dog Charlie, who will watch out for cats …
We’re just delighted with the new shop. Triple the space, and more work stations, to keep the jobs flowing smoothly.
While the computer-cutting machinery was disassembled for moving, we upgraded the electronics, to get even greater precision than before (though your eye will not see it), and faster production as well!
Now that we have our own spray booth on premises, we’re getting better finishes than ever before, and it eliminates the production delay of sending instruments out.
We still need more shelving for parts storage and more lighting, but all essential functions are reconstructed, and working better than ever before, to deliver Megatar instruments faster and better (and prettier) than ever before.
Everybody wins.
We like it. Even shop dog Charlie (and shop dog Daisy) like the new digs. And we think you’ll enjoy your new Mobius Megatar instrument, made better and delivered to your door more quickly than ever before.
Our voyage is complete. Thanks for coming along with us.
We’ve got the walls complete, and painted!
Now it’s time to start putting Megatar-Building stuff in the new shop …
(1) The Big Room — Where Megatars will get built:
(2) Beginning to set things up — the Shipping Station:
(3) Spray Booth, with Exhaust Filters:
(4) The Computer Cutting Room — It’s Alive!
(5) Computer-Cutting Machine #1:
(6) Megatars emerge from the wood …
(7) Mission Control (the Communications Office):
The Communications Office is functional, computers and network online.
The spray booth is tested and working, and giving us better finishes than ever before, and we’ve been able to use an environmentally-friendly finish with less toxic fumes (for us and for you!).
The first computer cutting machine is installed and making new Megatars already.
We’ve got lots of work yet to do installing more lighting, building more shelving, and tweaking the workspace. But first …
Next week, tons of tools and parts and assembly benches show up.
Stay tuned. More to follow.
We’ve been wanting more walls, and so …
(1) Creating the Computer-Cutting Room:
(2) The Communications Office, down there at the far end …
(3) Glenn and Jesse measure twice, cut once:
(4) The Big Room — Where the Megatars get built.
(5) Peeking into the Communications Office from the Big Room:
(6) Jesse builds a Spray Booth …
(7) Jesse measuring and cutting:
(8) and still … watching out for cats:
It’s got rooms now, so painting them will be next.
Stay tuned. More to follow.
In years past, Mobius Megatar published the **MegaTapper News** over several years, and it was very popular, containing articles, lessons, interviews, and news bits of interest to two-handed tappers around the world.
But in the press of moving to the mountains, setting up the shop all over again, installing and programming our new CNC machinery, and getting back into making touch-style basses, the newsletter fell to the wayside.
Well ….
It’s baack!
And better than ever. Delivered by email, in an easy to read format, the first issue of the MegaTapper News carries –
** An article on ‘motors,’ which are simple, repeating left-hand patterns so you can chug along while playing melody or improvising with the right hand.
I remember talking with Frank Jolliffe years ago — he was once well-known in the two-handed touch-style field, and he’s a great improviser — and he told me that, although it appeared that he was improvising with both hands, in actual fact he was switching his attention quickly back and forth, and he had a lot of left hand ‘motors’ to keep going while his right hand improvised.
So I made a study of ‘motors’ and discovered seven different kinds of motors, and breaking it down simply like this, it made it easier to learn one at a time.
I’ve actually written lessons about these motors, and it just so happens that the first one is being published in the new Mobius Megatar newsletter, first issue going out this week.
** Plus you’ll discover an intriguing series called (Easy Touch-Style) ‘Chordology’, which will make chords, and chord substitution and re-harmonization clear and easy, using a simple and new way of looking at chords and harmony.
** Plus … Tappy Tips … and more!
So if you haven’t already done so, I invite you to sign up for the free MegaTapper News here –
http://www.megatar.com/english/news…newsletter.html
Here’s to speedy learning, music, and fun. It makes life more enjoyable!
The walls have been begging for attention, and so …
(1) Insulation guys check the work order:
(2) Insulation installation … all tidy!
(3) Shiny stuff to keep the roof real cool, man:
(4) Whoah! Mongo insulation!
(5) Walls covered, Jesse Senior and Bob put stuff away:
(6) A toast to the new walls:
(7) And watching out for cats:
It begins to resemble a shop.
Stay tuned. More to follow.
The Painting Team has arrived –
(1) Glenn and Jesse on the job:
(2) Jesse sprays low:
(3) Jesse sprays high:
(4) Ann paints the trim:
(5) Pretty in the front:
(6) Pretty at the back:
(7) Pretty big loading dock:
(8) Here comes power!
(9) Mongo-big new panel:
(10) Old soldier, cast aside:
The outside nears completion.
The inside comes next.
And, soon, Megatars come rolling out!
Stay tuned. More to follow.
The roof and walls are done, so now we make it functional –
(1) The Loading Dock door, from outside:
(2) And from inside:
(3) Finding the pipes:
(4) Pipes around the corner!
(5) Bernadette will help!
(6) Pipes marching toward the shop:
(7) Glenn’s little shovel:
(8) Glenn’s big shovel:
(9) The artist at work:
It’s fun watching Glenn finesse that big yellow fellow around!
Next week: Electricity.
Stay tuned. More to follow.
The windows were installed, so now the walls can go up –
(1) Wrapping Tyvek all around (keeps out the wet):
(2) Up goes the siding:
(3) Jess trimming and caulking:
(4) Trim around windows! Trim around doors!
(5) The back windows:
(6) The view out the back windows:
(7) Awaiting the big door, and watching out for cats:
The big door is scheduled for installation in about a week, and the electrical panel is going in soon. Then a visit from the Building Inspector. He’s just a fine fellow!
Stay tuned. More to follow.
Fortune Cookie:
There's more than enough in a half-filled cup.
