Measuring 15″ across the lower bout, this guitar is the largest guitar I’ve built to date, and it sounds even bigger than it is. It features a narrower nut (1-11/16″) and correspondingly narrower string spacing at the saddle (2-1/8″). I finished it with a French polish/varnish/French polish sandwich, and the cherry looks incredible. The Adirondack spruce and cherry for this instrument came from Old Standard in Callaway County, Missouri.
Continue reading “Orchestra Prototype”
Category: Guitars
Amber’s mom is a great artist who enjoys painting Missouri critters and plants. She enjoys it even more if she can work in miniature. When Amber asked her about engraving some tuner buttons, it seemed like the perfect medium. A few weeks later, she returned with the excellent menagerie pictured below: a crappie, perch, ruby-throated hummingbird, butterfly and dragonfly (I’m sure those are species-specific, too, but I don’t know which ones). Continue reading “Engraved Tenor Tuner Buttons”
The neck is attached to the guitar using four bolts and no glue, so it’s easy to take off for future repairs. Continue reading “Neck Joint for the Auditorium and Orchestra Prototypes”
Today I boxed up number one for shipping to its new home in California.
I gave it a last once-over and played it (just a little). The voice has really come in on this guitar! It’s quite rewarding to hear one of your own instruments mature, and that’s especially true of Adirondack spruce-topped instruments; they just take a bit of time to settle in and open up.
Even more rewarding is that I got to hear the new owner take the guitar for a test drive when he was in town recently. This guitar is a perfect match for his playing style, with plenty of meaty tone up the neck. For the guitar maker, hearing a player/instrument match like that is exhilarating. Here’s to more great matches in the future!
Stacked-heel, scarf-jointed necks in red maple Continue reading “Neck Blanks & Bindings for the Auditorium and Orchestra Prototypes”
Front: orchestra prototype showing Adirondack spruce.
Behind: auditorium prototype showing American cherry. Continue reading “Closing the Box on the Auditorium & Orchestra Prototypes”
I’m about ready to close the boxes on my Orchestra & Auditorium prototypes and thought I would share a little bit about how they are coming together. I’m using Adirondack spruce tops with light and strong Adi bracing. I’m still amazed at how stiff this brace wood is, when properly cut. I’ve finished carving the braces for the tops and backs and the plates sound good. Here’s a little recording of the thump test.
Continue reading “Progress: Orchestra & Auditorium Prototypes”
There seems to quite a bit of variation in what people (and companies) mean when they say “handmade.”
So, I thought it would help if I explain what I mean.
If you’ve talked to me, you know that I think wood is the heart of the sound of a guitar. This process—starting with the best materials for the job—can’t be done by the pallet-load; I look individually through a lot of wood to find the pieces that look, feel and sound good to me. Plus, I’m lucky to have good relationships with my wood suppliers, and I take their advice and expertise seriously. Consequently, I get great pieces of wood that have the structural advantages I want.
Continue reading “What I Mean by Handmade, Part 1”