The Acoustic Guitar Forum - Sexauer JB-16 Brazilian/German

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To The Depths Over A Neck...

I had another nice visit to the Sexauer shop...drooled a bit over the "in the white" soundbox. Some shots:
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...eTopDetail.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...TopDetail2.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...undboxSide.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...ndboxSide2.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...CutawayTop.jpg

We decided most of the remaining details, most important of which was the neck. It's going to be his "Sexauer" shape, which starts as a mild V at the nut to a C at the heel. Now to choose the wood. Bruce carves 1 piece necks. The criteria was something well-quartered, of sufficient density to promote sustain, and maybe some figure to give it pizazz.

After some time digging, we pared it down to 2 Honduras Mahogany blanks. One was from his stash of about 15 (from Belize he thinks) that's been seasoning in his shop for 10 yrs+. It was relatively quartered, of medium weight, and had some medullary ray figure. Unusually, it had a deep, orangey color many expect from raw mahogany but normally isn't the case. Bruce called it AAA grade.
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...21Hmah4x30.jpg

The second blank he rated Master. It was from a big stash he painstakingly culled from a supplier a couple years back. It was of sufficient density and uncommonly well quartered:
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...123Hmah3x4.jpg

Bruce plained the mahogany blank to better show the exceptional figure and silking. It didn't have the color of the first, but was the looker of the two. I couldn't decide. I liked the "romance" of the first; it was from Belize, it had been seasoning for a long time (older is always better, right?), and it had that warm, orange color. Bruce assured me either would make a great neck, but he liked the qualities of the second. He felt the importance I placed on long time air seasoning was misplaced, that beyond a couple years it made no difference. He thinks much of what people obsess over in regards to guitars comes from sitting in front of the computer for too long. Hey, I resemble that remark! I chose the second:
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...22Hmah3x30.jpg

Finished, the neck might look like the back of this Collings:
http://www.acousticmusicworks.com/Im.../CJ15946-c.jpg

I'm not even going to mention my back and forth on carbon fiber inserts (it'll have 'em) and tint (trans black). Ahh, the joys of a custom build :D

Was that the picture of the Collings that you intended to post? We don't get to see much of its neck, though the back is nice. Your Sexauer is coming along beautifully!

cotten

Thanks Cotten. Yep...that figure you see on the back of the mahogany Collings might look similar to my neck after varnish.

The best neck shapes I've experienced have been Sexauers.... Mine is my favorite, can't say exactly way, it just feels right... I think AL Petteway said the same about one of his Dream series.... lookin great!

Love that "swoopy" florentine cutaway and wonderful straight grained Braz - WOW! Enjoy the experience - and much luck in the process!

Wow, gorgeous looking build. I'd love to have a commission with Bruce. If I would ever look to commission one, it would be very similar to yours.

Lookin great! Good step by step pictures, can't wait to see it post finish.

What a fine looking guitar! Many thanks for posting, and...keep 'em coming!

Steve

That is a smoking build you have going. Bruce is certainly a master!

Headstock and neck look great! Congratulations.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpabolting (Post 2009227)

That is a smoking build you have going. Bruce is certainly a master!

Quote:

Originally Posted by tkuane (Post 2009319)

Headstock and neck look great! Congratulations.

Thanks...and both of you have some pretty nice builds (understatement) going on too :up: