Build - 2017 Tippin Crescendo
 

Haven't seen too many Tippin builds on AGF so I asked Bill if I could post this one. Hope you enjoy!

I have discovered what many have known for some time. There is something magical about the tone that emanates from a Tippin Guitar. I had my first taste with a DST12 from Neil (across the pond) which was a very special guitar originally built for Martin Simpson. Being a dreadnought, it was larger than my preference these days. I find my sweet spot is 000/OMish. Immediately after selling the DST12, I acquired a 00T-12H from fellow AGFer tjvh27. Awesome little guitar with amazing tone far beyond its small size. When I called Bill to discuss the differences between the 00 size and his other offerings, it became obvious to me, I NEEDED an OMT or a Crescendo. Know what I mean? If you do, this thread is for you ... read on!

From the Tippin website ...
The Crescendo is the flagship model of the Tippin line. Slightly larger than a*00012 in size, the Crescendo is suited to all playing styles. This model blends the playability of the 14 fret OMT with the rich tone associated with the 00012 fret body size. The Crescendo boasts rich bass, snappy mids, and definitive trebles, all combining to create excellent balance and projection.

Bill launched our project in August and just sent me some pictures of the beginning stages. Here are the initial specs.

Initial Specs
Model: Crescendo 14-fret
Top: Salmon Sitka Spruce
Back and Sides: Madagascar Rosewood
Binding and Arm Bevel: Blackwood
Rosette: Double Pearl
Fretboard & Bridge: Black Ebony
Purfling and Backstrip: Blue Paua
Nut & Saddle: Bone
Sound port
Tuners: Waverly with Black Pearl Buttons
Finish: French Polish
Case: Main Stage
Light build and voiced for fingerstyle
Dimensions:
Scale length – 25.5"
Lower bout – 15 1/2"
Body length – 20 3/8"
Body Depth – 4 5/16"
Standard nut width – 1 3/4"

The guitar in this video is similar except the Brazilian and the fan-fret.



And here are the first pics of the build.

A gorgeous set of straight grain Madagascar Rosewood. Ignore the cutaway outline. This one will not have one.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4395/...482b2d_o_d.jpg

Some real nice silking in the Salmon Sitka top. I'll have a little more on that story later in the thread.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4413/...0c6eae_o_d.jpg

Ring of Blackwood in the center flanked by Blue Paua. Elegant.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4415/...348427_o_d.jpg

We have something special in mind for the back in addition to the Blue Paua backstrip.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4358/...4c54fe_o_d.jpg

Beginning the back bracing.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4411/...e05dbf_o_d.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4377/...4656b1_o_d.jpg

And Bill's label. Hoping he signs it before the box is closed.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4348/...baf2f5_o_d.jpg

I asked Bill if he would consider his famous deco-T inlay on my headstock. I really like it! Headplate is Ebony with Blue Paua purfling.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4370/...1b5702_o_d.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4430/...a42d14_o_d.jpg

Sides are bent and clamped in the mold ready to add kerfing and bevel support.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4423/...d64679_o_d.jpg

more pic ...
 

Yes, it will have a sound port.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4342/...264a21_o_d.jpg

Kerfing and bevel support are in. Side struts are being clamped.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4422/...d13217_o_d.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4412/...aca11f_o_d.jpg

Inside of the bevel support is carved and smoothed.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4388/...6f0f6d_o_d.jpg

Neck block now has the official serial number.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4364/...07643b_o_d.jpg

Two layers applied for sound port support. And besides, it looks real nice from the outside.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4406/...7365e7_o_d.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4397/...9e3107_o_d.jpg

Blackwood with a little sapwood for the end graft surrounded on either side with Blue Paua. The grain on this Madagascar is so straight ... WoW!

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4338/...a56a78_o_d.jpg

Then the magic begins with the top bracing.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4419/...07ac92_o_d.jpg

I'm excited!

Wow... Another one? Can you adopt me, CF? :lol:

Congratulations! I look forward to watching...

Beautiful set of D. baronii Dennis...:up:

Well, I don't know what to say except holy wow that looks great...I've got $877.56 laying around here if you want to move than old Kinnaird on down the line. I can pick it up at Woodstock this year....easy peasy...

Wow! Excited to see this build! Just gorgeous....and the Crescendo has some of the most beautiful and appealing lines of any guitar.
Always thought it would be amazing to own a Tippin.......some great features and wood on this one.......just exquisite!

Sigh...that will be a magnificent guitar.

You are gonna LOVE it....!!!! Congrats...

Beautiful, elegant, great wood combo and it’s going to sound and play really well. Thanks for starting this thread!

Col

Another beauty Dennis. Looks great!

Thanks folks, for your interest and kind comments. :)

I just love guitars and I know, it shows. So many great builders and so little time left for me to interact and enjoy their mastery.

I share these threads as I know there are many guitar lovers like me here on AGF and also many who don't have the means but love to watch this phenomenal process. Appreciate you all following along and I know Bill does as well! Maybe we can get him to chime is along the way.

And no Tom ... the Kinnaird isn't going anywhere ... sorry buddy! :D

Bidding war: $1200 for the Kinnaird!

I love seeing this thread. It is so fun seeing such a lovely guitar coming together! Someday I'll get an arm bevel. (Radical what is happening to acoustic guitars!)

A little about Salmon Sitka ....
 

Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis) is the wood used for the vast majority of acoustic guitar, piano, violin, and other musical-instrument soundboards. It is hard to believe but it is being harvested at such a rate from the Southeast Alaskan forests where it grows natively, the end of the instrument-quality supply could be in sight. That would be a sad day indeed!

But I would like to take a moment to talk about a very special kind of Sitka which is no longer available today except from builders wood rooms where it is growing very scarce as well.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4435/...d9ecd2_o_d.png

The term “Salmon Spruce” came from a period back in the mid 1800’s or maybe earlier, when fishermen built very large crates out of Sitka Spruce, which were submerged and filled with Salmon to be kept alive until the fishermen could get them to market.

The majority of the harvest took place in the fall when the Salmon began to move up the river to spawn thus the most plentiful Salmon fishing was found near the mouth of The Great Lakes. The fishermen used these crates to transport the fish down the river to the market keeping the Salmon completely submerged in the water.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4416/...3c0aa4_o_d.png

As time passed the shipping methods improved and the old crates were just abandoned and left under water to age. Only recently, in the last 20 years lets say, have these same crates been salvaged for the planks to be cut into instrument sets.

Salvaged wood that has been under water for a long time goes through an interesting change. The fresh water will, over time, remove the resins from the cells and pores of the wood much in the same way air and heat can. The important difference between the salvaged wood versus modern kiln dried is the cell structure in the wood’s grain does not collapse as it would using the conventional methods. The cells are left more open and even after the lumber has dried, making the tone of the wood much more resilient and active.

Salmon Spruce is very limited and extremely rare today. It is a lively top with wonderful tone production and is historically significant.

I am very lucky indeed to have a guitar commissioned with this wonderful tonewood. Thank You Bill!

I suppose Salmon Spruce helps when playing "scales"...:)

Wow, this is shaping up to be a nice instrument - I'm waiting to see what you will do with the backstrip. Couple of questions for you: (a) I see you are getting an arm bevel - is this your first? and (b) same question, but related to sound port. I'm considering an arm bevel on my 2018 build with Steve Kinnaird - so would welcome your thoughts/experience. I'm not considering a sound port, but curious on what drove you to spec one.