Leonardo Buendia OM - Celtic design : Woodstock presentation
 

Greetings folks !!

This is my second commission – the first one is Olson that I am loving with – and I surely believe I did make awesome decision on this.
Looking for an another lifelong instrument, I heard about Leonardo Buendia who has been serving Ervin Somogyi’s apprenticeship. Scrutinizing his #1 guitar, which already was at it's zenith not only in voicing but also in aesthetic beauty, I decided to contact to Leo face to face, and finally get on a plane bound for Oakland, CA at middle of 2013.

Watching closely and meeting with Leo, I became assured that he will and can build a guitar in perfection. The responsibility, conviction and passion for luthiery - that I also looked into one by Mr. Somogyi – surely impressed me and I ordered one without deciding any of details. Yet, due to the military duty, it took approx. 2 years to confirm all the details of the guitar.

Throughout the whole building process, I have believed Leo 100% and very tried him to express his will and aesthtic taste into the guitar freely, standing in flexible view. And It seems I made right decision. This one will be exhibited at the upcoming Woodstock show I cannot wait for :)

Here is the specification

2015 OM Cutaway
· Soundboard Engelmann spruce
· Back & Sides, Brazilian Rosewood
· Rosette and End graft - Carved Celtic design
· Bridge, Hand carved Brazilian RW
· Backstrip, interrupted
· Cutaway, Florentine
· Fingerboard, Custom Inlay from 3rd. to 19th. fret
· Scale length, Fanned fret - 26” bass side, 25” treble side
· Inlay, back of the neck
· Nut and Saddle, Laminated bone
· Tuning Machines, Alessi Oval in gold with ebony buttons

- Here is the back of the guitar, quatersawn Brazilian rosewood, named "Cordoba"
While exotic Brazilian rosewood was tempting when Leo sent several photos of BR sets, I decided to adopt quatersawn BR merely due to my preference ;)

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...psk59pqwhp.jpg

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...pshhiu6vfn.jpg

Congrats on the guitar, Justin! Which branch are you in? My bro in-law is part of Navy Recruiting District New England, and I noticed you're from Boston.

- Forgot to mention Leo's custom headstock design. This is the result of my picky aesthetic sense... He sketched bit narrower headstock design to compromise with my choosy taste :wild:

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...psh1uqigyy.jpg

Thanks!! It truly is my happiness to have the beauty from Leo.
You should be - and I'm sure you are - proud of your bro in-law. Yes, my base is Boston, yet I had served my duty overseas where my parents live in. How awesome your bro in-law serves the State :up:

That is some beautiful Braz!!! Really nice choice, :up:

Thanks!! I hope this would be gorgeous once the finish is on the top :)

- Herer are back and side builiding process photos

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...psx6x8icnw.jpg

- simple interrupt design here which is alligned with the inlay of neck
http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4i3fpqhl.jpg

- relatively wide bindings among my other guitars
http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...psak6xu0bi.jpg

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...ps52t5oo3i.jpg

- Beginning of the Celtic carving, what a laborious work it is!

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...pswbwirymu.jpg

Here are the rest of front celtic rossette pictures.

It seems that inside of the rossette, there places a wrinkled red-colored paper made from mulberry trees.

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6jihyhqd.jpg

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...pswmedgtvs.jpg

This is gonna be such s thrill watching this build come together! What a set of Brazilian, and what a rosette!!! I'm scheduled for a build in 2016 with Leo! Great choice :guitar:

:)Congratulations!!! You certainly had amazing decision in your mind !
While apparent Leo's work possibly seems to be nither exotic nor conservative, he has his own special features and soul in all the guitars he make. As Mr.Somogyi referred, he specially expresses his prominency in luthiery even during the period of apprenticeship. And he has been improving even more since then. :)

- Here starts Celtic design endgraft carving !!

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...psuqjwpdw4.jpg


cut this out...

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...pswyvw0sb4.jpg


And go with this time-spending work again..

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...psr6rvrhts.jpg


And now you might get a feel of how the carving design works

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...ps18j0vpi9.jpg


With final touch..

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...pshqgnhvwq.jpg

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...psudms0okw.jpg

So... here are the last photo of the endgraft.

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...psavc3dqwj.jpg

Here, start back of the neck and back of the guitar

All the works are attributed to Leo, interrupt design..

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...psbgtxnsnw.jpg

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...psqujsyouk.jpg

and neck inlays

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...psoguguz4b.jpg

http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1n7nwvhd.jpg

and full shot here
http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/...pses0flfvc.jpg

Man-I-man. I am in love with this guitar. So beautiful and elegant. Congratulations