Quote:
Originally Posted by Alistair Hay
Sorry I'm late to the game here.
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Late to the game? You were the first one to show up. My reason for starting this thread was to honor your contribution to the art of customization.
I can easily imagine that an X20N, with its full size body and its full length scale, can produce a full tone without needing to shift the bridge from the 14 fret position. I have also experienced some wooden crossovers with a full size body and the bridge in the 12 fret position that have too much bass, so I understand your design.
The thing is that a standard full size steel string guitar is larger than a standard full size classical guitar. This prevents the classical from sounding boomy, even with a long scale and a 12 fret bridge position. Personally, I like the comfort and tone of the smaller classical body, but I can't deal with the classical neck profile, which is why I'm looking for something new. The recent interest in X7N's suggests an overall preference for a smaller body with nylon.
I also understand your preference for a 650mm scale. I've played mainly Gibson solid body electrics for many years, I use a pick, and I like my action to be as low as physically possible. 650mm is definitely the best for low action, but it's a bit much for an electric guitarist. I really enjoy having the nut close enough to my left shoulder that I can allow my left arm to hang loosely by my side as I play. Short scale and low action are divergent parameters, so I'm looking for a point of balance. Right now, my guess is that a 640mm 12 fret will give me the left arm comfort while still providing enough string tension to accommodate reasonably low action.
I've done enough research and experimentation that I know exactly how I would spec a custom crossover, and this is my plan B. My plan A, which is why I joined this forum, is to see if there is a wider convergence of preference from other players, so that a production model could be defined. This would make it a lot easier for people without crossover experience to choose a guitar, without being required to spec out a custom model. I even designed a slotted headstock that can be built into a mold.
If you prefer to keep every nylon build as custom, I fully respect that, and you will probably be hearing from me in the not too distant future for a custom X10N. For now, my wooden crossover that I purchased specifically to experiment with, is good enough, and I'll keep sharing ideas on this forum to see if there actually is a common point of balance.
As a side note, your recent X20 12 string Ziricote with the natural black CF weave back and sides is the nicest looking guitar I have ever seen.