Edwinson Eclipse OM- First Prototype of a New Model

[theEdwinson]

Hello, everyone! It's been few weeks since I posted a build feature here, and now it's time to show you all what I've been up to lately. Wheels have been turning!
I decided to follow through with an urge I've had for awhile now, to create an all-new guitar model, in the OM size category. This has been the most popular guitar size in my lineup, represented by the Consort 000 guitar that I've been building since about 2005.

The new model is called the Edwinson Eclipse OM, or EE-OM. My intent here was to create a very modern, advanced, extremely customizable guitar, primarily optimized for modern fingerstyle playing idioms. I built the first one to be ultra-responsive and lively, and very comfortable to hold and play, with 25"- 25.75" multiscale architecture. All the signs point to success so far- the box sounds like a well-tuned Tabla drum now, with a loud, clear, focused note when you tap on it.

The top is a set of Sinker Western Red Cedar that was salvaged from a river in British Columbia; the back and sides are old-growth, mastergrade East Indian Rosewood. The bindings, bridge, fingerboard, bevels, and other appointments are Macassar Ebony. The neck is Honduran Mahogany with Maple and EIR center lams. The sound port on the upper bout, driver's side has a sliding hatch, so it can be played closed or open.

I just finished spraying the final top coat of lacquer on this Eclipse OM about an hour ago. But I wanted to share some photos of the guitar, "in the white". I will have the guitar all done, strung up, making music about mid-October.
Here are a few photos of the guitar, pre-finish, to start:







More photos and details shortly. Thanks for looking!

[sandspike15]

Gorgeous work! I'd be scared to death of that headstock breaking though.

[Larry Pattis]

Me likey.....

[theEdwinson]

Here are some of the specs on the new Eclipse OM featured here:
Width, lower bout: 15 1/2"
Width, waist: 8 1/2"
Width, upper bout: 11 1/2"
Body length: 20"
Body depth @ lower bout end graft: 4 1/4"
Body depth @ waist: 4 1/2"
Body depth @ neck block: 4 3/16"
Total length: 41"

Width @ nut: 1 13/16"
String spread @ saddle: 2 1/4"
Scale length spread: 25" high E, 25.75" low E
Thirteen frets to body, twenty frets total.

This guitar is 1/2 inch wider than my Consort 000 model, and the shape is quite different.
I absolutely love the shapes of the OM guitars that Joel Michaud and Simon Fay are building, and they are the primary inspiration for my new OM shape. Here is a photo that shows a comparison between the Eclipse OM, and my eleven-year-old Consort 000 model:


You may have noticed, I also came up with a new open-headstock design; striving for straight string pull from nut to tuner posts, a lighter weight headstock, and compatibility with just about every type of steel string tuners made. I gratefully bow to Harry Fleishman and Matthais Roux of Casimi Guitars for providing the inspiration for this new headstock style, which I am calling the "Omega" headstock.
Of course, I had to test it out first to make sure everything lined up right, and worked as expected. So I built a mock-up of the Omega from a piece of aromatic red cedar... Man, that stuff smells nice when you work it...



The headstock angle is eight degrees, same as my more conventional Pogoda slot-head. That gives the optimum string angle over the nut to the tuner posts, so the strings don't touch anywhere else. The string pull, depending on how many winds around the post, should be almost exactly straight.

[rogthefrog]

Super cool.

[theEdwinson]

Originally Posted by sandspike15

Gorgeous work! I'd be scared to death of that headstock breaking though.

No worries on the headstock holding up! I thought the same thing the first time I saw one of Harry Fleishman's open headstocks. This one is built plenty strong, and has multi-layer laminates on the front and back for extra strength. I even inlaid a couple of butterfly cleats, underneath the front and back head plates. The grain orientation of the Mahogany is vertical through the heel, so it will be very strong against the string pull.
Plus, truss rod access is through the sound hole, so there is no truss rod cavity in the headstock to create a weak spot.

[random works]

The headstock detailing is just spot on. The guitar seems balanced visually and I bet the wood pairing makes for a sweet and powerful fingerstyle guitar.

[theEdwinson]

Here are a few more photos...

Top bracing and back bracing. The top is braced for multiscale, asymmetric, with a combination of Sitka and very stiff Red Cedar, with a laminated rosewood/carbon fiber bridge plate that is super strong and rigid, but only 5/64" thick. I should patent that!
The interior of the guitar is sealed with shellac, to help protect the guitar from sudden changes of humidity.



I've been making sound ports with sliders for a long time now, but it's been awhile since anyone ordered one on a custom build. The slider is made with laminated Macassar Ebony and .020 black fiber. It's built to last the life of the guitar without loosening or rattling; it runs in a snug, felt-lined track. When I set the finished guitar up, I'll rub a little paste wax into the track, and the action will be smooth and precise.
The slider can be removed in minutes with a Phillips screw driver, removing two small screws that secure the slider button. If it ever needs service, it won't be a complicated ordeal!





I had a Hoffee carbon fiber case built for this Eclipse OM. White exterior, black inside. This is my first experience with Hoffee, and I am very impressed with the fit and finish. And it's nice and lightweight!





The Indian Rosewood back and sides are beautifully rich and deep, purple-black under lacquer. Gorgeous stuff. When it looks this nice before finish, imagine how it will look under finish! I'll have photos of that next month.





The rosette is the latest iteration of my trademark "Element Asym" series, done in Macassar Ebony, Spalted Maple, various veneer lines, and .025 copper. The sound hole is bound with red and white Maple veneer and a Macassar Ebony ring to protect the soft Cedar end grain from the onslaught of picks and fingernails.

[prickards]

Bravo! Standing O for Mr. Sheriff. Can't wait to hear it's voice. Sure is purty

[TomB'sox]

So good to see you back and posting your work Steve...at least we know you have been working in your absence!!!! What a beauty, really cool new elements and yet you still know it is an Edwinson when you see it, just can't build an Edwinson without circles on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Looks like the bridge is pretty much unchanged?

Boy oh boy, when something makes you drool like this without finish, you know it is going to be marvelous when wet! I am surprised that the sinker redwood looks as light as it does, isn't that normally darker even before finish?

Love the new headstock, really cool. What is the red trim?

Great job on the new design....can't wait to see it in a few more weeks.

[theEdwinson]

Originally Posted by random works

The headstock detailing is just spot on. The guitar seems balanced visually and I bet the wood pairing makes for a sweet and powerful fingerstyle guitar.

Thanks, that is exactly what I'm going for. The Indian Rosewood B&S plates had a somewhat metallic, sustaining ring to them, more like Cocobolo than Indian (typically) and the Sinker Cedar went Bonnggggg-nnggg and knocked me back on my heels. It feels and sounds a lot like my best Sinker Redwood sets. And it's unusually stiff for Cedar, both ways too. Got that set from Aaron Hix on eBay. Thanks, Aaron! Righteous, as usual.

I think these woods together will make a colorful, well-focused sound with great projection. The Rosewood stridency is toned down a little by the Cedar, while the Cedar becomes more projecting and focused by the influence of the Rosewood. It's a classic combination. The guitar even looks like dark chocolate and peanut butter.

As for tone, I'm kind of after the sound of Jim Olson's Cedar/EIR guitars. He's famous for making those- Jim has probably built more with that combination than anything else. I'm so glad because high quality Indian is my favorite of the rosewoods, and this set is one in 1000 for Q Factor.

[theEdwinson]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

So good to see you back and posting your work Steve...at least we know you have been working in your absence!!!! What a beauty, really cool new elements and yet you still know it is an Edwinson when you see it, just can't build an Edwinson without circles on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Looks like the bridge is pretty much unchanged?

Boy oh boy, when something makes you drool like this without finish, you know it is going to be marvelous when wet! I am surprised that the sinker redwood looks as light as it does, isn't that normally darker even before finish?

Love the new headstock, really cool. What is the red trim?

Great job on the new design....can't wait to see it in a few more weeks.

Hey, Tom! Yeah I do tend to get submerged sometimes, but deep under still waters, I am usually either working or thinking about working. I kept this guitar on the QT because I want to finish one before debuting it! So here we go.
The bridge is pretty new. It's a Talon style, asymmetric multiscale which is actually designed to conform with the skewed internal top bracing. I think I've made four guitars with this bridge version.
The red lines are .020 dyed red Maple veneer. Oh yeah, and the top, fingerboard, and front headstock are all purfled with cross-grain Zebra wood.
The top is Sinker Red Cedar, bought from Aaron Hix, who said it came from a submerged-for-decades log up in BC, Canada. A way above average soundboard.

Thanks for askin', Tom! I would love a chance to put this (or another) Eclipse in your hands and see what you think. You've been coming across some mighty fine guitars in recent times, so I totally trust your judgement!

[Joel Teel]

Hello Steve.....she's a beauty!!!

I love the new headstock design.....and that Indian Rosewood is gorgeous. It appears that your timeframe for completion is going to coincide with my trip up to Birmingham for the annual Fall Crappie fishing trip.....lucky me 😇

I noticed that the finger braces aren't tucked into the X-braces, and that you've not used your asterisk bracing pattern on the back of this guitar.

Joel

[Kahobbs]

This really lovely Steve. Do you plan to make it in your Scoop version???
I think something like this would be very nice in Tree Mahogany and T13 Redwood with figured Cocobolo appointments. 😇😇.

Do you plan to offer this spec build for sale, or perhaps keep it for yourself?

[GaultierRedon14]

Hi Steve,

I really like the shape of this OM body size. It's certainly one of the best I've ever seen, now that I think about it!