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  #1  
Old 11-25-2016, 04:27 PM
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Default All Mahogany Josie sm jumbo

Ukejon was paying attention when I wrote awhile back that I got a billet of mahogany that would make a wonderful all hog guitar. Jon already has a Greta and was looking for something different for his stable. I take it as a serious compliment when a client come back for another guitar!

This mahogany is exceptionally light and stiff and has a wonderful musical tap tone with sustain;



We're pairing it up with Cocobolo trim;



Here is a sketch of the layout;



As you see this will be a full body with fan frets. The intention is to use the fan frets to help fill out the dynamic range of this mahogany topped guitar.
You'll notice this is a 13 fret guitar. It is also a short scale going from 24.75" to 26.25" Jon said if we're going with a fan fret let's really do it! So we have a full 1 1/2" spread. The 13 fret design was chosen because it lands the saddle exactly where I feel (and many other builders feel) is ideal. This is halfway between the heel block and the transverse brace.
You'll also notice that we're going with the 5th fret as the perpendicular. Jon plays with a capo a lot and this take a little of the angle off the lower frets so placing the capo will be a little less fiddly. Also, because this is a 13 fret short scale the reach is not that great to the lower frets.

There is a lot more to come and it's great to work with Ukejon again!
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Old 11-25-2016, 05:29 PM
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This is going to be great! I love the idea.
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Old 11-25-2016, 07:17 PM
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You know, I already thought you were robbed for guitar of the year 2016 with the koa pina....this will almost certainly make me gas uncontrollably.
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Old 11-25-2016, 07:57 PM
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Ok, so do I need another hand crafted Hatcher guitar? Nope. But do I want another one.....yes!

A number of factors over the past year led to this commission, most importantly my deep faith in Mark's ability to again make an instrument that both tonally and physically fits me. The Greta he made for me in 2014 is absolutely fantastic, easily the best instrument I've ever owned (or played for that matter). Indeed, it is in every respect completely perfect but when Mark started talking earlier this year about a very special sounding set of mahogany and the fact that he has never made an all mahogany guitar it caught my attention and set the wheels turning about getting another Hatcher with a different voice and a different character. Sure, it would highly desirable to own some instruments by other makers because there are such talented folks out there. I played an Astrand at TNAG in London that made my brain melt, and a Doerr that was similarly incredible. But the simple fact is that Mark has fully earned my trust as a maker and that is paramount.

Given my tonal preferences as a softer touch fingerstyle player who loves responsive, lightly built, overtone-rich guitars with lots of sustain, mahogany seems an odd choice. I have always loved the visual and tonal beauty of EIR and spruce/cedar, a combination that really does suit my playing approach. On the other hand, there are mahogany guitars that I've been able to try in recent years that have been astonishing, most notably Michael Watts' gorgeously resonant and complex Kostal modified mahogany and spruce dread, and several personal sessions hearing Leo Kottke in the dressing room and in sound checks playing his 6 and 12 string mahogany Taylors. After some lengthy discussions, Mark convinced me of his strong feeling that this particular set of mahogany will also exhibit great tonal complexity and offer the kind of rich tones I favor (again, I'm not really a "fundamentals" or blues guy but instead more of a "let the instrument ring forever" kind of player).

With that in mind, we then set about thinking of ways that this instrument might best fit my style and also offer something substantively different from the Greta without sacrificing that hallmark Hatcher responsiveness and tone (by the way, I've visited Mark a number of times and he very much knows how I play). The slightly larger bodied Josie will open things up tonally a bit on this all mahogany guitar as will the addition of fan frets, which really appeal to me. The overall specs, setup and feel will replicate Greta as much as possible. For example, we are sticking with the 13 fret design and the 24.75" scale for the treble, and for added comfort we also will be doing a 5/8" wedge shaped body.

As with Greta, there won't be too much bling because for better or worse I prefer plainer looking but aesthetically elegant guitars. So we will stick with a modest ebony fretboard, nicely complimentary cocobolo binding on the body and neck, and go with Mark's newest headstock design, which will stylistically best suit the fanned fretboard and angled bridge. He also picked out a really sweet but visually modest Thaya burl rosette that looks great against the mahogany:



Finally, the timing of this build works great as well. Mark and I initially talked about starting this project in March but that is when my son, a US Marine, was deployed to Iraq and I couldn't think about commissioning a guitar for my own pleasure while he and his fellow Marines were serving our country so bravely. Mark was very understanding about letting me delay the build until my son got home, which he did a month ago. With my son home, I'm now breathing again and off we go with this build which gives me hope through the grim Wisconsin winter (actually, I love it up here....even when it is crazy cold). Certainly I'm eager to follow the progress, and then also to see and hear the results.
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2014 Pono N30 DC EIR/Spruce crossover
2009 Pono koa parlor (NAMM prototype)
2018 Maton EBG808TEC
2014 Hatcher Greta 13 fret cutaway in EIR/cedar
2017 Hatcher Josie fan fret mahogany
1973 Sigma GCR7 (OM model) rosewood and spruce
2014 Rainsong OM1000N2
....and about 5 really nice tenor ukuleles at any given moment

Last edited by ukejon; 02-25-2017 at 06:42 AM.
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Old 11-25-2016, 08:51 PM
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Congrats to you for doing another Hatcher....It is so nice that you have that comfort level so the stress is all but gone.

I am pretty sure I recognize that burl!!!!

Thanks to your son for his service and I am very glad he has come home to you.
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Old 11-26-2016, 05:49 AM
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Congrats to both of you on the commission. Sounds like another awesome guitar in the making. I'll be following with great interest.

And very glad your son is home safe.
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Old 11-26-2016, 09:14 AM
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Woohoo! Can't wait for this to come together. Very cool idea surely to be executed beautifully.
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Old 11-26-2016, 02:28 PM
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Thanks Everyone!

I knew when I saw the original 6 foot board that this was a special one. You could hear it ring just picking it up. The top back and sides are all resawn from this original board. The four pieces making up the top and back are four sequentially cut slices;









Thanks for viewing!
Mark
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Old 11-26-2016, 03:36 PM
Jeff Scott Jeff Scott is offline
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I have a fanned fret (multiscale) guitar with a 1 1/2" spread. Feels totally natural to me, and anyone who has played it (a few didn't even notice the fanned frets until I pointed it out to them! ). I love tuning it in DADGAD or CGDGBE and have it sound and feel great.

Beautiful looking mahogany. This will surely be a wonderful guitar as Marks works his magic on it.
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Old 11-26-2016, 04:24 PM
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This is one I would like to hear! Good thoughts from here.
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Old 11-26-2016, 05:16 PM
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Beautiful so far. Can't wait to see this come together.
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  #12  
Old 11-26-2016, 05:42 PM
ukejon ukejon is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Hatcher View Post
The top back and sides are all resawn from this original board. The four pieces making up the top and back are four sequentially cut slices:


Those are medullary rays that visually liven up the lower center of the top and back?
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My YouTube Page:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ukejon



2014 Pono N30 DC EIR/Spruce crossover
2009 Pono koa parlor (NAMM prototype)
2018 Maton EBG808TEC
2014 Hatcher Greta 13 fret cutaway in EIR/cedar
2017 Hatcher Josie fan fret mahogany
1973 Sigma GCR7 (OM model) rosewood and spruce
2014 Rainsong OM1000N2
....and about 5 really nice tenor ukuleles at any given moment

Last edited by ukejon; 11-26-2016 at 07:42 PM.
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  #13  
Old 11-27-2016, 06:25 AM
Mark Hatcher's Avatar
Mark Hatcher Mark Hatcher is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Scott View Post
I have a fanned fret (multiscale) guitar with a 1 1/2" spread. Feels totally natural to me, and anyone who has played it (a few didn't even notice the fanned frets until I pointed it out to them! ). I love tuning it in DADGAD or CGDGBE and have it sound and feel great.

Beautiful looking mahogany. This will surely be a wonderful guitar as Marks works his magic on it.
Thanks Jeff,

Fan frets can be an ergonomic improvement and players take to the quite naturally. Then the sound seals the deal!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jobe View Post
This is one I would like to hear! Good thoughts from here.
Thanks Jobe!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Kraus View Post
Beautiful so far. Can't wait to see this come together.
Thank you Bill. No fancy figure on this mahogany set but, there is a sparkle in the grain that will really show with finish.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ukejon View Post
Those are medullary rays that visually liven up the lower center of the top and back?
Yes, there are strong modular rays in this set too. Looking forward to seeing this under finish!

Thanks Again everyone,
Mark
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  #14  
Old 11-27-2016, 02:52 PM
Jeff Scott Jeff Scott is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Hatcher View Post
...No fancy figure on this mahogany set but, there is a sparkle in the grain that will really show with finish....
That set doesn't need any fancy figuring in it, that mahogany looks wonderful just as it is.
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  #15  
Old 11-29-2016, 04:59 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Scott View Post
That set doesn't need any fancy figuring in it, that mahogany looks wonderful just as it is.
I agree Jeff. We decided to do with a clean look on this guitar that shows the lines of the instrument.
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