Pederson Custom Guitars Modified SJ#2

[Scallywag]

Kevin,

I'm becoming obsessed with this guitar. Can't explain it exactly but I keep coming back to this thread. Very curious to hear what it sounds like.

Is this a commissioned instrument?

[KevinLPederson]

Originally Posted by Scallywag

Kevin,

I'm becoming obsessed with this guitar. Can't explain it exactly but I keep coming back to this thread. Very curious to hear what it sounds like.

Is this a commissioned instrument?

Hey Scallywag - thanks for your comment. Its going to be a great guitar. Come to woodstock if you can. I'll have it there, unless I sell it before.

Sorry to make this harder on you, but here is the neck detail.



I can't tell you how awesome this is in person. I'm not a professional photographer and this photo isn't especially awesome, but the wood in this is just 'alive'.

Kevin.

[Scallywag]

Wow. That neck inlay is impressive... complex yet tasteful use of simple shapes and lines. Such design attributes certainly appeal to my aesthetic sensibilities.

I'm curious. Are you self-taught in regards to instrument making? In what manner did acquire these supreme woodworking skills? Did you apprentice in some capacity?

[KevinLPederson]

Originally Posted by Scallywag

Wow. That neck inlay is impressive... complex yet tasteful use of simple shapes and lines. Such design attributes certainly appeal to my aesthetic sensibilities.

I'm curious. Are you self-taught in regards to instrument making? In what manner did acquire these supreme woodworking skills? Did you apprentice in some capacity?

Scallywag - Cool, glad you like it. It is really nice in person, because the chatoyance is more visible with your eyes than with the camera; and you can see the finer lines going on in the purflings. I have so many ideas and not enough time to use them all, so I just add them in when I can.

For the most part, yes, I am self-taught in my luthiery career of close to twenty years. I've spent some shop time with a friend or two in the luthiery field, but only long enough to share some ideas and good stories. Hardly anything either one of us would take credit for as an "apprentice".

As far as ideas and philosophies, I just don't want to box myself in. So I just want to do something a little different and I'm not afraid to experiment. I keep the ideas that work and try not repeat things that don't. I log all my testings and document with pictures.

[KevinLPederson]

This view gives you a better look at the full neck detail. Got a killer one coming again on Mod SJ#3.





Hope you enjoyed it.

Kevin.

[Scallywag]

Originally Posted by KevinLPederson

As far as ideas and philosophies, I just don't want to box myself in. So I just want to do something a little different and I'm not afraid to experiment. I keep the ideas that work and try not repeat things that don't. I log all my testings and document with pictures.

It is this notion that draws me to your acoustic works. Quite honestly, your instruments are often markedly different in appearance - and function in a few particular ways - from those being made by nearly all other builders currently in operation that I am aware of. While I cannot say that my tastes agree with the outcomes of all or even most of your aesthetic explorations, I am constantly surprised by what you come up with and I am impressed by the level of skill with which you execute your sometimes bizarre ideas. It feels as though you are willing, when the whim strikes, to sometimes fearlessly change direction as a project unfolds, leading to unexpected results. This is very refreshing.

Though I tend to gravitate towards a minimalist design philosophy in general, your builds never fail to evoke wonderment. Nobody seems to do it quite like you do it.

[KevinLPederson]

Originally Posted by Scallywag

Quite honestly, your instruments are often markedly different in appearance - and function in a few particular ways - from those being made by nearly all other builders currently in operation that I am aware of.

Scallywag, this is probably the best compliment someone could say to me. I actually try to do something different, sometimes with success . However, this can be a double edge sword.

Originally Posted by Scallywag

It feels as though you are willing, when the whim strikes, to sometimes fearlessly change direction as a project unfolds, leading to unexpected results. This is very refreshing.

I want to be refreshing. I think its important to blaze your own trail as much as possible and I'm working on that.

Originally Posted by Scallywag

Though I tend to gravitate towards a minimalist design philosophy in general, your builds never fail to evoke wonderment. Nobody seems to do it quite like you do it.

This is extremely hard for me to do (minimalist). Along with being a luthier I am also an artists, and in my work doing this, I just see so many cool things that can be done from an art standpoint. These are very unique individual pieces.

Hope your day is great.

Kevin.

[LouieAtienza]

Originally Posted by KevinLPederson

This view gives you a better look at the full neck detail. Got a killer one coming again on Mod SJ#3.





Hope you enjoyed it.

Kevin.

Kevin that's beautiful work! I used to play pool and collect cues, and these ideas would look awesome on a cue!

[KevinLPederson]

Originally Posted by LouieAtienza

Kevin that's beautiful work! I used to play pool and collect cues, and these ideas would look awesome on a cue!

Thanks Louie - I'm letting it cure now...next week I'll buff and start getting it put together.

I've got another mod sj going, if I can get it finished for the Woodstock show, I'll put the build thread up. I just want to get a little closer.

Kevin.

[KevinLPederson]

I had a great experience this morning with this guitar. I wanted to get inside and feel the bracing for a reference on this next brace I'm working on. While I had my hand inside it, my compressor kicked on, and it caused this top (and back) to start vibrating. It was a rather loud hum. This cedar top was that sensitive that it was driven by this action. I was twenty feet away from the compressor. My radio was blasting and I had a fan running in my spray booth. I put the guitar up by my ear and just listened to the sound until my compressor kicked off. I also put my hand on the top and the back as it vibrated. My air compressor drove this top (and back) at that frequency. When my compressor kicked off, that frequency stopped, but then I could hear the radio was driving it too, in another frequency. So I picked up the remote and shut that off, then the only thing left was the other fan in my spray booth.

Its neat how this guitar top resonates. I think this guitar is going to be responsive to nice light fingerstyle touch.

Simple things like this can make my day from time to time.

Kevin.

[littlesmith]

awesome details, very original

[MBE]

Your neck inlays are always among the most interesting and appealing woodworking I ever see on this site, and that is saying something.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record - I think it's just so awesome that you're putting so much work into the part of the guitar that we end up looking at the majority of the time as players!

[gerberguitars]

I'm imagining that inlay work on the back of the neck has to be one of the most difficult places to do so. It's probably like a tattoo on the elbow. Very beautiful work! Looks really clean and well done.

[KevinLPederson]

Originally Posted by littlesmith

awesome details, very original

Thanks littlesmith - my m.o. is trying to be original. Adjustable intonation, back/neck inlays etc.

Originally Posted by MBE

Your neck inlays are always among the most interesting and appealing woodworking I ever see on this site, and that is saying something.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record - I think it's just so awesome that you're putting so much work into the part of the guitar that we end up looking at the majority of the time as players!

MBE - thanks I appreciate this comment. Actually, I am putting 'so much work' into the entire guitar. My set ups are technical on my Modified SJ's. But once set up, man they purr. I love 'em. Come to Woodstock and play this one and the other one I'll have there. This is a FINE guitar model.

Originally Posted by gerberguitars

I'm imagining that inlay work on the back of the neck has to be one of the most difficult places to do so. It's probably like a tattoo on the elbow. Very beautiful work! Looks really clean and well done.

gerberguitars - it is difficult and risky. Very complex. Thank you.

Kevin.

[KevinLPederson]

working on some pics for my updated website. We are working on it now.

Kevin.