IN CONCERT #2 OM: Benjamin Paldacci Guitars - "The Gentleman"

[BenjaminPaldacci]

Well well well... Yes I know, The Indian RW OM is still on the bench but I need to wait 4 days for the dry of the finish, and I hate to do nothing. So, this one is the second guitar I'll made, an OM Sinker Red Cedar From Maurice Roy (AKA Roy Tonewood), and a mastergrade set of Indian Rosewood.

The bracing will be very different, I want to experiment some stuff! Double carbon rod on the sapele neck and an "Ebony-Millefeuille" Rosette/Headstock!

It is not an order and this guitar will be on sale.

I hope you"ll like it!

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Model: OM Mod
Body Size: Auditorium 14-Fret Cutaway
Top: Private Stock Sinker Red Cedar
Rosette: Ebony "Millefeuille"
Top Braces: Salvaged Sitka Spruce/red Cedar
Back Material: Mastergrade Indian RW
Back-center Purfling: Ebony with White/blac/White Purfling
Binding: Black Ebony
Neck Material: Sapele perfectly on quarter
Nut Material: Bone
Faceplate: Millefeuille (same woods than Rosette)
Backplate: Solid Black Ebony
Fingerboard Material: 1st Grade black ebony
Scale Length: 25.34 inches
Fret material: Stainless Steel
Number Of Frets Clear: 14
Number Of Frets Total: 20
Fretboard radius: 16 inches
Fingerboard Binding: Black Ebony
Finish: KTM9
Bridge Material: Black Ebony
Bridge Style: Custom Design
Saddle: Bone
Tuning Machines: Gotoh 510

I hope You'll like that thread, thank you for your comments!

[BenjaminPaldacci]

[3 Rings]

This build will be followed...oh yes.

[BenjaminPaldacci]

Hahaha! Thank you very much for your interest!

[Rob C]

This looks like nice wood. I will be following this thread.

[Bruce Sexauer]

I have built about 25 guitars from salvaged Western Red Cedar, and the common thread running through it visually was that it was VERY dark in color, which yours is not. Mine was salvaged from the Salt Water Beaches in British Columbia (by myself in a number of locations) and I have always imagined that the color came from the time in the ocean. So, I am wondering if yours was perhaps sunk in fresh water?

[mikealpine]

Ben or Bruce (or other knowledgeable folks), other than the color changes, does the submersion impact the stiffness of "Sinker" wood? Thanks!

Ben, I enjoy following your builds. You are enthusiastic and it's fun to participate. Thank you for sharing!

[Bruce Sexauer]

I can't see why it would, as a general rule. The redwood in California rivers appears to have picked of some mineral content which I believe accounts for the dark streaking we see in it. In addition it may pick up some weight, not necessarily a good thing. Otherwise it seems just like Redwood to me. I used salvaged Cedar (we didn't say sinker although some of it was indeed waterlogged) mostly because it was unburdened by direct financial cost. Also it was the color of chocolate, for which I have always been a sucker. If anything, it seemed a little softer than some cedar I've seen, on average. But then WRC IS the softest wood I've ever used in guitarmaking. Any of the damage which is easily done to it shows up loud and clear when the finish goes on as even darker, as many of my early guitar will attest.

I do hope to find out what the Cedar in this threads subject guitar was salvaged from.

Coastal BC had a heck of a lot of wood washed up on it in the 60's compared to what it does today. I still have some good sized chunks of Yellow Cedar I acquired at that time! I also still have a couple of sets of Red Cedar from those early days!

[BenjaminPaldacci]

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

I have built about 25 guitars from salvaged Western Red Cedar, and the common thread running through it visually was that it was VERY dark in color, which yours is not. Mine was salvaged from the Salt Water Beaches in British Columbia (by myself in a number of locations) and I have always imagined that the color came from the time in the ocean. So, I am wondering if yours was perhaps sunk in fresh water?

Hmmm in fact, it comes from Roy Tonewood, British Columbia. Maurice call it Sinker but it is not the peerfect term for it. The tree staid on the floor during 80 years and all the ground covered it when Maurice found it. So, as the humidity is really high in this part of the world... But The tree was not in water. These top is really shiny, but I have a couple of really dark tops in my stock

If I'm right, this tree come from the Island of Haida Guai, British Columbia

Originally Posted by mikealpine

Ben or Bruce (or other knowledgeable folks), other than the color changes, does the submersion impact the stiffness of "Sinker" wood? Thanks!

Ben, I enjoy following your builds. You are enthusiastic and it's fun to participate. Thank you for sharing!

It is really funny because when a tree is in the watter for a couple of year, his capacity to dry is really high! I think that it preserved it, like a cocoon. But I don't think it increase his stiffness, but maybe I am wrong. I am curious to have the advice of an experimented guitarmaker about it, but if you want I could ask to Maurice his point of view

By the way, I am happy that you enjoy my work, it is really precious to have advices of people to know if I chosed the right way to walk... so thanks to you!

[Bruce Sexauer]

Originally Posted by benbenbenben

The tree staid on the floor during 80 years and all the ground covered it when Maurice found it.

I call that kind of tree a "deadfall". Not as romantic as "sinker" perhaps, but some truly great wood has come from this kind of salvage. I think the famous Redwoods from Craig (?), r.i.p., in California were from Deadfalls. They are named trees, but I have forgotten their names, never having met either the man or the wood.

[Hierophant]

The topwood looks to me like your ordinary western red cedar. But it's a great wood anyway.

[mikealpine]

Makes sense that it is not "sinker" in that I don't see the mineral striping that is common in Sinker Redwood, but either way, it looks great! And Bruce, thanks for the additional info on the stiffness, or possible lack thereof. Ok Ben, back to work!! We need more progress and more pictures!!!!

[BenjaminPaldacci]

I love the Word "Deadfall", great term for this wood!

Originally Posted by mikealpine

Makes sense that it is not "sinker" in that I don't see the mineral striping that is common in Sinker Redwood, but either way, it looks great! And Bruce, thanks for the additional info on the stiffness, or possible lack thereof. Ok Ben, back to work!! We need more progress and more pictures!!!!

Hahahaha! I had a great party at my ex-school last night, my head still hurts so I'll start work later

[BenjaminPaldacci]

[Leo Sears]

That is really great looking wood Ben. I'm looking forward to watching it come together.