The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > FOR SALE! > AGF Marketplace

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 10-18-2014, 01:59 PM
Kent Chasson Kent Chasson is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Bellingham, WA
Posts: 909
Default Chasson #99 Craftsman Guitar

Chasson #99 Concert Model "Craftsman" Guitar

This will be for sale here and on my web site for a limited time for $8,200. Shipping and sales tax for WA state residents not included.
3 day trial period. PM or email me for details.

Concert Body: 15" Lower Bout, 9-3/4" Waist, 12" Upper Bout
Slight Manzer Style Wedge
Sexauer Style Hybrid Cutaway
Engelmann Spruce Top
Wenge Back/Sides, Fingerboard, Headplate
Ebony Bridge and Custom Tuning Pegs
Mahogany Neck
Sapele Binding
Flamed Catalpa Trim

24.9" Scale (Medium or Light Gauge strings)
1-3/4" Nut
2-1/4" Spacing at Saddle

Ameritage Silver Series Case

Build thread for this guitar is here. A thread with a review of this guitar is here.

A (long) summary of the design process is below the photos.



Chasson #99 Craftsman Guitar

The American Craftsman movement grew out of the larger Arts and Crafts movement in England at the end of the 19th century. Socially, it was a movement away from industrialization and factories and back to individual craftsmen. Esthetically, it was a rejection of the showy ornamentation of the Victorian era in favor of clean design that features the inherent beauty and texture of natural materials.

I was familiar with the Craftsman furniture of Gustav Stickley and that became a primary influence for this guitar. In an advertisement for his Morris Chair, Stickley wrote, “This piece shown here is first, last and all the time a chair, and not an imitation of a throne, nor an exhibit of snakes and dragons in a wild riot of misapplied wood-carving. The fundamental purpose in building this chair was to make a piece which should be essentially comfortable, durable, well-proportioned and as soundly put together as the best workmanship, tools and materials make possible.” Substitute "guitar" for "chair", and that pretty well sums up my design philosophy: Handmade objects should be beautiful, but form follows function. Incorporating a Stickley esthetic, however, presented some challenges. The style is planar and rectilinear, not exactly a natural fit on a guitar. The challenge was to complete a design with integrity throughout as opposed to pasting on a few Craftsman details and calling it good.

I decided early on that I didn't want the guitar to be a total departure from my current designs so a contemporary Craftsman interpretation was in order. I started with the headstock and neck. Since my standard headstock has no straight lines, I went with a headstock shape that I use for slotheads. It has an outward taper that gives it a more solid, substantial look and it has two straight edges. I then had the idea to make the truss rod cover mimic the exposed tenon in the arms of a Morris chair. We made it trapezoidal to mirror the headstock shape, a theme that is repeated in the tuner buttons, backstripe, and end graft.

I used a Craftsman font for the logo and decided to do it as an underlay (as opposed to an inlay) in a contrasting wood. The truss rod cover above the surface and the underlay below then became another repeated design element.

The headstock is the only planar surface on the instrument and I wanted to emphasize that aspect. I devised a way to inset the tuner bushings from the back so there is one less interruption in the planar surface.

Squares and groups of squares are another theme in Craftsman design. I used that idea for position markers, which were done as underlays as well.

An idea for the rosette eluded me until the end of the design process after building had started. Even though it's purely ornamental here, the dovetail seemed appropriate for its symbolism: It calls back the sturdy, exposed joinery of Craftsman furniture, and it's synonymous with harmony and a good fit. It also adds a bit of motion and asymmetry to the design which fits the contemporary interpretation. Like many of the design elements, it doesn't scream for attention but rewards a close look.

The traditional wood used in Craftsman furniture is white oak. I considered using it for the back and sides but decided on wenge for tonal reasons. Wenge has the open-pored texture of oak and the strait grain doesn't draw focus from the design highlights. A glossy finish doesn't fit the style so I used an open-pored satin finish to highlight the natural texture in the wood.

More photos in the next post...

Thanks for looking!
__________________
Chasson Guitars Web Site

Last edited by Kent Chasson; 10-22-2014 at 11:31 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 10-18-2014, 02:06 PM
Kent Chasson Kent Chasson is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Bellingham, WA
Posts: 909
Default















__________________
Chasson Guitars Web Site
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 10-18-2014, 06:33 PM
mesa mesa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Sweden
Posts: 3,156
Default

What a beautiful guitar…everything fits. Wonderful work Kent!
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 10-18-2014, 06:33 PM
SteveS's Avatar
SteveS SteveS is offline
Me
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Monument, Colorado
Posts: 9,122
Default

Wow! That's crazy gorgeous!
Nice work Kent.
__________________
“Reason is itself a matter of faith. It is an act of faith to assert that our thoughts have any relation to reality at all.”
― G.K. Chesterton
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 10-20-2014, 10:33 AM
Kent Chasson Kent Chasson is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Bellingham, WA
Posts: 909
Default

Thanks for the kind words. I'm will try to get a recording of this soon.
__________________
Chasson Guitars Web Site
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 10-20-2014, 09:08 PM
Wildgift's Avatar
Wildgift Wildgift is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Sherman Oaks, CA
Posts: 1,678
Default

Sensational design and craftsmanship.
__________________
Peter

Eastman AC630BD --The Hot Blonde
Taylor 317
Rickenbacker 620 Midnight Blue
Yamaha FG700 (lives in Miami for family visits)

"Son, don't wait till the break of day, 'cause you know how time fades away..."
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 10-22-2014, 10:36 AM
stringjunky stringjunky is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 2,033
Default

Terrific work and aesthetic.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 10-22-2014, 11:00 AM
iim7V7IM7's Avatar
iim7V7IM7 iim7V7IM7 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: An Exit Off the Turnpike in New Jersey
Posts: 5,152
Default

And as someone who's played it....It sounds as terrific as it looks

__________________
A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 10-30-2014, 12:57 PM
bigsnaketex bigsnaketex is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: South Mississippi
Posts: 230
Default

I am so in love with the textural vibe of this guitar - Stunning work sir!

And I am fortunate enough to have many sets of Wenge wood. . . but I have never seen any the color of this guitar!

Did you "colorize" it or did it come that way from Mr. Tree??
__________________
Keep on Rockin' in the Free World......
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 11-23-2014, 02:28 PM
iim7V7IM7's Avatar
iim7V7IM7 iim7V7IM7 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: An Exit Off the Turnpike in New Jersey
Posts: 5,152
Default

I am just bumping Kent's add...

I had this guitar for a week and while we talk about its simplicity and textural beauty (and its a stunner) its timbre is equally beautiful. Someone should buy this musical tribute to the craftsman movement.
__________________
A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 12-10-2014, 04:57 PM
iim7V7IM7's Avatar
iim7V7IM7 iim7V7IM7 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: An Exit Off the Turnpike in New Jersey
Posts: 5,152
Default

A beautiful and toneful guitar deserves a bump...
__________________
A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 12-10-2014, 06:49 PM
djg djg is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,819
Default

I really like this.

Often times, interesting looking and good looking don't necessarily go together. But this time they do -- I really like the riff on the arts and crafts movement; and lots of little things stand out when I look, but it all comes together. Lovely.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 03-18-2017, 04:45 PM
Jamiejoon Jamiejoon is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 730
Default Still for sale?

Kent,
Since you made this thread in 2014, I assume you have already sold this masterpiece of a guitar. Yes? Or could it possibly still be available? Thanks, Jamie
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 03-18-2017, 06:50 PM
Kent Chasson Kent Chasson is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Bellingham, WA
Posts: 909
Default

Thanks for asking. I've kind of adopted it for my own so have not put any energy into selling it. Send me an email or pm if you're interested.
__________________
Chasson Guitars Web Site
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > FOR SALE! > AGF Marketplace

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:14 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=