Projects

[Don Musser]

A few projects to share :

First a Walnut Jumbo that was built last summer. Walnut works really well with the J200 sized sound box.

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Next Neil Young's Parlor guitar :

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This Parlour guitar model was originally designed and built as a 12 fret version in collaboration with John Wheelock - an L.A. studio guitarist who recorded for the TV program "Thirty Something".
In 2007 I built this pictured 14 fret model for McCabes Guitar Shop in Santa Monica. Neil Young bought it from Mc Cabes as a gift for his wife. Over the last year and a half he has used this guitar for recording and performing.

Here are a couple of links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdXA...=PLNVdgfOEXnVr

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt0r...=PLNVdgfOEXnVr

It looks like he is having fun with it.

Finally a 12 string - with wide grained Red Spruce top supplied by the customer:

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The 3/16 ths inch wide saddle allows the intonation - especially on those bass strings - to be more precisely set.
Another 12 string is coming up next year - a smaller body Stella/OM shape with a 27 inch scale with a Red Spruce top and back and sides from "The Tree".
I'll share some pictures of that guitar as it comes along......

[SJ VanSandt]

Super beautiful! That Walnut is stupendous. Neil Young got him a sweet one.

[JoeCharter]

They all look great -- but that jumbo is truly amazing.

More photos, Don...

[Don Musser]

Thanks you guys,

I have always been involved with and close to the source of wood production - Colorado Spruce sawmills - and other builders who produce wood. The figured Walnut was acquired from Dave Maize - of Earthwoods - in a trade for some Englemann top wood. Here are another couple of pictures :


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The neck wood on these two guitars is figured Luan mahogany - it is very light and strong and carves nicely. It has a feel much like Spanish Cedar.

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Working with this highly figured Walnut is tricky. The sides do not bend evenly - so there is a lot of extra work involving side straightening and support braces. Also, the backs do not like water based glues for the bracing and center joint reinforcement strips - they get squirrely and unpredictable.
When I went to Epoxy - they settled down and behaved nicely.....

This second OM/Stella sized guitar hanging in my shop was just sprayed yesterday and is for the same customer who ordered the Jumbo. He was also taken by the beauty of that Walnut. Another couple of sets from that same board remain in my stash....




When Neil Young and his wife recently divorced - he returned the first Parlour guitar to her and had to shop for a replacement. Fortunately - Norman Harris- of Norm's Rare guitars - my long time dealer, friend, and supporter - had one in stock.
Here are a couple of pictures of that second Parlor guitar :

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The 25 and 1/2 inch scale on these Parlour guitars adds some snap and clarity to the sound - but also makes the instrument neck heavy. To compensate , I have installed lead counter weights in the bottom block - and I also am now using smaller tuners with Ebony Knobs.

[J.R. Rogers]

Hello, Don! Thank you for sharing those pics - you're building some stunning looking guitars. Do you happen to have a website or page somewhere where we can see your work in one place?

[Don Musser]

Here is a link to an album with two dozen pictures :

http://s81.photobucket.com/user/donm...tar%20pictures

[Sain't]

Great stuff. I'll always be a fan.

Michael