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Build Thread: Buendia OM Cutaway Multiscale Adi/Hog
I met Leo Buendia in 2016 before the SBAIC show. He's local to my area, and he was just finishing up his apprenticeship with Ervin, if memory serves. He's always been very generous with his time and has become a great friend over the years. I've played 5 or 6 Buendias over the years and have been consistently impressed. Although they are a pretty significant departure from my usual tastes (traditional, dry guitars), I have observed that his guitars are the most Martin-esque of the Somogynistas I have played. Do I want another Martin-style guitar? After my Circas and other traditional guitars, probably not. I have that sound covered from just about every conceivable perspective. With the Buendia, I'm really wanting something well outside the box I'm used to. Fortunately, I've played enough Buendias at this point to know with some certainty just what I'm in for.
I remember stopping by Leo's shop when he finished the adi/mahogany guitar he ultimately displayed at SBAIC, and I remember hearing just how much a guitar can change in the first hours after being strung up. I think when I laid hands on the guitar, it had only gotten strings that day, and I was basically the first play it. The dramatic change that took place in the first 30 minutes of playing was hard to describe. Suffice it to say that it was a totally different guitar by the time I left Leo's shop that day. By the time it reached SBAIC as a show piece, it was quite impressive. I had the following to say at the time: "I played this guitar extensively at SBAIC. One of my favorite at the show for sure. Huge bass, lovely mids and trebles. A very balanced guitar. And of course exquisitely beautiful. I was especially impressed by the complexity in the mid range and high notes. The upper mids were clear as a bell. The tone was on the dry side of the spectrum, but tremendously sophisticated with a wonderful musicality. I expect as the adi-topped guitar ages that notes will bloom even more than they already do. There will be no shortage of power and glorious tone. A total masterpiece, Leo! Thank you for sharing it with us." By the time SBAIC came to a close in 2016, I had commissioned a guitar from Leo. Life came along and Leo graciously allowed me to delay (long story, I will spare the details except that Leo probably helped more than he should have). I have had the opportunity to play new Buendias every once in a while, including a breathtaking 00 he made for my good friend Jason Choi, who has since passed away. Jason absolutely loved that guitar, and his widow, Joan, is keeping it for his kids. Jason's guitar was incredible, and I decided to use a sister set of flamed mahogany for my own guitar. I will treasure visiting Leo with Jason and hearing that guitar for the first time. I sure do miss Jason. https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...=516315&page=4 I also got a chance to play a Brazilian OM from our own Diamond Dave maybe at the second SBAIC show? Another stellar guitar, though the French polish made me nervous! And with my fingerpicks thrashing around near DD's top, I'm sure he was nervous as well. Anyway, Leo has been warning me my slot is coming, and now the time is finally here. I visited his shop last week, talked over some details, and enjoyed a pre-holiday lunch with the man himself. Some 7.5 years have passed since we first met. Wow, the time really flew. The build is underway. Here are the details. Body: OM, cutaway Top: Red spruce Back and Sides: Flamed mahogany Neck: Mahogany Bridge: Ebony Scale length: 25-26" multi-scale, 7th fret parallel Nut width: 1 3/4" Saddle spacing: 2 5/16" Tuners: Possibly Rodgers Frets: EVO Gold 55090 if we can get it (otherwise Nickel 55090) Accents: Green inlays, possibly with a carving on the end graft and headstock. We'll see. Case: Hoffee Super Cancer, green exterior color to match the inlays, gold interior
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Circa OM-30/34 (Adi/Mad) | 000-12 (Ger/Maple) | OM-28 (Adi/Brz) | OM-18/21 (Adi/Hog) | OM-42 (Adi/Braz) Fairbanks SJ (Adi/Hog) | Schoenberg/Klepper 000-12c (Adi/Hog) | LeGeyt CLM (Swiss/Amzn) | LeGeyt CLM (Carp/Koa) Brondel A-2 (Carp/Mad) |
#2
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Congrats… (following)
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings… |
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I have really enjoyed your build threads and look forward to seeing this one progress. So sorry about the loss of your friend. Thanks for bringing us along for the ride. Dave
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This is spectacular news, Juston!! I am so happy for you and Leo both. No lo maltrates, que le tengo mucho cariño, ok?
A fiddleback mahogany 00 that Leo built in 2018 is one of the very best guitars I’ve ever played. You’ve chosen well. I eagerly await updates on your build, dude!
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____________________________________________ 1922 Martin 0-28 1933 Martin 0-17 1974 Alvarez/Yairi CY120 2010 Baranik Parlor 2013 Circa OM-18 2014 Claxton OM Traditional 2014 Blackbird Rider |
#5
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Looks like it's going to be a gem, Juston!
What the story with the EVO frets? Have they gone out of business?
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1931 Gibson L-0 1932 Martin 00-21 2016 Martin CEO-7 2019 Froggy Bottom H12 (Adi/Bastogne) 2023 Isaac Jang OM (Italian/Coco) 2020 PRS SE Custom 2021 Suhr Classic T HS |
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Congrats, I am sure it will be outstanding.
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PS. I love guitars! |
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I'm looking forward to following along with this build Juston. I'm sorry to hear about your friend Jason's passing. I was able to play his 00 when Leo displayed it at the 2018 Woodstock show and it was outstanding. A day later at Woodstock I purchased a Tyler Robbins R.1ca guitar which was also made using a set of "The Fiddleback Tree" mahogany that Hibdon Hardwoods quickly sold out of.
You're in great hands with Leo. If you have the opportunity, since you're in the same area as Leo's workshop, I hope you'll get to check out the BRW and Tree Mahogany OM's that he is building concurrent with your OM and share how the sound of each of those compare. |
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Leo's work is so striking! Congrats on the build. I am especially fond of how he builds color into his accents.
Curious on your case - is "Hoffee Super Cancer" a typo? Or are you referring to the sometimes strong offgassing from the inside? |
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Thanks! Second to post, again!
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Thanks, B'Sox!
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Circa OM-30/34 (Adi/Mad) | 000-12 (Ger/Maple) | OM-28 (Adi/Brz) | OM-18/21 (Adi/Hog) | OM-42 (Adi/Braz) Fairbanks SJ (Adi/Hog) | Schoenberg/Klepper 000-12c (Adi/Hog) | LeGeyt CLM (Swiss/Amzn) | LeGeyt CLM (Carp/Koa) Brondel A-2 (Carp/Mad) |
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Not a typo. I own a bunch of Hoffee cases, all of them many years old. Some of them no longer have an odor. Some still smell terrible. Not a fan of any off gassing and think they could be better made.
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Circa OM-30/34 (Adi/Mad) | 000-12 (Ger/Maple) | OM-28 (Adi/Brz) | OM-18/21 (Adi/Hog) | OM-42 (Adi/Braz) Fairbanks SJ (Adi/Hog) | Schoenberg/Klepper 000-12c (Adi/Hog) | LeGeyt CLM (Swiss/Amzn) | LeGeyt CLM (Carp/Koa) Brondel A-2 (Carp/Mad) |
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Congrats, you certainly won’t be disappointed. Leo is a wonderful person and a tremendous luthier. I played Jason’s 00 in Leo’s shop when it had just been built and I remember thinking it was the best guitar I had ever played. It brought tears to my eyes. Leo is building me one like it in a couple years.
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#12
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Juston,
When Leo built my Brazilian Jumbo back in 2017, and I announced that my review of it was now available on my website, you were the first to comment. I'm thrilled that you're finally having Leo build you one also and I'll be following every post of the process! How many frets to the body? I see you spec'd ebony for the bridge. Ask Leo how a Brazilian bridge might affect the tone. I'll be eagerly watching this magnificence take shape... .
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Jim Magill Director, The Swannanoa Gathering Guitars:'07 Circa OM, '09 Bashkin 00-12fret, '10 Circa 00 12-fret, '17 Buendia Jumbo, '17 Robbins R.1, '19 Doerr Legacy Select, '12 Collings 000-28H Koa. Pre-War guitars: '20 0-28, '22 00-28, '22 000-28. Mandolins: '09 Heiden Heritage F5, '08 Poe F5 , 1919 Gibson F-4, '80 Monteleone Grand Artist mandolin, '83 Monteleone GA (oval),'85 Sobell cittern. Last edited by jmagill; 12-28-2023 at 06:13 PM. |
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Tommy |
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Oh man, I'm really looking forward to watching this one come together!
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