Kostal 00 Wengé and German Spruce

Michael Watts · #1 06-18-2014, 06:40 AM

Hi guys,

Jason is recovering well from his accident, and asked me to send his thanks for all your support and love over the past month. In the meantime here is an interview recorded a couple of days ago about the new Kostal 00 model!

This is a project that has been ongoing for several years and we are looking forward to receiving our first 00, a 12-fret guitar in Wengé and German Spruce.

There will be photography as the build progresses but in the meantime I'll let Jason tell you about the process of designing an instrument that has all the playability and ergonomic advantages of a short-scale small body without sacrificing the full, rich sound synonymous with a Kostal Guitar!

All the best

MW

Larry Pattis · #2 06-18-2014, 08:16 AM

Jason mentions the 12 fret model you have coming, and it's a 24.75" scale. Would a 14 fretter have a different scale, perhaps his usual OM scale of 25"?

Also, do you know if Jason will he be offering any scale length that is shorter than 24.75" for the 00...?

Curious...

dneal · #3 06-18-2014, 11:56 AM

I was just looking at the TNAG site yesterday, listening to various clips; so seeing this thread I thought M. Watts was going to have a treat in store... such a tease... Still, it was very interesting to hear J. Kostal's thoughts on the guitar.

I'm really interested in this guitar, and agree with J. Kostal about most 00's being slightly thin on the bass end of the spectrum. I can only think of 3 guitars who get away with a narrower lower bout and still produce a lot of bass, and they all seem to use the same "trick" of increasing the length of the body to create more internal volume (and soundboard area). Froggy and Goodall's "parlors" are two that come to mind, and Christian Stoll (a German luthier close to me) came up with the same idea with his "Ambition Parlor".

For those who (like me) were expecting to see a Kostal 00 in action, here's Doug Young with one.

fountainhead · #4 06-18-2014, 07:38 PM

So glad Jason is healing so well from his accident, and that he is feeling well enough to be talking guitars again! I have nicknamed him "Superman"!

J.R. Rogers · #5 06-18-2014, 08:11 PM

Thanks, Michael. Looking forward to hearing how this comes out. I prefer the 00 size and have tried excellent examples from several builders.

Michael Watts · #6 06-19-2014, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dneal

I was just looking at the TNAG site yesterday, listening to various clips; so seeing this thread I thought M. Watts was going to have a treat in store... such a tease... Still, it was very interesting to hear J. Kostal's thoughts on the guitar.

Ha, well, once the pics come through this build thread will begin in earnest.

dneal · #7 06-19-2014, 12:15 PM

Michael, do you know whether or not the guitar Doug Young is playing is the same one Tony McManus played in these clips?
YT Link 1 YT Link 2

If so is that one "just" a prototype? or are the specs essentially final with that sample?

jkostal · #8 06-19-2014, 12:50 PM

The guitar being played by Doug Young is in fact the same guitar being played by Tony McManus. Doug's video was recorded as part of an interview that Acoustic Guitar did on me in the April 2014 issue, and Tony is playing the guitar in an open venue at the Woodstock show last October.

I finished the guitar in time for the Healdsburg Show in 2013 and displayed the guitar there. From CA it went home with Doug Young for a bit to evaluate for the article, and then returned to me in time to take to New York for the Woodstock Show.

The one in the videos is my own personal guitar. I don't believe in making something that is new and not taking the time to test it out before offering to my clients, so when I built that guitar, I did so with the idea of using it as a benchmark and then making changes as necessary. The guitar turned out nicely, and I did make some basic tweaks to the specs after building this one, but most of them are negligible. Essentially I decided on a different standard neck thickness, slightly different standard string spacing, etc. None of these things really matter because all of my guitars are essentially custom orders and what I call standard can easily be changed, I just needed to start somewhere. The guitar in the video has all of the major structural changes to it and is what I would call the standard for this guitar.

I hope that that answers your question!

Jason

dneal · #9 06-19-2014, 03:39 PM

Thanks Jason. The thought crossed my mind that you might see that and respond. Obviously I'm not a luthier, but I am a tinkerer and whenever I finish a project I always think about what if's and tweaks I can do or could have done...

Looking forward to seeing Michael's build and best wishes for your recovery.

v/r

Derek
(A fellow YG98 guy...)

CoolerKing · #10 06-19-2014, 06:07 PM

deadly tease!

Oxwood_Handmade · #11 06-20-2014, 05:50 AM

Holy Cow! Finally got around to plugging in the headphones and watching that demo...holy cow! Great work Jason, it's incredible. From the recording, there's not even a chance I'd say that it was a 00 without looking at it. Great playing and a nice tune, too.

Brad

ewh2 · #12 06-20-2014, 07:47 AM

Great sounding guitar.

Is the saddle slotted in the guitar which Doug Young's playing?

billgennaro · #13 06-20-2014, 08:45 AM

There was a member here who owns both a Mod D and a 00 from Jason. He was kind enough to post clips of both guitars and asked if folks could figure out which was which. Obviously, the Mod D had a deeper, bass-ier sound, but that little 00 held its own next to its much larger brethren. It was a truly balanced and rich sounding instrument (much as in the Doug Young clip).The Kostal 00, as Jason says, is not like other 00's that we've heard. Jason's guitars are the one brand on my list that I have never had the chance to play. It's driving me nuts!

Michael, I look forward to hearing one of your usually wonderful sound clips of this guitar when it comes in. You must be very excited. Maybe you'll personally keep this one to go along with your Mod D?

Bill

fountainhead · #14 06-20-2014, 09:27 AM

Bill- It was a thread by ericcsong that you're remembering, and Eric who owns a Kostal MD had Jason's OO on loan for a bit. It is the same one Tony McManus and Doug Young are playing in the videos posted- I think Eric loaned his MD to Jason for a show, so this generous loaner of the OO was his thanks........... lucky guy!

billgennaro · #15 06-20-2014, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fountainhead

Bill- It was a thread by ericcsong that your remembering, and Eric who owns a Kostal MD had Jason's OO on loan for a bit. It is the same one Tony McManus and Doug Young are playing in the videos posted- I think Eric loaned his MD to Jason for a show, so this generous loaner of the OO was his thanks........... lucky guy!

Thanks, I was mistakenly under the impression that he owned both models. Anyway, it was a good comparison of the two body sizes.