BRUCE SEXAUER: FT-16-C (Adirondack Spruce/Australian Blackwood)

[iim7V7IM7]

Bruce scuffs the finish in between oil varnish coats. Here’s the back veneer in between coats #2 and #3.

[AnthonyLattanze]

Another drool worthy guitar for your collection!

[iim7V7IM7]

Originally Posted by AnthonyLattanze

Another drool worthy guitar for your collection!

I will bring it to Artisan for you to check out Anthony...

[LouieAtienza]

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

Now I can see the asymmetry

I embrace asymmetry... I tell folks it kills standing waves from forming inside the box HAHAHA.

[Bruce Sexauer]

Originally Posted by LouieAtienza

I embrace asymmetry... I tell folks it kills standing waves from forming inside the box HAHAHA.

Like most truly funny things, this is reality based. IMO, of course.

[iim7V7IM7]

Bruce sent me four images from his spray booth mid-process. The body has 3 coats of oil varnish applied to it.

The Adirondack Spruce top is looking great...


Here are 3 shots of the Oz’ Blackwood beginning to show its colors...

[TomB'sox]

The back is beautiful, but that top has some of the tightest straight grain I have seen. Is that old growth Adi?

[iim7V7IM7]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

The back is beautiful, but that top has some of the tightest straight grain I have seen. Is that old growth Adi?

Tom, I honestly have no idea, but it is indeed a beautiful set. I know that it originally was sourced by Bruce some years back through this purveyor (https://www.globalwoodsource.com/). Whether or not it is old growth I will leave to those far more knowledgable than me. We actually selected over an Adi top from Old Standard (John Griffin) that Bruce had in his woodlocker based on Bruce’s opinion and intincts.

[Bruce Sexauer]

This SJ top is two eight inch wide pieces with around 20 rings per inch. Each ring represents a year, therefore the utilized part of the tree represents 160 years of growth, but of course the tree had to be significantly older. So my question is, what is old growth? I doubt this tree was planted by a human. If by old growth we mean harvested from wild or uncultivated forest, I'd say very little of the wood I have doesn't qualify. I have a few adi tops that are fairly wide grained, which means they grew quickly, but it doesn't necessarily mean they were cultivated. I have one set of BRW that is allegedly cultivated, and "they" say a lot of EIR is as well, but I do not actually know. India has been a civilized place for a long time, the Adirondacks not so long . . . if they are

[LouieAtienza]

Bruce, if I may pick your brain... varnish is one finish I've never sprayed before. Was curious what you cut it down with, and drying time between coats?

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

This SJ top is two eight inch wide pieces with around 20 rings per inch. Each ring represents a year, therefore the utilized part of the tree represents 160 years of growth, but of course the tree had to be significantly older. So my question is, what is old growth? I doubt this tree was planted by a human. If by old growth we mean harvested from wild or uncultivated forest, I'd say very little of the wood I have doesn't qualify. I have a few adi tops that are fairly wide grained, which means they grew quickly, but it doesn't necessarily mean they were cultivated. I have one set of BRW that is allegedly cultivated, and "they" say a lot of EIR is as well, but I do not actually know. India has been a civilized place for a long time, the Adirondacks not so long . . . if they are

Well, that term is thrown around and I thought it implied to the first round of harvesting in the Adirondacks in the "golden era" of guitar making, so what is that 20's-30's...they were over harvested for use in a lot of things. But living in the Adirondacks, there sure are a lot of big trees around so I don't really know, but since this is such a tight grained straight grained piece, that is what supposedly is the old growth where as the newer is the wider grain faster growing tree. In the end what difference does it make if the top is stiff and taps well?

[LouieAtienza]

The better term may be slow-growth.....

[Bruce Sexauer]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

Well, that term is thrown around and I thought it implied to the first round of harvesting in the Adirondacks in the "golden era" of guitar making, so what is that 20's-30's...they were over harvested for use in a lot of things. But living in the Adirondacks, there sure are a lot of big trees around so I don't really know, but since this is such a tight grained straight grained piece, that is what supposedly is the old growth where as the newer is the wider grain faster growing tree. In the end what difference does it make if the top is stiff and taps well?

Having used many aesthetic qualities of eastern US red spruce, which I call Adi, it seems to make very little difference re grain frequency or coloration as far as the guitars performance in concerned. Mind you, I have chosen every single piece of wood based on my perception of its ideal characteristics, and then I have attempted to work the wood for optimum results. While I would say that no Adi topped guitar I have made was in any way dissapointing, the very most impressive few do tend to be made from the most impressive/expensive tops. It is possible that they simply got fuller attention from me, but I would never say that.

[Guitars44me]

Beautiful axe and a very interesting thread, as well!

I love the Custom Shop corner of AGF!

Carry on all, and may our herds increase!

Cheers

Paul

[jessupe]

Great to see the wood with finish, really pretty stuff