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  #46  
Old 04-05-2014, 08:15 PM
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Bruce Sexauer Bruce Sexauer is offline
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Originally Posted by Woodenhead View Post
Thank you for this.
cheers, Steve
You are most welcome!

I got the neck shaped today, and have only the logo, tuner holes, and some sanding to go before finish!

The amazon binding shows some hints of its relationship to the headplate here:


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  #47  
Old 04-07-2014, 07:31 PM
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2 coats of sealer, 2 applications of tradition solvent based pore filler, 2 more coats of sealer, and then the first coat of Oil Varnish, which you see before you. Can you believe I started this guitar 10 days ago? Don't really know what the visible run out situation will be until the finish goes on, and now we know; none to speak of!


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  #48  
Old 04-08-2014, 08:01 PM
louis lasky louis lasky is offline
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oh doctor this thing looks nice. i love all your work bruce but your 'basic' aesthetic always makes me especially happy!
  #49  
Old 04-08-2014, 08:14 PM
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I strung up another of these JB-Ukes today. The customer plans to pick it up tomorrow morning AND drop off a deposit for a Baritone version of the same thing. I find I am really enjoying making the Ukes, it's not very different from guitar making, but but goes by MUCH more quickly, which raises the gratification quotient. I am guessing a Baritone will be about halfway from a Uke to a guitar time-wise.

16" x 16 3/16" MultiScale using light Guitar D-G-B-E strings tuned G-C-E-A, Gotoh Antique Gold butterbeans.
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Last edited by Bruce Sexauer; 04-08-2014 at 08:21 PM.
  #50  
Old 04-09-2014, 04:35 AM
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Nice touch on the crown S rosette Bruce.
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  #51  
Old 04-09-2014, 06:03 AM
frquent flyer frquent flyer is offline
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Bruce, How many coats of varnish will you be giving to this guitar? Do you always use the same procedures on your guitars?. What are the variables?
  #52  
Old 04-09-2014, 09:39 AM
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I cannot know in advance how many coats of varnish an instrument is going to need. My goal is to get a complete covering w/o any divots from pores and the like. The fewest I've ever needed has been 6 coats, and the most is 11 coats. More coats doesn't necessarily mean thicker varnish as the majority of each coat is sanded off before the next coat is applied. On instruments such as the Uke I just finished there are more coats that average because I did not use any pore filler in an effort to bring out more of the natural beauty of the Koa; it took 9 applications. On the current D. tuc./Carpathian FT-15 I hope to meet or beat my current average of 7 applications of Varnish. Having just examined coat #2 I think I am on track for 6, but any misstep resulting in a run or sag or an insect encounter (or yet another "new" experience), particularly late in the process, and it's out the window.
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  #53  
Old 04-09-2014, 09:45 AM
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I cannot know in advance how many coats of varnish an instrument is going to need. My goal is to get a complete covering w/o any divots from pores and the like. The fewest I've ever needed has been 6 coats, and the most is 11 coats. More coats doesn't necessarily mean thicker varnish as the majority of each coat is sanded off before the next coat is applied. On instruments such as the Uke I just finished there are more coats that average because I did not use any pore filler in an effort to bring out more of the natural beauty of the Koa; it took 9 applications. On the current D. tuc./Carpathian FT-15 I hope to meet or beat my current average of 7 applications of Varnish. Having just examined coat #2 I think I am on track for 6, but any misstep resulting in a run or sag or an insect encounter (or yet another "new" experience), particularly late in the process, and it's out the window.

Thanks, Tim. Here is a comparison of the two logos I use on my Ukes. The guitar like "S" is on my latest, used for the first time. I made the "crown" partly because of the Uke's Hawaiian tradition, and partly because it is easier to get into the Koa cleanly using hand held tools (non-CNC), as I do.
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  #54  
Old 04-09-2014, 11:12 AM
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Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer View Post
It is exactly CNC's perfection at repeating which is my objection to it. Dynamic improvement it the essence of my work. Recreating the guitar each time as an improvement of what was done before is the key to growth, and CNC is merely repeating, not recreating. Any design changes made to a CNC program are far removed from the bodily senses, mostly the product of the mind alone, and tend to to be stilted aesthetically, having a utility more imagined that experienced.
This...this is good stuff.
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Last edited by ecguitar44; 04-09-2014 at 11:18 AM.
  #55  
Old 04-09-2014, 11:16 AM
pgilmor pgilmor is offline
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Beautiful work, as always. Love that guitar!!
  #56  
Old 04-09-2014, 11:22 AM
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This...this is good stuff.
I hardly ever reread what I write, which is not always a good thing. But in this case, I love the words I chose! Hard to believe I winged that, but I did. Couldn't have said it better myself.
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  #57  
Old 04-10-2014, 07:37 PM
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I have worked a little too efficiently, and I find I have time to build an unsolicited guitar before my next commitment comes up. Or a violin. Or about 3 Ukes, but I just did that. This last guitar went fantastically smoothly (so far), and I'm think another guitar would be great.

I have about 450 set of wood put up over the last 35 years or so, dry as a bone, and ready to build with. Most of it is mundane rosewood (5 kinds, but mostly Brazilian), mahogany, pernambuco, maple, koa, and walnut; the same old same old, in a way. I thought I'd like to build with something no one seems to be asking for, but I believe would be absolutely wonderful. And I thought it might be fun to ask you what you think of the five potential choices I've pulled out of the wood locker today. Unless somebody interfers by offering me money, I am thinking this will be an only slightly embellished WRX type thing, not unlike the one I just did in that way.

Here are the sets I've pulled:

Cuban Mahogany. Edited as I'd called this Spanish Cedar! I've have this set for 6 or 8 years, and people say it makes the best "mahogany" guitars ever. I wouldn't really know, but I did once play a Kim Walker in this wood that I would have been proud to have made. This set has mild flame throughout, and is very hard on the surface, stiff as can be, and just feels right.


European Pear. Traditional for Lutes, and as an alternative to maple in violins and cellos, I've never heard a bad word about the tone when used for a guitar. At worst, I've heard it called plain, but that is a bit odd when I look at this set as it is far from plain, and just exudes a rich warmth visually. This set is somewhat more flamed than the Cedar. I'll likely join this back the other way but the dark stuff looks great to me and will be largely lost.


Black Limba. A mahogany substitute. I'm told, but lighter in weight and very resonant. Best known as he wood used in the Gibson Flying V solidbodies. Ought to work well. And LOOK at it!


Ceylon Satinwood. Not what this wood is at all, but I have forgotten the name. If you can get past the color, this wood is gorgeous and it is also hard as nails and completely UP on the Q scale, which means it has serious tap tone; rings like a bell.


Chechen. This is the only wood here I've used before. This is my last set, and I want to use it again before I'm done. Both of the previous efforts are at the absolute top of my game, and nothing is more beautiful excepting possibly the right set of Brazilian.


What do you think? I don't have to decide till early next week, or never, I could change my mind and make a fiddle!
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Last edited by Bruce Sexauer; 04-10-2014 at 11:16 PM.
  #58  
Old 04-10-2014, 08:31 PM
fountainhead fountainhead is offline
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My vote is for the Black Limba or Chechen- both gorgeous sets, and I'm sure will sound magnificent in one of your builds! Make it left- handed, and I'd be tempted! ;-)
  #59  
Old 04-10-2014, 08:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer View Post
I have worked a little too efficiently, and I find I have time to build an unsolicited guitar before my next commitment comes up. Or a violin. Or about 3 Ukes, but I just did that. This last guitar went fantastically smoothly (so far), and I'm think another guitar would be great.

I have about 450 set of wood put up over the last 35 years or so, dry as a bone, and ready to build with. Most of it is mundane rosewood (5 kinds, but mostly Brazilian), mahogany, pernambuco, maple, koa, and walnut; the same old same old, in a way. I thought I'd like to build with something no one seems to be asking for, but I believe would be absolutely wonderful. And I thought it might be fun to ask you what you think of the five potential choices I've pulled out of the wood locker today. Unless somebody interfers by offering me money, I am thinking this will be an only slightly embellished WRX type thing, not unlike the one I just did in that way.

Here are the sets I've pulled:

(...)


European Pear. Traditional for Lutes, and as an alternative to maple in violins and cellos, I've never heard a bad word about the tone when used for a guitar. At worst, I've heard it called plain, but that is a bit odd when I look at this set as it is far from plain, and just exudes a rich warmth visually. This set is somewhat more flamed than the Cedar. I'll likely join this back the other way but the dark stuff looks great to me and will be largely lost.


(...)
What do you think? I don't have to decide till early next week, or never, I could change my mind and make a fiddle!
This one absolutely ! It is beautiful, different, you've never worked with this, and no one will ever ask for it. So now is the time. Time to please yourself. And us...as we will be watching this thread
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  #60  
Old 04-10-2014, 08:53 PM
ecguitar44 ecguitar44 is offline
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LOVING that pear...
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