Tom Sands MMD Build Thread

[Adamski]

Originally Posted by OM-42

Your MMD is exquisite! I love the overall look and how the copper is repeated in the rosette and the headstock. Adam, you are one lucky musician!

Thanks Bruce...I think I am. Once again I've given Tom free range, and once again he's produced something lovely.

The only question is should I leave it at three...or order a parlour guitar too! 😂

[Adamski]

Originally Posted by steveh

Looks great.

As you know, I'm not a fan of unnecessarily long headstocks, but the copper inlay here sort of makes up for that: It looks like it's a slot head when, in reality, it's conventional.

Looking forward to playing it!

Cheers,
Steve

I shall look forward to you playing it too... 😀

[nobo]

Wow! This one's going to be (well, it already is!) a stunner. Amazing set of sapele, lovely design touches and overall aesthetic, and what a great rosette - and tied in with the headstock too! Definitely something special going one here! Can't wait to see it under finish (and perhaps in the flesh at some point too!).

[Adamski]

Originally Posted by steveh

Looks great.

As you know, I'm not a fan of unnecessarily long headstocks, but the copper inlay here sort of makes up for that: It looks like it's a slot head when, in reality, it's conventional.

Looking forward to playing it!

Cheers,
Steve

I shall look forward to you playing it too. 😀

[dantin]

Any pics of the completed guitar?

[Adamski]

So, here we are.

The guitar is back from being sprayed and cured and it has had the bridge fitted...and last night was stung up for the first time.

Proper photos will follow, but this should give an idea of just how lovely a thing it is!



So, it's hanging on the wall with some fairly impressive company!



Looking a very nicely proportioned thing, and here you can see a glimpse of what that lovely sapele looks like.

[Julian Gaffney]

Originally Posted by Adamski

Proper photos will follow, but this should give an idea of just how lovely a thing it is!

This one looks even better in person... Unfortunately I left Ervin's just before Tom strung it but from the sound of the box I'd hazard a guess and say it will sound as good as it looks, congrats!

[Adamski]

Originally Posted by Julian Gaffney

This one looks even better in person... Unfortunately I left Ervin's just before Tom strung it but from the sound of the box I'd hazard a guess and say it will sound as good as it looks, congrats!

Thanks Julian. High praise indeed.

I'm sure it will look lovely hanging on the wall next to its two older siblings!

[steveh]

Tell me when I can get my hands on it!

Cheers,
Steve

[OM-42]

Hi Adam - Simply gorgeous, yet again. I can't wait to here your review. Tom's work is impeccable.

[Wolfram]

Hey Adam,

That looks absolutely astonishing. I was talking to Tom last week - really looking forward to mine.

Hopefully catch up soon - I'd love to experience the complete Sands triumvirate!

Cheers,
David

[nikie]

Congratulations for such nice collection of Sands guitars.
Your future Mdd project guitar looks absolutely atonishing side by side with those Somogyis, that I consider are the best luthier guitars ever build.

Just looking at the pictures. The two guitars on the left seems to be an Om model and an Md model, but just have doubts about that, the size of that Md looks the same as the Sands. I know that Ervin is building an small Md too.

The guitar next to the MDM is an MDM Somogyi model or just an Md ?

[SiliconValleySJ]

I got to play this one tonight when I visited Ervin's to see Leo Buendia. (Leo is renting space there due to his current shop space being without power)

Tom had an 00 in Sitka/EIR and this Sapele Studio (MMD, Ervin calls them a Studio model apparently). This MMD It still needs to get finished with nut/saddle adjustments/shaving, so the action was very high, but it sounds exactly like what Tom was aiming for: a woody sounding guitar that has strong mids and sweetness in the highs. This one is fairly balanced but the mids really sing loudest and have the greatest sustain--they come out more after the sparkle/sweetness of the highs fades out. I think this one will should age quite nicely and the bass becomes more pronounced to balance out the tone. I imagine this being a great singer/songwriter guitar.

I liked the copper a lot more than I was expecting too--I thought it might look a bit janky, but it works for Tom's aesthetic.

From what I can gather off from his 2 guitars, Tom's voice is quite distinct from some of the other Somogyi apprentices in the Buendia/Kostal/Kraut vein. (And even among that side of the spectrum, there are some key tonal differences) I am having a hard time describing it, but I think it's a bit more fundamental focused than the others I've played--there are still overtones in the Somogyi tradition, but less so. Imagine that someone in Ervin's camp was a closet vintage tone junkie and the result of that is how I envision Tom's sound. (His 00 was very warm for an 00, which was a big surprise to me after I strummed it once) His headstock is more squared too, which matches that motif. Given the earlier threads of people not normally liking the Somogyi sound but liking Tom's, I think that's one of the reasons why. I'm not saying it's Somogyi light--just a different emphasis.

Adam, enjoy it for many years to come.

[justonwo]

Gorgeous guitar. Wow!

[borborygmus]

Originally Posted by ExpoTom

From what I can gather off from his 2 guitars, Tom's voice is quite distinct from some of the other Somogyi apprentices in the Buendia/Kostal/Kraut vein. (And even among that side of the spectrum, there are some key tonal differences) I am having a hard time describing it, but I think it's a bit more fundamental focused than the others I've played--there are still overtones in the Somogyi tradition, but less so. Imagine that someone in Ervin's camp was a closet vintage tone junkie and the result of that is how I envision Tom's sound. (His 00 was very warm for an 00, which was a big surprise to me after I strummed it once) His headstock is more squared too, which matches that motif. Given the earlier threads of people not normally liking the Somogyi sound but liking Tom's, I think that's one of the reasons why. I'm not saying it's Somogyi light--just a different emphasis.

Thanks for the heads up from your visit. Very interesting. Tom is making me an OO right now, and it should be ready in about 3 months. I guess like Adam and some other early Sands customers, I am letting Tom do his own thing in most aspects of the build, relying on his experience with Ervin and his developing aesthetic to come up with a wonderful instrument. It is very exciting to be involved with a luthier at the early stage of his journey.