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  #16  
Old 10-15-2017, 06:25 AM
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Another Sexauer beauty. It’s coming along nicely.
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  #17  
Old 10-15-2017, 06:43 AM
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Originally Posted by TomB'sox View Post
OK so I struggle with this as I do not have a Sexauer...

FT: Flat top
16: Lower bout width
C: Cutaway

???
Almost...

Bruce not having any models or molds came up with a system of nomenclature to describe his custom guitars. So “FT” does mean Flat top and “16” does mean 16” at the lower bout and 14 frets to the body. The “C” does indeed mean cutaway.

If it was a 12-fret guitar it would be “0000” instead of “16”. If it was a 13-fret guitar, you’d see “Kerala” after 16. If it was an asymmetric, 1/2” offset multi-scale it would say “JB” (The initials of a fellow who broke Bruce’s nose in his youth,). If it was a 1/4” multi-scale it would be a “JB/2”. This system allows him the freedom to not have models yet describe what he is making. Bruce has other naming conventions for archtops and nylon strings as well!

The secret decoder ring can be found here:

http://www.sexauerluthier.com/thelist.html

So FT-16-C basically means a 16”, 14-fret to the body flat top with a cutaway.
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  #18  
Old 10-15-2017, 10:42 AM
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Originally Posted by BlmJn View Post
The Koa-Goncalo Alves error was perpetuated for many years. Washburn and Johnson in 1997 published photos of guitar in their book, Martin Guitars, An Illustrated Celebration as being made of Koa. The photo appears on page 43 with th eguitar attributed to being in the Chinery collection. This mis identification was finally corrected in print with the 2013 publication of "Inventing the American Guitar", ed by Shaw and Szego. While I never saw that particular guitar I had the opportunity to look at a similar Martin and Coupa guitar that may well have been made from the same cant. The back and sides of that guitar were identified as Goncalo alves by the US Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wi in 2012. Even with that there were a number of well respected people in the guitar world that insisted it was Koa. This error is also possibly behind use of th name Brazilian Koa that is now being used for Goncalo alves as is the name , Brazilian tiger wood. The error probably originated with an amateur identification but it persisted for a number of years.
When I first encountered Goncalo Alves (dont know how to get the Portuguese accent marks to show up) it was indeed being sold as Brazilian Tiger wood by Handloggers Hardwoods in Sausalito Ca. I have made several pieces of furniture and a restaurant bar top, and one guitar from it. It is one of the great working woods on the planet. It has an waxy quality reminiscent of Burmese teak, and a grainless carving quality like a super hard yellow cedar. Of course you have to work it to know these things. Visually, the color is mahogany like except that it virtually always has black streaks as if used motor oil had been sporadically spilled on it. This is a unique quality in my experience, and is undoubtedly where the "tiger" reference comes from. Unlike Koa, Oz B'wood, or any mahogany, there is nowhere to put pore filler in Gonc., which makes two reasons why the confusion identifying it mystifies me.
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  #19  
Old 10-15-2017, 11:20 AM
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Gonçalo Alves...(on an iPad, hold your finger down on the “c” and optional keys appear like “ç, č or ć)...😀
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  #20  
Old 10-15-2017, 03:27 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7 View Post
Almost...

Bruce not having any models or molds came up with a system of nomenclature to describe his custom guitars. So “FT” does mean Flat top and “16” does mean 16” at the lower bout and 14 frets to the body. The “C” does indeed mean cutaway.

If it was a 12-fret guitar it would be “0000” instead of “16”. If it was a 13-fret guitar, you’d see “Kerala” after 16. If it was an asymmetric, 1/2” offset multi-scale it would say “JB” (The initials of a fellow who broke Bruce’s nose in his youth,). If it was a 1/4” multi-scale it would be a “JB/2”. This system allows him the freedom to not have models yet describe what he is making. Bruce has other naming conventions for archtops and nylon strings as well!

The secret decoder ring can be found here:

http://www.sexauerluthier.com/thelist.html

So FT-16-C basically means a 16”, 14-fret to the body flat top with a cutaway.
Hmmm, seems so simple now.....not!!!!
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  #21  
Old 10-15-2017, 07:10 PM
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Tom, the problem is I have no real models and so have had to rely on sizes instead. One guitar is pretty much as easy as another for me to build since I do them one at a time and don't use molds or premade parts. Many if not most builders make only a few designs and then vary the materials and the trim, so they have model names instead categories. My system is actual pretty simple and is explained on the first few column inches of thelist, as Bob said. Unfortunately, I continue to discover ways to confound my own system, and it can start to look like military nomenclature, but it does work logically and can be understood. After you've ordered several guitars you'll be as competent at my system as Bob is.
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  #22  
Old 10-15-2017, 07:17 PM
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"After you've ordered several guitars you'll be as competent at my system as Bob is."


HAHA, yeah maybe so, but when you start naming them after schoolyard bullies I kind of get lost!!!! We will finally meet in a couple of weeks. I will try to make a good first impression somehow, usually I fail at this!!!
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  #23  
Old 10-15-2017, 09:00 PM
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Whoo-ee, that Blackwood is beautiful.
Way to go Bruce!

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  #24  
Old 10-16-2017, 09:57 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TomB'sox View Post
"After you've ordered several guitars you'll be as competent at my system as Bob is."


HAHA, yeah maybe so, but when you start naming them after schoolyard bullies I kind of get lost!!!! We will finally meet in a couple of weeks. I will try to make a good first impression somehow, usually I fail at this!!!
Jack Brennerman broke my nose with a sucker punch (I wasn't looking) at lunch in the 11th grade. This made my face look uncomfortably asymmetrical to me for many years, and I processed this out of my ego by naming my beautiful asymmetrical guitars after Jack. I find this amusing. Obviously I spend too much time alone at the bench.
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  #25  
Old 10-16-2017, 12:08 PM
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Congrats, I love Bruce's work... Nice wood combo too...
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  #26  
Old 10-16-2017, 12:18 PM
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Whenever I see these pictures of the plates being joined, it reminds me of some medieval torture device, yet the wood is so beautiful. Sort of like "Beauty and the Beast"
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  #27  
Old 10-16-2017, 01:58 PM
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I think there needs to be a "Spanish Windlass" for it to become a torture device . . . I'll work on it (NOT).
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  #28  
Old 10-16-2017, 04:33 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer View Post
Jack Brennerman broke my nose with a sucker punch (I wasn't looking) at lunch in the 11th grade. This made my face look uncomfortably asymmetrical to me for many years, and I processed this out of my ego by naming my beautiful asymmetrical guitars after Jack. I find this amusing. Obviously I spend too much time alone at the bench.
Yeah, you may need to get out more!!!
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  #29  
Old 10-16-2017, 06:12 PM
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Bruce has cut out the Adirondack Spruce top and Australian Blackwood back plates. Both appear to be stunners...



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  #30  
Old 10-16-2017, 06:19 PM
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Well I might be too dense to understand the nomenclature, but I can clearly see from this body shape that this is a true departure from what I have come to expect from a Sexauer (which in my mind has been a much smaller guitar). This is going to be great. Bob you especially must be excited as you will really get to compare the sound to your other 3! I hope to play my first in 2 weeks!
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