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  #31  
Old 03-07-2017, 10:58 AM
SiliconValleySJ SiliconValleySJ is offline
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Originally Posted by ZorroElite View Post
I like all 3 of your finalists, and I agree there are no bad choices. But of your final 3 I still prefer the koa, with the figured hog a close 2nd!
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Originally Posted by AlanHw View Post
This Koa binding seems to be a subtle separation for both ways(Top and B/S). And It has a decent color there as well.
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Originally Posted by nacluth View Post
Well there's clearly no wrong options here, but I would lean to the Koa.
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Originally Posted by TomB'sox View Post
Well, with the new options, my vote has changed. I now think that figured Mahogany looks fantastic. I would go with that, it is really different and looks really cool.
Spoke with Drew and we ended up with the koa. We both felt it was a tad more subtle and fit with the paua and overall theme a bit better. Still was very close and we almost went flamed hog! (Maybe I need to do another build...)

Definitely appreciate input from everyone.
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  #32  
Old 03-07-2017, 11:28 AM
ZorroElite ZorroElite is offline
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Originally Posted by ExpoTom View Post
(Maybe I need to do another build...)
This is always the problem... every single decision has the potential of spawning a 'well on my next one' thought. Oh... to win a lottery.
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  #33  
Old 03-07-2017, 01:39 PM
SiliconValleySJ SiliconValleySJ is offline
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Originally Posted by ZorroElite View Post
This is always the problem... every single decision has the potential of spawning a 'well on my next one' thought. Oh... to win a lottery.
Haha, agree. My wife was thinking about relaxing the rule to allow me to keep 3 full size acoustics... and the minute she did that, I started wondering if I should move one out so I can do another build. Now I see how people get addicted to this!
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  #34  
Old 03-07-2017, 01:43 PM
SiliconValleySJ SiliconValleySJ is offline
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Originally Posted by AlanHw View Post
WOW, already got rosette done! That was fast~
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Originally Posted by Marcus Wong View Post
Rosette looks great!
It definitely is moving fast. I wanted things to progress quickly so I could get the guitar soon (and I lucked out that Drew squeezed me into his current batch), but now that it's moving quickly, I think I'm going to miss the hours of mocking up different options in Photoshop. (though my wife won't miss it) I really can't wait to get this guitar in my hands in a couple of months.

And thanks both, I think the rosette turned out just great. It's a beauty in so many ways.

Marcus, can't wait to see your Michaud build thread...
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  #35  
Old 03-07-2017, 02:05 PM
SiliconValleySJ SiliconValleySJ is offline
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Drew moves so quickly. Can't believe I need to choose end wedge options already. At first I thought I wanted to go plain dark HRW, but now that I'm seeing it, I am debating between koa or lighter HRW for contrast.

Options in order: dark HRW cross grain, dark HRW continuous grain, light HRW, and koa:

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  #36  
Old 03-07-2017, 02:43 PM
Nemoman Nemoman is offline
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Koa wedge--will look awesome with the binding!
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  #37  
Old 03-07-2017, 03:11 PM
ZorroElite ZorroElite is offline
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Again all nice. And funny enough, but I actually like the lighter HRW paired with the koa binding even better than the koa wedge. But they all look great.
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  #38  
Old 03-07-2017, 11:06 PM
SiliconValleySJ SiliconValleySJ is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nemoman View Post
Koa wedge--will look awesome with the binding!
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Originally Posted by ZorroElite View Post
Again all nice. And funny enough, but I actually like the lighter HRW paired with the koa binding even better than the koa wedge. But they all look great.
I ended up choosing the lighter HRW just now. Between the 2, I came to prefer koa by itself, but with the blue paua, I thought lighter HRW fit with the color a bit better. It still provided contrast but more pop from the paua.

Again, this is so fun, makes me want to do another...!
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  #39  
Old 03-13-2017, 12:52 AM
SiliconValleySJ SiliconValleySJ is offline
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Quick end of the week check-in from Drew. He's glued in the end wedge with light Honduran RW. It shows a bit more contrast compared to the quick photo mockup we did earlier. Looks great to me. More contrast and he matched the paua strips more closely:



That means we're nearly done with the rim now. The binding is installed, and I love how he is adding a bit of binding at the base of the neck where the cutaway starts. This is different from how Jim Olson does things by default (no binding there), so it's a design differentiator. We had an interesting conversation about whether to add it or not, and in the end, it felt right to add in the binding. Koa binding with B/W/B, yum:



That means he'll wrap up the rim except for notches for the top and back plates very soon. Then he'll start bracing the back and top plates--early this week I think. He's already got the braces initially prepared, so he will place and glue. Then clean up and do some voicing to ensure an Olson sound with my particular tonal attribute requests in mind. (I still can't get over that--get the Jim Olson sound tweaked for my preferences...!) Only a matter of time for the bracing to be done and he can create a closed box out of all of these wonderful parts.

Here's a cool shot with the top and back plates along with the braces. It'll look even cooler with the purfling I think:



Slow and steady, but the work looks great. Waiting is getting harder.
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Last edited by SiliconValleySJ; 07-01-2017 at 12:57 AM.
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  #40  
Old 03-13-2017, 12:07 PM
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I think, if I am not mistaken, is by doing the binding at the cutaways like that, not only to give you the look you obviously like, it eliminates the need to miter the sides at those points, you can butt it together instead and adds a nice accent piece. I like that look also.
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  #41  
Old 03-14-2017, 08:17 PM
SiliconValleySJ SiliconValleySJ is offline
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Originally Posted by TomB'sox View Post
I think, if I am not mistaken, is by doing the binding at the cutaways like that, not only to give you the look you obviously like, it eliminates the need to miter the sides at those points, you can butt it together instead and adds a nice accent piece. I like that look also.
Tom, I think that's what he is doing... He did explain to me exactly how he would do it, but I can't remember now and deferred to him anyways. I can tell he's as crazy about details as I am so I can trust he will build it beautifully.

He did mention I am now caught up with the rest of his batch, which means he will do mine in parallel with 3 others, so it'll be a bit slower than earlier progress. Hard to complain for me--its a small price to pay to get the guitar in May and not wait to be part of his June build batch.
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Last edited by SiliconValleySJ; 03-15-2017 at 11:47 AM.
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  #42  
Old 03-20-2017, 09:59 PM
SiliconValleySJ SiliconValleySJ is offline
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Latest from Drew is that he has the back braces on and shaped. The top is braced but hasn't been shaped, voiced, and cleaned up quite yet--sometime this week. Hope to have some pictures soon!
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  #43  
Old 03-20-2017, 10:10 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TomB'sox View Post
I think, if I am not mistaken, is by doing the binding at the cutaways like that, not only to give you the look you obviously like, it eliminates the need to miter the sides at those points, you can butt it together instead
That observation just made it possible for me to consider making a cutaway, something that sounded impossible before due to the miters. Thanks
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  #44  
Old 03-29-2017, 02:21 AM
SiliconValleySJ SiliconValleySJ is offline
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Originally Posted by rogthefrog View Post
That observation just made it possible for me to consider making a cutaway, something that sounded impossible before due to the miters. Thanks
Roger, glad my build could be of inspiration! Always dreamed of making one of these (though I'm a terrible woodworker), but can't fathom actually diving into my own build!

So the updates. Drew has been super busy making sure it's all moving along. Apologies on delay of pictures. Here is the top plate braced and finished... love the shavings by the chisel. A tidbit from Drew:

You may notice the interior of the soundhole binding is quite a bit wider than the exterior- that was done intentionally to increase the gluing surface for better structural integrity. And yes, I did add a thin purfling strip around the binding on the interior even though that will never be seen- just a fun little hidden detail.




And after the kerfling was notched, Drew glued on the top. He uses a simple go bar for it--works well:



And here is the back braced and ready for gluing. I love how clean the work looks. Drew is definitely a perfectionist.



And the back glued on for a closed box.



Now it's time for purflings and lots of mitering. Can't wait for more!
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Last edited by SiliconValleySJ; 07-01-2017 at 12:58 AM.
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  #45  
Old 04-14-2017, 11:49 AM
SiliconValleySJ SiliconValleySJ is offline
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A good Friday indeed. Drew sent me pictures of the binding and purfling now installed on the guitar. He said there is still some body clean up to be done once he finishes the neck (more decisions to be made on veneers!), but the pictures look really clean to me. Mitered bindings except on the cutaway point.



Hoping to get some shots with naphtha to show how it would look under finish!
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Last edited by SiliconValleySJ; 07-01-2017 at 12:59 AM.
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