Build thread..mahog bomb with a cedar top

[j. Kinnaird]

Another view of the rod side interface

Those rods are hollow and light as s feather

[j. Kinnaird]

The cedar top is braced up and the braces carved. Ive been tapping the top looking for that illusive note that I like these tops to respond to while my Peterson listens and reads out frequencies. There are a few new variables here, mostly the size of the arm bevel, which will impact this process. Since the huge bevel reduces the size of the vibrating area, and since Paul wants a scale length that is nearly an inch shorter (24.6ish) than the 25.5 that I normally work with I have decided to go 25 cents lower than normal. Leave it to Paul to take me out of my comfort zone. But as my son would say, "its all good"


Its a cedar top, Adirondack braces, and a padouk bridge plate. Hide glue holds stuff together. There is a little clean up sanding yet to be done. This top has rather wide grain lines, especially near the edges, but it has astounding tap tone and trumped aesthetics as it should.

My brother gave me that hand plane ages ago. What a nice tool for scooping braces.

[cigarfan]

Awesome John! It's great to see the artistry on the inside.

[Guitars44me]

I do not think that John mentioned that this will never be tuned up above open D. I never play in standard pitch. When playing "normal" I am tuned down a whole step.

So an E form yields a D chord. Easier on the left mitt and the vocal chords!

If I want standard pitch I just slap a capo on fret 2. I told him all this over and over before he built me #128, and he nailed it. So figured he could do this too! Hahahahah

I am getting hot to trot... now it is closer, and the waiting seems harder!

Cheers

Paul

[j. Kinnaird]

Originally Posted by j. Kinnaird

My old buddy Paul wanted another LOUD guitar with a little different tonal response than the honduras euro guitar I made for him last year. So this year we are going with Mahogany and Western Red Cedar which will have the same body shape/size as his previous guitar but with a shorter scale length.

So the body is mahog, top WRC, binding and bevels in curly Koa, neck Spanish cedar loaded up with carbon fiber and no truss rod, and elevated so that the extension does not touch the top.

The internal heel block will be braced off using carbon fiber rods so that the top does not support the neck in any way and can be made lighter and more resonant in the upper bout.

Massive bevels for both arm rest and rib rest. (The biggest ribrest you probably will ever seen on a guitar). Paul wants this guitar really comfortable and light and easy to play. Paul plays out a lot, several hours nearly every day so comfort is important



A partial cast of characters

One thing I forgot to mention is that this mahogany back and side are taken from "A Tree"
Quite unique and not to be confused with The Tree.

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by j. Kinnaird

One thing I forgot to mention is that this mahogany back and side are taken from "A Tree"
Quite unique and not to be confused with The Tree.

That is amazing, I was going to ask that, but felt embarrassed that it might have been something everyone knew already....

[j. Kinnaird]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

That is amazing, I was going to ask that, but felt embarrassed that it might have been something everyone knew already....

I understand Tom. That is why I felt a clarification was necessary.
BTW, thanks for following along on this thread. Your Scottish guitar is looking great. Love the artistry.

[j. Kinnaird]

Carving the back braces.

[TomB'sox]

You are welcome, I love watching the builds. I think if I were a luthier carving the top braces would have to be close to the most fun part of the build I would think, knowing you are carving the sound into the guitar...

And thanks for watching Steve's build for me, I love it so far and can't wait to hear it! No flames tho.....

[j. Kinnaird]

Paul wanted this rosette from Andy DePaul. You would think it's an easy glue in but most of those pieces were separate. I put clear packing tape over the top of the rosette to hold all those parts in place while transferring them to the Chanel.

[j. Kinnaird]

The back has the profile needed for the cutaway before it is glued down

[j. Kinnaird]

Cutting the angle on the bevel before cutting purfling channels

[j. Kinnaird]

Teflon strips are sandwiched inbetween purfling strips

[j. Kinnaird]

such a compound curve for that armrest veneer necessitates a paper pattern.

[j. Kinnaird]

A little juice sprayed on the body to show colors. I need to flatten the bevel more and do some shaping but you can see the direction