That back is really pretty. I’m anxious to see this under finish.
Pardon the prose.

Thanks John for stopping by,
Brother Steve is flying high.
He is working hard to make things right,
Living good and fighting the fight!

Working on bindings and purflings too,
routing away to make the grooves.
Check out the end graft it is quite the thing,
Hackberry for sure strikes again!

Attachment 68832

Attachment 68833

Attachment 68834

Nice--really digging the looks of that mesquite!

What are you expecting tonally from the mesquite?

Maybe Steve and or Ryan will chime in, but mesquite is quite hard so I personally am expected more in the rosewood family than anything else. When I tapped it, it had that glassy sound more like rosewoods and the like that I have tapped before.

I'm sure there are other factors but it may be similar to EIR based on it's density/hardness

East Indian Rosewood 52 lbs/ft3 Janka hardness 2,440

Mesquite 51lbs/ft3 Janka hardness 2,340

Mesquite hardness is all over the place. I have some that is hard enough for fingerboard sand some that is rather soft, mahogany like.

Unless I am losing it, I remember this one did not tap like mahogany, it was very glass like.

Again, maybe the boys will see this and give their hands on feel for it.

It’s going to be fun finding out. :) It is pretty hard but lightweight, so maybe like a lightweight rosewood: Palo Escrito or Guatemalan (tucarensis). But it may not have that rosewoody character and be more like Black and White Ebony. Guitars that we have made with woods of similar specs have all been some of our favorites. I bet it will hold true with this one.

Thank you Ryan for your thoughts,
It will sound great I am sure.
1 thru 4 that I have bought,
are world class rest assured.

Work continues in the shop,
angles and bevels begin to pop.
Rasps being used upside down,
Who needs a handle to go to town.

Binding borders are scribed with lines,
purflings begin and are sublime.
Bindings going in today,
But here are some pictures to guide the way.

Attachment 68949 Attachment 68950


Attachment 68951 Attachment 68952


Attachment 68953 Attachment 68954

One final pic to end the day,
The end wedge is in and here to stay.
To think this came from a scrap of wood,
I saved from a shelf, something told me I should.

Attachment 68955

Yowza--me likey!

Can't wait to see this guitar with finish!!

Thank you boys for stopping by,
It is purdy my oh my,
They put some naphtha on for me,
A honey brown color for all to see.

The hackberry is anyone's call,
with the shelf hanging on the wall,
It had many colors of gold and black,
It was very pretty and that's a fact!

My, my, that is looking fine.
Got to admit, wish it were mine!

I know Steve and Ryan ... you could make me one right?

I am sure they could you know them well,
But I am not sure they would want to if I am to tell.
Mesquite is not nice to bend or so I have heard,
If they were not so nice they might give me the...

LOLOLO :D:D:D

You’re getting good at this! :D

All this poetry...!! And all poetry is just lyrics without a tune. It just occurred to me that quite a few of you are songwriters and this thread is the lyrics of a beautiful Texas song!! If Lyle Lovett was on this thread, I think we may have already had a new song...So, Tom, put all these lyrics down, get a tune started, and get that song out to debut with the completion of the guitar!!!

That is why I thought everyone was so good at it,
Use to writing lyrics with rhymes that will fit.
In terms of a song, I am not sure,
But I love the thought I can assure.

Some pictures from Nacogdoches,
supercalifragilisticoespialidosus,
I told you the town name this time,
To see if I could come up with a rhyme!

The bindings are scraped until they are level,
Ryan was tasked with this and Steve with the bevel.
When we say these are handcrafted from scratch,
The proof is in the pictures these are not done in a batch!

Attachment 69115 Attachment 69116

More scraping was done on the bevel
until it was finished and nice and level
For purfling we decided to use this ebony
cutting it by hand is amazing dexterity.

Attachment 69156

Attachment 69157

Attachment 69158

Binding was finished by the cutaway,
Tx ebony was laid for the purfling.
A final sanding was done to the top today,
Neck will go on tomorrow and I am assured this box RINGS!

High hopes for the sound this one will bring,
Ryan assures me its tap is fit for a king.
Off to finishing early next week,
Let Tony work his magic for it is beauty we seek.

Attachment 69184 Attachment 69185

Attachment 69186 Attachment 69187

Very nice, very clean and quite pretty.

No time
for rhyme

Thank you bro, your very kind.

Indeed!
 

It will sound quite sublime…

Paul

I wish it were mine

I see what y'all have done and I think it is fine!

Sorry to break the rhyming spell but I can’t find the right word. May I say, however, that this is a wonderful guitar. I love the thought behind the woods, and the result is gorgeous!

Rhyming is not required in the least,

Thank you for your kind words egos they have greased.

Although two more humble folks would be hard to meet,

Than Steve and Ryan, friends tough to beat!

We are moving along and time for a neck,
So might as well show it, right? What the heck?
The angle is first checked with adjustable square,
To make sure that everything will be perfect there.

Holes are drilled for a dowel reinforcement
and more in the heel to apply in insert.
These are screwed in with love and care,
In hopes that no splitting will happen there.

Attachment 69235

Attachment 69236

Attachment 69237

Attachment 69238

So to play this thing it needs some strings,
A fretboard would be nice for all it brings.
Texas ebony looks mighty nice,
And worth it at twice its price.

A piece was picked out for us to use,
Cut to size and hope that blade is not loose.
Router a channel so it can be bound,
All glued in, scraped and level all around.

The binding is in place and looks mighty fine,
And matches the purfling, can't wait till it shines.
I think it looks great laid on the top,
Can't wait to see it with finish once it has popped!

Attachment 69436

Attachment 69437

Attachment 69438

Attachment 69439

Attachment 69440