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Bruce Sexauer 01-02-2017 11:59 AM

Sexauer/'17 (chapter 1)
 
Today is January 2, 2017, the first working day of the new year. Surprisingly, the stock markets are closed this morning, but my workshop will be putting in a full day. . . As soon as I finish this post.

In this thread I will be describing the projects currently on the bench, as well as those I have just just completed, and waxing a bit philosophic as I go. Those of you who have been around this forum are familiar with my style and my history, for those who are new I recommend you check out several previous threads with title similar to this one except for the year. I think I started this "blog thread" in 2014! Of particular interest is the thread called "Sexauer/'16 (chapter 2)" as it segues into this one.

Current projects include the three dreads I have just finished but have not yet shown pictures of the last two. A guitar that I am building to give away at the 2017 SBAIC event next August, currently nearly through with the finishing process. And a guitar which I plan to actually start today, an upscale single 0 in BRW/EuroSpruce for my customer/friend/patron, Bob Berger.

Welcome to 2017.

Bruce Sexauer 01-02-2017 12:20 PM

In another thread, closed due to the new AGF policy that one must be a forum supporter in order to post about one's work (makes sense to me), I mentioned that this next Sunday, 1/8/17, I will be hosting a meeting of the Northern California Association of Luthiers (NCAL) in my shop from 1 pm through 5 pm. I have received a number of PM's asking if the senders could attend. This meeting in entirely open to any interested persons. If you show up and are a civilized person you will be welcome. Uncivilized persons will be tested and may also be welcome.

I have agreed to do a presentation on the importance and actual use of lighting in the shop regarding the enhancement of "the work".

My shop is behind my home at 724 H Street in Petaluma, CA 94952. Do not knock on the front door and bother my wife. ;) Thank you.

jessupe 01-02-2017 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer (Post 5178522)
In another thread, closed due to the new AGF policy that one must be a forum supporter in order to post about one's work (makes sense to me), I mentioned that this next Sunday, 1/8/17, I will be hosting a meeting of the Northern California Association of Luthiers (NCAL) in my shop from 1 pm through 5 pm. I have received a number of PM's asking if the senders could attend. This meeting in entirely open to any interested persons. If you show up and are a civilized person you will be welcome. Uncivilized persons will be tested and may also be welcome.

I have agreed to do a presentation on the importance and actual use of lighting in the shop regarding the enhancement of "the work".

My shop is behind my home at 724 H Street in Petaluma, CA 94952. Do not knock on the front door and bother my wife. ;) Thank you.

Thanks Bruce for doing this, I look forward to attending.

Bruce Sexauer 01-02-2017 06:14 PM

It is a modest beginning, but I actually did join the plates for the single 0 today.

This is the best set of BRW I had on hand when Bob visited me last month and chose it. The top is European Spruce I got from Martin Guhl several years ago. Bob and I agreed that it was the livest Euro top in my stash, though we also found an Adi top in the ball-park. I hand picked every top I have (many), so trying to pick the best one may come out with a different ending every time, yet always be true enough to bring great results.
http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/Berger0/joined-plates.jpg

tadol 01-02-2017 09:08 PM

While not as exciting as the lovely pics of the new guitar, I did shoot a short video while visiting Bruce the other day. Much like the short one on gluing in peones, I just happened to be there as he finished scuffing out a coat of varnish on the SBAIC guitar that he is working on, and he wanted to get the next coat sprayed right away, so I put down my guitar and pulled out my phone. (The SBAIC guitar is going to be a raffle prize at the Santa Barbara Acoustic Instrument Celebration - a chance to win it would be reason enough to go, but there are LOTS of reasons to attend this year!)

I've had the opportunity to spend a little shop time with a number of masters at their craft, and find that careful observation while they work can teach more than asking alot of questions - luckily, Bruce is able to comment on the parts that he thinks are important while he works, so hes able to add a bit of commentary -

I'm quite untrained in video, so excuse the quality, and this subject is extremely close to watching paint dry - the step immediately prior, as a matter of fact - so I offer it as a cross between a bit educational, a little inspirational, and just plain interesting for those that enjoy process - And another thanks to Bruce for tolerating it!

https://vimeo.com/197838126

cigarfan 01-03-2017 06:19 AM

Fun to watch. Thanks for the chance to see the process!

Bruce Sexauer 01-05-2017 07:21 PM

SBAIC/'17 giveaway Guitar
 
I have been working with Kevin, the promoter of the SBAIC show in August of 2017, on the idea of my giving away a guitar as a sort of door prize at the event. We have settle on the details, and since Tad has let the cat out of the bag (I HAVE hinted, not that anyone seemed to notice), I can now tell you what's happening.

Each ticket to the event will have a stub (current concept, subject to change), one per day, which the bearer would be smart to bring to the bin on my table and drop it in. On Saturday night there will be a David Lindley concert at which there will be one ticket drawn from the bin. The person who dropped that ticket in the bin will be presented with the Adi over California Walnut 00 I have in the finishing curing process this very minute. Are there strings attached? You bet there are, six of them, it's a guitar! Through this blatant ploy I hope to meet every guitar player attending the show and maybe even get them to play a few notes on one of my guitars while paying extraordinarily close attention. Yeah, I'm a dreamer.

This next Sunday, as previously mentioned, I am hosting an NCAL meeting in my shop. I do this partly for altruistic reason like supporting the community, and partly because this is what it takes for me to seriously clean up my eternally expanding mess. So far, I have found two things I had forgotten I had. One is a Ben Wilborn Guitars T-shirt Ben gave me at the last SBAIC, and it is a great color for bringing out my blue eyes. The other, no less important, is a set of wood I bought at that same event. Those who have known me for a couple of years may remember the Black Limba guitar I made, which was much better than expected, at least by me, if a little plain looking. So when I saw THIS set of Black Limba, I had to have it:

http://mojoluthier.com/lutepics/Wood...Limba2016a.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/lutepics/Wood...Limba2016b.jpg

Now THAT is landscaping!!!!!!

Nemoman 01-05-2017 07:26 PM

Wow--that is quite a set of wood! Absolutely stunning...

Bruce Sexauer 01-05-2017 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemoman (Post 5182746)
Wow--that is quite a set of wood! Absolutely stunning...

Thank you. I sincerely hope someone will ask me to build with it. It cost me little, and I currently view it as as "standard" wood, financially. Not that I could replace it for any price, I've never seen the like.

dosland 01-06-2017 03:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer (Post 5182741)
I have been working with Kevin, the promoter of the SBAIC show in August of 2017, on the idea of my giving away a guitar as a sort of door prize at the event. We have settle on the details, and since Tad has let the cat out of the bag (I HAVE hinted, not that anyone seemed to notice), I can now tell you what's happening.

I noticed, and was waiting patiently for you to announce details that might give me an inside shot at winning the guitar. Given my location, I was waiting with very little hope. Fortunately, I have a couple friends to send in my place, if the timing works out for them. Someone's going to go home with their head in the clouds - even more than usual after such an event!

mcgr40 01-06-2017 01:42 PM

That has to be the best looking limba I have seen!

Rico59 01-07-2017 09:51 AM

Any chance we're going to get pics/sound clips of the recent dreads?

Bruce Sexauer 01-07-2017 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rico59 (Post 5184367)
Any chance we're going to get pics/sound clips of the recent dreads?

I made these guitars now because I had some time to do it, but my impetus was to have them for the Bluegrass Festival I participate in next June. Having finally sold one of my dreads to a top local player, I expect to get a serious uptick in credibility in my local B'grass community!

The point is I have been reticent to show these guitars off too much as they work very well (all 3) and I don't know that I'll have time to replace any that might sell before their moment comes. With these mixed feelings, I have already sold one of them, the style 18 that has been pictured in last years chapter 2 thread.

Although I have never been a dread guy, despite having now made at least 10 of them, I have been playing one of the 28s regularly this past week, and must say the voice is an amazing weapon, sort I'd like a canon where I am used to a mere rifle. This means I can get the power I want and be pretty relaxed about it, which seems to improve the playing considerably. I have heard this before as we all have, but I can't say I ever previously experienced it so clearly.

The reason I have been playing the dread so regularly is that I have shipped the "Blanca", my house guitar of the last 6 months or so, off to the East Coast and may never see her again. I THOUGHT I could take her out of inventory and keep her, but I am a luthier and when the customer insists I have a sort of obligation to indulge them. I tell myself I can always make another one . . . But the Blanca was special for me. You can see why I haven't shared the Dreads too much, perhaps.

LouieAtienza 01-07-2017 12:09 PM

Bruce, I suppose that's a good thing; you can ALWAYS make another one!

By the way, that BRW set is just completely amazing... I cannot wait to see what becomes of it, and I'm sure you're petty excited about it as well.

iim7V7IM7 01-07-2017 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LouieAtienza (Post 5184591)
Bruce, I suppose that's a good thing; you can ALWAYS make another one!

By the way, that BRW set is just completely amazing... I cannot wait to see what becomes of it, and I'm sure you're petty excited about it as well.

Louie, you can play it next October at Woodstock...:)

Nort 01-07-2017 02:07 PM

Bruce,

I had the opportunity last Thursday with some time off work to do something I've wanted to do for awhile, made the trek from Anaheim to LA Guitar sales, for the expressed purpose of playing the Sexauer 15.5 Kerala Pernambuco that Ted has there,
my first in person experience with one of your guitars.

Ted & Helene were very gracious hosts,

the guitar is amazing, beautiful to the eye and ear, perfect setup, made playing it so effortless. wonderfully balanced,
a dream fingerstyle guitar. if only I weren't already so blessed with too many guitars.

whoever acquires that guitar will be incredibly blessed, just wish it was me :D

Bruce Sexauer 01-07-2017 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nort (Post 5184757)
Bruce,

I had the opportunity last Thursday with some time off work to do something I've wanted to do for awhile, made the trek from Anaheim to LA Guitar sales, for the expressed purpose of playing the Sexauer 15.5 Kerala Pernambuco that Ted has there,
my first in person experience with one of your guitars.

Ted & Helene were very gracious hosts,

the guitar is amazing, beautiful to the eye and ear, perfect setup, made playing it so effortless. wonderfully balanced,
a dream fingerstyle guitar. if only I weren't already so blessed with too many guitars.

whoever acquires that guitar will be incredibly blessed, just wish it was me :D

How nice of you to say, Nort!

I had thought that guitar was sold over a month ago. I guess it was just a trial shipment. This particular instrument, my 15.5 design, is basically an oversized OM. If a person likes an OM, but just wanted MORE, this guitar will deliver. NOT a dread., more like an SJ.

LouieAtienza 01-07-2017 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7 (Post 5184606)
Louie, you can play it next October at Woodstock...:)

God willing, I'll be there!

Bruce Sexauer 01-09-2017 11:45 AM

Yesterday's NCAL meeting was dampened by the rain, but not entirely shut down. We got have hoped for 30 to 40 attendees on a sunny spring day, and got 13 brave souls instead on the single rainiest day locally in perhaps 15 years.

I cleaned my shop in about 20 hours of my time over a 4 day period as I wouldn't want anyone to think my work habits are as sloppy as they are. Apparently I was adequately impressive as I am now the reigning president of the NCAL organization. Big whoop. I have been a member of the group since the 90's, and aside from hosting a meeting every year or so, and paying my dues, I haven't really given much to the group. Time to man up, I figure.

When I started coming to meetings, Ervin Somogyi was the guiding force. He was followed by, or perhaps concurrent with, Brian Burns, a flamenco maker and tool and process geek who years ago moved out of the Bay Area to Fort Bragg. The next valiant leader was Natalie Swango, perhaps better known as the CEO of Luthier's Mercantile International. She was followed by Richard Taylor who was at yesterday's meeting and handed the role off to myself.

Because I have found that I am better with ideas than administrative duties, two of the other members who attended the meeting have agreed to assist me with my duties. Tad Laird is familiar to you as a frequent poster in my threads and has become a good friend so that is promising, and the other is an electric maker works pretty much on the opposite side of the kingdom in Livermore (60 miles?), Mike Peterson.

This should be interesting.

Bruce Sexauer 01-13-2017 04:25 PM

Before bending the challenging cutaway on Bob's single 0, I practiced on the cut-off from shaping the sides:
http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/Berger0/snake.jpg

iim7V7IM7 01-13-2017 04:43 PM

First time that I have seen a snake charmer use a pipe bender...:)

Szk 01-13-2017 04:52 PM

Wondering if get the purpose of that grey block. I see it as marking the location of the bridge and allowing you to precisely position the X-braces in relation to it.

Bruce Sexauer 01-13-2017 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Szk (Post 5192355)
Wondering if get the purpose of that grey block. I see it as marking the location of the bridge and allowing you to precisely position the X-braces in relation to it.

Those are Corian clamping cauls I made for when it's time to glue on the bridge. They're just sitting there. My bracing is more "intentional" than "precise". ;)

tadol 01-13-2017 09:53 PM

Intentional vs precise - Now thats a concept only a master could discern, and quite worthy of note!

Sometime gonna have to document your bending and fitting process -

reidplum 01-14-2017 03:28 PM

I really like the snake! Bruce, does that one go along in the box when you send out the finished guitar, or are you going to start a side line of "made from real guitar-wood and guitar building processes" goodies for us guitar geeks? I'd buy a little snake like that, for sure.

Reid

Bruce Sexauer 01-14-2017 05:20 PM

I had originally thought Bob would like to have it, and it IS his wood, after all. My wife also said she wanted it when i showed it to her. Looks like a potential hit! I do get a pair of scraps like this on most guitars I make, and the bending iron is hot shortly thereafter, so perhaps I will make a habit of "snakecharming" for a while. If anyone is having me make them a guitar, they have but to spec it and they'll get a pair at no extra cost. I hear they make great gifts to a certain kind of person.

Bruce Sexauer 01-16-2017 01:12 PM

I have been asked a few times about putting side ports into my already completed instruments, which I am quite reticent to do. One of the reasons is that I do NOT want to increase the size of the accumulated porting in the box as it affects the balance of the whole package. Another reason is that the hole in the side creates a physical vulnerability to my already light structure. I do reinforce this potential weakness with a piece of skewed grain mahogany HHG'd to the side of the guitar, and it would be unlikely to get such a good join if the back were on, and no way I'm doing that kind of surgery for this end. Here's a picture of the side port reinforcement going into Bob's Single 0:
http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/Berger0/...rtclamping.jpg

oliverkollar 01-16-2017 03:43 PM

Once again.....and again....looks great Bruce!

Bob is one lucky man!

Bruce Sexauer 01-16-2017 04:03 PM

And, here is the side-port with its reinforcement:

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/Berger0/sideport1.jpg

clinchriver 01-16-2017 04:14 PM

Beautiful wood, on this O, backing up a few guitars we saw finished pics of the D-18, your final thoughts on that guitar and where are you on the D-28's?


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