Hatcher Guitars Getting Ready to go B.I.G.
I'm very excited to be participating in Tom Bowersox's B.I.G. show in Texas this September! For the most up to date information on the show you can follow Tom's Facebook link: https://fb.me/e/23e9qA644
I am planning to bring four guitars to the show. They are all in the works so I thought I'd introduce them and share their details. Here is one I'm just starting. It will be my Greta GA model with a Florentine cut-away and an arm bevel. It is based on my Red White and Blue theme I have done previously but with some new twists. I have a very special bear claw Sitka top on wonderful multi color pommele figured Sapele back and sides: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...761b1c47_c.jpg The top is floatwood used to float a lumber camp in the ocean up in Alaska for about 40 years. The Blue color comes from the iron cleats they used on the float logs to lash the rafts together. That iron mixed with the ocean water and time stain eventually stains the logs. Here are some pictures of the original camp, the iron cleats and the salvaged Sitka logs: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...12f6a080_c.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0d88c70d_c.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d001ca0f_c.jpg In all those logs there was one log that had a small section of bear claw figure and that's what I got: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...24282f7d_b.jpg And were off! https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...456e23d7_c.jpg Thanks for viewing and I hope you can make it to the show! Mark |
Mark, very glad I’ll get to see you at BIG, and very much looking forward to seeing the guitars you bring! You’re off to a great start.
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Happy Birthday Mark!!!
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I really cannot wait! All 3 guitars of yours that I've played just made me want more and more time with them. Looking forward, Mark
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Looks like a great start to red white and B.I.G. :)
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Nice bearclaw!. Great photos of the floating lumber camp, very interesting to see that. I wonder how many of those things are left, and how often they are parted out into nice guitar tops. It will be nice to see these instruments take shape.
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That top is stunning with the coloration and the degree and symmetry of the bear claw! Lucky to have it coming to B.I.G.!
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Thanks for the comments! Mark |
Spectacular top!
I love that top!!! What a beauty.
This Alaska stuff Makes me nostalgic for my 14 years as a traveling musician and band leader in AK... 84-98. All over the state, repeatedly. Yes, the winters were brutal, but I spent a good chunk of most in San Diego. Oh, but what a place!!! I Often get asked if the people were as crazy as they are shown on the TV reality shows. The answer is no. They were way crazier than that! Ha ha ha ha. it was a fun place to be the entertainment!!! Folks were VERY appreciative. The Sitka forests were literally the size of smaller states. No wonder they used it for float camps. There was so much Sitka! This will Rock B.I.G. Carry on Paul |
Hi, Mark,
That blue Sitka looks like it has the quality of legend! Can't wait to see what you do with it. No doubt it will be a Masterpiece, which is your standard thing. I've gotten some of that Alaskan float log Sitka from Brent at Alaska Specialty Woods, and it is superb stuff in the higher grades. And there is no "aroma" quite like it that I've ever experienced, when you run this wood through a sander. It's something you never forget, the olfactory impact of float log Sitka. And in the built guitar, the exotic visual beauty and tonal quality of the wood are out of this world. |
I was reading about the ancient 3,000 year old Sitka log that was located and made into guitar tops. I love reading about these old logs that are repurposed. There's something special about it. I happen to think that all guitars would feel more interesting to the owner if they knew a little bit about the tree they came from.
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Amaboyna Burl- Cotton Candy Desert Ironwood- Hot Buttered Popcorn Olivewood- Italian Restaurant Spanish Cedar- Spice Western Red Cedar- School Pencil Brazilian Rosewood- Heaven's Waiting Room Torrified Sugar Maple- Granola Port Orford- Menthol Indian Rosewood- Horse Poop Lignum Vitae- Old Dates And on and on! Quote:
Thanks for commenting! Mark |
Great to hear. Look forward to seeing pics.
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After the top halves are joined I cut out the top shape. I cut it oversized which gets brought down to size after the top is glued to the sides: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...cb501e9c_c.jpg The black lines are where I'll bring it down to and the red means cut. After cutting out the oversize profile I clean up the top side with the smoothing plane: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...448c9a69_c.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...54d5ddb2_c.jpg Once that is clean it's time to start the rosette. That starts by marking the center point right here: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d4a8c5e6_c.jpg |
Moving along on the Rosette
The next step on the rosette is to drill the center hole:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d7edb81d_b.jpg From there I can cut out the rosette pocket and install the Amboyna burl center ring and the bordering purfling strips: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0a6f4bec_b.jpg You can see I have white teflon spacer strips here which are place holders for the additional Amboyna burl rings. Here is where it gets tricky. The Amboyna burl sticks that I'll be installing into those groves are best if they are .073" thick. Not .072" or .074, .073". Burl doesn't have any real grain direction and it is very brittle and delicate so I need a clean accurate cut. Preferably a cut that doesn't need to be cleaned up. Preferably a cut that doesn't heat up the burl and make it even more brittle. This is one place where a contemporary hand tool can shine: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...c077ccbf_c.jpg This is my hand operated rail saw you can think of it as a manual table saw but instead of a carnivorous screaming rotary saw blade it has a surgically accurate Japanese straight saw blade that you put delicate things like this burl across on a sled: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...485a5e83_c.jpg The sled rides on linear bearings along four rails with absolutely no play. There are a variety of articulated hold down clamps to keep everything in place as you slide it across the saw blade: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a7c58c70_c.jpg Here are the sticks: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...fdda6b21_c.jpg From here I use heat to ever so gently bend a curve into them. The curve doesn't have to be exact just close enough that the sticks don't crack as they are glued into the pockets left from the removed teflon strips: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...6338bd01_c.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d0449990_c.jpg Then it's just a matter of cleaning it up! https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...61642cb4_b.jpg Thanks for viewing. You can see this completed guitar at Tom's B.I.G. show! Mark |
Amazing detail work, Mark--can't believe the precision you can achieve with your sliding saw setup.
Can't wait to see it in person! |
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Meanwhile I have also been working on the back. This is pommele figured Sapele with the blue tinted spalting: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...269c82c9_c.jpg Here I am gluing on the center graft which I used the multi color floatwood Sitka for: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...2bf87aa3_c.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...7967ec50_c.jpg It makes a nice frame for my Sapele burl branded logo chip: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ea2794d0_c.jpg They make a wonderful couple: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...c3b9fc71_c.jpg Thanks for viewing! Mark |
Those woods are incredible together--look at that bearclaw!
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The blues in those two different species of wood are amazingly similar, what a match. I agree with Mr. Nemoman, that bear claw is amazing.
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Mark |
Back Braces
Here is the happy couple with a ring:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...9b2072e7_c.jpg I was able to get some floatwood for braces. The on small board is even blue and they are great example of what I look for in brace wood: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...bbaba357_c.jpg I didn't get a lot but these two are enough to split out the tone braces for both the top and back. Here is the back with the brace blanks: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...427a4686_b.jpg On they go!: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...61bf409e_c.jpg Here is just a peek of how they look: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...16a6bd31_c.jpg Thanks for peeking! Mark |
Oh dear. I need to play the lottery hard for the next few months.
Stan |
Looking great! Even the brace wood ... beautiful. Can't imagine this one will make it back the Hatcher's house after the show.
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Love how the rosette captures the coloring of the back and sides.
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Not a 12 fret per chance?
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https://www.flickr.com/photos/283528...57711742330362 I'd be happy to do another. My 000 Penelope model is a 12 fret also. Mark |
Closing up the Box
I have the sides ready so it's time to start closing up the box:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...572590d1_c.jpg Here is a real view of the Blue back braces: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...c749d805_c.jpg This is what the pommel Sapele back and sides look like with a wipe of Naphtha: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...16a4540f_c.jpg Even without the Blue spalting this is some of the best figured Sapele I have ever seen! Thanks for viewing! Mark |
Body is Closed
The top has been voiced and here it is getting glued on:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...66e6ce38_b.jpg We now have a closed box! More to come! Mark |
One of these days I'll have to place an order. I have the Hatcher surname as well... wouldn't have to pay extra for my name on the headstock. A barebones spruce/mahogany grand concert would be nice.
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