New Kent Chasson Build...and its MINE...woo hoo
 

I was able to try Kent's guitars at Mandolin Bros (thank you Stan, you are great) and favored them over all the other guitars at MB-- and they carry some great guitars. It was important to me to be able to not only "test drive" a luthier's guitars before purchasing but to be able to A-B them. Carrying a guitar's sound from shop to shop is not within my capabilities. It also allowed me to discuss with Kent what I loved about his and what I like about others as well. Stan gave me all of the time I needed over successive visits to listen to as many of his guitars, for as long as wanted and Kent's guitars came out on top.
Kent was also up to a fan fret design, something Bruce Sexauer spoke strongly and eloquently about to me at Woodstock. As a result Kent has just started his classic model with a multiscale 24 to 24.75, euro spruce over Wenge, with Leopardwood backstripe and rosette. Early pictures are below and more to follow.
Thanks Kent

http://www.chassonguitars.com/images/zuk/back.jpg

http://http://www.chassonguitars.com...k_detail_t.jpg

Where did my image pictures go!!!

http://www.chassonguitars.com/images/zuk/back_t.jpg

http://http://www.chassonguitars.com...k_detail_t.jpg

And the other!!! Now that I figured out what the heck I was doing, I'll add the bigger pics with the next set Kent sends me.


http://www.chassonguitars.com/images...k_detail_t.jpg

I love it...a super-short-multi-scale!

Gorgeous woods, too.

It's going to be a winner...

Short scale yes
 

Larry, it was your comments/views on AGF that got me thinking strongly about a short scale...thank you. I think it is going to be great also...

Congrats!! How long before you have the guitar in your hands?

I had to google multiscale just to make sure it's what I though it was. Very unique looking fretboard. Is there much of an upcharge for it?

There is an upcharge, check Kent's website. Builders vary as to how much they add to do a multiscale but I'm convinced it adds to the balance and beauty of the sound.

This will be a fascinating build... I'm a big fab of short-scales. The early progress shots look beautiful.

Is the leopard wood a backstrip inserted into the Wenge (into a channel) or is it a separate piece so that the back is three pieces glued together?

Cheers

Berf

And of course I forgot your first question. Kent is hoping to have it ready in July. However long it takes for Kent to make a great instrument is fine with me.

congrats! i too have stopped by mando bros and, like you, came to the same conclusion regarding kent's guitars. and for those that haven't been there, suffice it to say that kent's guitars are hanging on a wall with some pretty elite company!

i am curious about your wood choice though. what made you choose wenge? brad daniels (kolaya) is building me a redwood/wenge guitar. another forum member actually just PM'd me about a spruce/wenge doerr that he'll be receiving hopefully soon.

You can't go wrong with Kent, great builder and real nice guy. Congrats.

Congratulations! I have spoken with Kent and he seems like a great guy to work with...

This build is soooooo close to what I would want kent to build for me....the Wenge, the multiscale...I Can't wait to see this take shape.

Are you going for an adjustable neck too?

Choosing Wenge was to a large part a cost conscious move and Kent's belief that it would help achieve the type of sound I like. As much as I am a finger pad fingerstyle player I like a sharper (here we go again possibly, with my inappropriately describing sound) cleaner sound than say a walnut-cedar guitar would provide. I also had read great things about Wenge, and I typically like to choose under-the-radar things (who else would but a VW Quantum wagon only to see it go to the shop every few months).

Congrats on what is going to be a spectacular guitar. I own the first of Kent's guitars that came into Mandolin Bros, also a Classic in walnut/cedar. His builds are ultra responsive as I'm sure you noticed from the ones you test drove. Looking forward to more pix....Rob

Maybe I'm not cut out for this but I am getting Kent's "regular" neck--it was not something we discussed as an option. And Kent has been absolutely great to work with, wringing out of me ("dry" sound..what do you mean!!??) what I liked. Again it was my ability to impart to him what I loved about his guitars and what I may have liked about other guitars at MB that really helped the whole design take shape. I am far (far, far) from being a professional guitarist so those A-B comparisons were key to this purchase.