Guitar Build Thread: Tahoe Guitars 000-12 (Big Leaf Maple/Lutz)
 

Here is a build thread for my new Tahoe Guitars 000-12 in flamed Big Leaf Maple and Lutz Spruce. It will have a five-piece maple/walnut/maple neck with a paddle head, flamed Claro Walnut binding and trim, and Macassar Ebony fretboard and pyramid bridge.

The idea here is to make a "NorWester" guitar. Much of the wood, including the Sitka bracing, are west coast species.

The raw materials are pictured below. Construction should begin in the next couple weeks.

Scale: 25.4"
Nut: 1 3/4"
Saddle: 2 1/4"
Body Depth: 4 3/8"

The Top:

Lutz Spruce, beautiful silking, a touch of bearclaw, robust tap tone.

https://i.imgur.com/TC8k4U5.jpg


Back and Sides:

Classic tight flame Big Leaf Maple.

https://i.imgur.com/QrlTw8d.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/F16HNHw.jpg


The Claro Walnut trim pieces:

https://i.imgur.com/TG0Nfdc.jpg

The Neck:

The Flame Big Leaf Maple neck with the walnut and hard maple inner lams.

https://i.imgur.com/PI8OWqd.jpg


All of the raw materials:

https://i.imgur.com/QKKkTwZ.jpg

Looks like another great build. Are you going to document the build process? I'll check in every so often to see how the progress goes.
Tom

Thank you, kind sir. I am not sure how detailed this one will be. It depends on how many photos are taken, and how much time I have. I will certainly post the highlights. :up:

Been a while since I've seen one of Larry's builds. Looking forward to see how this one pans out :)

With Finish
 

My Tahoe Guitars Big Leaf Maple/Lutz 000-12 (AKA "The NorWester") has been in process slowly for the last two years. By mutual agreement, Larry has been squeezing it in between his other commissioned builds.


So...it has its nitro finish applied and is now curing. Here are a few pics.


Here's the Lutz top w/ the flame maple sides peeking through, ebony pyramid bridge and flame claro walnut head plate. I asked to keep the rosette simple to match the herringbone top purfle.


https://i.imgur.com/KG4Y8vMh.jpg





In case there was any doubt, the back, sides and neck are flame maple. ;)


The five-piece neck is flame Big Leaf maple, walnut and some sort of eastern hard maple from Michigan. Note the difference in hue between the two maple species.


https://i.imgur.com/X4RGBP7h.jpg


This shot shows the flame claro walnut body binding (the neck is bound in ebony for a "tuxedo" look). The headplate, body binding, end flash and heel cap are all from the same flitch of claro.


https://i.imgur.com/iPPfea4h.jpg




Here is a closer look at the neck at an earlier stage of finishing. In the background is the body of another Tahoe commission involving some nicely figured mahogany. :up: The buck stopped there, apparently. :D


https://i.imgur.com/Vez3Hkfh.jpg

That maple really is quite spectacular ... and that top isn't too shabby either! Love it!

Thank you, David. All of these primary wood sets were sourced from Wood-To-Works in BC. The matched walnut trim pieces came from Oregon.

The master grade neck blank was full-size (two necks). This neck is the 2nd from the blank. The back/side set was (I thought) the best looking of a very few master grade sets the supplier had on hand a couple years ago. The Lutz top is cosmetically mid grade...it is not "clean". But it has it where it counts...great tap tone, stiff and low density. Great silking, too! I like grain features (e.g. color variation, bear claw), so all is well.


Thanks again for your comment. :cool:

Beautiful Maple!!!
 

Boy oh Boy! What a pretty bunch of woods. I like grain features in tops too! And the TONE is indeed what matters!

That neck is beautiful

Enjoy

Paul

Very nice! Not sure which part I like the most, they all look so good :)

Thank you for the compliments. One last thing I will note is in addition to the back/side set looking nice, it had a nice tap tone. Most sets of mahogany and mid weight woods I've tapped had a more subtle tap tone (they went on to make some nice sounding guitars).



Aesthetics aside, the ultimate goal is for this to be nice-sounding guitar. Time will tell... :wink:

Beautiful guitar, and as a big fan of Maple, I think it will nail the sound side of things as well! I think Maple is the most underrated tonewood out there among the general population.

I also think you win an award for the most patience in a build...the first post was Jan 2018. You are a good man!

Thanks so much. I like maple, too, particularly on a guitar of this size. The choices of the Lutz top and a slightly deeper body were to enhance the maple goodness.

Larry has been so generous and accommodating to me over the years. I'm glad to be able to help him out with his scheduling. Have I chomped at the bit at different times? Yes. :halo: But we'll get there. Good things come to those who wait.