What is a Work Hoss?
 

A Work Hoss is a Lame Horse Big Hoss guitar built from the best materials, from an outstanding design, with no frills. This guitar keeps its head down, and gets the job done. It costs a little less than other Lame Horse guitars because all Work Hoss guitars are alike in appearance (like most guitars out there, ha ha), thus greatly reducing design time involved. However, like on all Lame Horse guitars, only the best materials are used - scientifically selected Engelmann spruce tops (unless built to order with another top wood), and Honduran rosewood backs and sides. The guitars still sport adjustable playing action under full string tension (although the mechanical advantage is 50:1, rather than 300:1), and all still have the essential rear access panel. Probably a Work Hoss is even more likely to travel than a custom Big Hoss, so it must have a Calton case. If you doubt the quality of material, please take a look at the top and rosette of the first Work Hoss, which is attached here. We will probably only be able to build 4 of these this year, one for each show we will attend. Therefore, if you think you have an interest, please speak up.

I like no frills - my favorite guitars are all no frills options

"Lame" usually has a negative connotation of weakness or injury so I actually started this post thinking the wrong thing

Just for you Fazoo
 

Fazoo, I guess you are not familiar with our guitars. Please check them out. Most folks don't see them in a negative light. We are building these guitars just for folks like you. Normally our guitars are anything but plain. However, we certainly believe in different strokes for different folks, thus the Work Hoss. More photos will follow soon. Please check out photos and sound files on our website and our Facebook page.

Oh yeah, I like it too. Yes, these guitars are anything but lame, loud, powerful, articulate, and generally very artistically adorned. Anyone who wants to try them in person, I know where you can do that and talk with the Jenkii.

I've always said "there's work horses and there's show horses." Given a choice I'll always take the work horse.

Looking Forward to BIG
 

Tom, we are looking forward to BIG. There is no other show like it. Only in that format can one really get to know an instrument, and it’s builder. We love getting to know people, so BIG is perfect for us.

Return of the Jenkii !!!!

That's exactly what I was thinking, Dennis! :D

I too am looking forward to seeing the Work Hoss progress...

top specifications
 

When I posted the photo of the top, I intended to post its specs also. anyway, here the are. Very light, perfect stiffness, Top 0.1% of all tops as far as sound radiation coefficient goes.

Another Standard Feature
 

As we said, all Work Hoss guitars look alike. The doesn't mean they can't have some nice features. Here are a couple of photos of the standard side port, one from the outside, and one from the inside. The inside photo shows the pao ferro lining, which all Work Hoss guitars have. The sides are 3 layers thick. This makes for not only a more stable and ubreakable rim, but a better sounding guitar. The effective vibrating area of the top increases as the stiffness and weight of the sides increase.

These first two Work Hoss models are about ready for binding. They would not be Lame Horse guitars without a Zuni good luck fetish - so they have one. This one is viewed from outside throughout the soundport.

Very cool soundport and I love the idea with the Zuni fetish!

Looking good all the way around!

More photos
 

All ready for binding - the first 2 Work Hoss models. The one on the top is Honduran rosewood, straight off the Mayan land in Belize. The other is Indonesian rosewood. The plan is to try to build them all from Honduran. We love its look, but even more its resonance. It is probably the most musical of all rosewoods. That is why marimba bars are made from it. It just is not that easy to come by.
The tops, although not from the same billet, or even the same tree, are almost identical in every physical property- density, Young's modulus, sound radiation coefficient, and even appearance. Once they were voiced and braced, their weight differed by only 4 grams.

The last photo is the next set of Honduran rosewood from Greener Lumber for Work Hoss#3.

Pretty darned impressive so far. Love the set for number 3, gorgeous.

The first Work Hoss Guitars are Ready for La Conner!
 

The very first Work Hoss guitars are headed for the La Conner Guitar FestivalNxt weekend. Here are a couple of quick snapshots of the first Honduran Rosewood one. It is pretty simple to look at, but has some tricks up its sleeve sound-wise. Please come see it if you are near by.