Thanks antsdmb,

I'm making a pretty good investment in walnuts and expect to have a great selection for the foreseeable future so keep me in mind if you bump into a pile of money laying around!

​Thanks Tom,

I'm going to make some gross generalizations applicable to an overly simplified world so don't hold me too tightly to this.

If we were to place mahogany on the end of a long table and place rosewood on the other end I would put Eastern Black Walnut exactly in the middle. I would put Claro halfway between the Black Walnut and the mahogany and I would put Bastogne Walnut halfway between the Black Walnut and the rosewood. Tonally speaking that's about how they fall.

Now which wood makes a better fingerstyle guitar? Rosewood or mahogany?
I don't think anyone will ever get anything like a consensus among musicians on that one! So to answer your question I think walnut can make an extremely wonderful fingerstyle guitar especially with cedar on it. I think walnut can make an extremely wonderful strummer especially with a little harder top like a good Sitka even Red Spruce. Walnut is a very versatile wood. I'm banking on it filling the void that will open as the availability of exotics diminishes. I do believe woods like walnut have the potential and beauty to fill that void wonderfully. The only thing that I wonder about is why it hasn't happened already!

I've mentioned Bastogne Walnut but haven't posted any pictures of this more rosewood like walnut. It's a rare hybrid between Claro and English Walnut and has the not unusual hybrid characteristic of not being like either parent as it is much harder than both it's parents.

Here are pictures of side and back wood billets that I have incoming. Hopefully I'll have them tomorrow:

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8591/...80f7dc9c_c.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7638/...97978712_c.jpg

Pretty, aren't they!

Mark

They are really interesting aren't they. They would be hard for me to explain to anyone in words. Those are in the dry state correct. Can you even imagine how they will look with finish, it is hard for me to visualize that.

I think these have alcohol on them but, they are wild aren't they?

Wild is definitely the word. Make you dizzy if you stare too long.

I'll be sure to load up on Dramamine before I start resawing them. I'm hoping to get at least 3 guitar sets from these billets.

Mark

Now you know how highly I hold it in regard ;)

And wow I would love to hear more information on that acoustic bass, not only does it look stunning, but I'm interested to know how it turned out. Any specs and how does building a bass differ from an acoustic guitar?

Well Thank-you Marcus,

I did a build thread on the bass. Doing a bass is not incredibly different from a regular six string. My methods for deflection testing of the tops can accommodate for the increased tension of the bass strings. What was really difficult was thinking through those f-holes! A guitar with f-holes is a different instrument.

Here is a link to the build thread I did on that bass which will take you through the process and answer some of the spec questions:
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=302582

Thanks,
Mark

Josie BRW #2 Neck
 

I'm plugging along on the neck on this Josie #2. One of my signature features on my guitars is the cross grained center laminate. In this case we're going with cross grained Brazilian:

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8740/...ee204bc8_c.jpg

Here I am gluing on a Brazilian back plate over maple to show a maple purfling line:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7639/...6fd46897_c.jpg

I'm planning to complete the neck this week and send the guitar out for finishing Monday.

Thanks for following along!
Mark

Mark, if ever you see me pull up in your driveway, you'd better go hide those two billets...

Steve

Thanks for the heads up Steve!

The billets were delayed due to bad weather but, I should have them today. Gives me a little more time to find a good hide'n spot!

Mark

More neck
 

Here are some pictures of the top plate for the headstock. This is Brazilian and will be my pillow top type. Because of the height of the pillow top I inlay the truss rod cover into it for string clearance:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7594/...efc4eda5_c.jpg

In this case we're keeping the truss rod cover Brazilian as well and more or less blending it in. This requires a very tight fit or it just won't look right IMHO. So that's what I did:

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8661/...3a42f561_c.jpg

You'll notice I have a BRW floor inside the truss rod cut out. I think it looks more finished that way (even though no one normally will see it):

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7287/...2913ec74_c.jpg

Thanks for viewing!
Mark

Working the Neck
 

I've got the neck roughed out this morning and am feeling very good on how this one is all coming together:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7631/...a7038c77_c.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7650/...b4fd4a5d_c.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8715/...5f6f62d7_c.jpg

Does it make me weird that I think this is the sexiest looking part of the guitar?:

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8662/...57d4a8d8_c.jpg

Thanks for viewing!
Mark

Well, although a particularly beautiful part of the guitar, I feel I need to say that you may be spending a little too much time in the shop!!!!!:)

I suppose you may be right Tom:)

Rosette
 

I set up the rosette on this guitar. It is getting abalone on the rosette and around the top. So this one, bling wise, falls between the previous two BRW Josie small jumbos I've been working on. Just right?

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7593/...c32f6b44_c.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7604/...d0778d9f_c.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7639/...8444b633_c.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8596/...221780f5_c.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8698/...99d6f2d1_c.jpg

The idea on this rosette is to use the color of the spalted Tamarind to play off the color of the Western Red Cedar top. The black ebony rings are to go with the black binding and a little abalone to tie into the top purfling.

Thanks!
Mark