Sexauer ‘19, chapter 1
 

Here’s a novel idea (for me), I’ll start a new chapter before the mods close the old one. That way, I can keep the old one’s continuity with the two single 0’s I am making for Tom B’Sox’s B.I.G. and dedicate this one to the new year.

Here’s the dread I started today January 7, 2019, and posted in the 2018 thread:

This one is for a traditional Bluegrass player name of Joe Helm. He bought my Paisley Mahogany D-18 from Mike Wilhoyte last year when Mike received the D-28 I made him to replace his actual pre-war Dread. His confidence in me was based on the D-18, and now Joe also has become a believer. But amazingly, Joe wants a traditional Bluegrass dread in Pernambuco. It is not a blind choice as I have an L00 in P here which Joe loves the sound of. This will be an interesting challenge for me.

Here are the joined plated as of ten minutes ago:

http://mojoluthier.com/LP19/JoeHelmD/Topjoined13.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP19/JoeHelmD/Backjoined13.jpg

If you look closely you might make out the penciled templates.

Yay
 

Yay! More BOSS Sexauer stuff....

Not that long till B.I.G.

Woohoo

Paul

The P dread joinery went well, and here are the plates cut out to the template.

This top came from Indiana builder Randy Lucas, and he graded it AAA/master:
http://www.sexauerluthier.com/LP19/J...ptemplated.jpg

http://www.sexauerluthier.com/LP19/J...ktemplated.jpg

Thanks for posting Bruce! will be watching as you progress.

Bruce, Again another beautiful top. By traditional bluegrass, does this mean it is Adi? Or, is it another spruce?

That top and back just kinda look like they belong together - beautiful!

Gorgeous set of “P” Bruce...:up:

Yes, that is red spruce I sourced from Randy Lucas, a builder in Indiana.

There has been a movement in recent times, and at other points in history, toward the most grains per inch possible in top wood. While I can't say this is actually a mistake, it certainly isn't the ideal from my POV. I was told quite early on in my lutherie path that the traditional ideal was even grain and between 12 and 20 lines per inch. My eye certainly prefers the look of 12 to 20, and when I pick my tops, I do try to keep to this standard.

Yesterday I put the rosette into Joe's P dread:
http://mojoluthier.com/LP19/JoeHelmD/rosettein1.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP19/JoeHelmD/rosettein2.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP19/JoeHelmD/rosettein3.jpg

Looking good!

Beautiful woods on this one, Bruce!

Although I can't name a more Bluegrass dedicated guitarist, Joe is comfortable getting outside the traditional Martin trim and wood choices. Perhaps because the Sexauer dread he currently plays is also trimmed more like my progressive guitars, this one will be too.

We will bind this guitar with Pernambuco, but in a character quite different compared to the Pernambuco we are using for the back and sides. These are the same characters used on the single 0 (Sexauer '18 chapter 3) I am just finishing, but flipped in their roles.

The binding matched back strip is in:
http://mojoluthier.com/LP19/JoeHelmD/backstrip1.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP19/JoeHelmD/backstrip2.jpg

This thread sure slipped off page 1 quickly! This suggests the forum is heating up a bit, which cannot be bad.

I have got the braces done on the P dread back. Before you ask, I put my center seam reinforcement in after the braces are finessed, which apparently is not the typical sequence, but makes more sense to me.

http://mojoluthier.com/LP19/JoeHelmD/backbraces.jpg

Makes perfect sense to me. I've never done it any other way. BTW beautiful Pernambuco. Will you be bringing a Pernambuco guitar to Tom's show? I've never had a chance to play one.....would love to.

Love the idea of a P dreadnaught Bruce. I know it will be killer.

BTW, looks like you at Artisan this year. I am going to try to make it and, if so, I will bring the P 000 and give you a check in on how it is coming along. It sounds fantastic.