**Robinson Guitars GA Build** Its Home
 

TodayI made the long 3.5 mile trek to Robinson Guitars to get my GA 12 fret build started. Jake Robinson is a luthier in Wellston Michigan that has been building guitars for the past 15 years or so. He studied under Bryan Galloup where he perfected his craft, and....he has perfected his craft!

Here is a link to his website where you can see all of the specs. Jakes work is truly beautiful!

http://www.robinsonguitars.com

I was fortunate enough to own a slope shoulder dread that Jake built for me a few years ago, but as old age and an old motocross shoulder injury would have it, I had to sell it as I could no longer play it comfortably.

Jake has sold several guitars through Dream Guitars. Check out some of his work. https://www.dreamguitars.com/shop/bu.../robinson.html

I really like mahogany/spruce so we went to work looking at B&S sets and top sets. Since Jake knows me well and what I like to play he had narrowed down the selection to suit my needs. We finally decided on a wavy Mahogany set for back and sides and a red (adirondack) spruce top set.One of which he has had drying out for the past 12 years.

The guitar will be bound in Brazilian Rosewood (BRW) with a BRW fretboard, bridge and peg head overlay. Bone nut and saddle.

The rosette will be spalted maple from a tree that was felled on a friend of ours property a few years ago, bound in BRW.

K&K pick up, Waverly open back tuners with snakewood buttons and a Hoffee round out the package.

I am sure I forgot a few details but will post them as they materialize.

This is going to be a true test of my inability to be patient. I know how long these things take and what he is working on right now, so....I will post as I have updates and photos.

and...yes, there is a slope dread traced on the top and back set, but I am doing a GA 12 fret.

Congrats on the new commission! Like the looks of that Mahogany. And it looks like a solid Mahogany neck as well.

It will be fun to follow along. :)

Hey, thanks for starting the thread! I have not tried any Robinson guitars,if they are anything like Galloups then they will be sublime.

I liked your "road trip" photo too. It was over 100 degrees here in Australia today, so your photo cooled me down a little!

Col

His shop really is... over the river and through the woods. It is just shy of a mile, two track drive through the woods along the Pine River.

I currently own Godfather’s sloped shoulder 12 fret dread and it is a sublime instrument. Good luck on your new build, I will follow closely.

Great news - I figured you'd end up passing on the parlor and having one done "for you". Going to send you an email....;)

You're a lucky guy to have the build so close. My first custom build was with Mike Baranik. The four hour drive from LA to Mike's in Templeton was fine..... that is once I'd gotten over the fifteen hour flight from Australia to LA :D.

Looking forward to more posts as your new one develops.

Col

How goes it on this one? Bump!

Thanks for checking in...I hope to have some photos and a progress report next week.

Some progress
 

There has been some progress on my build....Flu and upper respiratory infections has been running wild in our area since the holidays so things are going slower than expected. Everyone in his family has been hit with one or both.

Jake has joined the back and top pieces and done an initial sanding. That Mahogany is going to be fantastic! Pair that with The Adi top, Brazilian fret board, bridge, peg head overlay and bindings....oooooh!

I think we are going to change up the rosette from Spalted Maple to this lovely piece of Amboyna Burl. I think the spalted will get lost in the top, but we will see. He is going to mock up both and we will decide then.

Jake is hoping to get some serious production time in the shop over the next two weeks and have something that resembles a guitar to look at.

I will update as things progress.....now a few photos.

Glad to see this one back on track!

Looks to be amboyna burl--would make a striking rosette.

I agree, that in a rosette will look fantastic and match the b/s perfectly.

Waiting to see what the spalted rosette looks like, but that burl looks like it will tie in the hues of the mahogany quite nicely.

It is indeed ”Amboyna Burl”. I edited my post with this info. Thank you.

Great set of Mahogany....