BRUCE SEXAUER: FT-000-C [Red Spruce | Oregon Myrtle]
 

Bruce Sexauer has been building stringed-instruments for last 53 years. For the last 20+ years he began the practice of formally documenting details each of the instruments coming off his bench (and for the last decade here on AGF). He maintains a running list of his builds on his website called “The Master’s List”. The page on his websites lists 422 stringed instruments in total. These are comprised of not just acoustic guitars but dulcimers, electric guitars, gypsy guitars, harps, mandolins, psalteries, and violins.

http://sexauerluthier.com/thelist.html

This commission will be Bruce’s 300th documented acoustic guitar recorded on “The Master’s List”. It will also be my 5th custom commissioned steel string flat top from Bruce.

For this commission, I have asked Bruce to build me a 000 sized, long-scale, 12-frets to the body, slot head, guitar for #300. I have several 12-frets to the body single 0 and 00 sized guitars and the extra body length/volume adds to their bass response and alters the overall timbre of these guitars from their 14 frets to the body cousins in a pleasing way.

The overall design of this guitar will fall squarely in Bruce’s traditional design aesthetic like my FT-0 and JZ/2-15 do and less reflective of his evolved traditional designs like my FT-L00 and FT-16. It will however deviate from “tradition” in several ways by incorporating:

• A “non-standard” hardwood choice of back and side wood (more below),
• Bruce’s standard top bracing pattern which differs from Martin’s
• The addition of a Venetian cutaway for enhanced upper fretboard access
• Incorporating a subtle wedge for playing comfort and
• The addition of a sound port to enhance the player’s acoustic experience.

Here are the basic specifications:

MODEL:
FT-000-C (FT = Flattop, 000=12 fret/15” body, C = Cutaway
Serial No. 3000520 (300th guitar, May 2020)

DIMENSIONS:
Scale Length: 25.4”
Nut Width: 1-3/4”
String Spacing: 2-5/16”
Lower Bout: 15”
End Depth: 4-1/8”

FEATURES:
Headstock: Slot Head
Cutaway: Venetian
Sound Port: Yes, Elliptical
Wedge: Yes, 1/4”
Bridge: Belly
Other: Bird’s Beak, Bridle Joint

MATERIALS:
Top: Red Spruce
Back & Sides: Oregon Myrtle
Neck: One-Piece, Honduran Mahogany
Fretboard: Ebony
Finish: Oil Varnish

HARDWARE:
Fret Wire: JESCAR EVO .043”x .080”
Tuners: Schaller GrandTune Single Machine Heads
Case: Visesnut Active Series 000/OM Model

Many of the detailed decorative choices will of course be collaboratively chosen as he builds the instrument. Today is my birthday. What a great present to initiate the construction of a new guitar!

This is the Red Spruce top set that Bruce suggested for this build. Bruce sourced this top set a few years back from Matt and Nate Hampton who live in Eastern Tennessee and harvest old growth Red Spruce (Picea rubens) regionally in the Maggie Valley (Great Smokey Mountains in North Carolina). So, this is not “Adirondack Spruce” per se, but “Great Smokey Mountains Spruce” if we are ascribing provenance.

https://i1238.photobucket.com/albums...s1nazcibk.jpeg

https://i1238.photobucket.com/albums...swrbuyizt.jpeg

The non-traditional back and side set that we chose together are figured Oregon Myrtle (Umbelluluria Californica) that Bruce sourced about a decade ago from his friend, Oregon luthier Les Stansell. Down in California where it also grows the tree is known as Bay Laurel or Pepperwood. This was the only set of Oregon Myrtle that Bruce had in his vast wood locker. Surprisingly, Bruce has never built a guitar with Oregon Myrtle, so I am excited to see where he takes this material acoustically combined with a Red Spruce top in this body format.

https://i1238.photobucket.com/albums...psmvceb8bt.png

https://i1238.photobucket.com/albums...sweyfozh3.jpeg

https://i1238.photobucket.com/albums...sszvthdvw.jpeg


More when I get it…:up:

Bravo, Bob!

As usual, you have chosen extraordinary sets of wood for your project. I have heard great things about Oregon Myrtle tone-wise, and wow is that stuff pretty.

I bet Bruce will produce an amazing guitar from this.

I'm a big fan of Oregon Myrtle and look forward to watching this set as it progresses in Bruce's capable hands!

And Happy Birthday, Bob!

Backstrip
 

Bruce is moving right along. This morning, installed an Amazon Rosewood Backstrip wit Black Fiber/Curly Maple/black Fiber purfling.

https://i1238.photobucket.com/albums...sd7piivxd.jpeg

https://i1238.photobucket.com/albums...szlpftgnz.jpeg

https://i1238.photobucket.com/albums...slg7lprmv.jpeg

000 Shape
 

Here are the Red Spruce top and Oregon Myrtle back plates rough cut to the 000 shape.

https://i1238.photobucket.com/albums...slnun63ou.jpeg

https://i1238.photobucket.com/albums...szfgfibsd.jpeg

Gorgeous woods! Thanks for sharing with us.

No doubt...:)

Thank you!

My pleasure JT...

Yum...
 

This will be fun to watch! Looking forward to more… Happy birthday! And have fun with this build.

Can't wait for more

Paul

Beautiful woods Bob. This is going to fun to watch. I'm still confused about who your favorite luthier is though:)

Thanks Paul...:)

As you well know, Bruce builds superlative instruments...:up:

Loving the look of that back!!

Love Bruce's 12 fretters.

Gonna be fun to watch! Man, that upgraded ticker is really workin' now! :D

Very exciting project! Happy Birthday! Tim

The rims are interestingly figured as well...

12-fret guitars definitely have a different and pleasing timbre.

Always is...:)

Thanks Tim...