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Build Thread: Tahoe Guitar Co. 00-12 (Mahogany/Carpathian)
Here is a build thread for my latest from Larry Nair of Tahoe Guitar Co.. It will be a 00-12 in mahogany and Carpathian Spruce. I will keep the thread updated as pictures roll in.
Today we completed the material selection save the final back and sides. I posted a few pics of the materials. We're waiting for delivery of a set of Sinker Mahogany (first pic). If we reject it, we have picked an alternate set (second pic). I decided to go with herringbone top purfling rather than the flitch purfle shown. EDIT: I have decided to go with rosewood binding rather than the curly walnut shown. Tahoe Guitar Co. Model: S-12 (00-12) Top: Carpathian Spruce Back/Sides: Honduran Mahogany Binding: Rosewood Top Purfle: Herringbone Neck: Curly Maple/Walnut/Curly Maple five-piece Bracing: Adirondack Spruce Rosette: African Blackwood Bridge: Ebony Pyramid Fingerboard: Macassar Ebony Tuners: TBA Paddle Head w/ Ebony Plate Scale: 24.9" Nut: 1 3/4" Saddle: 2 1/4" The sinker mahogany set. We shall see if it is a good as it looks. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pselc6jdue.jpg The alternate mahogany set. More vanilla in appearance (though not wet with naptha), but a nice set. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psqj9dprl6.jpg Binding against mahogany. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psnmzyh1wy.jpg Binding and blackwood rosette with the top. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psiumll4xf.jpg The maple neck woods. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psrubxn2cl.jpg Fingerboard, head plate, the pearl logo, and the curly walnut for the tail wedge and heel cap. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pst3xpufx3.jpg I realize I didn't snap a full pic of the top. Here is the best I have. It is a light, stiff, nicely quartered, and ringy set of Carpathian Spruce. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pssjk85wfv.jpg |
Hi, OMO, did you take a decision re. the mahogany?
Our experience with sinker mahogany (two guitars so far) is that it is a bit denser than mahogany being cut now. Which stands to reason, it comes from older trees, and whatever mineral leach has occurred under water only adds to that. What you have shown so far promises to be a beauty! Keep us posted. Steve |
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The sinker mahogany set is a keeper! It is nicely quartered, has nice ribbons and subtle beeswing curl throughout. Taps nicer than most mahogany I've tapped. It is not as red as in the seller's pic, but still a nice mahogany hue. I also got a proper pic of the top, with and without the bracing pattern (those tone bars will be reversed). First design note: The x-braces will be rotated in to increase their intersection with the pyramid bridge. The x junction will not be moved. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pscdsixozh.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psy6vjcz4q.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psahldmo0c.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psjatf1xrr.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psp1gqxcce.jpg |
Oh yeah, that's really nice. I think you'll be happy with that choice.
And what a cool story you have about the back/sides! Steve |
Neck Parts/Block
Some pics have come in from Larry. Here Larry has milled the neck lams. The primary pieces are very flamed Big Leaf Maple. The thin dark lams are Black Walnut and a middle lam of hard eastern maple of some sort.
Also shown is the neck block being stamped. "S12" indicates a 12-fret Spooner model. 'Spooner' is a summit east of Lake Tahoe above Carson City, and has two 'O's. Hence "double oh". 'C' is Carpathian Spruce and 'M' is Mahogany. This guitar is #144. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psi9bsbkdb.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psmxyz2ksd.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psk8mudjjp.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psmemhcib2.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psym5xsvt4.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psocavbhbs.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psrydd5a1d.jpg |
Brace Trace
Larry traced the bracing pattern from a 1902 Martin 00-12 gut string. The initial tracings were done on tracing paper, then transferred to yellow card stock. The bracing design was modified by narrowing the X-brace without moving the x junction (compare the intersection with the bridge and the lengths of the sound hole strips on the two patterns), and generally beefing up the braces to accommodate steel strings. The back brace pattern is also shown.
A cool note on the bridge plate wood: Local Nevada wood! Because Nevada is known for tonewood... :eek: Of late, Larry has been using Black Locust for most of his bridge plates, but his stock was almost gone. About 18 months ago I overheard a conversation in which a colleague mentioned removing a mature Black Locust tree from their land in Douglas County. To make a long story short, I got a section of the main trunk, and Larry milled it into bridge plate stock. He prefers to use rift sawn stock to prevent grain line cracking in the plates. Larry will cut out the knots and use only clear wood. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psp1gqxcce.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psipcpd0nr.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psd9lmxief.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psgzkbh6cu.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psbjlzryhp.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pstprdpoes.jpg |
Really? You're number 144?
That's just gross. |
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Why? :confused::confused: I assume some bit of humor, cleverness, or clever humor has been lost on me. ;) |
Ooh, sorry. Should have used a smilie.
144=1 gross. Silly pun...failed attempt at humor... But actually 144 is a cool number to own. Steve |
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Got it! No worries at all. :) After posting my question about your comment on 144, I dozed off on the couch. I popped awake an hour later with "144 = 1 gross" in my head. I guess it is a bit of an esoteric term anymore. I had been thinking "12 squared is 144 and it is a 12-fretter...is that what he means?" :wild: |
If it makes you feel better, I giggled.
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A "gross = 144" is easy, figuring out what song G7-C9-Edim-B9-B7b13-E7-E9 beneath your avatar is hard. At first, I thought it might be it might be the music to the verse from the lyrics in your signature line, but alas it is not. That is C#m11-Bm11-Gmaj7-F#m11-Bm7-D/G-E/A. |
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Can't keep up with you guys! Steve |
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LOL. I feel a bit dense in my failure to grasp Steve's pun. *duh* I guess I didn't "score" any points on that one. ;) That chord sequence is not from a song. It was a sequence I came up with many years ago using the high G note as a harmonic link to modulate down three half steps. PM sent. Dang it...I hijacked my own thread! :) |
Bending: Sides
In this sequence the sides are being bent over the 00-12 mold. Larry uses a heat blanket and a spot of water. Once bent, the sides are placed in a cooling jig which preserves their shape while they cool.
The first bend is the waist. The side is then flipped and the bend placed concave up in the waist of the mold. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps3vnorpyb.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps3u3ijlcj.jpg Now the sides are bent into shape. Some of the wood figure is visible. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psyo4wejcc.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psfatbtldg.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psxnd8jzxv.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pslttjceiq.jpg And into the cooling jig... http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pso4amqk8i.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psme0utxax.jpg |
Bending: Binding, Purfling
Now the binding and purfling are bent and placed in the cooling jig. I decided to go with EIR binding for a more subtle look. The curly Claro Walnut binding will be saved for a future project. My name is Jim, and I'm an addict... ;)
http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psmj7qewah.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psoye1k7gx.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psum9h1lcj.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps9xmjugfl.jpg |
Joining the Top
A bunch of pics have rolled in from the Tahoe Guitar Co.. Several posts follow.
Here Larry is joining the Carpathian Spruce top using a nail press. This top was a bit thin on the edges to be joined. Larry used brown tape and some business cards to apply extra downward pressure to minimize any vertical unevenness along the seam. Normally a very small bit of unevenness might exist, but is sanded off when the top is thicknessed. Larry is being extra careful due to the thin edges for the joint. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psdmzvjxxh.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps5mso5b4y.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psmtc7gvde.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psaz3ewhvp.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psv7wdhwgx.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pspi3d5iz2.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psqjbrmjbu.jpg |
Joining the Back
Larry joins the two halves of the Sinker Mahogany back.
One noteworthy detail here is the center stripe. I wanted something subtle, and a pinstripe of EIR was the ticket. We considered ebony (ala a Collings 1-series), but the EIR will be a better match to the binding and heelcap. So a piece of EIR binding was crosscut, and placed "edge-on" (is that a term?) between the back plates. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psvr3oubvu.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psejjvotof.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psd7sopiyi.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psedl0xtph.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psnnivizsg.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psxgvq8r3z.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psla2jr77z.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psgmxficjm.jpg |
Blocking the Sides
The sides are joined with the tail block and the neck block. At this point Larry builds an inside mold to support the joined sides until they are kerfed. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pselwfdxja.jpg
http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psf8lncp9s.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pszj91nhtb.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psullxdddt.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psclfofwqf.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps4ta7qxv6.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pswn9zztjz.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pszf4xdkr8.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pswnizbs01.jpg |
Blocking the Sides 3
Finally, the inner mold is completed.
http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psnj2xtldg.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psbrdtveb9.jpg We considered using this piece of cardboard for the top, but it didn't tap very well. Sounded like cardboard... :D http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psxerlimx7.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psfixbz8uu.jpg That's the proper place for the cardboard... http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps7qmd82si.jpg |
Profiling The Back and Top, Thicknessing
Having allowed the glue to cure, the joined back and top are now profiled to slightly larger than the outline of the guitar.
The top is thicknessed..a rather critical factor in the tone of the guitar. ;) http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pszz5rp6dn.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pssoj63vxm.jpg Thicknessing the top. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psekokbqrq.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psvm3qnadi.jpg |
Thanks for the pics. It's always fascinating to see someone else's approach to building. He's making good time!
Steve |
Rosette
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Larry is on a bit of a mission. He is building one (EIR/Adi dread-bluegrass machine) in tandem with mine and he wants it done for a local show in June. Here Larry inlays the Blackwood rosette. Keeping things simple on the design with simple BWB purfling on the wood rosette and an inner BWB purfling ring. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psypanoosi.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psop64xdty.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psqox3gysl.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps5fktiw5r.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps55fhcazd.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps6ykdoksq.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psqule9jpt.jpg The Luthier's Squall has ripped through Larrys' shop... http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps5zwggfjd.jpg |
Milling The Braces
Larry mills the braces for the top and back from Red Spruce brace stock.
All the brace stock. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psasekezrm.jpg The top brace stock with profile tracings atop the top pattern. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pstnikl8s0.jpg The back brace stock with profile tracings atop the back pattern. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psqdqgochr.jpg The Grizzly band saw roars to life...let the fun begin! http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psjgp073gp.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psxod2d4sv.jpg Meet the braces...the right most pile is the transverse brace and the back braces. The left most pile is the X and the tone bars. The liitle guys are the fingers. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psclbel9r2.jpg A spot of sanding to width. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pszyjizjpk.jpg Rough back braces. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psjvk7zquw.jpg Rough top braces. That bridge plate stock is locally-grown Black Locust. The thin piece at the top will be sound hole strips. The larger piece at the top will become two flat trapezoidal braces between the neck block and the transverse brace (replacing the traditional popsicle brace). http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psf4drvnbo.jpg |
Kerfing
The mahogany kerfing is bent on the 00-12 mold, and glued up.
http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pshwughzdk.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psicgwh05f.jpg It's looking like this collection of woody goodies might become a guitar. :up: http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pss8uk1vyt.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pss8ttenur.jpg "Nurse...remove those clamps!" http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps7rvnogmm.jpg |
Side Profile 1
Larry is in his home studio putting the finishing touches on his CD. He'll be back in the shop soon. In the meantime, I have some pics of a more nuts-and-bolts process.
This is the first 00-12 Larry has built, so he needs a side profile template. Making one requires a bit of layout due to the radiused profile of the sides. The goal here it to profile the unbent sides so that the guitar has the proper depth. The challenge is twofold: The profile curve has a 20' radius and this radiused curve is set up on the length of the body. i.e There are two scales on which this must be done. For the purposes of this discussion, I will refer to the two scales as follows: Side Length: the actual length of the side is 26"; Body Length: The body is (if I recall) 19.5" long. To create a profile pattern, Larry must make depth measurements along the side length, translate to the body length to mark the depth measurements, then translate them back to the side length. How about a few pics? The radius curve template and tracing-based on body length. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pskrc4cvmh.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psf2kuvo97.jpg Sample points at one inch intervals along the side length. The depth of the guitar will be measured at each of these points. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pskg8ukzw9.jpg Translating the points to the body length scale. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps49tkrfxb.jpg The points are closer together in the bends of the sides, more spread out in the straighter sections. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psbk42qxsj.jpg The depths are then marked off from the points along the body length, starting at the radius curve. The depths are then translated back to the one inch increments on the (unbent) side length scale, along what will become the side profile template. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psffcxozoy.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psvdewgmer.jpg The depths are marked off. The points on this scale are unevenly-spaced points along the body length scale. This the only way Larry can use the 20' radius curve as one endpoint for each of the depth markings. Kinda tricky... http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psvfqsixmk.jpg Now we're back on the side length scale, translating those depths to the evenly-spaced marks at one inch intervals. This piece of card stock will become the actual side template. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psoqmjg3y4.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psjrbe1bsy.jpg |
Side Profile 2
With the proper depths marked off, the profile curve is traced along the side profile template.
http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pslqe1pojo.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psjziwaowt.jpg The template is then cut out along that curve. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psqssmwkwc.jpg The profile curve is traced onto the sides, and the sides cut to the proper profile. http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...pslvncdfpd.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps2lbqfmyl.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psw3fqwrb0.jpg http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psakubyrak.jpg |
Well that last part was beyond me, except he made a perfect template with a lot of measurements and then cut the sides out!!!!! hahaha
I have a much more basic question please, what is the point of the cardboard insert into the sides, I have not see anyone do that before? I thought maybe to help maintain shape, but then I did not think the cardboard would be strong enough to really do that? Then I remembered the videos from the last builds you guys did, and thought maybe the cardboard was after too much paint thinner fumes or something ;););) |
Tricky, I know. The key thing is the depth measurements have to be taken along the actual edge length of the side, but marked off from the radius template set along the body length. It took me awhile to get it.
If by "insert" you mean the template or pattern, it simply allows Larry to trace the edge profile which will give the desired radius when the sides are bent. The pattern doesn't serve as a physical guide for the cut itself. The is Larry's good eye and steady hand. :up: |
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