Mark Hatcher's Studio 2017
 

I have a lot in the works for 2017 and want to start off with a current build I am working on. This is a Josie small jumbo model. It has a highly figured African Padauk back and side set:

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This is sometimes called "bacon" for obvious reasons but, this set additionally has some wonderful quilt figuring that I have only seen on one other set which, of course, I also bought. That set was used on a parlor spec guitar:

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This guitar proved the sound potential of these sister sets so I am eager to go big on a 16" lower bout small jumbo.
Going through my stash of tops there was one that really stood out as a match. It wasn't on my clients species wish list but, when I showed it to him when he came to my shop it was the obvious choice;

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We are going for a one-of-a-kind look here and I think we're off to a great start! You just don't see Sitka with this kind of bear claw combined with so much red. It is also an extremely light set of Sitka especially for a bear clawed set. It's wonderful, musical tap tone is an awesome fit for this model and the Padauk b/s set.

So we're off and running!

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There will be a lot more to come!

Thanks for viewing
Mark

Wow that's going to be awesome!

Padauk guitar
 

And I, of course, am very interested in seeing this come too life. I find these things exciting.

Starting off with a bang! Looking good. :)

Beautiful pair, no?

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Now THERE's a bearclaw top! What a great piece of wood.
Looking forward to see how this comes together.

Gorgeous pair. That is by far the most intricate bear claw I have ever seen. Wow!

That is what I was going to say. I have an Edwinson with a stunning bear claw sitka top, but I don't think it can match this one and with finish, oh my.

Congrats Mr. BardRocks!!!! This is going to be an amazing project with a fantastic outcome, my goodness.

Dramatically beautiful!

Hatcher - Crushing it as ever.

Nice.

Love the bearclaw!!!

Thanks for the comments everyone! It truly is an exceptional bear claw top. It's not just the figure though, it's low density is unusual, yet the stiffness is still very good and the tap tone has a nice ring with good sustain. I wish I had more of these tops!

After the top and back are joined I typically further support the back by adding a cross grained center graft. Looking at the back I kept feeling there is something familiar to the look of this and it occurred to me what it was;

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A little better than 30 years ago I lived in Asbury Park NJ. My son was just a baby and we were a new family starting out. We had a house on Sunset Lake. It was a great home built back in the 20s. In fact, Sears used to sell houses back then and this was the model;

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The house was on the north side of Sunset Lake. Here is an old Asbury Park post card. Judging by the perspective it was the view right in front of our house;

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In the late fall and early winter when the sun was low the sunlight would reflect off of Sunset Lake and make dazzling patterns all across the living room ceiling. The pattern in this wood is what brings back those memories.
With all that going on I just couldn't put a strip of plain white Sitka down the center of the back so I dug into the cutoffs from the top wood and got these pieces to use for the graft:

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Here is the inside back shimmering in the light of my memories:

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Another great one Mark. Beautiful.

Thanks for following along Haasome!

Mark