Premium Guitar Magazine
 

I got a 2 page spread in the upcoming July '18 Premier Guitar magazine. It is part of a larger article on luthiers in different areas of the country. I even got a plug in for AGF!

https://www.premierguitar.com/articl...-region?page=2

Premier Guitar is the most popular guitar magazine out there with over a million monthly readers so I'm very happy to get the exposure and am complimented by who else is in the article. Good timing too, as I am preparing for my first time exhibiting at the upcoming Woodstock show.

Hey Mark,

Congrats on the article. Great looking stuff in this thread and in the article. I especially like the throated soundport. I had a similar concept many years ago, although it only made it into sketches and I never seemed to get the time to make it materialize. Either way your implementation so much more elegant, and I love the thought of the inspiration coming from the snail. (Mine was from the Nautilus.)

Nice work.

Congratulations, Mark, it's terrific that you were one of the highlighted builders! And I agree with your explanation of the importance of photography; we eat with our eyes, and your guitars are a feast.

Congrats Mark, really nice article and you certainly had some beautiful builds to highlight as well. Again, the professional grade photos were there to help again!

Nice article Mark! That gets you even more "on the map" than you already were :up:.

Great stuff, congratulations!

Thanks John, Yeah, that shape just works. Our hearing is totally dependent on the snail shaped cochlea inside our ears. Seems significant in a coincidental sort of way :)



Thanks mikealpine!


Thanks Tom!


Thanks Woody!

Very nice article, Mark, congratulations!
And the pics aren't too shabby either. As I think about that, the excellent photographs probably help hone the eye, and end up making you a more careful craftsman? I mean you're looking at your own work with a critical, not a forgiving eye...more like a consumer perhaps? Anyway, lovely as always.

Steve

Terrific article Mark. You build beautiful instruments and it’s nice to see this.

Thanks for commenting Steve. Yes, taking pictures is definitely part of my build process. It makes me stop and actually look at what I am doing. A lot of my creative ideas come from behind the lens. Photography has always been an interest of mine, I guess I'm a visual thinker. I just came across this photo when I got my first 35mm camera maybe 40 years ago:

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1744/...1c9a632f_o.jpg


Thanks Haasome!

Hey, nice camera. Who's the kid holding it? :D

SK

Back to that guitar
 

OK back to business, I've thinned the top and am starting to do the braces. That starts at the X brace. I use an interlocking sash joint wherever braces cross. There is a lot of fiddley miter work involved but, it eliminates the knuckles. This lowers needless weight in normally overly stiff spots:

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1760/...86d7da17_c.jpg


The first round of braces going on include the X brace, the transverse brace, and the bridge plate:

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1755/...eb8952e3_b.jpg

Thanks for viewing!
Mark

Those amazing Hatcher photos lured me in....2 guitars later and no regrets at all. He is a master maker.

Beautiful as always Mark, loving the colour combination of this latest build.

Can I ask how you go about making colour selections when it comes to binding, bridge/fretboard and rosette selections?
Sometimes I see you go for high contrasting colours, or other times, very closely coloured timbers. Is this just a case by case decision, or planned in advance?
Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Sorry Mark, but I have another question!
Did you have any feedback on the black strings you used on your Olivewood build??
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4386/...a179d643_h.jpg

Hi Zandit75,

I like these Black Diamond strings. The volume is good and there is reduced finger noise. Personally, I tend to prefer bright almost chimey strings like fresh D’Addario PB strings. These are not that. Charlie Chronopoulos who does my sound samples, loved these strings and felt this was the most balanced and versatile guitar he’s heard of mine.
So in short, good quality, volume, and more round tone similar to nickel strings.
I have a set of DR Black Beauties coming that I will try on this guitar and decide from there which set will be on the guitar going to the Woodstock show.

Mark