Wow, that set looks mouth watering...sometimes these pictures just want to make you take a tour of luthiers shops and look at woods!!

Yeah, that one was too nice to pass up!

Thanks Nemoman. No plans yet. I’m eager to see how that turns out too!

I’d like to join you on that tour!

LOL, some people don't believe wood can be addicting, how little do they know.
But, sometimes I wonder if some wood sellers are pulling some sneaky stuff. I can't prove it, when I go through my local hardwood lumber yard I sometimes hear a faint sound like "Buy me, buy me," when I stop and look at a really nice board. Might be some subliminal thing, that's my story anyway.

I know that voice!

Penelope Cross-over
 

Here is are a couple pictures to update progress on the Bubinga/Cedar Penelope nylon cross over. The Penelope is one of my first model designs and it's always been my trial guitar on most anything new. It is funny however that there are several features that are common on my other models that I have never done on a Penelope. I have never done a Florentine cut away on a Penelope. The closest I've come was the scoop type cutaway with a Florentine point that I did for my Venetian influenced Olivewood guitar (the irony of a Florentine pointed cutaway on a Venetian style guitar is now just hitting me)

https://live.staticflickr.com/1851/4...d3217f5f_b.jpg

I like the cut of the line on the soundboard so I've let that be the guide for the full Florentine cut-away on this new guitar. Here is a picture of the joined laminated sides receiving the back kerfing:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0aee7194_b.jpg

I have never done an arm bevel on a Penelope so this is another first. I am gluing the top kerfing on here and you can plainly see the Spanish Cedar banana glued in which will provide the support for the arm bevel to come:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...fbc2d6dc_c.jpg

I've also have never done a raised fretboard on a Penelope. Since that is now a standard feature on the Penelope steel string guitars and works so well it is certainly being carried over to this cross over.
So what's the improvement with the elevated fretboard? There are two improvements particular to this model. The guitar is a 12 fret so there is more fretboard on the soundboard and when it is raised if provides better access and leverage when fretting above the 12th fret. It is an improvement even if there is a cut away.

The second improvement is a bit more subtle but makes a difference. With some players it is a big difference especially if they are used to playing 14 fret guitars. You see a 14 fret guitar gives you a little more elbow room from the side of your body because you are reaching out further to fret the guitar.
With an elevated fretboard the guitar's neck is cantered out a couple degrees so the strings are pointed down toward the bridge (so the bridge doesn't need to be higher to match the elevation of the fretboard). When the neck is pushed out a little it brings your left arm out a little more from your body and gives you back that elbow room so you may not feel as cramped as you go up the fretboard.

I've heard some people say that a guitar with an elevated fretboard sounds a little more harp like because the strings are pulling up a little more on the bridge. I'm not one of those people that say that. I don't hear it.


Thanks for viewing!
Mark

I'm in violent agreement with this. ^^^^

The tail block looks like a pillow, beautiful craftsmanship for something that is barely visible once the guitar is complete.

I look forward to seeing some more progress on the elevated fretboard if that is in the future.

Thanks for commenting!

Thanks! I round off the end block not so much for ascetics. I have a thing against flat surfaces and sharp edges inside of an acoustic chamber.

The elevated fretboard is coming along well. I've been sorting out the neck wood today. I also started doing further clean up on the inside of the sides:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...abd4c06f_b.jpg

Thanks again!
Mark

Dessert Ironwood Preview
 

I recently started getting desert Ironwood to use for fretboards and trim etc. We recently made the decision to use it on a Tree guitar I have in the works. Here is a preview of this gorgeous wood I am using:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...6854e159_c.jpg

I like how the grain and swirl of the burl texture shows in the char of the branding iron. It makes me think of ways I might take advantage of that in other ways.

Looks fantastic, Mark!
How so? Some decorative branding in the rosette or endgraft? Or maybe even the headstock? Michael Bashkin does his sand-scorched rosette technique which is pretty cool. It's not the same thing, of course, but I could see one leaning into the texturing of your branding technique.

Speaking of decorative branding:

burning Lichtenberg figures into wood flute cases:
https://www.facebook.com/Reviol.Wood...61764644220366

https://www.facebook.com/Reviol.Wood...27884063954185

Your work and wood selection is seriously some of my favorite in the business, Mark! Hope all is well with you.

Thanks Erithon, The thing I like about scorching wood is the darkening goes deep into the wood so it doesn’t just sand off when prepping for finish. The thing I most like about this Ironwood is the texture of the wood grain show almost as much as a softwood texture shows after you torch it and then wire brush it.
My first thought was what a wonderful looking textured black binding set this would be. An element on a headstock etc. I’ll be playing with this for a bit and see if I can’t work it into a proposal on a custom build when the time comes.


Thanks for the link. I like how much detail there is.

Thanks Dustin! I’m doing great and business has been very good. I seem to attract customers that want some wonderful woods and it’s my pleasure to provide them!

Thanks for the comments!
Mark

It is nice to have customers always willing to take on an experiment right!

Customers do vary on how adventurous they are. I hope I'm past the experiment stage before offering them a new alternative.
I like to try something new with every guitar but I do a lot of dry runs on those new things. The bottom line is I just don't want to do something new that looks like it was the first time I ever did it!