Build: 2020 Ray Kraut 00, Swiss/Brazilian
I am extremely excited to be posting this Raymond Kraut 00 build thread. I have been lucky enough to own and play fine luthier-built acoustic guitars for over ten years, and I have always admired the aesthetics of Kraut guitars. However, I felt they were outside the price range I was willing to pay. That all changed when I met Ray in late 2018 and finally played one of his guitars for the first time. I was floored by the unparalleled response, dynamics and tone. Even more fortunately for me, in 2018 Ray moved and set up shop in Tucson, Arizona, less than ten miles from where I live. I have been visiting Ray's shop every week or two for the last year, and we have become great friends. I cannot speak highly enough about Ray's honesty, openness and loyalty. Ray also loves animals as much as I do. He takes his dog Kees almost everywhere he goes. Ray has been quietly trying to perfect building the most optimally responsive acoustic guitar possible since he apprenticed with Ervin Somogyi over a decade ago.
Ray makes three different models of acoustic guitars, and I selected his newest and smallest design, the 00 model. It is a little less than 14.5 inches across at the lower bout and about 4.25 inches deep at the tail. I liked this model because it has great articulation, bloom and balance with just enough low bass. It is also very comfortable to play. Enough of the introduction. Here are some photos. Ray flew to Switzerland last year, and picked out twenty or so master grade spruce tops. Here is the one I chose, with no runout, great silking, uniform fine grain, and a very high stiffness to weight ratio: https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...nsanded-X3.jpg This is the set of Brazilian rosewood I selected. Ray has had this set in his shop for several years. https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K..._173146-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...ckSides-XL.jpg Finally, I located a unique set of handmade Reischl tuning machines for this guitar. Unfortunately, these tuners are not being made any more. https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...BString-XL.jpg I will post more photos shortly, so thanks for looking and stay tuned. |
Build Photos - Rosette
The build has started and I am hoping for a March delivery.
Ray and I discussed what I liked about his past rosettes, and after drawing up several designs, this is the design and materials we selected: https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K..._151456-X2.jpg Here is the beginning of the rosette: https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...9503061-X2.jpg Here are two pieces of the dyed spalted wood after being inlayed. https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...9511732-X2.jpg Ray is well known for his beautiful and unique rosettes (no two are alike). I am biased, of course, but I think this is one of his best to date: https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...sette01-X2.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...9862949-X2.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...MG_1035-X3.jpg |
Build Photo - Back and Sides
Here are a few more build photos.
The sides after being bent: https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K..._145358-X2.jpg Closeup of the Brazilian rosewood back after the back braces have been glued and shaped: https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...kInside-XL.jpg The back after the box has been closed up: https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...MG_1026-X2.jpg That is all I have for now. I should be visiting Ray in the next couple days, so I will post photos as this build progresses. Thanks again for looking. |
Very SWEET
Nice!!! You must be stoked.
Cool to be close enough to visit your builder. What fun!!! Cheers Paul |
So good to see it happening John!
That is going to be an awesome guitar and it is great you can be close to the build. |
Very nice start. Your rosette is beautiful. I look forward to seeing this come together.
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Very nice. I’m looking forward to seeing more updates.
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John - that is an amazing rosette. Congratulations on what looks to be an amazing build! Great choice on going for a 00, Ray is so proud of that model.
You are indeed lucky to have him in town. I stopped by for a visit to his shop a month ago (he mentioned your build). I was inspired by his passion for excellence in working with wood and crafting flawless and stunningly responsive instruments. Awesome that you can visit him regularly! :up: |
Nice, love the rays in that top.
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Very exciting, I have a 2020 Kraut build myself...!!!! I've played numerous of Ray's most recent builds and I'm totally blown away.... Congrats, tuned in
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Wow, very exciting! I've played a couple Kraut guitars and they really appealed to me. I'll be following closely. This will be fun!
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Kraut 00
Paul, Colin, Cigarfan, Bill, CarmelCedar, Bill Kraus, Diamondave, and Erithon, thanks so much for posting and for the kind words.
CarmelCedar, it is too bad that I did not get to meet you when you were here in Tucson. Maybe next time. Ray is indeed very passionate about his craft, and he is a perfectionist like me, which is great. Diamondave, I keep admiring the guitar Ray is building for you. I wish I could afford all the upgrades you are getting, like Ray's elegant and gorgeous raised fingerboard. I did spring for the same Brazilian rosewood bridge and fingerboard though. I do feel extremely fortunate to live so close to a world class luthier like Ray. It is great fun to watch him build guitars. I knew the large steps involved, but it is amazing to see all the little, and equally important, steps in between. The collaboration on a custom build is even more fun when I can pick out every piece of wood and see all the progress as it happens. The fact that Ray is also such a terrific person is the cherry on top. I will post more progress photos in a couple days. I will also post photos of Ray's shop since he has some amazing shop tools and machines. |
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Looking forward to the next batch of pictures. Steve |
Kraut 00
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Posting more pictures in the next half hour. |
Kraut 00
I visited Ray's shop yesterday, and he had made a lot of progress. He had completed the binding and purfling on the back and front of the guitar. Here are a few photos:
https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...-BodyFront.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...ingCloseup.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...5-BodyBack.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...yBackClose.jpg |
Kraut 00
Here is the Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. There will be a matching pinless bridge from the same piece of wood. The scale is 25.0 inches and Ray will be using EVO fretwire. This fingerboard is one of my favorite parts of the guitar:
https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...ardOverall.jpg Also, here is a photo of the handmade Reischl tuning machines that will be going on this guitar: https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...lTuners-XL.jpg While I was at Ray's shop yesterday, he also made the veneer for the front of the peghead. He used a piece of the Brazilian rosewood used to make the fingerboard and bridge plus the blue and green dyed, spalted woods used on the rosette. Here is Ray re-sawing the piece of Brazilian rosewood: https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...adFront-X2.jpg After cutting the re-sawed rosewood into three smaller pieces, Ray sands, fits and glues them together by hand: https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...adFront-XL.jpg After completing the peghead veneer, Ray sanded both sides to thickness using his Timesaver thickness sander: https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...Peghead-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...gheadFront.jpg To give you an idea of what the completed headstock will look like, here is one of my favorite 00's that Ray recently made: https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...A3A8003-XL.jpg That's all I have for now. Thanks again for following along with the build. |
This whole thing is pretty amazing from the woods, rosette, headstock etc etc.
Congrats! |
My goodness, this is coming together beautifully. I love the fretboard - I'm thinking it will 'speak' to the back and sides in a beautiful way. And the rosette continues to impress.
Can't wait to see it all together! |
I知 in Tucson for the mineral show, I値l be sure to visit Ray, I gotta check this out with my own eyes! Does drool sand off? Lol, I値l be careful... :D
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Every image is a treat John, this is one nice guitar.
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Kraut 00
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Everything you've got going here looks amazing thus far.
Looking forward to seeing this as it progresses! |
Kraut 00
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Ray texted me this teaser photo last night, showing how the headstock looks now. Needless to say, I was delighted with how it is turning out. I will be at Ray's shop later today, so I should be able to post more photos tonight. https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...-Headstock.jpg |
Wow--very cool how the dyed spalted wood is full-depth so that you see it from the side as well. Awesome detailing!
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very cool.
Apropos of nothing I know of a few luthiers that have picked up and moved cross country, Gage Halland being another, and a few others I'm forgetting. I can't imagine moving all that equipment. Last time I moved I basically nuked my attic, brought the guitars and the stereo, etc. Congrats on the build :) |
Kraut 00
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I took more build photos at Ray's shop yesterday and should be posting those tonight. |
Kraut 00
I visited Ray at his shop yesterday for a few hours, and took some photos of the latest progress.
This photo shows the titanium truss rod that I ordered for this guitar. Ray builds such a light guitar body, and I wanted the neck to be as light as possible too (for balance when playing). The titanium truss rod feels noticeably lighter than a steel one - about half the weight. This photo also shows the top part of the dovetail joint that Ray uses to join the neck with the guitar body. https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...0-TrussRod.jpg This is another shot of the peghead veneer that Ray designed for this guitar. The green and blue dyed, spalted woods match the rosette and end graft inlay. https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...headVeneer.jpg Here is Ray gluing the fingerboard to the neck. Ray uses a certain type of fish glue for this. The fish glue is similar to hide glue, in that it can be heated up later to be easily removed. The fish glue, however, is easier to work with as it is applied at room temperature and does not dry/set nearly as fast. This photo also shows the newly inlaid maple purfling line around the perimeter of the fingerboard. https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...ingerboard.jpg The next photo shows Ray clamping the glued fingerboard and neck. https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...ngerboard2.jpg I have been hanging out with Ray at his shop for about a year-and-a-half now, and he usually builds one or two guitars at a time. This next photo shows the rare batch of four he has going now, two modified dreadnaughts and two 00's. Mine is at the far end. https://photos.smugmug.com/Guitars/K...atchOfFour.jpg Ray should be shaping my guitar neck next and also completing the end graft inlay. That's it for now. Thanks for following along. |
Love that headstock!
And having seen one image of the four guitars (and necks in the background) I'd be happy to see more if you took them. |
Kraut 00
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The next time I am at Ray's, I will take photos of the other two headstocks and post them (the third one has no inlays). I hope to be there on Monday or Tuesday next week. |
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Look forward to seeing your build's progress as you make yourself at home in Ray's shop. Awesome that you live there and can watch your guitar come to life! :up: |
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