Urlacher Pink Ivory Parlor - Safari Sunset - June 2022
 

Greetings Friends!

I am going to commission my 1st guitar, hooray! I had the pleasure of meeting some of you at BIG this year and it was real treat and a great event. Thanks to Rebecca, Dustin, Karlijn and Al Mojo for generously sharing their guitars.

I ended up falling in love with the Pink Ivory Parlor (Al if you decide its not for you, let me know :) ) As a result, I have put a deposit on a build slot for 2022.

This issue is that we can't find any more Pink Ivory of the quality that she used to make another one. I have located a set but not clear and would require a 3 or 4 piece back. So I'm on the hunt for a nice set. I think the rarity and uniqueness are a really cool element, not to mention the fantastic look and tonal characteristics. Rebecca has the same batch of Red Cedar for the top, so that piece is in place.

I hope to document the build here but, in the meantime, does anyone have any leads on a nice Pink Ivory set?

Thanks in advance for any help or advice and let the Pink Ivory Safari begin, bunga bunga!

If anyone has a set to spare, I would think this is the place to find it with the luthiers we have. Good luck with the search.

Congrats on this upcoming build!!

When I think of the very few pink ivory guitars I have see in displays over the years, Bill Tippin's guitars come to mind. Possibly a source??

This will be fun! Good luck in your quest. Hopefully someone here will have the Perfect back/side sets
Cheers

Paul

Yes, I have heard that he built with it a lot, that may be someone to reach out to. I know him a little, but not well. Cigarfan knows him better.

Thank you so much for the tip. I wonder if he would sell from his stash?

Thanks Paul. When it's done I'll swing by and show it off!

It's not what you know, but who you know. Maybe Dennis will put in a good word for me!

You might also contact Roger Bucknall at Fylde. He's been known to have killer Pink Ivory sets in his wood stash.

Awesome, thanks for the tip. Are you still looking for a set for an OM build and have you had any success?

Welcome! And good luck, I know you'll get what you're looking for! I'm not actively looking for Pink Ivory sets or guitars at the moment as I have several new builds from various luthiers coming up to focus on.

Absolutely nothing wrong with doing a 4-piece back...

...oh, and congrats!

I would have to concur, I have a 4 piece back guitar in BRW made by Mr. Sexauer and 1) you can't tell and 2) I have had no issues with it, and finally 3) It allowed us to use some beautiful BRW that otherwise would have been wasted.

Well said, my Taran build is a 3 piece ABW and I have no qualms with it or any 4 piece he might've preferred to use.

Congrats to the OP on your build with Rebecca!

I’ve played some memorable guitars that had 3-piece backs. Almost bought one, and would have bought the other, but it wasn’t for sale. If Rebecca thinks a 4-piece would work, that could be a good way to go.

Thanks to all for the input on the multi-piece back. I should elaborate and say that the issue is that we are using 2 different sources of wood that may not be of the same look and or quality. We can do a 4 piece back with the new wood, or use one of her left over pieces along with 2 "wings" of the new wood to make a 3 piece back. Depending on Rebecca's opinion of the new wood, we may be forced to go with plan B, which would be another type of wood for back and sides if the safari doesn't turn up any suitable Pink Ivory.

Art Overholtzer who wrote one of the first guitar making books that I ever came across was such a strong believer in quarter sawn back wood that he would cut his Brazilian planks accordingly and regularly make 6 piece backs just to ensure that grain orientation. He won grand national champion with one of his instruments. (He built classical guitars and evidently in that world there is a sort of competition you can enter)
Bottom line, well joined multi piece guitar backs are fine