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Bruce Sexauer 01-07-2019 09:59 PM

Sexauer ‘19, chapter 1
 
Here’s a novel idea (for me), I’ll start a new chapter before the mods close the old one. That way, I can keep the old one’s continuity with the two single 0’s I am making for Tom B’Sox’s B.I.G. and dedicate this one to the new year.

Here’s the dread I started today January 7, 2019, and posted in the 2018 thread:

This one is for a traditional Bluegrass player name of Joe Helm. He bought my Paisley Mahogany D-18 from Mike Wilhoyte last year when Mike received the D-28 I made him to replace his actual pre-war Dread. His confidence in me was based on the D-18, and now Joe also has become a believer. But amazingly, Joe wants a traditional Bluegrass dread in Pernambuco. It is not a blind choice as I have an L00 in P here which Joe loves the sound of. This will be an interesting challenge for me.

Here are the joined plated as of ten minutes ago:

http://mojoluthier.com/LP19/JoeHelmD/Topjoined13.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP19/JoeHelmD/Backjoined13.jpg

If you look closely you might make out the penciled templates.

Guitars44me 01-07-2019 10:11 PM

Yay
 
Yay! More BOSS Sexauer stuff....

Not that long till B.I.G.

Woohoo

Paul

Bruce Sexauer 01-08-2019 01:44 PM

The P dread joinery went well, and here are the plates cut out to the template.

This top came from Indiana builder Randy Lucas, and he graded it AAA/master:
http://www.sexauerluthier.com/LP19/J...ptemplated.jpg

http://www.sexauerluthier.com/LP19/J...ktemplated.jpg

willysunday 01-08-2019 01:51 PM

Thanks for posting Bruce! will be watching as you progress.

IBKuz 01-08-2019 02:20 PM

Bruce, Again another beautiful top. By traditional bluegrass, does this mean it is Adi? Or, is it another spruce?

tadol 01-08-2019 05:46 PM

That top and back just kinda look like they belong together - beautiful!

iim7V7IM7 01-08-2019 06:20 PM

Gorgeous set of “P” Bruce...:up:

Bruce Sexauer 01-08-2019 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IBKuz (Post 5942243)
Bruce, Again another beautiful top. By traditional bluegrass, does this mean it is Adi? Or, is it another spruce?

Yes, that is red spruce I sourced from Randy Lucas, a builder in Indiana.

Bruce Sexauer 01-09-2019 01:08 PM

There has been a movement in recent times, and at other points in history, toward the most grains per inch possible in top wood. While I can't say this is actually a mistake, it certainly isn't the ideal from my POV. I was told quite early on in my lutherie path that the traditional ideal was even grain and between 12 and 20 lines per inch. My eye certainly prefers the look of 12 to 20, and when I pick my tops, I do try to keep to this standard.

Yesterday I put the rosette into Joe's P dread:
http://mojoluthier.com/LP19/JoeHelmD/rosettein1.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP19/JoeHelmD/rosettein2.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP19/JoeHelmD/rosettein3.jpg

TomB'sox 01-09-2019 02:28 PM

Looking good!

Nemoman 01-09-2019 02:44 PM

Beautiful woods on this one, Bruce!

Bruce Sexauer 01-09-2019 04:20 PM

Although I can't name a more Bluegrass dedicated guitarist, Joe is comfortable getting outside the traditional Martin trim and wood choices. Perhaps because the Sexauer dread he currently plays is also trimmed more like my progressive guitars, this one will be too.

We will bind this guitar with Pernambuco, but in a character quite different compared to the Pernambuco we are using for the back and sides. These are the same characters used on the single 0 (Sexauer '18 chapter 3) I am just finishing, but flipped in their roles.

The binding matched back strip is in:
http://mojoluthier.com/LP19/JoeHelmD/backstrip1.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP19/JoeHelmD/backstrip2.jpg

Bruce Sexauer 01-14-2019 07:10 PM

This thread sure slipped off page 1 quickly! This suggests the forum is heating up a bit, which cannot be bad.

I have got the braces done on the P dread back. Before you ask, I put my center seam reinforcement in after the braces are finessed, which apparently is not the typical sequence, but makes more sense to me.

http://mojoluthier.com/LP19/JoeHelmD/backbraces.jpg

Jimmy Caldwell 01-15-2019 12:43 PM

Makes perfect sense to me. I've never done it any other way. BTW beautiful Pernambuco. Will you be bringing a Pernambuco guitar to Tom's show? I've never had a chance to play one.....would love to.

jmat 01-15-2019 12:44 PM

Love the idea of a P dreadnaught Bruce. I know it will be killer.

BTW, looks like you at Artisan this year. I am going to try to make it and, if so, I will bring the P 000 and give you a check in on how it is coming along. It sounds fantastic.

Bruce Sexauer 01-15-2019 03:12 PM

I'd love to see it, John. It is entirely possible you will have another of my pieces by then, as it happens. Still have to see which way the wind blown . . . and whether or not the wood bends.

Bruce Sexauer 01-15-2019 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimmy Caldwell (Post 5949285)
Makes perfect sense to me. I've never done it any other way. BTW beautiful Pernambuco. Will you be bringing a Pernambuco guitar to Tom's show? I've never had a chance to play one.....would love to.

Check out the last couple of pages of Sexauer '18 (chapter 3), which is largely about what I am bringing to B.I.G.

jmat 01-15-2019 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer (Post 5949424)
I'd love to see it, John. It is entirely possible you will have another of my pieces by then, as it happens. Still have to see which way the wind blown . . . and whether or not the wood bends.

I am ready brother! I have confidence in your bending mojo.

Bruce Sexauer 01-18-2019 07:25 PM

I have had two interesting Sexauer guitars come home this past week. I have added them to my "Inventory" page.

One is the Pernambuco "Mod-D" I made in 2017 as a salute to Ervin Somogyi. The fellow who bought it could not get over the BRW traditional D I have had hanging around here for a while, and we traded.

The other is a 2004 ES-14-C (Schoenberg) which is one of the sweetest sounding guitars I've ever played. It is trimmed with abalone in the Martin style 40, has a pyramid bridge, and a nicely rendered cutaway. It has a fantastically competent feel to hold and play, but again, it is truly beautiful sounding. Even within my body of work is is exceptional for this. It is a poster-child for why the 00 is thought by many to be the perfect guitar size.

At the same time I have had several depart as well. The Dread already mentioned, of course. Also the Pernambuco L00 is sold. And the recently delivered Pernambuco stained Maple Schoenberg Standard (000) is no longer available.

Finally, today I delivered the "serious" classical guitar to Greg, who was close to literally speechless with joy. Although he has previously owned perhaps 6 of my existent guitars, this is his first commission, and that really can be a transcendent experience. He says it was, and that seems true to me.

TomB'sox 01-18-2019 08:00 PM

I wish I could pull the trigger on this 2004 ES-14-C (Schoenberg) with the testimonial you just gave it. Perhaps this needs to visit Texas in a couple of months if it is still around? That is some beautiful BRW to say the least.

Bruce Sexauer 01-18-2019 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomB'sox (Post 5952858)
I wish I could pull the trigger on this 2004 ES-14-C (Schoenberg) with the testimonial you just gave it. Perhaps this needs to visit Texas in a couple of months if it is still around? That is some beautiful BRW to say the least.

It is possible I will no longer have one or more of the guitars I do plan to bring to your place, Tom, in which case this one would be a great addition to my traveling herd. Or, if someone was all but promising to buy, I might go to the trouble of having more guitars than I can actually carry.

M Hayden 01-19-2019 12:02 AM

That ES-14-C is amazing. That’s pretty much double-0-M we talked about, yes?

Bruce Sexauer 01-19-2019 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M Hayden (Post 5953001)
That ES-14-C is amazing. That’s pretty much double-0-M we talked about, yes?

Exactly, Matt. It specs out just like a Schoenberg Soloist (pre-war OM with a cutaway) except based on a 14 fret 00. I have made about 10 of them for Eric, and another half dozen under my own banner which have a slightly different body template.

M Hayden 01-19-2019 10:47 PM

What’s different between your template and Eric’s? Is it adherence to Martin shapes for the Schoenberg instruments?

Guitars44me 01-20-2019 12:57 AM

Fandango time soon...
 
This Texas BBQ and bourbon tasting sure is going to have some fine guitars in attendance!!! Hahahahaha
Gadzooks these are the cat's PJs...

Looking forward to seeing and hearing a few of yours up close and personal, and hearing you play too!!!

Carry on and have FUN

Paul

Bruce Sexauer 01-20-2019 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M Hayden (Post 5953969)
What’s different between your template and Eric’s? Is it adherence to Martin shapes for the Schoenberg instruments?

My Schoenberg guitars are built to Eric’s specs, as though he were the client . . . which he is. His templates are strictly traditional, Martin/Gibson/Stahl/etc. as well as his bracing patterns, trim packages, headstock designs, and more. Thus he does not take advantage of any of my more progressive thinking such as my tone bar variation or wedging, let alone multiscale or body asymmetry. Philosophically, Eric seeks to recreate the Golden Era guitars, whereas in my own work I seek to expand on the theme.

cigarfan 01-22-2019 04:18 AM

Your P dred is looking real good. Looking forward to visiting with you at B.I.G.

Bruce Sexauer 01-22-2019 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M Hayden (Post 5953969)
What’s different between your template and Eric’s? Is it adherence to Martin shapes for the Schoenberg instruments?

THIS IS MY SECOND POST ADDESSING MATT’S QUESTION, AND WHEN I NOTICED I WROTE ONE YESTERDAY, I WENT TO DELETE THIS . . . BUT IT GIVES MORE USEFUL INFO SO I’M NOT . . . YET. SHOULD HAVE FINISHED MY COFFEE BEFORE LOOKING AT THE FORUM.

To the best of my ability, Schoenberg guitars are made to traditional templates. A Schoenberg Soloist, for instance, VERY closely resembles a pre-war golden era Martin OM. In my nomenclature, I differentiate Schoenberg’s from Sexauer’s by by calling a Soloist (OM clone) an ES-15 and a Sexauer equivalent FT-15.

I am married to no specific template for any size guitar. Because I work without molds or similar fixtures, it is as easy for me to make one shape or size guitar as another. That said, as the years pass I have settled onto to favorite shapes and proportions.

My own FT-15 means a 15” wide 14 fretted, and would include Martin’s OM, but is not limited to it. I have recreated my favored version of this template many times over the years as I use heavy paper for the template, and it has a limited lifespan. My current aesthetic take on this standard of our industry uses Martin’s overall dimensions in length/width/depths/string length/etc. but there is some subtle variation in the where the widest and narrowest points of the bouts are placed. It is amazing how little change it takes to get an entirely different aesthetic.

Bruce Sexauer 01-22-2019 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cigarfan (Post 5956098)
Your P dred is looking real good. Looking forward to visiting with you at B.I.G.

I’d like to bring a dread to B.I.G but then I’d like to bring so many other things as well. So many guitars!

M Hayden 01-22-2019 11:59 PM

Thanks for the explanations, Bruce. I find that I like both the trad and the more evolved expressions - they each have their place. And there’s a 00M in my future at some point....


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