It's hard to tell from just a brief non-miced video, but the notes seemed to 'jump out' from the SBAIC when plucked, in a way that always signals good things to me...lively and punchy, with a body-shape that just begs to be cradled.

I would be making a bee-line to the Sexauer booth if I was anywhere nearby!

(Rather than being 6000 miles away...:()

I was wondering about what you have said about past shows and getting your guitars into pairs of hands. I thought maybe some felt intimidated by them, I know I would be if I had no association to this craft. Almost like keeping your voice hushed while in a cathedral, not wanting to draw attention to yourself.

I doubt any guitar with your stamp on it would not be up to snuff, that is unthinkable. I think the idea of offering your guitar up is a good idea, I am sure everyone that sees it would think 'this could be my guitar'. Something to be touched and played and not just looked at.

Oh yeah, and I agree on how the guitar sounds in the video. I was impressed at how it sounded given the method of recording.

My building method discussed w/Dream Series #8
 

On the quoted subject, a couple of things. First, these shows are generally in big rooms with too many people all talking a playing guitars; no one can hear anyone unless they're standing in front the player. Second, there are usually nearby rooms provided for both privacy and so that one has a slightly better chance of hearing a guitar. I do believe that what makes my guitars superior (if they are) to other guitars is too subtle to be easily observed in the guitar show environment.


I have made a third video from the NCAL tapes. This one is 12 minutes of me talking about my building methods using my not quite done Dream Series #8, a JB-15 in BRW/Italian as the demo.


These videos are entirely extemporaneous, and are not intended to be slick presentations, not unlike my AGF posts.

:D

I did catch it in the video, but then again I ended up doing the same for the same reason. I was making a quick guitar to try out an idea and I didn't want to bother making a mold so I built my top on the dish that I use to radius the sides for the top. (Rather than have a hole in it and screw down the top at the sound hole I used a clamp from the rafter pushing the middle down.) I figured that since I was binding the sides I didn't need to fit them exactly to the top, that section was going to be routed off anyway. Hide glue and blocks, an hour or two and you are done. Actually is a relaxing task. Built the last half dozen bodies in this method.

Finessing the Frets
 

Here is a video of me dressing the frets on Bob's single 0, and so much more! This one has a bit more technical detail that the previous ones, and it is much longer at nearly an hour.

Finessing the Frets

The "Tree" follow-up
 

Yesterday I shipped Bob's Single 0 to him, and it ought to arrive on Friday, pending the unusual ice storm the East Coast is experiencing.

Hopefully, some of you have watched the video I posted a few days ago (ten posts back in this thread) wherein I discuss a piece of the "Tree" a fellow (Greg) brought to the NCAL meeting. Greg and I reached an agreement, and after the 0 became history (for me) we spent a few hours milling his board. I had projected 4 guitars and an all "tree" ukulele, and that is what we got. Here is a rough-sawn OM sized back:

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/tree-OM1.jpg

I believe I am going to build the Uke for Greg, but I expect he is interested in parting with some or all of the guitar sets. This is not the place to discuss that beyond mentioning it; you know how to reach me.

That is real nice...

I saw this in the rough at your shop. Far more stunning with the weathering effect not visible. Certainly looks like you absolutely maximized the yield on this set. Nice work Bruce.

Happy Birthday Bruce!
 

Just an FYI, today is Bruce's 70th birthday...:up: I wanted to take a moment to wish him the very best today...:)

Happy, Happy Birthday, Bruce!

Thanks for sharing your art with us!

My gift to myself today is a new property-line fence on the west side of my home/shop. I have a couple of guys helping my out on this. Also, the next door neighbor is sharing the financial pain. I will be a tad more scare around here today than usual, however, so thank you for the B'Day wishes if I don't check in again before tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Bruce, hopefully you got lots of help on the fence at least!

The BIG seven oh! Congrats Bruce! Hope your birthday was grand!

I am 70 and 3 days, so I'm getting on with it! Thanks for the wishes.

Because I haven't made a Uke for a year or so, and I have a commission to make one from the "tree" I just milled, I thought I build a spec one from less financially significant material.

I found a chunk of a Silver Acacia tree I felled about 35 years ago that is bigger than I remembered, so that's what I'm using. Here is a picture of it as it looked in the wood shed, and a picture of the joined back:

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/AcaciaUke/before.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/AcaciaUke/Middle.jpg

silver acacia
 

Hmmm, may be a new one for me. Be sure to show it to us when it has finish on it. Neat looking wood!

Here's the top:
http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/AcaciaUke/Toprosette.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/AcaciaUke/Topbracing.jpg

Are the thick sound hole braces to mitigate neck reset worries (on a nylon string? Or is this going to be a SS, which would be cool.) or the beef up the bottom end? Love the wood.

I do like the look of the Acacia. With finish do you expect the colors to blend or to become even more different?

Which size are you building? Concert ... Tenor ... Soprano?

It is to be a concert (15") uke. Although this is the first instrument I have made form this tree, I have made a number of architectural pieces from it. It is beautiful wood and resembles Koa though with muted, or as I like to say it, "pasteled" coloration.

The soundhole supports are not as massive as they appear, bear in mind that this is a Ukulele! The top is well under .050" thick and would fold up across the soundhole much like a guitar without this feature.

This Uke is being built a bit differently than my steel strings, more like my nylon stringed guitars. The neck to body connection is what's often called a "Spanish heel", and the whole thing is built as a unit. Here are a few pictures of the neck and how the top is glued to it:

Bandsawn:
http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/AcaciaUke/neck1.jpg

Routed ledge for .045" thick top:
http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/AcaciaUke/neck2.jpg

Clamped on top:
http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/AcaciaUke/neck3.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/AcaciaUke/neck4.jpg

Ebony or carbon fibre in the neck?

I consider ebony in the neck a waste of resources, this is carbon fiber, which works very well to stabilize the relief.

I made a little more progress this afternoon:

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/AcaciaUke/peone1.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/AcaciaUke/peone2.jpg

That makes sense now knowing how thick the top. I was debating on the Spanish heel for the guitar I am building right now. I did one for the previous nylon I made, decided to go for a dovetail just because I have not done one yet. The guitar is the same size as a Martin 5 body made out of pine. Why? I had a quartered board with minimal late wood and at the widest it has three grain lines per inch. Curiosity got the better of me.


Don't want to add another post but wanted to thank Bruce again. Used Titebond rather than HHG to glue in the tentalones for the top as he used for his daughter's guitar. I did not have any HHG made up and decided to give it a try, seems fine.

Very cool Bruce. Are you going with a zero neck angle on the uke? Thinking about starting a tenor built in a similar fashion and don't know if I should do a forward neck angle like a classical or just leave it flat.

The box is closed. It'll be 0 angle and a 5/32" thick fingerboard.

Today I tried a new photo editor. Here is a pic from a few posts back exactly as it is there, and then again with the new editor, my first attempt. What do you think, anyone?
http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/AcaciaUke/peone1.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/AcaciaUke/peone1b.jpg

Wow. Sure sharpens it up. How is it for color accuracy?

12 days ago, I misplaced my camera which I was satisfied with, a Sony NEX-5. I went to BestBuy and replaced it with a Sony a6000, which claimed to be a significant upgrade. Yesterday I found my NEX-5, and have 2 days within which I could return the a6000 no questions asked. Dilemma: I like the new camera, but could use the money if it is not doing me service as a tool.

Here are two similar pictures, each taken with the camera that is in the other picture. I processed them identically. What do you think?

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/AcaciaUke/1stquartera.jpg

http://mojoluthier.com/LP17/AcaciaUke/1stquarterb.jpg

I prefer the bottom image (sharper).

The upper, colors appear more realistic on my screen.

Better contrast and color in the lower photo for me!