Hatcher's Studio 2021
I'm starting this 2021 thread a little early but, I'm thinking everyone is ready for 2020 to be over anyway!
I have some very nice guitars to build this coming year! I also have a number of guitars already in the works so I'll do some updates on those first. "The Tree" Josie small Jumbo is coming along nicely. I'm working on the neck and fretboard now. We decided to do fret markers with Amboyna burl with Maple purfling. The first order of business is to get in touch with my inner wood whisperer and teach the Maple purling to take very tight turns. Here's the first mock-up: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0cff4bf4_c.jpg I cut out the pockets and went to work bending the purfling. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...e76ebf6b_b.jpg The twelfth fret markers have a 5/64" inside diameter. Didn't think I'd pull that off! After cutting and shaping the Amboyna inlays I glued them into the fretboard. Here I am cutting the excess off with a pull saw and chisel: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...596e3e5f_c.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...5a45e2eb_c.jpg Then clean it all up: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...8a37bf0f_c.jpg I think it works together nicely! https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a25acf14_c.jpg Thanks for viewing! Mark |
Beautiful, Mark--they tie in perfectly!
Looking forward to what 2021 brings to your workshop. Happy Holidays! |
Oh yes
..that looks very promising for 2021 :D
If the year continues like it starts here, I will be very happy. Cool stuff, thanks Mark. |
Oh, wow! Gorgeous work!
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Looks fantastic, I have always wondered in this kind of fret markers if having the end grain "exposed" will cause any issues?
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I love the looks of the fingerboard and those inlays (I liked those inlays when I saw them on an earlier build). Nice work.
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Inlays look stupendous and really provide accent to the theme. As always, such a pleasure to watch you work. Here's to a fantastic 2021 in the Hatcher shop! :)
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Beautiful work, as always, Mark. Thanks for sharing your process on the inlays. I sometimes feel like this forum is a master class on creative lutherie. Great stuff. Thanks!
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New Wood Sets
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I just received a couple back and side sets of Bavarian Plumwood. I say Bavarian Plumwood not because it's a particular species but because it came from Bavaria and Bavarian Plumwood just sounds so good! There are a few different species of Plumwood in Europe these are from trees that produce prunes. They tends to be very colorful: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0315eddb_b.jpg You don't see many Plumwood sets because the trees just aren't very big. It is even more rare to see a well quartered set like this next one: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...c74b93b3_b.jpg Here is a close up to show off the color and how the medullary rays show when quartered: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...501c2a41_c.jpg This tonewood comes in around the halfway point between Mahogany and Rosewood which makes for a very versatile guitar. It would pair wonderfully with a nice Sitka set, preferably a nice colorful one, say like this one: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...8263b6f8_b.jpg Imagine this guitar with a lot of blue Paua trim. She'd be the life of the party! |
Do you think that plum wood, Bavarian plum wood, would make a red white and blue guitar?
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I absolutley love the fret markers and the guitar is simply stunning. You mentioned you have some Sheoak sets. I recently acquired some beautiful figured Sheoak boards and am going to build with them. What has been your experience working with Sheoak?
Jim |
That plum will be nice looking.
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That Plumwood is gorgeous! Might nice with a rich cedar top, an we all know I think everything goes well with Redwood!
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Love that style of fret marker. Great eye appeal.
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As a matter of fact I just received a new billet of Western Red Cedar that might fit the bill quite well. It's old, perfectly quartered and sounds wonderful. This billet was hand cut and hand split so there isn't any run out. Here it is: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a44bcfac_c.jpg It's 9" wide, 25" long and 6 1/2" thick. I started cleaning it up a bit today to get a good look and plan my attack. I'm afraid I didn't get too far with the scrub plane today because I'm so sore from shoveling snow all day yesterday. One advantage of cleaning up with a plane is you get a good clean look at the colors in the wood: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...6c24d643_b.jpg For comparison here is what I was getting from the tri-color Sitka: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...b490aeb4_c.jpg |
Woodman Ready for Finish
I've pretty much finished the last steps and clean-up before finish starts on this 00 Woodsman:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...e601090e_c.jpg I installed the frets on the 5,000+ yr old Bog Oak fretboard: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...de15ef95_c.jpg I love the subtle brown color when you look up close on the very old wood: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ca816588_c.jpg It's a perfect match for a Woodsman! |
Hi Mark,
your woodsman looks like the essence of a guitar, just the fundamentals, old techniques, hardly any embelishments or bling, but old wood that looks like it’s old (in a good way of matured, ripe).. looking forward to seeing this one finished and to hear it hopefully. |
Hi Lonzo - I echo your sentiments 100%, and that's why I ordered mine (which you see above). :wink: When I saw Mark's work on the earlier Woodsman builds, it just seemed to check all the boxes. I'm looking forward to playing my guitar in the near future and for many years to come.
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Mark, I love seeing your posts of your work with handtools...those shots with the plane are wonderful! The character in that old wood...wow!
Also, that Woodsman is FIRE. I SOOO dig that design! |
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I’m considering adding on to expand my Woodsman line. I’d like to add to this 00 model. I could do an 0 and a 000. Then I’d offer a Wodsmam, Woodsman and Wooodsman. OK I know the names would be stupid. Quote:
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Mark |
..I know it is most probably a typo, but I like the idea of a “wodsmam” ;-)
seeing, that most all guitars are a “she” anyway, referred to as “her” ... in german the article is feminine... so why not a wodsmam? Either way those are/will be cool.;) |
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https://live.staticflickr.com/403/18...533e5d4f_c.jpg I think it's the dark and smooky look that does it as well as the sharper edges of the abalone inlays it had: https://live.staticflickr.com/414/18...b29db12e_c.jpg The masculine vs feminine thought stuck with me ever since. When I designed my Baritone I named the model Bacchus and you can see I carried the more masculine design aspects into this one: https://live.staticflickr.com/2612/3...abc2c088_c.jpg I even started sharpening up some of the edges of the bridge design for this purpose: https://live.staticflickr.com/608/31...5a7781b1_c.jpg When I started designing this retro 00 with the old woods and traditions and techniques I took the masculinity theme to the next level. Of course "The Woodsman" really was my way to confirm how my thinking worked around this model. Luckily, it connects with the folks that have been buying it! Thanks, Mark |
Thanks for the elaborate answer !
I can see how different guitars, despite their feminine shape, also do have their own character and could well be seen as male either. That Josie being one of them for sure. ..and then I thought I knew your models Mark, but I hadn’t heard of a Bella so far... is that a discontinued one ? Aah, just checked again.. Bella is a 4 string bass model on the base of the Bacchus... my oversight as I am not a bass player... sorry to cause confusion.. |
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https://live.staticflickr.com/3925/1...9af81615_c.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/7070/1...e77888b5_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/7340/1...9afffb8c_c.jpg It's not discontinued but, I'm glad I didn't try to make a living making acoustic bass guitars! |
Western Red Cedar Billets
I thought I'd write more about this Western Red Cedar billet:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a44bcfac_c.jpg I sourced this from the islands off British Columbia. This is from logs that have fallen off commercial lumber booms or barges and become driftwood that would of otherwise rotted in the ocean or on a beach somewhere. The fella I deal with is a one man operation working off the grid and he has an eye and love for salvaging master grade tonewood. Here is a fun little YouTube of him selecting and hand splitting Cedar billets: Gerry Chicalo loves this work and takes pride in salvaging and hand processing this wood, carefully selecting out the best for musical instruments. Splitting out this incredibly straight grained cedar by hand ensures the sound boards will be absolutely quartered without any run out. I've found as I further my commitment to hand building that there are wood suppliers that take this same pride and passion in their work. There are tool makers that raise their passion to art. My goal is to find these individuals and small businesses that align with my goals and passion as a luthier and partner with them. |
This guy works FAST!
Wow, Gerry works at TOP SPEED! :)
But seriously, this is cool indeed, and I am a believer in WRC! "I've found as I further my commitment to hand building that there are wood suppliers that take this same pride and passion in their work. There are tool makers that raise their passion to art. My goal is to find these individuals and small businesses that align with my goals and passion as a luthier and partner with them." These are the folks we want to support! Salud Paul |
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Mark |
Astounding
If you look at the log as it lies there on the beach it looks like many you have seen yourself. Then someone comes along not only knowing what kind of tree that is/was but also takes a little off here and there, in the right fashion of course and what you get to see is a surface that looks loke a really nice top even in the raw... is that trial and error or can you actually get clues as to which log to cut into and which one not ? Fascinating !
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Happy New Year everyone! I haven't posted on the Josie "Tree" guitar recently. I'm just doing final clean up on it now and thought some pictures of this one would be nice to ring in the new year! https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...4d01e8dd_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...96145389_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...b35a3125_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...afc7ea9e_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...5d50845d_c.jpg Thanks for viewing! Mark |
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