What am I looking at here?
 

Hi guys! I'm now the proud owner of two very nice custom acoustic guitars, and I would like to know more about them and their builder's history, so I was hoping you guys could tell me a little about them!

I started a thread in the general section, but it hasn't gotten any responses yet. If you can tell me anything about them, I would appreciate it.

Thanks!

Nick

I don't know anything about those guitars, but I would bet the screws through the fret board are not "factory items!"
I like the second guitar better. Very nice looking despite the modified fret board!

I can't tell you much as far as the history of the guitar or the maker. But from what I can tell, the first guitar has a spruce top with some type of oakish back (hence the modular rays). It almost looks like the sides are cherry. The appointments on that guitar seem to be ebony. The binding may be black plastic though. It has a Benedetto style tail piece.

The second guitar is an all maple guitar. The appointments and stripe in the neck look to be rosewood. It appears that the screws in the fingerboard are what is holding the neck in place, as there are no bolts in the back of the neck and I assume that it is not glued into place. The neck also appears to be recessed into the top.

First guitar looks like it may have had a neck reset or repair by someone with less than 198 builds under their belt. If its sound though I wouldnt necessarily worry about it. Asymmetric body with Interesting classical flavor with the head stock. Number 2 looks like it has something incommon with Fender at both ends of the neck. All in all not a bad score.
Jeff

The first one is Spruce top & back. The back has some bear claw figure - similar look to quartersawn oak. The sides look like Cherry.

The second one is Maple top, back & sides and may have a Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard, not 100% sure.

Kevin Looker

Both look like home projects. Although both have relatively quality tuners. The Stroup is definitely post Benedetto since it uses a Benedetto style tail piece (available by some luthier dealers)>

The "Stroup", assuming top and back are solid, is made with what appears to be spruce. I would guess Sitka on top and back because of the yellowish (vs pinkish) coloration plus the bear claw. Maple (or possibly birch) everything else with rosewood headstock veneer and plastic tuner. Not a pro project, I can still see the carving marks on the top. The side bends are .... amateurish.

The Sceusa is all maple and rosewood FB. Not sure if it's carved or pressed top (most likely pressed top, since it uses a bolt-on neck). The neck is basically vintage strat neck with a "customizable" headstock for builders. This is a project guitar also. Done better than the first one, but most likely using store-bought parts.

Thank you for all the responses!

I'm a bass player myself, and am in need of a new bass, and was considering selling one or both of these to help fund the new instrument. What would you guys reckon these are worth?