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Old 05-21-2016, 09:18 AM
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TomB'sox TomB'sox is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: The Lone Star State
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Hatcher View Post
Here is a little update and recap on something different I'm doing with your guitar. This is the second in the show spec series. It's the Greta grand auditorium model with a Western Red Cedar top and BRW back and sides.

I went with wooly mammoth tusk bark for the nut and saddle because it is a bit harder than bone and would add a little more "ping" or snap to the sound. I love the warmth of cedar and BRW certainly isn't lacking in the lows. I also am using cedar bracing on a very light back. So with all of that a little ping seems to be called for. It will add a little presence to all that deep and dark.

Here is a picture of a bunch of mammoth pcs I had to choose from;



The big piece in the middle up top shows a section of tusk with a piece of the "bark" still attached. It's obvious why it's called "bark". The thing is the bark is the part that has been directly exposed to elements and over the last 20,000 to 40,000 years has started to absorb the surrounding minerals on it's way to becoming fossilized. It also picks up some wonderful coloring. That's the extra hardness I am looking for. Here are the two pieces I selected to cut the nut and saddle from;





When I cut the nut and saddle I tried to preserve some of the very outer edge just to show how great looking it is. Here are some pictures of the finished headstock and bridge with the nut and saddle in place;







You'll notice that the bridge pins, truss rod cover, and heel cap are tusk bark as well. My overall design efforts on the look of this guitar draws heavily from the what I feel is the very masculine look of contemporary collectable knives

By the way, I got my ping!
Wow, that is an absolutely beautiful touch to cap of this build!!!!! I love it.
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