#106
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#107
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Cool video Bruce. Great work as usual.
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#108
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Boxing Day, 2020 - I am too used to dropping by Bruce’s shop and seeing what he’s been up to, and giving his wonderful dog Koal a good rub -
But that hasn’t been possible most of this year, and between my wife and his wife, we’ve had only the briefest of in person encounters - but I had to drop by and check out his latest “Couch Noodler” - and actually, I had a few minutes to try both the braz rw noodler, as well as the myrtle - First, I was completely unprepared for what I was playing - I guess I assumed these were a small body and short scale, but while they are a slightly smaller body, these are full scale, and the tone and volume from both were outstanding - as good, possibly better, than the best OM’s I’ve played. And as good as the braz rw was, the myrtle had a quality that made choosing a better very, very hard. I have known Bruce’s small bodied guitars were exceptional - I have a braz rw 0 of his that is unbelievably good - but these “couch noodlers” are poorly named - there is nothing noodly about them - they are clearly exceptional instruments, and I would love to be able to take either one home and play it on my couch for quite some time - although, with 2 of Bruces braz rw guitars on hand, and 0 myrtle, I might be inclined to lean towards myrtle - ;-)
__________________
More than a few Santa Cruz’s, a few Sexauers, a Patterson, a Larrivee, a Cumpiano, and a Klepper!! |
#109
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#110
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One of my Cracked Pernbabuce builds is my personal guitar, an L00 inspired piece. The cracks lay open for years, but my recent post spurred me to try fixing it. I CA drop filled the cracks and put a couple of coats of varnish over it. I did not ry to make it perfect, because I doubt it will hold. But it has so far! There are 13 cracks, all in the most flat sawn section, mostly running as an 80 tree angle up from the lower right, both sides. I think this guitar is 90 percent of what it might have been, which is enough, actually.
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#111
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Bruce,
Do you know if that Pernambuco was ever kiln dried? The only time I’ve seen similar cracks running cross grain, rather than along the grain, was from improper (rushed) kiln drying and no post kiln stress relieving. I had some Padauk show similar examples of cross grain cracks and that wood was accurately quartersawn. When I questioned the supplier they offered the improper kiln drying process as one probable answer. |
#112
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This particular set came from an importer many of us have dealt with. It was never kiln dried and was actually a bit green when I got it. I stored it for around 5 years before I built with it, and it seemed absolutely ready to go. There was no sign of cracking at all in working it, nor in finishing it which is when hidden flaws are often discovered. This particular guitar cracked audibly while I was playing it, on a particularly low humidity day. It was an amazingly sharp report!
While I have known for some time why flatsawn plate material is far more likely to crack than quartersawn material, I have rarely seen it actually happen. In 500 or so personally built instruments, I have seen obvious spontaneous cracks in flatsawn material only 5 times, and they are all in Pernambuco. I thought if worth pointing out. I do have a couple more sister sets of this same guitar’s P if anyone wants to try their own luck with it. |
#113
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I expect to ship my Couch Noodler #3 on Monday, 1/3/2021. So I finally got around to making a page for it to link on TheList.
CN#3 Page HERE. And here is a teaser pic: |
#114
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That guitar is spectacular Bruce and from all tonal reports in a class of its own. Happy New Year and all the best!
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#115
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A Happier New Year to you Rob, and anyone else who is following this thread.
CN#3 is packed for shipment, and I may never see her again. On to the next one! I will start on Monday, at the latest: a BRW/Hampton Red bluegrass tool. |
#116
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I just watched the little video from Peghead about the CN with braz. Cool vid and I liked your thinking with the Jatoba binding and such Bruce. I've used Jatoba for bridge plates on all my guitars (3 total so far lol) and that stuff is tough as nails.
I'm interested to see this bluegrass tool you're lining up. |
#117
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#118
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The shipment of the Myrtle CN seemed to go well. I was never asked about the species of the woods involved, so I am not confident that I will not get called down to UPS offices, but I hope not.
Then I joined the plates for the next guitar, a relatively faithful rendition of a prewar Martin D. And I do mean faithful for a Sexauer, experts will see through my charade, but the sound and playability, if as expected, should cause them to forgive any license I have taken. Here are the plates, both joined, and then templated: |
#119
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Beautiful top and back sets...
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#120
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Yes indeed
__________________
4 John Kinnaird SS 12c CUSTOMS: Big Maple/WRC Dread(ish) Jumbo Spanish Cedar/WRC Jumbo OLD Brazilian RW/WRC Big Tunnel 14 RW/Bubinga Dread(ish) R.T 2 12c sinker RW/Claro 96 422ce bought new! 96 LKSM 12 552ce 12x12 J. Stepick Bari Weissy WRC/Walnut More |