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  #16  
Old 04-17-2018, 08:42 AM
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iim7V7IM7 iim7V7IM7 is offline
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Originally Posted by SoCalSurf View Post
I love that Koa set! I am at the beginning stages of a custom Koa, and the builder just got a set from Bruce Creps. Exciting to see how yours looks at this stage. Keep the updates coming!
Bruce (Notable Woods) is a great supplier of both Koa and Oregon Myrtle. Michael has had this set a while so it has stabilized to his shop’s environment. Good luck with your build and perhaps you can share ithere in the AGF Custom Shop through a build thread?

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Old 04-17-2018, 08:49 AM
SoCalSurf SoCalSurf is offline
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Bruce (Notable Woods) is a great supplier of both Koa and Oregon Myrtle. Michael has had this set a while so it has stabilized to his shop’s environment. Good luck with your build and perhaps you can share ithere in the AGF Custom Shop through a build thread?
Thanks! I was planning on doing it at some point. A little early in the process, as not much to report but specs, but I'll do that once I have more to share. It's a Preston Thompson small body.

Looking forward to following your thread. Very excited for you.
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  #18  
Old 04-17-2018, 02:54 PM
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Love your builds Bob. Congrats on this new one. Should be fun. Thanks for sharing. That Koa is special.
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  #19  
Old 04-17-2018, 03:04 PM
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WOW Bob, that's one special set of wood, and in Michael's hands this will be a spectacular instrument! Hope it's there in Woodstock!
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  #20  
Old 04-17-2018, 03:07 PM
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Love your builds Bob. Congrats on this new one. Should be fun. Thanks for sharing. That Koa is special.
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Originally Posted by LouieAtienza View Post
WOW Bob, that's one special set of wood, and in Michael's hands this will be a spectacular instrument! Hope it's there in Woodstock!
Denis/Louie...Come play it at Woodstock ‘018...
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  #21  
Old 04-17-2018, 06:54 PM
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Really love that setup. I need to go check out his shop.
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  #22  
Old 04-18-2018, 10:21 AM
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Very excited to follow along. Michael is brilliant, and I too am in the crosshairs of starting a build with him soon. That Koa looks spectacular!
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  #23  
Old 04-18-2018, 11:14 AM
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This is one builder to me that just seems to get it....in every single facet. What is his rough wait list like in terms of time?


Mark
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  #24  
Old 04-18-2018, 11:42 AM
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This is one builder to me that just seems to get it....in every single facet. What is his rough wait list like in terms of time?


Mark
I suggest that you give Michael a call to get a time estimate from him. I am guessing that a builder's waiting list is a snapshot in time at the time that an order is placed so how long his delivery estimate is in April 2018 likely is different from when I placed my order.
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  #25  
Old 04-18-2018, 03:03 PM
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Default Backstrip

Michael and I decided to add a narrow “floating” Ebony backstrip to the center seam of the Koa set (e.g. not connecting to the Ebony back binding or heel plate). While the backset is stunningly beautiful without it, we both felt that this small accent will better integrate into the overall design of the instrument.

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  #26  
Old 04-18-2018, 07:01 PM
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Michael Bashkin = AWSOMNESS

This will be a blast watching come together, thx for sharing...!!!
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  #27  
Old 04-18-2018, 08:13 PM
joshua89 joshua89 is offline
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That Koa looks stunning, and will be even more so under finish! Looking forward to see the progress of this build!
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  #28  
Old 04-18-2018, 09:30 PM
chippygreen chippygreen is offline
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Awesome!!! Really looking forward to this one, and hope to get some ideas from it - thank you for the generosity and time to share in this forum.

I was able to get onto Michael's queue for a mid to late 2019 build, but purchased a Bellezza GC Spruce/Koa on the secondary market to develop a reference point for my build. That guitar was also 12 frets to the body but the standard 18 fret fingerboard. What was the thinking behind adding the extra fret?

The original owner of the Koa had specified a 1-13/16ths nut which I had never tried but which I found surprisingly playable, though there are other tradeoffs such as access to the low E with the thumb (I have small hands).

This was my first Koa guitar and the wood was stunning (the pictures do not do justice to the "shimmer" that Koa has - and I have a sense yours will be just as beautiful, if not more so!). My other guitars are EIR so I was delighted at the lightness of the Koa, and the liveliness of the instrument when played. The Koa GC has a Port Ortford Cedar neck as the original owner was looking for a light and responsive build. No backstrip on this one - but I can see how adding one layers in a vocabulary that ties out other design details: can't wait to see how it comes together.

For my build I'm probably going to go with a fan fret, having experimented with it on an Avian, I like them. I'm also looking at a Carpathian/Swiss Moon top based on the attributes I described to Michael and his feedback.

Finally, Michael is a pleasure to work with - super detailed (or not, as you prefer) - incredibly articulate in this explanations, and seems to go out of his way to make the build an enjoyable and memorable process.





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  #29  
Old 04-19-2018, 05:10 AM
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That guitar was also 12 frets to the body but the standard 18 fret fingerboard. What was the thinking behind adding the extra fret?
Nice guitar (thanks for sharing). I have two other 12-fret to the body guitars that are both 19-fret instruments. It honestly just makes it easier for me to go from one instrument to another. I do play in the upper region of the fretboard and even on my 19-fret guitars some harmonics are played beyond the end of the fretboard (my 14-fret instruments have 20-fret fretboards and the same notes are played on the fretboard). I believe that Michael makes his 00 standard with 18-frets for structural reasons, but moving the soundhole by about 1/4" toward the end block shouldn't be a precursor to structural disaster.
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  #30  
Old 04-19-2018, 10:39 AM
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Fabulous set of Koa there! When Doug Degenhart (sp?) quit supplying Koa, it was a godsend that Bruce Creps stepped into the gap. His wood is absolutely stellar. And in the hands of Michael, well... you'll do just fine.
It is refreshing to see this magical wood come up in a build again.
One caveat: don't let Michael tell you it's Harry's fault about anything.
(He'll know what that means.)

Steve
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