Build Class #2: Another 12 Fret 000

[theotigno]

So, I'm in the guitar building class again ...

Inspiration

I was a staff member at Maggie's Place, a home for pregnant women living on the streets, in its first year and a half. I was also a part of the construction crew that built the first house.

We had a guitar that just sat out in the office and I'd pick it up every now and again to try to teach myself a few chords. Soon, the moms started asking me to play a few songs. It became a great gift I could share with the community. That was 2000.

December 31st, 2008 (around 1:00 am) - I was out of town on a photo trip with the two of the directors of Maggie's Place (the Director General and the Director of Communications). We got a phone call around 2:00 in the morning: there was a fire at the original house I was a staff member at.

March 2009 ... I was at a benefit event for Maggie's Place and during the auction, I thought about building a guitar with some of the wood from the original roof and giving it to them so they could auction it. I told the idea to a few people and they seemed to think that nobody would want the guitar. I thought it was a great idea and a guitar I'd love to have. So, why not build it anyway?

So, in October 2009, I was signed up for the guitar building class offered at the Phoenix Guitar Company.

Progress

Well, I should have been better at starting a thread and following it through, but times have been busy for me. Well, thanks to a cycling accident that happened recently, I have been sidelined and here I am.

My progress has slowed considerably because of the accident, but until that point I was making decent progress on the guitar. The box is closed up, and 3 pieces of wood from the roof were used on the soundboard: 1 brace to support the soundboard and 2 diamonds to act as a cleat along the seam of the soundboard (it doesn't need it, but I figured that 1 little brace isn't enough to call it officially used).

The other woods used are:

• Top - Western Red Cedar
• Back / Sides - East Indian Rosewood
• Neck - 5 Piece Mahogany / Walnut Laminate

Here are the photos I took at the beginning of the class yesterday:


Ah, my pride and joy from the guitar so far! The headplate is East Indian Rosewood from the remainder of the merged back. The baby is from the wood from the roof, and the rest of the circle is Cocobolo. The eye is ebony dust and epoxy.


The wedge in-between the East Indian Rosewood ... Yes, it's the same as my dad's guitar: Monkeypod!


View of the top. My inspiration for choosing a cedar top? A conversation with AGF's Larry Jacobs at Healdsburg! He was talking to Don Sharp about the virtues of cedar. I was sold and I figured that since I was making a guitar for myself, I'd love to have those virtues in the guitar I was building to commemorate 10 years of playing the guitar! (2000, started playing & the house opened ... 2010, guitar built for me and 10 years of serving expectant mothers ...)


It took me a while to decide on the back and sides, but I ultimately went with East Indian Rosewood for this one. It's got a great "ping" when you tap it.


And finally, the neck (which I may have made thinner that I'd prefer, but I was assured that it'll be alright).

So, there it is so far. I can't wait to hear what kind of voice she'll have.

BTW, the Phoenix Guitar Company has been great with me taking my time because of the accident. I was assured that I can take things at my own pace, which is really slow half days right now Alas, it'll be a little bit of time before I can hear her.

Awesome...both the guitar and the work you do!

[hnuuhiwa]

Aloha Theo, Happy New Year!! Sorry to hear that you had an accident that is slowing you down a bit, but your build is definitely looking great! Hen

[theotigno]

Thanks and Mahalo!

Braddah Hen, good to hear from you! Happy New Year to you as well! I miss the fireworks in Hawaii. I went down to Souther AZ to my friend's parents house and we had sparklers and rockets. Not the same as back home, but at least a little bit of Hawaiian-style celebration