Build Thread: Traugott R Brazilian/German

[ericcsong]

love the headstock front veneer

[ChuckS]

Brett,
Your Traugott is looking great, and it's really moving along in it's construction. I've wondered why Jeff doesn't offer an OM sized guitar, instead going from a 00 to the R body; have you ever talked to him about that?

[bdm0509]

Originally Posted by ChuckS

Brett,
Your Traugott is looking great, and it's really moving along in it's construction. I've wondered why Jeff doesn't offer an OM sized guitar, instead going from a 00 to the R body; have you ever talked to him about that?

Not specifically, although I believe that he more or less started with an OM waist, and worked out from that. So while most builders start with (for example) an OM-sized lower bout, and tighten the waist, Jeff started with an OM waist, and that resulted in a slightly larger lower bout and upper bout. He ended up 1/2" wider than the OM lower bout.

My guess would be that to make a model just a 1/2" smaller there would probably not be worth an entirely new model.

I do know from Jeff he's almost always started from at least a Martin point of reference, and modified from there. For instance, his 00 started from a Martin reference point, with a 24.9" scale. Then he made one for someone with a 25.4" scale, liked it much better, made 25.4" his standard 00 scale, and never looked back. So I think most of his changes have occurred like that: start traditionally, try something new that's great, and keep it.

And, being perfectly honest, I'll probably talk a lot more about all these things with Jeff when my guitar is in finish. Right now, I keep reminding myself, every phone call that's non-essential for my particular guitar holds him up! Ha ha...

-B

[steveh]

Originally Posted by ChuckS

Brett,
I've wondered why Jeff doesn't offer an OM sized guitar, instead going from a 00 to the R body

In the hands, the R feels like a pretty small guitar. I know its a different shape to a Martin OM/000, but it feels that sort of size - at least to me anyways!

It's certainly not a "jumbo" sort of size - the BK or RJ are more that.

Cheers,
Steve

[bdm0509]

Originally Posted by steveh

In the hands, the R feels like a pretty small guitar. I know its a different shape to a Martin OM/000, but it feels that sort of size - at least to me anyways!

It's certainly not a "jumbo" sort of size - the BK or RJ are more that.

Cheers,
Steve

That's my impression as well. And in just a few months, I'll be able to comment from first-hand experience!

-B

[bdm0509]

Originally Posted by ChuckS

I've wondered why Jeff doesn't offer an OM sized guitar, instead going from a 00 to the R body; have you ever talked to him about that?

I asked Jeff this today... here's what he said:

I started making guitars and designed all my own shapes. I wanted one shape that emulated--or closely approximated--the OM size, but was my own shape and was sized such that it was comfy, but had a tighter waist and I could get a bit more sound than a standard OM. Standard OM depth is 4-1/4" at the tail block where my guitar is 4-1/2". The BK is one step larger and the RJ is a step bigger than the BK.

I needed a smaller guitar and have always loved the OO and the L-OO shape so I just used a take off of the Martin OO size for my smallest guitar, though it is the deeper 4-1/2" depth and I'm using the longer 25.375" scale.

I felt the OO size guitar didn't have as distinctive a voice as the OM so it could take some modifying without any weird reactions from the guitar world. The L-OO is very close to what I do on my OO as regards bracing, body depth and sound.

The Martin OM is a very distinctive instrument and if I were to build it I would want to stay true to the design including tone and I never felt that that was something I wanted to be known for as almost all manufactures and small builders make that guitar with varying degrees of success.

Then he reminded me he was emailing instead of working on my guitar, and I promptly hung up the virtual connection, ha ha ha!

-B

[ChuckS]

Brett,
I appreciate your efforts in getting an answer for me. I find it interesting how various builders determine what they want to offer.

[bdm0509]

Originally Posted by ChuckS

Brett,
I appreciate your efforts in getting an answer for me. I find it interesting how various builders determine what they want to offer.

Totally agree. It really takes some guts (for lack of the less appropriate term I'd use here) to say from the beginning, "I'm not going with standard models." Clearly it's worked out... he seems to be doing just a little okay. Ha!

-B

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by bdm0509

For instance, his 00 started from a Martin reference point, with a 24.9" scale. Then he made one for someone with a 25.4" scale, liked it much better, made 25.4" his standard 00 scale, and never looked back.
-B

I think that would be my 00... It took a lot of coaxing from Jeff to build it long scale, but once he did he liked it so much he has urged people to have them built long scale. It's an amazing instrument and is BY FAR the best 00 from Jeff I have ever played out of the 4 I've had the chance to audition... which all happened to be short scale.

[bdm0509]

Originally Posted by MikeD

I think that would be my 00... It took a lot of coaxing from Jeff to build it long scale, but once he did he liked it so much he has urged people to have them built long scale. It's an amazing instrument and is BY FAR the best 00 from Jeff I have ever played out of the 4 I've had the chance to audition... which all happened to be short scale.

That was you? Dang, man, you don't just have some of the best builders, but some important guitars from those builders.

Yeah, I'm a bit jealous.

Then again, the Traugott build is helping that a lot!

-B

[MikeD]

Yeah, I wanted a little stiffer feeling guitar... something with a bit more string tension. We thought about simply building it for mediums, but Jeff was afraid that with the smaller body and having it braced for mediums I'd get a guitar that was not as lively as his typical instrument. So, we started talking about scale lengths and decided to make the guitar 25.375 rather than 24.9 to address the tension concerns I had. Once built, he was very impressed with the response of the guitar and has urged many of his customers that have ordered 00's to have them built with the longer scale length. I think you played it when you visited my house??? Maybe I didn't have it yet? Jeff has displayed it at a bunch of shows in Montreal & Healdsburg, and there is a video on youtube from the 2008 Montreal show ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_63JNkEGgc ) of the guitar being played. The recording quality is kind of poor since it was recorded in a loud room, but I think you'll get the gist of the instrument.

[KolayaGuitars]

Very nice! I'm glad you're taking us along for the ride!

BTW, I watched the Traugott Parlour-Long scale, that was some very nice playing! Nice guitar, too!...obviously.. In the second tune you played the guitar sounds a little like a 12 string, so nice!

~Brad

[bdm0509]

Speaking of bringing folks along for the ride... here's some more.

Here we go, getting closer to having an actual guitar box.



This is the back getting more precisely fitted (but not yet attached) to the rim set.



I'm still in awe I've managed to snag this set of Brazilian. Really exciting stuff to me.

Now a couple of shots of the top getting glued onto the rims:





Finally, the last stop before this thing is all together as a body:





-B

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by KolayaGuitars

Very nice! I'm glad you're taking us along for the ride!

BTW, I watched the Traugott Parlour-Long scale, that was some very nice playing! Nice guitar, too!...obviously.. In the second tune you played the guitar sounds a little like a 12 string, so nice!

~Brad

That's not me playing. That gentleman was a professional that was performing at the jazz festival and he stopped by Jeff's table to record the demo. I wish I could play like that guy. He was phenomenal.

[usb_chord]

Brett, what's that written on the near the lower bout? Looks like a paragraph!