Ben Wilborn/Nautilox: Tunnel 14/BRW! Final VIDEO added!!!

[cigarfan]

Wow! Congrats Ben and Tom for the collaboration. Sounds incredible. Makes me think of the MDW (Kostal/Watts) collab. Got me thinking. You guys should have named this the Nautilox!

Fantastic start. Just another in the long succession of things to look forward to at BIGer.

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by cigarfan

Wow! Congrats Ben and Tom for the collaboration. Sounds incredible. Makes me think of the MDW (Kostal/Watts) collab. Got me thinking. You guys should have named this the Nautilox!

Fantastic start. Just another in long succession of things to look forward to at BIGer.

Dang it Dennis, the Nautilox is perfect, where were you when we needed you for a name. Well, this one off can certainly be called the Nautilox! Ben names each guitar so I think that is it for this one!

I am getting really excited for B.I.G. this year. Having done it all last year, we know what to expect, have a lot of the leg work done already, and we are much less stressed than the first year. Now we just have to hope for better weather so Kathy can have that cigar date with Cigarfan!

[TomB'sox]

Neck construction has begun. We all throw the term quartersawn around a lot on this forum and most know what they mean, but sometimes I wonder if we know as much as we think we do.

So on that note, if anyone ever wanted to know what quatersawn is, this mahogany for the neck is as perfect of quartersawn as I personally have ever seen:


nautilus neck stock.jpg nautilus neck stock 2.jpg

nautilus neck stock 3.jpg

Scarf joint being glued:

nautilus neck scarf joint.jpg


And finally, Ben makes all his own bindings and purflings, here they are for this guitar...

nautilus bindings and purflings.jpg

[ChuckS]

Quartersawn straight grain mahogany looks great (bees wing for backs also great). Apparently it doesn't have to be quartersawn for necks for structural reasons, but it sure looks nice when you look at the grain on the back of the neck. Little things can bring a lot of visual pleasure.

[Steve Kinnaird]

Looking good Tom! Forgive this, but I enjoy the shots of his shop. It's always fascinating to see where the magic comes from. I'm curious to see if it is as well-organized as the man, and in one of the shots I think I saw a board lying slightly less than flat. Why was it slightly askew? Had someone else been there, who hadn't put it back in its place? Did Ben bend his own rules, or did an enemy visit the shop? That one misplaced item is what makes the rest of it look perfect--if you know what I mean.
As for your guitar, it will be killer. It's looking great so far!

Steve

[MThomson]

Great looking build and loving the nautilus story. May I ask how the redwood top affects the tone in comparison with a spruce or cedar top?

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by MThomson

Great looking build and loving the nautilus story. May I ask how the redwood top affects the tone in comparison with a spruce or cedar top?

Well now you are into another space time continuum...trying to get anyone to agree on tone here or anywhere else is impossible.

My feelings are that a good piece of Redwood sits nicely right between Cedar and Spruce. I have heard some luthiers say that Redwood can tap like wet cardboard which is why I said a good piece.

To me Redwood has more top end than Cedar although I think that is a poorly held myth that you can overload Cedar...but I feel the trebles with Redwood are brighter than the other two, crystalline maybe would be a good word. I don't think Redwood takes as long to break in as some Spruce does particularly red spruce. I have found every Redwood guitar I have played to have a wonderful clarity and note separation and a full spectrum of sound.

OK, enough with all that, I can just say, I have loved every Redwood topped guitar I have played that have all been built by different folks. I think it can make a perfect top. Plus I like the aesthetics of it as well.

Maybe Ben or someone else can chime it with their feelings on the matter, but it is such a personal taste.

[MThomson]

Thank you for the considered response, I found it really interesting. I look forward to seeing the rest of the build unfold. I hope it's all you hope for.

[Daveac]

I couldn't agree more with Tom about redwood, I have had several cedar topped guitars and being almost exclusively a finger-picker I love cedar. I also love spruce. The first redwood guitar I have owned is the 00 I commissioned from Steve Kinnaird, it has everything I love about cedar plus a little more sparkle, for my style of playing I think redwood suits me the best. I agree that any tonewood in the hands of these most capable builders can be awesome but redwood is that perfect fit between spruce and cedar. I recommend to give it a try. Tom, another amazing guitar coming your way, I'm sure Ben will knock it out of the park again!!

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by Daveac

I couldn't agree more with Tom about redwood, I have had several cedar topped guitars and being almost exclusively a finger-picker I love cedar. I also love spruce. The first redwood guitar I have owned is the 00 I commissioned from Steve Kinnaird, it has everything I love about cedar plus a little more sparkle, for my style of playing I think redwood suits me the best. I agree that any tonewood in the hands of these most capable builders can be awesome but redwood is that perfect fit between spruce and cedar. I recommend to give it a try. Tom, another amazing guitar coming your way, I'm sure Ben will knock it out of the park again!!

Yes, Dave, this is a great way of putting it, sparkle, but it also has plenty low end like a spruce would.

Have to agree, anything Steve and Ryan produce will be bringing out the best in the raw ingredients.

And finally, I have complete confidence in Ben as well and I am expecting nothing but wonderful from this Nautilus.

[cigarfan]

Ben has a way with Redwood. I own his Jupitar Elliebelle which has Redwood top braces as well as soundboard. Rings like a bell (pun intended).

[Ukulele_Eddie]

<snippped>

Originally Posted by Steve Kinnaird

I think I saw a board lying slightly less than flat.

Haha, Steve. Are you TRYING to give Ben nightmares?

Cannot wait to see, hear and maybe even touch all these wonderful instruments that will be at BIGer.

[Diamondave]

Fully tuned in....!!! thx for sharing, Ive played Bens guitars at the Santa Barbara show and they were RAD, nice choice... and primo wood...!!!

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by cigarfan

Ben has a way with Redwood. I own his Jupitar Elliebelle which has Redwood top braces as well as soundboard. Rings like a bell (pun intended).

That particular guitar is one of the most beautiful I have seen as well.

Originally Posted by Ukulele_Eddie

<snippped>



Haha, Steve. Are you TRYING to give Ben nightmares?

Cannot wait to see, hear and maybe even touch all these wonderful instruments that will be at BIGer.

Getting closer now, very excited to meet you and although hard to believe, this guitar will make it's debut there along with Dennis' Sexauer that is currently being built. There is a Kinnaird thread too with a couple they are building just for the show as well as a Tom Sands thread!!!!

Originally Posted by Diamondave

Fully tuned in....!!! thx for sharing, Ive played Bens guitars at the Santa Barbara show and they were RAD, nice choice... and primo wood...!!!

Thanks Dave! Glad to have you, you should come to B.I.G. and hang out with fellow guitar geeks...there will be a lot to come for!!!



Ben has my sides laminated. He built a new vacuum device to help with the process. It takes 6 hours for the epoxy in the laminate to set up and his old system his pump would have to run the whole time, this one runs about 3 minutes for the whole 6 hours. My sides are BRW, Maple, Wenge...you can see the layers in the closeup. BTW, those clamps are handmade by Ben too lol, the guy is a machine! In the first shot you can see him laminating another set of sides in his new Benjamatic suction machine...

nautilus sides finished.jpg nautilus sides finished 2.jpg

[WilbornGuitars]

Attachment 32084 Attachment 32085[/QUOTE]

Originally Posted by Steve Kinnaird

Looking good Tom! Forgive this, but I enjoy the shots of his shop. It's always fascinating to see where the magic comes from. I'm curious to see if it is as well-organized as the man, and in one of the shots I think I saw a board lying slightly less than flat. Why was it slightly askew? Had someone else been there, who hadn't put it back in its place? Did Ben bend his own rules, or did an enemy visit the shop? That one misplaced item is what makes the rest of it look perfect--if you know what I mean.
As for your guitar, it will be killer. It's looking great so far!

Steve

If you look carefully, that piece of wood is cut at an angle of 14.6358752 degrees. I orient the proper side to the exterior wall of the shop at a distance of 7.875 inches as is proper and recommended in the Luthier's Penal Code section 783:24 sub-paragraph 3. I rechecked with my atomic protractor this morning, after I arose at the exact hour of 5:30 AM, PST. Thank you very much.