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#16
05-19-2020, 07:26 AM
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Wow, that Myrtle really is lovely!
Steve 
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#17
05-19-2020, 02:14 PM
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Rosette
Bruce created and installed a simple, traditional (Nararethesque, if that’s word
 ) rosette. He used some beautiful curly maple in the rings. In the closeup you can begin to see what an aesthetically nice set of Red Spruce that it is. 
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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#18
05-19-2020, 02:25 PM
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Quote:
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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#19
05-19-2020, 02:44 PM
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And what a perfect top! Great looking project.
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#21
05-19-2020, 08:57 PM
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Top Braces: Layer One
Bruce has glued down the first layer in his series of top braces (main x-braces and upper transverse brace) to the Red Spruce top. This photo series shows a progression of carve as he seeks to add structure to the thinned top. He get’s the shape/profile of these braces to where he wants them with a chisel and sanding blocks before adding the next layers whose position can be seen marked in pencil (e.g. tone bars, finger braces, sound hole brace and popsicle brace).
  
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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#22
05-19-2020, 09:50 PM
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Looking good bob. What led you to the choice of woods? I haven’t played more than a few Myrtle guitars, both Breedloves like 20 years ago. Is it sort of like the fundamentals of maple, with the mids of mahogany and the overtones of rosewood? Kidding of course, I have no idea! But I am curious.
Congratulations! I am eyeing a return to artisan, if you are there...
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Multiple guitars including a 1979 Fender that needs a neck re-set Last edited by jmat; 05-20-2020 at 07:38 AM.
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#23
05-19-2020, 10:42 PM
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L00 [German Spruce | Pernambuco] 000 [German Spruce | Carved Bigleaf Maple] 0 [German Spruce | Brazilian Rosewood] J-185 [Red Spruce | Australian Blackwood] All have delivered the goods in spades... He had a beautiful set of Red Spruce that he felt had great acoustic potential, so that was an easy choice. I also think Bruce enjoys the challenge of Red Spruce in that he finds it personally rewarding as a luthier to coax the best out of it. European Spruce (e.g. Carpathian, German, Italian, Polish, Swiss etc.) are more of a slam dunk for him at this point. It is very easy for some companies/luthiers to over build a top with Red Spruce, but he will make it sing. The choice of Oregon Myrtle was honestly a combination of general my tonal target, aesthetic attraction and my great faith in Bruce’s mastery as a luthier to coax the best out any tonewood that comes across his bench. I have no experience playing a guitar made from it, and Bruce has no experience building with it, but it is a testament in my ultimate faith in him as a master luthier that any guitar that he builds for me will exceed my expectations... Let’s see what August brings regarding Artisan...
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings… Last edited by iim7V7IM7; 05-19-2020 at 11:02 PM.
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#24
05-20-2020, 11:59 AM
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2nd Tier
The second tier braces (one tone bar and four finger braces) have been glued into the top and tuned to shape. The third layer to be attached and shaped will include a second tone bar, sound hole and popsicle braces (their positions can be seen marked on the top).
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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#25
05-20-2020, 01:42 PM
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Ladder Bracing
While the third layer of top bracing adhere’s in Bruce’s Go-bar deck he moved on to shape the four spruce ladder braces on the .085” thick Oregon Myrtle back.
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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#26
05-20-2020, 05:29 PM
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Top Bracing
Bruce has completed bracing the Red Spruce top. He thinned it to about .105” and uses a fairly flat 42’ dish radius. A couple things that I always notice with his top bracing after you get past it being a scalloped x-brace are:
 Honduran Mahogany neck and end blocks being glued to the Red Spruce top.  The Oregon Myrtle rims have been trued up and thinned in preparation for bending. They also so some hints of some interesting figure. 
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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#27
05-20-2020, 07:17 PM
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You've motivated me to save my pennies to some day purchase BTO. Bruce looks to be doing amazing work, hopefully by the time I'm able to afford one of his guitars he'll not yet have retired...
SCGC and H&D have ruined me, I don't think I can ever go back to the world of Martin, Taylor, Guild, etc. Not that those guitars are bad, but I like the feeling of supporting smaller companies, and in Bruce's case, a true artisan and craftsman.
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Santa Cruz | Huss & Dalton | Lakewood Fan (and customer) of: -Charmed Life Picks -Organic Sounds Select Guitars -Down Home Guitars
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#28
05-20-2020, 08:16 PM
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One Rim
Bruce has now bent the one of the two rims. The Oregon Myrtle side is now hot hide glued to the Honduran Mahogany neck and end blocks and clamped awaiting to be attached to the top with spruce tentalones (peone).
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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#29
05-20-2020, 08:49 PM
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Quote:
Bruce is now 73 years old and after 50+ years at the bench, is building guitars at the top of his game. How long he will continue to make guitars is hard to say (Antonio Stradivari lived to 93... ). I would give him a call. What I can say, a deposit of $1,000 will lock you in under his current pricing structure. I believe also makes ornamentally simpler instruments that he calls WRX as well at a somewhat reduced base price from his Companion, Regulation and Grand sized guitars.
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
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#30
05-20-2020, 11:24 PM
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I would add that Bruce has an incredible trade-in policy, and a good selection of guitars that he has built on spec, or taken back in from customers “upgrading” - if you are serious about getting into a master grade hand built instrument, its worth looking at his website, and then giving him a call -
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More than a few Santa Cruz’s, a few Sexauers, a Patterson, a Larrivee, a Cumpiano, and a Klepper!!
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