Aboudib crossover build thread

[s2y]

Originally Posted by sinistral

Very cool! Working with Michel on the design of the rosette on my guitar has been the most rewarding experience. I like how you combined inlay with hand carving. Was there a particular inspiration for the shapes?

I didn't have anything in particular in mind. To be perfectly honest, I wanted something cool without being too labor intensive or expensive. I trusted Michel to come up with something clever, cool, yet efficient.

[s2y]

A little progress

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by s2y

A little progress

Looks good.

I'm not familiar with what is done with classical bracing, but I will say I was a bit surprised when I used an inspection mirror to look inside my cedar topped Cordoba crossover. The fan bracing was all really tiny! All of the fan braces looked to be about 1/4" wide and no more than 1/4" tall, tapering down to 1/8" at the brace ends.

[Bigbert]

Very nice indeed.

[s2y]

My first guitar was an Ovation. Purely for aesthetics, there will be a slice on the fretboard. Michel mentioned he was going do to something stepped. This Razo a few years back kindled the idea.

[sinistral]

On that guitar, the angled fretboard extension looks very modern, but it’s actually a very old design. It was popular on Viennese guitars in the early nineteenth century, such as Stauffers. Here’s a Hauser with one from 1922 and another example by Georg Haid.

That is going to be a very cool guitar.

[s2y]

Originally Posted by sinistral

On that guitar, the angled fretboard extension looks very modern, but it’s actually a very old design. It was popular on Viennese guitars in the early nineteenth century, such as Stauffers. Here’s a Hauser with one from 1922 and another example by Georg Haid.

That is going to be a very cool guitar.

Ah. Those are better examples. I wasn't finding much with Google searches. Not an important or useful detail on the guitar, but artistic and a healthy nod to my Ovation.

[sinistral]

Oops, I pasted the wrong link for the Georg Haid guitar—here it is:

Retrofret — Georg Haid Viennese Classical Guitar (20th Century)

Searching for combinations of stauffer, viennese, angle(d), fretboard and extension pull up a variety of older examples.

[steveh]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

Looks good. I'm not familiar with what is done with classical bracing, but I will say I was a bit surprised when I used an inspection mirror to look inside my cedar topped Cordoba crossover. The fan bracing was all really tiny! All of the fan braces looked to be about 1/4" wide and no more than 1/4" tall, tapering down to 1/8" at the brace ends.

That's simply because the tension on the top is so very low with nylon strings vs. steel-strings.

I've played plenty of crossover guitars built by luthiers whose main day job is steel strings, and many of them have been extremely overbuilt. The standout was a used guitar retailing around 18K USD, from someone who builds very well respected and very expensive steel-strings: it was like playing a wardrobe. I have zero doubt your Cordoba would eat it alive.

A great sounding nylon guitar is perhaps the finest guitar of all, but the top must be light and responsive, hence the (relatively recent) developments around lattice bracing and double tops. No different from Mr. Somogyi's steel-string mantra in that respect.

Cheers,
Steve

[sinistral]

Originally Posted by s2y

A little progress

I love how this looks like classical architecture.

[s2y]

Some updates. Inlay materials/color to be decided. I kinda like the idea of "random" colors and shapes along the lines of Max Spohn's rosettes. I gave Michel artistic freedom to figure out the inlay motif.

[sinistral]

That is stunning. Love the geometric shapes! Looking forward to what Michel does with the inlays on the fretboard. You must’ve pulled some strings (no pun intended to get Michel to include multiple inlays—his fretboards are usually very Spartan.

[s2y]

Originally Posted by sinistral

That is stunning. Love the geometric shapes! Looking forward to what Michel does with the inlays on the fretboard. You must’ve pulled some strings (no pun intended to get Michel to include multiple inlays—his fretboards are usually very Spartan.

Pretty sure I've broken almost every nylon string rule on the planet, what's another?

[Loggerenguitars]

Wow! This is an amazing idea!! Well done!

[s2y]

I recently played my old Alvarez nylon string, which my brother has. I'm VERY glad I opted to get side dots and inlays. The Alvarez has neither. I went through a classical phase in college and it didn't bother me as much back then. This was before a full time job and kids. I'll be a "dabbler" for the next 20 some years.

Originally Posted by Loggerenguitars

Wow! This is an amazing idea!! Well done!

Thanks!