New Howard Klepper Advanced Jumbo in black walnut build project - Page 9

Wade Hampton · #**121** 02-07-2011, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

.... Looks like a visit to Howard's workshop might be in order soon. ..... This AJish is looking great and I doubt it will be a struggle to find something nice to say about it.

I think I can speak for all us when I say that we'll be interested to read your post after you visit Howard and look in on the guitar!

whm

murrmac123 · #**122** 02-11-2011, 01:15 PM

can't have this thread dropping off the front page ...

Kitchen Guitars · #**123** 02-11-2011, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

I've sunburst the top, and shaded the neck. Gibson often did a kind of "half burst" on just the lower part of the neck. I decided to emulate that.

It's very hard to photograph a sunburst. The color varies in every light, and the camera often picks it up differently from the eye. There also is a problem with specular glare; probably a polaroid filter would help, but I don't have one for this camera. The colors here are fairly accurate; I picked up some reflections of stuff on the bench, though.

The photo of the neck is accurate except it looks more purple at the bottom than the guitar--because it is reflecting blue from the sky.

Polarizers increase contrast(not good). I can help you with the lighting

Wade Hampton · #**124** 02-19-2011, 04:12 PM

I thought I'd bump this thread back up onto the first page again...

whm

lclyman · #**125** 02-19-2011, 05:33 PM

Wade,
I saw your guitar when I visited Howard's shop a few days ago..

Looks gorgeous and Howard is doing a fantastic job..

If it sounds as good as it's looking ( which I'm sure it will..) you're going to have a new #1..

Larry

Bruce Sexauer · #**126** 02-19-2011, 06:04 PM

What Larry said. The color on this guitar, as well as the other Klepper work in process, looks even better to me in person than the photos indicate. So often the opposite is truer. I am impressed.

Wade Hampton · #**127** 02-19-2011, 06:43 PM

Thanks, guys. Yes, I'm really looking forward to getting my greasy mitts on this guitar and playing some loud and tasteless rockabilly music on it!

Actually, I play a wide ranges of styles, and rockabilly is just one of them. But somehow this guitar does seem to be calling out to be played rockabilly style!

As I've mentioned before, both in this thread and in previous threads on this and other forums, black walnut has worked well for me on a number of instruments prior to this one. So I suspect this combination of woods on this design with this highly skilled guitar-builder building it is going to make a great guitar.

Wade Hampton "The WAY-Hey-Ting Is The Hardest Part!" Miller

murrmac123 · #**128** 02-20-2011, 12:02 PM

Wade, if I were you I would just make sure that Howard doesn't take the AJ into the shower with him to accompany himself on "Tennessee Waltz" ...

Wade Hampton · #**129** 02-20-2011, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by murrmac123

Wade, if I were you I would just make sure that Howard doesn't take the AJ into the shower with him to accompany himself on "Tennessee Waltz" ...

Hmmmm...somehow, I don't think that'll be a problem. But I'll mention your concern to him...

Seriously, Howard's been having fun on this particular project. He's seemed pretty buoyant every time I've spoken with him.

whm

murrmac123 · #**130** 02-26-2011, 10:57 AM

back to the front page, where this thread belongs ...

Wade Hampton · #**131** 02-26-2011, 06:18 PM

Howard and I spoke a day or two ago, and he told me that the guitar has been lacquered and at this point the finish just needs to cure for two or three weeks before he proceeds with attaching the neck to the body, gluing on the bridge and stringing it up.

So the projected completion date is somewhere in mid-March, after which he'll take it around and let a few friends like Eric Schoenberg and Bruce Sexauer play it and ooh and aah over it. Then he'll ship it to me in early April.

Initially, Howard was surprised when I told him I wanted him to wait and to show it to as many people in California as he likes before shipping it to me, but a large part of my reasoning has to do with Alaskan weather patterns. It's better to wait until things warm up a little bit before mailing it up here, just for the sake of the finish if nothing else.

I also think that this guitar is enough of a departure for Howard into a vintage direction that he should make certain as many folks as possible are aware that he can do a fine job with this style of instrument, as well as the more adventurous, avant-garde guitar designs that's he's better known for.

So I can wait a little while longer....

whm

Bruce Sexauer · #**132** 02-26-2011, 08:52 PM

Howard has indeed been straying some from his signature sound in the direction of the vintage sensibility, but I have never seen him do anything so blatantly old school as this guitar, and I am very happy to learn that I will likely get a chance to play it.

In private conversation I took Howard to task (slightly) as I thought he didn't get the bracing geometry right. He put so much evidence to support his thinking in front of me that I backed away humbled! I thought I had made an AJ near-replica for Schoenberg a few years back, but good as that guitar did seem at the time, it seems I missed quite a bit of subtlety in the interior (in spite of have a real one in my hands). Yes indeed, I look forward to playing this guitar.

jalbert · #**133** 02-26-2011, 09:08 PM

Hopefully I'm speaking on behalf of a lot of folks who are viewing but not posting, but I really appreciate seeing this guitar come together and all the expert discussion that has accompanied it! Thanks to all for sharing your wisdom and insight.

John How · #**134** 02-27-2011, 02:09 AM

It's a real beauty Howard, congrats to you!

Wade Hampton · #**135** 02-28-2011, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

Howard has indeed been straying some from his signature sound in the direction of the vintage sensibility, but I have never seen him do anything so blatantly old school as this guitar, and I am very happy to learn that I will likely get a chance to play it.

Oh, no question about it: Howard has a great deal of respect for you as a player as well as a builder, and I know that he finds your input and insights very valuable. So he definitely intends to have you play it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

In private conversation I took Howard to task (slightly) as I thought he didn't get the bracing geometry right. He put so much evidence to support his thinking in front of me that I backed away humbled!

Before the guitar even got started Howard and I discussed what he was going to do with the bracing, and he told me pretty much what he told you. The idea behind this guitar has never been to make an exact copy of a Gibson Advanced Jumbo but rather to take those general dimensions and shape and build something that inhabits the same tonal universe, (so to speak,) but in an individualistic manner that reflects both my own playing style and Howard's abilities as a guitar designer and builder.

As you're well aware, the OM design has been used as a sort of blank canvas for a lot of handbuilders to explore painting their own tonal pictures, and, if anything, the SJ ("small jumbo") shape has been taken and used for an even wider array of interpretations by luthiers in the high end guitar market.

But not as much interpretive work has been done with the AJ design, at least not that I've seen, and since it's also one of the truly great steel string acoustic guitar designs, perhaps that's overdue.

Anyway, if I had wanted a strict copy of the Gibson design I probably would have taken the commission to some other builder, but for me it was never a question of "Can you make an exact Gibson AJ copy?" but, rather, "What can you do with this idea and overall design?"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

Yes indeed, I look forward to playing this guitar.

Me, too.

Wade Hampton Miller