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  #106  
Old 10-25-2018, 05:49 AM
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Waiting on the edge of my seat to hear what you think Mike. Sure is purdy!
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  #107  
Old 10-25-2018, 09:33 AM
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That is a gorgeous guitar!!! We all can't wait to hear how it feels to have it in your hands and what it's like to play the beauty!

Congratulations- it's been wonderful following this thread!

beth
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  #108  
Old 10-25-2018, 03:39 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cigarfan View Post
Waiting on the edge of my seat to hear what you think Mike. Sure is purdy!
Thanks Dennis, very excited to receive this, and will be thrilled when Steve posts final pictures!

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Originally Posted by bmh1 View Post
That is a gorgeous guitar!!! We all can't wait to hear how it feels to have it in your hands and what it's like to play the beauty!

Congratulations- it's been wonderful following this thread!

beth
Thanks so much, Beth! I'll definitely write up my initial impressions, and then again at some point down the road, after it breaks in a little.
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  #109  
Old 10-31-2018, 01:06 PM
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Mike just informed me about an hour and a half ago that the guitar has already arrived- a day earlier than expected. He's giving it a couple hours to settle before opening the package. I'd better get some photos up fast! Unfortunately, my ten-year-old iMac sometimes freezes up while I'm formatting photos for upload. I have well over 20,000 guitar photos in my library at this point, so the Photos app gets a little constipated occasionally. Fortunately, a good P-RAM zap usually gets things going again.

Here are some of the photos of the Appollo Eclipse I shot just before shipping the guitar.











So, I'll keep holding my breath as I walk across the canyon on a tightrope, waiting to hear from Mike. I sure hope this guitar is a good fit for him... Thanks for looking!
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  #110  
Old 10-31-2018, 02:27 PM
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Well if it's not a good fit for him he can send it my way!

Wow--it really looks incredible, Steve!

And I'm sure it has the sound to back it up...
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  #111  
Old 10-31-2018, 02:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Nemoman View Post
Well if it's not a good fit for him he can send it my way!

Wow--it really looks incredible, Steve!

And I'm sure it has the sound to back it up...
Sorry, my friend, it's a perfect fit! The guitar is extremely comfortable to hold, has a bold voice, and sweet! I think it sounds beautiful, though only had time for a few strums here at work. I will give it a better workout at home tonight. What I can say is the neck feels awesome, Steve nailed that for me. I asked for a teeny bit thicker than a Taylor neck, same width, and it is spot on. The bevels, arm and rib, make it sit beautifully under my arm. Moving up and down the neck strumming cords was pretty effortless. Really looking forward to playing much longer later on this evening!
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  #112  
Old 10-31-2018, 02:42 PM
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Another beautiful custom Eclipse--congratulations to Steve and Mike! We anxiously await Mike's first impressions. I'm curious how the thinner than typical bevel size will feel under the right arm. My right arm loves the bevel on my Zephyr.
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  #113  
Old 10-31-2018, 02:44 PM
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Awesome--congrats, Mike!

I know you've been waiting to be reunited with this combination for a long time!

Looking forward to your full report when you've had a chance to play it awhile.

Enjoy!!!
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  #114  
Old 10-31-2018, 02:59 PM
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Congrats to Mike for his favorite wood combinations coming home. If beauty is an indication, all should be well.

Congrats to Steve on another work of art that makes beautiful music. Steve you have done it again my man!

I hope you love it Mike!
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  #115  
Old 10-31-2018, 03:29 PM
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So I can tentatively exhale now...?
I wanted to mention, a few years ago, I made a nylon string guitar with a set of the same Sinker redwood, from the same billet as this guitar. Brand new, it sounded pretty good, although less mellow than I had hoped. But after a month, six weeks, and beyond, it really blossomed into a rich, fragrant tone.
Using the same top wood on Mike’s guitar, I had the same impression- although this one quite a bit louder. It also sounds a lot more expressive after the strings get played in for a few days. So the best is yet to come. The real alchemy happens when the player invests an instrument with some musical heart and soul. I guitar isn’t fully built until it’s played.
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  #116  
Old 10-31-2018, 06:40 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chasapple View Post
Another beautiful custom Eclipse--congratulations to Steve and Mike! We anxiously await Mike's first impressions. I'm curious how the thinner than typical bevel size will feel under the right arm. My right arm loves the bevel on my Zephyr.
Thanks for checking in and asking!! The smaller bevels provide just the right amount of relief. They really aren't as much "armrest" as they are "relief points". I sat for about 45 minutes with the guitar, just basically banging out chords in an effort to play in the strings, and I was as comfortable at the end of playing as I was when I started. So these are the perfect size for my body, and the body of the guitar.

As for first impressions, these are really my second first impressions, but in the short time I played it, the guitar is very sweet. I think it is purring loudly now and I anticipate it roaring more later on. Seriously, the guitar is pretty loud, from the player's perspective. Perhaps that has something to do with the sound port, but I like that it can be loud without much work. I have to get it in the hands of someone else so I can sit out front and hear it. The trebles really shine through in a very good way. The bass needs a little more aggression to push through, but the guitar was build to handle light-moderate strumming, so if I need to hit the bass strings a tad harder, I can do that without fear of any buzz. As with the overall tone, I expect the bass to fill out and get a bit more crisp as the guitar wakes up. I sang a few tunes and was very comfortable with how my voice pairs with the guitar's voice. I'm really looking forward to hearing how it develops. If it sounds like this now, it's going to be amazing at she opens up.

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Originally Posted by Nemoman View Post
Awesome--congrats, Mike!

I know you've been waiting to be reunited with this combination for a long time!

Looking forward to your full report when you've had a chance to play it awhile.

Enjoy!!!
Thanks so much! As you can see from the above quick review, she's a pleasure. Steve got the neck shape exactly where I like it, it's very easy to play barre chords, which I do frequently. As you said, I've been wanting this wood combo, and Steve certainly did it justice!

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Originally Posted by TomB'sox View Post
Congrats to Mike for his favorite wood combinations coming home. If beauty is an indication, all should be well.

Congrats to Steve on another work of art that makes beautiful music. Steve you have done it again my man!

I hope you love it Mike!
Tom, as I wrote above, she's very sweet sounding, and I think that's going to evolve into a bit more of an aggressive nature. And that's a good thing. I like a guitar that can growl a bit because it allows a wide range of picking dynamics, soft strums for sweet sounds, volume when I want it. And it really is pretty to look at. Thanks for all the good wishes and encouragement!

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Originally Posted by theEdwinson View Post
So I can tentatively exhale now...?
I wanted to mention, a few years ago, I made a nylon string guitar with a set of the same Sinker redwood, from the same billet as this guitar. Brand new, it sounded pretty good, although less mellow than I had hoped. But after a month, six weeks, and beyond, it really blossomed into a rich, fragrant tone.
Using the same top wood on Mike’s guitar, I had the same impression- although this one quite a bit louder. It also sounds a lot more expressive after the strings get played in for a few days. So the best is yet to come. The real alchemy happens when the player invests an instrument with some musical heart and soul. I guitar isn’t fully built until it’s played.
Yes, Steve, relax! All is good in the guitar-hood. As you said, the guitar is already quite loud, and I don't want it to be too mellow. I'm going to play it faithfully often, and put on a set of my favorite strings, then wash-rinse-repeat. As pretty as she is, I don't want her to be a case queen, she'll be a player (though well taken care of). You've been a real pleasure to work with, putting up with my questions and making the process a joy. Thank you for everything!
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  #117  
Old 10-31-2018, 06:54 PM
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Mike, have you plugged in yet? I'm pretty impressed with the LR Baggs Lyric, after installing them in five guitars. We tested it out here on Joel's Carvin acoustic amp, and with all the controls set flat, it sounded clean and woody, with zero hum. It'll take some knob-and-slider tweaking to get it set just right, but I hope it sounds great for you plugged in.

As for bass response, it sounded to me like it has plenty of potential. I think it'll fatten up nicely as it gets played in some.
And it really is illuminating to have a friend play it for you, especially in a live room. When Joel was playing the guitar in the shop and I was listening ten feet away, the bass end had some nice punch.

And, you might also want to try using a set of light/medium strings, like D'Addario EJ 19 strings, gauged .012- .056, or an equivalent. I use them a lot for my D- and C- based tunings, but they work fine for A440 Standard too.
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  #118  
Old 10-31-2018, 07:32 PM
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Late to the party here, but WOW... love the way everything ties in, from the woods, to the inlay motif. Congrats and good luck on a beauty!
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  #119  
Old 11-01-2018, 05:50 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by theEdwinson View Post
Mike, have you plugged in yet? I'm pretty impressed with the LR Baggs Lyric, after installing them in five guitars. We tested it out here on Joel's Carvin acoustic amp, and with all the controls set flat, it sounded clean and woody, with zero hum. It'll take some knob-and-slider tweaking to get it set just right, but I hope it sounds great for you plugged in.

As for bass response, it sounded to me like it has plenty of potential. I think it'll fatten up nicely as it gets played in some.
And it really is illuminating to have a friend play it for you, especially in a live room. When Joel was playing the guitar in the shop and I was listening ten feet away, the bass end had some nice punch.

And, you might also want to try using a set of light/medium strings, like D'Addario EJ 19 strings, gauged .012- .056, or an equivalent. I use them a lot for my D- and C- based tunings, but they work fine for A440 Standard too.
Steve, I'm sure the bass will thicken up, no doubt! I also know that guitars are individual in nature, I might need to change my pick attack a bit. Plus, I'm going to put on different strings, per your suggestion, though I usually go with Elixir, and that'll have a difference. The key is, the guitar sounds wonderful already, and to know it is going to continue to develop is very exciting.

I did plug it in to my Fishman Loudbox and it sounded really nice! It was rich, full and warm. And you're right, no hum at all, no sound until I plucked a string. I'll adjust the settings to get it where I want it, perhaps a bit more trebly, but for the few moments it was connected, it really filled the room with a lovely sound. What was funny was, I had to turn it up pretty loud to hear it over the guitar. I don't know if it the sound port, or if it just naturally a loud guitar (a good thing!), but I had to turn up the volume to hear the amp. I'm really looking forward to my next gig!

Quote:
Originally Posted by LouieAtienza View Post
Late to the party here, but WOW... love the way everything ties in, from the woods, to the inlay motif. Congrats and good luck on a beauty!
Thanks Louie! Steve put a lot of time and effort in working everything out. He really did a great job of pulling all of the elements together and was very patient with me as I asked for some adjustments here and there. I can't speak highly enough about his demeanor and desire to craft something that is not only beautiful, but exactly what I was hoping to receive.
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2014 RainSong H-OM1000N2
2017 Rainsong BI-WS1000N2
2013 Chris Ensor Concert - Port Orford Cedar/Wenge
1980ish Takamine EF363 complete with irreplaceable memories
A bunch of electrics (too many!!)
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  #120  
Old 11-08-2018, 08:45 AM
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Only a few minutes to post, wanted to say the guitar is already evolving, amazing what a week or so will do, along with a new set of strings. My wife, "I think that is the prettiest guitar I have ever seen." My daughter, "Dad, I have a new favorite, the neck is so comfortable and the guitar sounds insanely good!" I was playing it this morning, it is just so easy to pick up, hold and play. The neck is exactly what I wanted. She sounds really sweet now, the bass is getting a bit more pronounced, probably a combination of me learning how to get the sound I want as I play, and the guitar being at the very beginning of "opening up". I have a feeling there's a ways to go, and as good as she sounds now, she's going to be glorious over time. I will try to put together a video over the weekend. I'll pre-apologize for a lack of fancy guitar skills often so effortlessly demonstrated by some of you, but hopefully I'll give the guitar a chance to shine.
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2014 RainSong H-OM1000N2
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1980ish Takamine EF363 complete with irreplaceable memories
A bunch of electrics (too many!!)
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