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#1
08-31-2009, 06:51 AM
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Circa 00 build
I got my first progress photo from John Slobod http://www.circaguitars.com/. This guitar will be a 00, Red Spruce top ( Adirondak) Beeswing Mahogany back and Sides, Sunburst Top, 12 fret neck/body joint with Cutaway, Solid headstock with Torch inlay and Custom Rosette.
I met John at the Swannanoa Gathering in 2008. I showed him a Schoenberg Soloist that I owned that was built during the Dana Bourgeois period of Schoenberg. John was interested in this guitar because of his association with Dana. John asked me to try a 00 that he had with him. I was amazed at the sound and feel of the guitar as I played it. It was my first experience with that body size. I resisted my impulse to buy that guitar, but I couldn't seem to forget it. Over the next few months I tried several other 00 guitars, but could not find one to match the sound of the Circa that I had played, I finally contacted John and he told me his wait list was rather long. I searched the internet for possible used 00 guitars but there was none to be found. I did eventually find Andrew Wright http://guitarmatch.com/. Andrew is a fellow forum member and he had a build slot that was coming up with John. We came to an agreement on that slot and I was able to spec the guitar that I wanted. In the course of making the choices for my guitar I emailed Al Pettaway. he lives fairly close to me in North Carolina and owns a Circa 00. He answered all my questions and allowed me to come and play his 00. Al is a fantastic musician and a really nice guy. I had several conversations with John about what I wanted in this guitar. I told him my main concern was to have a guitar that sounded and felt like the 00 that I had played at Swannanoa. We decided that Mahogany was the way to go for that. I wanted a cutaway if that wouldn't change the sound. John said that he had made many guitars with and without cutaways and he could not hear the difference. That was good enough for me. The trim and inlay were the hardest decisions, I didn't have a strong preference but I didn't want a lot of flashy inlay. I ended up with a lot of the same choices as Jim Mcgills's Circa OM that has been reviewed in this forum. I saw John again this year at Swannanoa, I got the chance to play the guitars that he had on hand and I was reassured that I had made the right choice for my next guitar. My new guitar should be done by the end of this year, a great way to celebrate my 50th birthday.  [/IMG] .
Last edited by Teleplucker; 08-31-2009 at 06:51 AM. Reason: add picture 
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#2
08-31-2009, 06:54 AM
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Rosette
[IMG]  [/IMG]
Last edited by Teleplucker; 09-19-2009 at 09:44 AM. Reason: Pic
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#4
09-19-2009, 09:39 AM
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I got a series of pics from John Slobod at Circa Guitars this week. Some of the pics are my guitar and some are shots that show his building techniques and procedures. It's pretty cool to see the pieces go together.
Here's the braces. [IMG]  [/IMG]The tools that he uses to carve the braces. [IMG]  [/IMG]Forms used to glue the braces to the top [IMG]  [/IMG]Braces being carved[IMG]  [/IMG]Braces being glued [IMG]  [/IMG]More braces[IMG]  [/IMG]My guitar top[IMG]  [/IMG]My Top[IMG]  [/IMG]A Bottle of Tone [IMG]  [/IMG]I'm getting very excited about this guitar!!!
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#5
09-19-2009, 10:32 AM
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Congrats!!! John Slobod builds one heck of a guitar from what I've read!!!!!!!!!
__________________
Crazy guitar nut in search of the best sounding guitars built today and yesterday. High End Guitar Review Videos. www.youtube.com/user/rockinb23
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#8
09-19-2009, 01:21 PM
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WOW, I really want one, heard nothing but the best....
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onedayatatime
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#9
09-19-2009, 02:50 PM
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Awesome. I love 00's!
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#10
10-02-2009, 08:32 AM
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I got a big update from John on the 00 guitar that he is building for me. Lots of cool pictures that show his craftmanship and talent. John seems to be having fun tracking the birth of this guitar. I know it's extra work for him, I certainly appreciate his willingness to do this.
[IMG]  [/IMG]Forms used for bending the sides. [IMG]  [/IMG]The sides are sprayed with water and sandwhiched between 2 sheets of spring steel and 2 electric blankets. [IMG]  [/IMG]I start bending when the wood is at 270 degrees and there is plenty of steam coming out of the sandwich. [IMG]  [/IMG]I use a kitchen meat thermometer to monitor the temp. It will cook for 2-3 minutes at 300 degrees and then cool at around 200 degrees for 10 minutes. I then cook at 300 again for a minute to make sure all the moisture is out of the wood, and then cool overnight to set the wood. Mahogany especially is prone to straightening itself out if you don't cook it properly. [IMG]  [/IMG][IMG]  [/IMG]these 2 pics show how nicely this turned out. It is holding its shape very well with no clamps. [IMG]  [/IMG][IMG]  [/IMG]The re-enforcing strip is notched with a chisel the receive the braces.  [IMG]  [/IMG]
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#11
10-02-2009, 08:50 AM
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More Photos of the progress of my guitar, John work is very clean.
[IMG]  [/IMG][IMG]  [/IMG]will use that line to trim the cutaway side and then clamp this guide block to the side at exactly the thickness of the side ( .085 [IMG]  [/IMG]I use the block to chisel the sides to 45 degrees. [IMG]  [/IMG] I saved the off-cut from the cutaway side to reunite it so that it looks as if it has magically bent around the block. You might not even notice this on a mahogany guitar, but on a rosewood guitar with unusual grain, it is a great detail - the grain goes right around the corner. [IMG]  [/IMG][IMG]  [/IMG]Rosewood side braces are fit between the kerfed lining. [IMG]  [/IMG][IMG]  [/IMG][IMG]  [/IMG]
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#12
10-02-2009, 08:52 AM
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[IMG]
 [/IMG][IMG]  [/IMG]The top ready to be glued up - almost.... still need to trim the cutaway. Hope you guys enjoy these as much as I do. It gives me a new appreciation for the skills it takes to build a guitar when I see the build threads.
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#13
10-02-2009, 10:11 AM
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Thanks for posting these, Randall. I agree that it's great to see the precision of the workmanship and get a feel for how cool this guitar is going to be when it completely comes together!
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Andrew Wright Indianapolis, IN Rockbridge Slope D Martin America 1 Woolson Soundcraft Sig
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#14
10-02-2009, 10:26 AM
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Very Cool. I love a builder that is willing to photodocument the build. Kinda like pictures of the birth of your child. And John seems to be willing to go the extra mile. It can only bode well for the ultimate outcome of this guitar.
LC
__________________
Still crazy after all these years.
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#15
10-03-2009, 07:56 AM
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Another update from Circa guitars http://www.circaguitars.com/ this morning, looks like my "box" is built! The way the braces line up with the slots that John routed in the kerfing is a thing of beauty.
[IMG]  [/IMG][IMG]  [/IMG][IMG]  [/IMG][IMG]  [/IMG]Below is a shot of an old book veneer press that I adapted to glue up my bodies. I looked for one for YEARS! I sandwich the top/back in dishes which match exactly the radius of the sanding dishes I use to shape the sides and kerfing. For my small guitars I use 25' for both the top and back. Most builders are using a much tighter radius ( 12' ) on the backs. [IMG]  [/IMG]
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