#1
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New Build: Swannell Guitars, Deep-Bodied OM
Hello!
I’m new round these parts but have gratefully lurked in the past! I’m having an instrument made by Jamie Swannell of Swannell Guitars (UK) and I thought it would be fun to record the progress of what I think will be a pretty special instrument. Jamie and I went to university together where we occasionally beer-jammed on guitar and talked nonsense about British Folk. We sort of got on with our separate lives for several years and then crossed paths again when I started performing solo fingerstyle acoustic guitar and discovered that he was making guitars full-time. He brought a couple of guitars along to a gig I did in Cambridge and I (along with Don Alder/Dan LaVoie) got to sample them. I was a big fan and straightaway, rather cheekily, asked if I might borrow one for some recording. He obliged and since then I’ve played a number of the guitars he’s made. I ended up moving to roughly the same neck of the woods recently and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to commission a build. I had a pretty specific idea of what I was after - a comfortable body shape with decent bass response, smooth trebles and a fairly light build - a dynamically responsive top. I also like the idea of using fairly well-established tone woods but of relatively local (to the U.K.) origin. I know that the rosewood and mahoganies of the world are in limited supply and while I enjoy them greatly, conversations with Jamie (and playing some non-tropical instruments made by him) reassured me that tone has a lot more to do with the build of the instrument, than purely the timber choice. Anyhow, we settled on a deep-bodied OM, with German Alpine Spruce top, English Walnut (from France) back and sides, 3,500 year-old Bog Oak (buried, discovered by a farmer tilling fields near Cambridge, UK) fingerboard and binding, a Yew neck (famously used for English long-bows) and Cedar bracing. All Non-Tropical woods, all of European origin. I’m pretty excited and thought I’d share some pics of the progress. I’ve moved this thread from the Build and Repair forum - I hadn’t realised this one existed.... Here’s the Yew for the neck: And some further early progress pics: [IMG][IMG][/IMG][/IMG] |
#2
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I admire your approach regarding the woods. It’s going to be fun watching your progress. Thanks for posting.
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Joe 1948 Martin D18 1999 Martin HD28 2015 Northwood R-80 MJ |
#3
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Some really nice local woods! Love the rosette. I will be following along.
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Life is like a box of chocolates .... |
#4
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That's a great rosette - how in the world did he do that? This will be fun to watch as it comes together. Thanks for posting!
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Hatcher Woodsman, Collings 0002H, Stella Grand Concert |
#5
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Haha- yes - the rosette! I think an Archimedes drill was involved but beyond that I’m not entirely sure...
I meant to post a couple of clips of previous Swannell OMs I’ve played European Spruce and Ovangkol on this guitar: https://soundcloud.com/stuartmasters...ur-eyes-part-1 https://youtu.be/zSM-N3rRjnE And here’s a fan-fret OM Mod, with Spruce/Cherry: https://youtu.be/VO3ZvfD0q88 |
#6
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Anyway, thanks for following along, guys!
I actually have a few more pics of more recent progress: Last edited by smasters; 01-29-2018 at 07:24 AM. |
#7
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Beautiful.
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#8
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Excellent work!
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#9
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Very very nice. Clean and precise.
__________________
Life is like a box of chocolates .... |
#10
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Here's a little timelapse video of Jamie closing the box:
I can’t work out why the above thumbnail isn’t working... in the meantime, here’s the actual link: https://youtu.be/lupl08zihyo And a bracing shot prior to closure: Last edited by smasters; 02-03-2018 at 07:48 AM. |
#11
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Apologies for the long absence (entirely down to me, not Jamie!) but here are some pics of the guitar in its final stages, pre: Holy Grail guitar show and after completion. It is, without doubt, one of the most expressive and responsive instruments I have ever played.
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#12
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Last edited by smasters; 05-17-2018 at 06:39 AM. |
#13
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I know that walnut is a pretty well-established tone wood but playing this guitar, made entirely from non-tropical timbers, has shown me how much the tone can be to do with the construction of instrument, not just timber choices.
I am one happy camper. |
#14
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It looks great! I'm impressed with how the oak fingerboard came out looking like good ebony: did he have to stain it to get it so black? If so, do you know how?
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Hatcher Woodsman, Collings 0002H, Stella Grand Concert |
#15
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That’s a real beautiful guitar!
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