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  #1  
Old 06-30-2021, 03:15 PM
Archaic Guitars Archaic Guitars is offline
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Default Torrified Adirondack and Claro Walnut Archaic Dread (build thread)

Hello!
This build is for an AGF member (doctorc), so I thought it appropriate to start a separate thread for the build.

Dr. Ralph approached me with interests in a spec guitar that I had posted for sale. I sent it to him to test out and while he decided that specific guitar was not the right fit for him, he would like to commission a custom build.

This build started out as a few general ideas and has since developed into a nice project. He wanted a Dreadnaught that leaned towards the smaller side. The top would be torrified Adi spruce and we went back and forth between Claro Walnut and Black Locust back and sides. (Stay tuned, a black locust guitar is being workshopped.) Accents would be Purflex rosette, purfling, and backstrip with Holly binding.

Ralph already had a few materials in which he sent my way, including a beautiful rosewood bridge that gave us a good starting point.

Here are the specs thus far:
Model: Archaic Dreadnaught
Soundboard: torrified Adirondack Spruce
Back and Sides: Claro Walnut
Neck: Mahogany laminated with walnut and curly maple
Rosette: Purflex
Binding: Holly
Nut width: 1 3/4”
String Spacing: 2 3/16”
Scale: 24.9”

Ralph has been a delight to work with. One of the great things about commissions is you really get the chance to know your customers and the conversations sometimes even venture outside of the guitar world.

Here’s a sketch up of the guitar. This is a new model for me, and I’m thinking it will be finding its way into the Archaic Guitars line-up.
IMG_1139.jpg

Claro Walnut back with the backstrip installed. I think Ralph picked out a pretty good looking set! The back plates arrived from the supplier slightly warped, making the photo look slightly asymmetrical, but the bracing has since shaped it into a perfect 15’ radiused dome.
IMG_1437.jpg

And here’s a close up of the backstrip for good measure.
IMG_1441.jpg

And the laminated neck blank with a piece of curly maple that I’ve had set back for a few years, waiting for an application like this.
IMG_1405.jpg

Thanks for following along, there will be more posts coming soon!
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  #2  
Old 07-01-2021, 01:36 AM
colins colins is offline
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That shape looks great for a smaller dreadnaught, and I'm a big fan of walnut. So thanks for starting the build thread!
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  #3  
Old 07-05-2021, 05:03 PM
Archaic Guitars Archaic Guitars is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by colins View Post
That shape looks great for a smaller dreadnaught, and I'm a big fan of walnut. So thanks for starting the build thread!


Thanks colins!

IMG_1443.jpg
The Purflex rosette. This is my first time working with purflex and so far I’m pretty impressed. I have to say, I was a little nervous the first time I filled the gaps with black epoxy. Even though I had done a test on a piece of scrap, it was hard to convince myself that this nice Adi top would be kept safe with just a seal coat of shellac. But now I can rest easy!
Pretty cool product!

IMG_1493.jpg
The back is braced, with one extra back brace to stabilize the warped back plates. The seal coat of shellac bringing out the figure and color in the walnut makes me happy.

I have taken to bracing my backs with cedar because I like the smell and the color. I tell myself that it adds warmth to the all over tone of the guitar, but I can’t actually prove that’s true.

I do not glue my labels on until the guitar is finished, right before string up. It’s kind of a pain to do when the box is closed, but I inevitably drip shellac or polishing compound through the sound hole at some point during the rest of the build. But I’ll set the label there for a fancy photo shoot.
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  #4  
Old 07-14-2021, 02:51 PM
Archaic Guitars Archaic Guitars is offline
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More progress on this guitar!

IMG_1509.jpg
The torrified Adi top is braced with torrified Adi braces. The cooked wood can be quite brittle to carve, but it seems to make noticable a difference in tone. I would like to make a guitar with a torrified top, but uncooked bracing material to see if the guitar opens up with time as the bracing dries and ages.

F11F5C2D-5984-468D-8E1A-F1D280810634.jpg
Best friends!

IMG_1527.jpg
Top glued on and final adjustments made to the braces before gluing on the back. I put painters tape on the bridge plate to help avoid blowout when drilling the holes for bridge pins.
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Old 09-10-2021, 09:28 AM
Archaic Guitars Archaic Guitars is offline
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Its been a busy summer and I haven’t had too many chances to post. In the mean time, the woodwork for this guitar is done and is awaiting final sanding and finishing!

IMG_1588.jpg
The headstock with ebony headplate and birdseye maple “full moon” Archaic Guitars logo. The headstock is bound with Holly. Ebony and Holly look great next to each other, but they don’t always play well together on the woodworking side. The dust from sanding ebony likes to settle into the grain of the the Holly, making a dull grey mess. The trick is to avoid sanding as much as possible and scrape instead.

IMG_1750.jpg
Some African Blackwood fingerboards that came in with a very thick coating of wax.

DECD901D-3DFA-4B3E-AD4F-F7A15FCECDF7.jpg
And the fretboard waiting for a few more frets. Bound with Holly, puflex fret dots, and gold Evo frets.

IMG_1811.jpg
And here we go, ready for final sanding!
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  #6  
Old 09-10-2021, 03:48 PM
Al Mojo Al Mojo is offline
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Looks great, Tim! Looking forward to talking with you more about a NLS, soon.
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  #7  
Old 09-10-2021, 09:16 PM
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Guitars44me Guitars44me is offline
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It does look very pretty indeed! I'm impressed with the perflex. It looks great.. I'm a big fan of walnut too.

Salud

Paul
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Big Maple/Cedar Dread
Jumbo Spanish Cedar/WRC
Jumbo OLD Brazilian RW/WRC

R.T 2 12c sinker RW/Claro
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96 LKSM 12
552ce 12x12

J. Stepick Bari Weissy WRC/Walnut

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  #8  
Old 09-13-2021, 10:57 AM
Archaic Guitars Archaic Guitars is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Guitars44me View Post
It does look very pretty indeed! I'm impressed with the perflex. It looks great.. I'm a big fan of walnut too.

Salud

Paul
Thanks Paul!

And thanks Rob!

I’m excited to get strings on this thing
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