Sexauer '22

[JohnM]

I’ve always loved your cutaways Bruce. One of the most elegant styles of cutaways I’ve ever seen.

[Bruce Sexauer]

Originally Posted by JohnM

I’ve always loved your cutaways Bruce. One of the most elegant styles of cutaways I’ve ever seen.

Thank you, John. Long time/no see!

[Bruce Sexauer]

I have finished writing "the book", and am getting back to the bench. Although I have written it, it is far from done. There is much editing, and a good many pictures to be chosen and inserted. Also, I have not decided how to publish it, but that will come, most likely.

I have started a new guitar, a BRW/Italian JB-CN, something I have not done before. JB means my fully asymmetrical body with a MultiScale, and CN is my Couch Noodler, a bespoke take on a 00 sized guitar.

It will go a bit slowly as I am also preparing a few guitars for their journey to Woodstock, NY, where I will show them to the public at Baker Rorick's Woodstock International Guitar Showcase: WILS, which we usually just call Woodstock. Please say hello if you visit, I will be the hold out in the N95.

[runamuck]

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

I have finished writing "the book", and am getting back to the bench. Although I have written it, it is far from done. There is much editing, and a good many pictures to be chosen and inserted. Also, I have not decided how to publish it, but that will come, most likely.

I have started a new guitar, a BRW/Italian JB-CN, something I have not done before. JB means my fully asymmetrical body with a MultiScale, and CN is my Couch Noodler, a bespoke take on a 00 sized guitar.

It will go a bit slowly as I am also preparing a few guitars for their journey to Woodstock, NY, where I will show them to the public at Baker Rorick's Woodstock International Guitar Showcase: WILS, which we usually just call Woodstock. Please say hello if you visit, I will be the hold out in the N95.

I'm very glad to hear about your book. If you need help with editing I'm pretty good at that.

[nashrb]

Hey Bruce. Great news on the book and it will be good to have you back on the Custom forum.

[Bruce Sexauer]

Originally Posted by runamuck

I'm very glad to hear about your book. If you need help with editing I'm pretty good at that.

Thank you for the offer. I am a bit gun shy about editing as the last person who "volunteered" to help me was so negative about the work that I put the project down for 6 years! And yes, I met him right here in this forum. But no, I won't name him.

I do have someone to work with, Tim Allen, who has also taken over the presidency of NCAL, and he gets me nicely. He is also experienced, especially with the technical manual aspect of my project, which is about half of it.

[Bruce Sexauer]

The rosette in my #325 will make more sense when I've leveled it. You can see the pencil line I have drawn on the top before cutting it out, which is as close to a pattern or mold as I have for this guitar!

[Treenewt]

Bruce, to say I'm excited about the book would be a major understatement. I cannot wait. Good to see you back here, and that rosette is lovely!

[runamuck]

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

Thank you for the offer. I am a bit gun shy about editing as the last person who "volunteered" to help me was so negative about the work that I put the project down for 6 years! And yes, I met him right here in this forum. But no, I won't name him.

I do have someone to work with, Tim Allen, who has also taken over the presidency of NCAL, and he gets me nicely. He is also experienced, especially with the technical manual aspect of my project, which is about half of it.

OK, sounds like you're covered. I wouldn't have made the offer if your writing style and overall attitude here didn't appeal to me. Also, I've played your guitars and consider them to be some of the best.

I wish you the best and look forward to your book.

[Guitars44me]

Originally Posted by Treenewt

Bruce, to say I'm excited about the book would be a major understatement. I cannot wait. Good to see you back here, and that rosette is lovely!

I’m with Treenewt!

Glad you are back to the bench. Have FUN

Cheers

Paul

[Bruce Sexauer]

Here is the one and only (so far) JB-CN's sanded top w/rosette, and your first view of the BRW back, with the Koa back strip just in and not leveled.

I am making this one with shorter scales than my norm, 24.4 x 24.9, and a more delicate build to match. I intend it to be super responsive with light strings, a bit airy perhaps, and very easy to play. The sort of thing I think Larry Pattis wanted five years ago, not that he has anything to do with this project.

[Bruce Sexauer]

Almost all of the Brazilian I have in stock came from the same source, with a half dozen sets coming from several other directions. This is the only set I thought up to snuff that was offered by the "Florida Connection", and is the only set I have ever seen offered with CITES documentation. While this documentation did come with the set, there is absolutely no way to identify this set as distinct from any other set. It is decent wood, nearly quartered, and remains quite stiff at a mere .063" thick, on average.

[printer2]

My ears shot up when I heard a guitar specifically built for light strings. I have only had the courage to do a back that is 0.065" thick once, only because the wood was thin to begin with. Still need to finish it though. If you do not mind my asking, is the top thinner than usual also? I am assuming that a smaller body guitar will be thinner than a larger body and a little less for light strings. Good to see you at it again.

[Bruce Sexauer]

I agree that smaller guitars requirer thinner tops, but not so much that lighter strings need thinner tops. I tend to look at the braces as the structure, and think of the top as a membrane independent of the braces, and that there is a ideal thickness for the membrane, depending on the tonal target.

This Italian Spruce top is on the stiffer side, and although I thicknessed it entirely by feel, I measured it for you. It varies between .093 and .097 at the extremes of 10 measurements, and is mostly between .095 and .096, or 2.43 mm, if that's your thing.

As you probably know by now, I put my braces in rough and shape them in situ. I rarely show their profile clearly, but thought you might be interested. The difference between the upper and lower bouts is profound. These X braces are a bit narrower than my norm as well, barely over 1/4".

[tadol]

I didn’t realize how much I was missing Bruces build pics ‘til this - want more, and need more!