Sexauer '23 (Chapter 2)

[Bruce Sexauer]

The following repeats my last post from Sexauer '23, my previous thread:

I am back into the shop following my long weekend of bluegrass in Grass Valley, CA. I guess 2 dozen great players checked out my latest offering to this particular community, but this 49 second clip is my favorite evidence of the time spent. Both of these guys, Jesse and Mickey (pretty sure), were in different featured bands.

https://vimeo.com/837707961?

Along with videographer Tad Laird and producer Richard Newman, I am working on the video of my recent seminar on Oil Varnish, which will appear here soon.

[cigarfan]

Nice! Those guys were smokin'

[BrunoBlack]

Sounds like you had a good time. Since you are exploring a somewhat new demographic, did you receive any interesting feedback from the players who played your instruments?

[Bruce Sexauer]

My experience is that most players either do or don't like a specific guitar. Surprisingly few can verbalize the reasons. When I build for someone, I have developed a method for sussing out a person's desire w/o them necessarily being able to articulate it. Both of the players in the video liked all of the 6 guitars I had with me, and I did ask for preferences. There was wide agreement at the show that my latest BRW/Adi D is what is what am. Also, it is now placed.

It is worth saying that I have been honing in my understanding of just what a B'grass guitar ideally is for over 10 years now, and have made and placed quite a few of them. Not all D'd I've made are intended as B'grass guitars, but over half are. My first D was bought, on merit, by rocker Joe Satriani! That was well over 10 years ago, I think.

[Richard Mott]

What a great clip. Two terrific guitars and such alive playing!

[Bruce Sexauer]

I should have said: That’s “Dread Lightly” on the left, and my very serious BRW/Adi on the right.

[Bruce Sexauer]

Apparently, my absence has been noted by a few of you. Not to worry, all is well. I am taking a break between woodworking projects to refine "the Book". I expect this to take 6 weeks or so. Currently, it is about 140 pages in my word processor, and is 4 days I have groomed the first 18 to be what I imagine to be right . . . at the moment.

I have known for a while that I have written a couple of of my favorite anecdotes twice, and in slightly different contexts. I believe I have resolved the first of these though some pruning and pasting, as well as a few new sentences. I find this work quite challenging.

Meanwhile, a previous customer has inquired about the differences between "Dread Lightly", and the Olivewood L00 I made about a year ago, both of which I have here in the shop. So I took a few pictures, and wrote a few words about them (that I like), which I will share here and now:





These guitars are both thinner on the Bass side than the Treble side (Wedged), which the next two shots demonstrate. The Olive is 5/16" different, and Dread Lightly is 7/16" different.







So I played these two for the last however long that was, and have conclusions. The Olive is a great guitar, extremely well balanced, alive, excellent tone: all of the normal superlatives and whoever ends up with it will never regret having it. . . Dread Lightly’s description is much the same, but it is actually very different. Not just more power, but playing feels like a continuum, as though I am on a highway and the notes are the scenery I’m creating as I’m going by. This is something I can’t say I’ve noticed on another guitar, almost as though the change is in me, but is IS the guitar. I think Dread Lightly is its own thing, and really special. It is the drier of the two, yet richer at the same time, a contradiction!

[Treenewt]

Bruce, glad to hear all is well! I cannot WAIT to read your book, though I don’t envy you in the editing process. Not for the faint of heart!

Dread lightly sounds like a truly stellar guitar!

[Bruce Sexauer]

The varnish sanding video mentioned a month or so ago is finally uploaded and ready to view. It is an hour and 20 minutes, and is high resolution. I think we will manage a lower rez version eventually.

https://vimeo.com/845603430

[sinistral]

Nice! I can stream it to a big screen and break out the popcorn (although my wife might kill me).

[Bruce Sexauer]

My latest flat top guitar, #332, is a big brick in supporting the notion that this old dog is improving, at least as a luthier. I will ship it in a few days, most likely , and it may be that no one will see it before it gets to its home in Europe. So far, it seems likely that you're going to have to take my word for it.

HERE is its page

[iim7V7IM7]

Looks like a superlative instrument Bruce (kudos)…

[Treenewt]

Beautiful Bruce! What type of wood is the bridge? It’s quite lovely!

[BrunoBlack]

Yep, another beauty! Same top wood and size/shape (except cutaway) as the FT-16 you built for me. How different is the output - if you can recall? Would you attribute differences in tone to different B&S woods, simply variability or design tweaks?

[Bruce Sexauer]

Originally Posted by Haasome

Yep, another beauty! Same top wood and size/shape (except cutaway) as the FT-16 you built for me. How different is the output - if you can recall? Would you attribute differences in tone to different B&S woods, simply variability or design tweaks?

Your guitar is warmer and fuller. This guitar is precision focused with more projection (I imagine) and more apparent volume . . . Though yours may have more “power”. If a person owned both, they would have trouble saying one was better than the other. IMO, of course. Pernambuco truly is its own thing, which we could say about most woods. P is capable of breathtaking clarity, it is almost weaponized, and yet there is no pain. It is literally beyond direct comparison in my experience.

This is the customer’s third commission to me, and his second with Pernambuco, if that tells you anything.