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  #76  
Old 04-15-2021, 07:03 PM
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Bruce Sexauer Bruce Sexauer is offline
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Here's something I wrote in another forum today that I think you'll enjoy. It was in a thread about The Schoenberg "Soloist", of which I have made two or three dozen examples:

Of the two main Schoenberg types, many will likely prefer the "Standard" to the "Soloist. While the Soloist is Eric's interpretation of the OM, the Standard is his interpretation of the older 12 fret long scale 000 which the OM essentially tried to replace. The "Standard" is generally fuller and a bit more powerful, and has a little less bite in the treble, at least when I make them.

I recently had what I believe to be the first Standard I made come back into the shop for service. I refretted it with EVO, not that it needed it, and made a nut and saddle which it did need to correct some over zealous tech's well intentioned work. The neck is perfectly straight and the bridge height is as made. I am quite pleased with it after 19 years of service.

Needless to say, it was a joy to play it for a few days.

Here are a few pics taken today just before I shipped it:










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  #77  
Old 04-15-2021, 07:16 PM
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I also re-fretted another of my older guitars, and shipped it away today. This one is an FT-16, my "Big Gun", and it is a true monster. Similar in character to a great OM, but there so much MORE of it. It did need a refret, there was a kink in the fingerboard surface that kept me from being able to get it to play right, and I milled it twice before I finally bit the bullet! Once the frets were right, it plays like a dream. Like the other, the geometry is as good as the day I made it.

Here are some pics of this 2006 Italian/D. tucurensis wonder:





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  #78  
Old 04-15-2021, 07:55 PM
kliend kliend is offline
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Wow what a blessing to see these old guitars circle back around.

Cheers good sir
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Old 04-16-2021, 04:52 PM
Calves2997 Calves2997 is offline
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That second one is my pride and joy, even before all of the attention Bruce has given it. It is really spectacular, even compared to my other Sexauer’s.
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20 Sexauer JB16 Ozzy Blackwood/ Eurospruce
20 Sexauer ESOOOc MAple / Adi
19 Sexauer OM Braz/ Hampton Red Spruce
19 Sexauer OOO Koa/ Adirondack
18 Sexauer FT OO Kerala Tree mahogany / Adirondack
18 Sexauer JBLOO Amazon rosewood / German Spruce
16 Sexauer MOD D Pernambuco / German Spruce
08 Sexauer JB 14 Pernambuco / German Spruce
06 Sexauer FT16 Italian spruce / HR
  #80  
Old 04-16-2021, 05:04 PM
Jamiejoon Jamiejoon is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Calves2997 View Post
That second one is my pride and joy, even before all of the attention Bruce has given it. It is really spectacular, even compared to my other Sexauer’s.
Man, that is quite a collection of Sexauers! Bravo!
  #81  
Old 04-17-2021, 12:05 PM
Mark L Mark L is online now
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I usually enjoy this thread vicariously. I must say having now viewed Calves2997’s stable of Sexauers, how nice would it be to have a good set of recordings of his guitars played in comparison - strummed, flatpicked and fingerstyle - by a high caliber player (which I must assume Calves to be).

I can only say, “make it so, Number 1”.
  #82  
Old 04-17-2021, 02:37 PM
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Interestingly, Carlos has made a series of recordings with “our” guitars, which pop up several times a week on my FB feed. I’ll bet it would be possible for them to be linked to this thread, but of course they are not mine. I think they are hosted on YouTube. My ear says they were not made evenly enough for critical comparison, but they certainly work well enough.
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  #83  
Old 04-17-2021, 02:40 PM
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Love the contours of the FT-16, pleasing balance between traditional and modern.
  #84  
Old 04-17-2021, 04:39 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dcn View Post
Love the contours of the FT-16, pleasing balance between traditional and modern.
Thank you for noticing! I have been building 16" (SJish) guitars since the beginning, and have metamorphosed the design through several generations before I settled down. I believe this is the first from my current template. I use the same template for my 16" (L5ish) fully carved guitar as well.

A few years ago I created something in between the FT-15 and the FT-16, which I cal FT-15.5 (Duh), though it is always a 13 fretter, so a "Kerala", by which I mean ONLY 13 frets to the body, should you notice the moniker used in the aftermarket. I can Kerala-ize most of my templates, and I have believed for some time that 13 frets to the body is a guitar's sweet spot, for me anyway. Gibson's L00 (Nick Lucas) came in 12/13/14 frets to the body, but it only looks right to me in the 13 fret version.
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  #85  
Old 04-17-2021, 04:48 PM
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a few minutes ago I completed the body on the latest BRW/Adi FT-15 I am making. The BRW looks pretty good, but it is not as good as what I had a few years ago. Most people want my best set, and that is what this guitar, and the last, and the one before that all are. I have 13 more, and when I get to the last one, it is still going to look like excellent material, and it will be, but will be my AA rather than the AAA I favor. This set is my AA. While it is mostly quartersawn it is not completely so.

Here are today's pictures:







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  #86  
Old 04-18-2021, 02:22 AM
Calves2997 Calves2997 is offline
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I have to say that I am beyond privileged to be able to have Bruce’s incredible guitars to practice and play. I must confess they are much better than my ability, though their excellence makes me strive to improve more than the many lesser guitars I’ve owned.
I find it also very remarkable that despite all of them being incredible sounding they are also very different. There is almost no overlap despite all of them being tonally balanced and rich, and all having the common Sexauer tone. Some are sweeter, some have a metallic component to the tone, some project louder, some seem to be so transparent and lively I’ve often checked for a heart beat.
The recordings Bruce alluded too are not audiophile quality and are recorded outside of a soundproof studio, eg the guitars sound much much better live than through any mic I’ve used.
If you’re a fan of Bruce’s work and find yourself in the La area and want come try any of them, just let me know!
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20 Sexauer JB16 Ozzy Blackwood/ Eurospruce
20 Sexauer ESOOOc MAple / Adi
19 Sexauer OM Braz/ Hampton Red Spruce
19 Sexauer OOO Koa/ Adirondack
18 Sexauer FT OO Kerala Tree mahogany / Adirondack
18 Sexauer JBLOO Amazon rosewood / German Spruce
16 Sexauer MOD D Pernambuco / German Spruce
08 Sexauer JB 14 Pernambuco / German Spruce
06 Sexauer FT16 Italian spruce / HR
  #87  
Old 04-18-2021, 10:00 AM
tadol tadol is offline
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I’m gonna take you up on that someday, and try to bring a couple of my own to compare!
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More than a few Santa Cruz’s, a few Sexauers, a Patterson, a Larrivee, a Cumpiano, and a Klepper!!
  #88  
Old 04-23-2021, 11:49 AM
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Here's the first coat of varnish on the latest, #311, an FT-15-C:



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  #89  
Old 04-23-2021, 12:53 PM
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I like how the waist bends are reflected in the grain running along the back strip -
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More than a few Santa Cruz’s, a few Sexauers, a Patterson, a Larrivee, a Cumpiano, and a Klepper!!
  #90  
Old 05-03-2021, 07:58 PM
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I have finished the guitar that was to be Andrew Chiu's, but made an error than he could not accept, and I certainly am not quibbling about it. I have built a second guitar along the same lines which is done and the finish is curing. This post is about the first effort.

The flaw was that it shaping the inside of the block that support the cutaway's point, I somehow managed to penetrate the top with the corner of the gouge. I did not discover this until in the finishing process, and misunderstood the little black spot it made. I tried to remove the spec with a sharp knife, but since it was actually a tiny hole it got bigger instead of disappearing.

I am not a great repairman, and proved it once again when I cut a scarfed splinter fill and glued it in hoping it would disappear the flaw. It did not. So I built another and finished this one as is. This is the guitar with the Feng Shui graft, and also has an unexpected blemish on the back of the neck. That 3 issues on one guitar! On the other hand, the finish is above my average, and the sound and playability of the guitar are good examples of my peak work.

MadRose and German spruce, OMish 1/4" MultiScale, for those who didn't notice it before.

Here are some pictures:

Black Lip Pearl, and I should have dusted








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