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MICHAEL BASHKIN: 00-12c (Swiss Alpine “Moon” Spruce / Koa)
My build slot in Fort Collins, CO luthier Michael Bashkin’s (http://www.bashkinguitars.com/) build list queue has finally arrived….
This guitar will be one of Michael’s 00-12 models. I have come to enjoy playing smaller bodied acoustic flat top guitars due to their comfortable playing ergonomics, great note articulation, fast attack, timbral balance and the character of their trebles. Good ones also can create a perceived sense of aural space that belies preconceived ideas about their diminutive physical size. This 12-fret to the body guitar will have a short-scale 24.9” scale length, a 1-3/4” nut width with 2-1/4” string spacing. Michael normally makes this model as an 18-fret guitar, but mine will have 19-frets. This will involve moving the sound-hole slightly towards the end block of the guitar. The guitar will incorporate a Florentine cutaway for enhanced upper fretboard access, an Ebony fretboard & bridge, Jescar EVO 43080 fret wire. The guitar will be appointed with Rodgers SS23 single gear unit tuners ( simplified sleeves, short pips and oval Ebony buttons). They will look similar to the set below that I have on my Blanchard, but will have “Rodgers” engraved in the brass plates. Michael is known for his ability to create visually elegant hardwood rosettes, head plate veneers and end grafts. This guitar will incorporate some of these signature aesthetic design features as well. As always, there are a number of design details that are still TBD, but we will decide upon them as we go along. Here is a design sketch of the head plate veneer that Michael will be making. Michael wanted to start here because a number of other material choices and design themes will cascade based on decisions here. Michael is preparing a number of Carpathian Spruce top sets from John Preston @ Old World Tonewoods and Swiss “Moon” Spruce top sets from Andrea Florinett @ Tonewood Switzerland for his current batch of guitars that he is building. Based on my playing style and goals for the instrument he will select the “right” set for this project (tbd). Here is a composite photo showing them being glued up and thickness planed in preparation for his evaluation. For the body, we chose an unusually beautiful set of quartersawn, AAA grade, Koa that has some outstanding color and flamed figure. This set came to Michael’s wood locker by way of Bruce Creps @ Notable Woods for the back and sides. Here are some photos of the set being joined, glued up and thickness planed. We have not yet decided whether or not to add a backstrip to the guitar. The Koa rims have been bent, Honduran Mahogany neck/cutaway blocks and Baltic Birch Plywood end block have been fabricated and glued up in his body mold. Here is a shot of the fabricated rims in their body mold placed on top of the back set with some solvent wiped on to it to provide a bit of foreshadowing to what the figure in the Koa set may present under finish. Michael is targeting delivery of my guitar in September 2018 but he may also choose to exhibit it at the Woodstock Invitational Luthiers Showcase (TBD) in late October (http://woodstockinvitational.com/). So if he does, please feel free to come and audition it and help me break it in (gently and without wearing a belt please..). It is unlikely that this will be a step-by-step build thread, but over the next 6 months or so I will share images of the build when Michael shares them with me along the way. More when I get it.
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings… Last edited by iim7V7IM7; 09-05-2018 at 12:33 PM. Reason: Top set chosen |
#2
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Not everyday a Bashkin thread comes along--pulling up a chair for this one!
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2013 Stehr Auditorium (Carpathian/Myrtle) 2015 Stehr Auditorium (Adi/BRW) 2020 Baranik Meridian (Blue Spruce/Manchinga) 2020 Wilborn Arum (Tunnel 14/Coco) 2021 Kinnaird Graybeard (BC Cedar/Bog Oak) 2022 Kinnaird CS Student Build (Adi/Padauk) 2023 Kinnaird FS (Italian/Koa) |
#3
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Sounds outstanding. I know you did not ask for a vote on the back strip, but my vote is no. It seems to have a natural strip there that is really beautiful.
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PS. I love guitars! |
#4
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Super nice.....look forward to following this build! I don't know if I've followed a Bashkin, so this will be fun!
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1993 Bourgeois JOM 1967 Martin D12-20 2007 Vines Artisan 2014 Doerr Legacy 2013 Bamburg FSC- 2002 Flammang 000 12 fret 2000 McCollum Grand Auditorium ______________________________ Soundcloud Spotify |
#5
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Looks sweet. Fun to watch.
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#6
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Michael bashkin is an artist aa well as being a craftsman! Looking forward to this thread...
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In the end it is about who you love above yourself and what you have stood for and lived for that make the difference... |
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I love the man and his work. Great specs on this guitar. Can’t wait to see it take shape.
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Circa OM-30/34 (Adi/Mad) | 000-12 (Ger/Maple) | OM-28 (Adi/Brz) | OM-18/21 (Adi/Hog) | OM-42 (Adi/Braz) Fairbanks SJ (Adi/Hog) | Schoenberg/Klepper 000-12c (Adi/Hog) | LeGeyt CLM (Swiss/Amzn) | LeGeyt CLM (Carp/Koa) Brondel A-2 (Carp/Mad) |
#8
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By the way, the sharp cutaways such as this one are 'Florentine', not 'Venetian'.
Kym |
#9
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Dying with envy but huge congrats just the same!
-jay
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'22 Gretsch Falcon 6136PE (Midnight Sapphire) '16 Lowden F35c (Mountain Rosewood) (For Sale) '07 Bashkin OM (Cedar/Mahogany) '98 SRV Fender Stratocaster |
#10
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Of course... Thanks for the correction...
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings… |
#11
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Thanks to all for your well wishes...
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings… |
#12
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Congrats Bob! Was looking forward to this one. Michael does some pretty tasteful work and more importantly, his guitars sound great!
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THE GOLDEN ERA GUITAR FOR SALE | VIDEOS AUTHORISED DEALER OF: Astrand | Bowerman | Brondel | Buendia | Casimi | Datlen | Doerr | Fujii | Gerber | GR Bear | Heinonen | Isaac Jang Keith | Keystone | Matsuda | Michaud Made | Ogino | Pellerin | Petros | Poljakoff | Strahm | Tom Sands | Wingert ...and more www.TheGoldenEraGuitar.com [email protected] +65 8666 0420 |
#13
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Quote:
I think people who are familiar with Michael’s past body of work may be a bit surprised how things have evolved “under the hood”...
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings… |
#14
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Looks like it will be an awesome guitar! Looking forward to seeing this one evolve.
Thanks for sharing it!
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"A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold." Woody (aka: Mike) FOR SALE: Kinnaird Brazilian!! |
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I love that Koa set! I am at the beginning stages of a custom Koa, and the builder just got a set from Bruce Creps. Exciting to see how yours looks at this stage. Keep the updates coming!
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Gibsons: SJ-200, SJ-200 12-string, SJ-200 Parlor, Woody Guthrie Southern Jumbo, Hummingbird Taylors: K24ce, 517 Martin:0000-28 Ziricote Preston Thompson: O Koa |