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#1
04-24-2023, 07:07 AM
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Michael Kennedy Guitars -- Myrtle/Redwood OO for La Conner
I've been somewhat delinquent in documenting this one, but I've got a really cool little OO on the go that will be available at La Conner and am excited for you all to check out. This is the first time I've built with myrtle and, being a west coast show, figured I might as well stick with the theme and use a redwood top as well! The other big first for this one is an adjustable neck -- I've done a few adjustable necks on f-hole style steel strings (plus 4 or 5 nylon strings) but this will be a first with a standard sound hole.
I picked out a very cool set of myrtle for this one that has some unique figure down the middle of the back...  And we quickly come to my poor documentation and jump all the way into working on the rosette!  I really liked some of the design ideas on the recent fan-fret I made for Sam (s2y) and decided to dig a little deeper in that direction and see what emerged. The bulk of the rosette is EI Rosewood with maple lines and Toog (Philippine rosewood) highlights...  Carrying that theme over to the end-graft required a lot of picky work (and three tries)...  One of the design elements I loved on the fan-fret was playing around with the side purfling and how it meshed with the end-graft. Instead of the usual 45-degree miter, I spread out the purfling joints to, hopefully, make it appear like the end-graft melds with the purfling/binding...   While the myrtle has some really cool figure in it, I found the color to be a bit too yellow up against the redwood. I decided to mellow it out and add some brown/red to bring it more in line with the top. After some tests, I settled on a two part process. First was a little oxidization with a sodium nitrite and water solution. This basically helps "age" the wood without having to set it in the sun for a few weeks. Second was using a slightly alkaline solution of Quebracho (a South American tree with high tannin content). Using a high-pH solution helps deepen the color change and brings out more red. So, we start with some regular myrtle with stunning blue binding...  And end with a much warmer brown/red...  This one is currently at the finishers and I can't wait to see how it looks when it's back in my hands! Thanks for looking and lots more soon! 
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#2
04-24-2023, 09:44 AM
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Lovely guitar! I think you made the right choice bringing the myrtle closer to the redwood. The IRW binding really brings it all together.
I hope to see it at La Conner!
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#3
04-25-2023, 05:40 AM
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Beautiful, Mike! So you’re not only a luthier, you’re also a chemist! The process you used to warm up the color was really interesting. I’m always impressed with well-done miters and you did a huge number of them. Thanks for sharing it all. Dave
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Dave Bianchinguitars.webs.com
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#6
04-27-2023, 06:51 AM
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Really nice color shift, Mike, very natural looking.
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#7
06-01-2023, 07:12 AM
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Thanks so much for the kind words everyone! It was a busy busy spring and a bit of a rush getting everything buttoned up for La Conner, but I'm incredibly happy with how this one turned out and now that I'm back home with some time to breath, let's have a look at the final results!
Redwood top Myrtle back/sides Michael Kennedy OO Adjustable and elevated neck Structured sides Sound port Tornavoz Flush/magnetic truss rod cover 12-fret body joint 44.5mm (1.75") nut width 645mm (25.4") scale length          This one is now available so please get in touch with any questions and thanks for looking!
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#8
06-01-2023, 11:16 AM
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It was a pleasure to meet and talk with you in La Conner. This guitar turned out sensational.
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#9
06-05-2023, 07:10 AM
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Quote:
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#12
06-06-2023, 07:02 AM
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Quote:
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Thanks! 
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#13
06-06-2023, 11:11 PM
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Michaels guitars are phenomenal......
__________________
Guitarist Frog, from “Frog and Toad” Www.FrogandToadMusic.com Wilborn Sidewinder (Braz-Adi) Wilborn Gloria #1 2 Taylor Baritones Mcilroy A30c 1960 Martin Nylon Folk 1974 Guild Mark IV 1985 Gibson Les Paul custom
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