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  #46  
Old 03-10-2012, 04:10 PM
Billy Boy Billy Boy is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by steveh View Post
Billy Boy - what are you having built? Would love to hear about it - let's have a Jason love-in on this thread!

Cheers,
Steve
Hello, Steve! Really don't want to hijack your thread, so just a bit of what Jason will be building for me. Will be a Mod D w/Manzer wedge...braz/italian...florentine cutaway...ABW fingerboard...

Anyway, back to your build...really looking forward to your build progress...congratulations on some fine looking wood...beautiful!
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  #47  
Old 03-11-2012, 03:49 AM
steveh steveh is offline
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Originally Posted by Billy Boy View Post
ABW fingerboard...
That's a new one for me. What made you go for that as a FB? Sounds intriguing. Any idea how it impacts on tone or is it like ebony (or a rosewood) when used in that application?

And talking of ebony...



Cut some slots and, bingo! - it becomes a fretboard:



Cheers,
Steve
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  #48  
Old 03-12-2012, 07:28 AM
ericcsong ericcsong is offline
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Thanks for the pictures steve! I know how exciting it is to get new pics as your build continues! Really can't wait for this one!
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  #49  
Old 03-12-2012, 01:42 PM
steveh steveh is offline
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Originally Posted by ericcsong View Post
Thanks for the pictures steve! I know how exciting it is to get new pics as your build continues! Really can't wait for this one!
Yes Eric – it is very exciting to get the pics in my inbox, especially since this is happening on the other side of the world to me!

Here are the pics of my one-piece neck. Jason was pretty keen that if I went for any upgrades, I went for the one-piece neck. I had originally thought that “two-piece” meant headstock scarfed onto the main neck blank but in fact he was referring to a longitudinal join along the length of the neck. To be honest, that wouldn’t bother me too much, but I think Jason really dislikes that seam along the back of the neck, even if you can’t feel it? He said these days it’s more difficult to get Honduras blanks wide and deep enough for one-piece construction.

Anyway, here is the Honduras mahogany blank:



And here is the neck roughed out:



This will feel very different to Michael’s MD. It’s 46mm at the nut and 22.5 mm deep at the 12th fret (Michael’s is much deeper), with a neck width of 58mm at the 12th. It’s pretty much the same as my old Sobell Model 1 that I got from Martin Simpson, except that Martin’s is even slimmer front-to-back. For electric players, Martin’s guitar is the “Ibanez Wizard” of the acoustic world! I even had a Shubb that I couldn’t use on it, even with the screw all the way in. However, the wide and flat profile made it easily the most comfortable acoustic I’ve ever played. There’s a lot of room on the fretboard for fingerstyle and a very generous “gap” between the E strings and fretboard edge so that the strings don’t “fall off” the frets – I HATE it when that happens on a guitar.

Cheers,
Steve
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  #50  
Old 03-13-2012, 11:37 AM
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Yrksman Yrksman is offline
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Fascinating thread Steve. What's the timescale?

The Bown OMX now has a pickguard, strap pin and K&K pickup, all fitted by Ralph. Killer guitar!!!!!!
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  #51  
Old 03-14-2012, 05:45 AM
nobo nobo is offline
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Hi Steve,

Looking great!

As someone in Jason's queue (though not due til late 2013/early 2014!), I'm following this keenly! Especially since the spec on your Mod D is so similar to mine: cutaway with wedge, German spruce top, one piece neck, and similar the neck profile and dimensions (wide and slim - 46mm or so at the nut, though I'll be after different b/s woods and slightly wider spacing of 60mm or so at 12th and the saddle).

Interesting to hear your descriptions of the difference between Michael W's Mod D and Jason's own MadRose. Like you, I'm probably less concerned with project and more with the experience for the player. That said, so far I've only played Michael W's, so I'm keen to get my hands on another before I finalise wood spec/tonal preferences. I think Michael J's (Mod D, no wedge, wenge b/s) is due fairly soon and I'm hoping to be able to get my paws on that and ideally compare it with Mr Watts'.

Really looking forward to seeing how this build unfolds.

Best,

Dan
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  #52  
Old 03-14-2012, 12:00 PM
Billy Boy Billy Boy is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by steveh View Post
That's a new one for me. What made you go for that as a FB? Sounds intriguing. Any idea how it impacts on tone or is it like ebony (or a rosewood) when used in that application?
Ebony has more dampening than rosewood when used for the fingerboard. ABW would be closer to rosewood, I think. Anyway, I thought an ABW fingerboard with some interesting sapwood running through it would be the cat's meow.
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  #53  
Old 03-17-2012, 11:23 AM
steveh steveh is offline
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I think Michael J's (Mod D, no wedge, wenge b/s) is due fairly soon and I'm hoping to be able to get my paws on that and ideally compare it with Mr Watts'.
Dan - I see you're in London; No doubt you will get to play mine before you have to settle on the specs for yours.

Who is "Michael J"? Do I know him - sounds like I should!

Anyways, Jason is cracking on with the back:





I'll upload some pics of the double sides when I have a chance.

Cheers,
Steve
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  #54  
Old 03-17-2012, 04:43 PM
ericcsong ericcsong is offline
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steve, love the pics! what woods are you going with for the inner sides?
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  #55  
Old 03-18-2012, 04:16 AM
steveh steveh is offline
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steve, love the pics! what woods are you going with for the inner sides?
That's a good point - I have no idea! I left it to Jason so I'll try and find out.

I have no real idea of how the inner wood will affect the sound (or outer for that matter). I've never had a double-side guitar before. I'd imagine that because they're laminated they're very stiff, and so the woods would be less important than for the soundboard or back? Perhaps someone far more knowledgeable than me can chip in?

In the meantime, here they are being glued together - whatever they are!





Cheers,
Steve
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  #56  
Old 03-18-2012, 07:57 AM
jonnymosco jonnymosco is offline
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Hi Steve - I think he'll use the same wood as the b/s unless otherwise stated (that's what he's going to do with mine).

The thicker, and therefore more rigid, sides will enable the top to be thinner and more free to vibrate (I presume) - like Fleta's concept.

He's steaming ahead now!

Jonny
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Last edited by jonnymosco; 03-18-2012 at 11:00 AM.
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  #57  
Old 03-18-2012, 01:49 PM
Welshboy Welshboy is offline
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Hi Steve

Looking very good and certainly very exciting. I bet theMod D will sound fantastic in African blackwood.
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  #58  
Old 03-19-2012, 07:56 AM
ericcsong ericcsong is offline
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Originally Posted by jonnymosco View Post
Hi Steve - I think he'll use the same wood as the b/s unless otherwise stated (that's what he's going to do with mine).
jonny, what back and sides are you going with?

My guess is that Jason will use a different rosewood for the insides for cost? since when buying ABW, he usually buys in sets. I remember for Michael Watts' Mod D, he used Ebony and for mine he used Madagascar to cut costs on brazilian. will be interesting to see!
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  #59  
Old 03-19-2012, 10:51 AM
jonnymosco jonnymosco is offline
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Hi Eric

Wenge for me. Stefan Sobell started using it last year and extolled its virtues on his website - so if it's good enough for him... Jason was also keen to use it, not for necks though due to its 'ripping' nature.

At the moment discussing with Jason about having a wedge. Probably a good idea, don't you think?

Jonny
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  #60  
Old 03-19-2012, 10:57 AM
Trevor M Trevor M is offline
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Great choice. I had wenge on the last Somogyi and I'm having it on the next..
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