Mark Hatcher's Studio 2017

[Mark Hatcher]

Originally Posted by Zandit75

Wow, time to grab the popcorn again!

Thanks for following along!

Originally Posted by tkoehler1

I always follow your builds as they are consistently amazing, this new guitar is no exception!

Thanks tkoehler1! I have lots of new ideas for this guitar. The Penelope is usually the model I try new things on first. It's my oldest design and probably the most "Hatcher" of any of the models I make.

Originally Posted by cigarfan

My goodness, that rosette is special. Congrats Chef Mark on sharpening your technique. I love the greener slant on the woods (my favorite color). Beautiful work!

BTW, I got to meet Tom Doerr at the Artisan Guitar Show. Really nice guy. I let him play the Penelope I have of yours. He loved it!

Thanks Cigar fan!

I can't help but go with the olive theme on this guitar!

Did you get to try any of Tim Doerr's guitars? He does great work. Tom and I went through Somogy's master voicing classes together and have been in touch regularly since.

Thanks Again,
Mark

[cigarfan]

Originally Posted by Mark Hatcher

Did you get to try any of Tim Doerr's guitars? He does great work. Tom and I went through Somogy's master voicing classes together and have been in touch regularly since.

Yes I did! Very nice. A little heavier than yours though.

[Marcus Wong]

Originally Posted by Mark Hatcher

I haven't posted in a little while. I've been hard at work developing a new technique and new designs for this latest spec guitar I'm working on. This will be my Penelope model 12 fret guitar with Olivewood back and sides. The whole shop smells like an Italian restaurant as soon as this Olivewood touches sandpaper.

I'll do a separate build thread on this guitar because there are so many new elements but, here is a preview of what I am developing/learning/practicing to create the Olive wreath rosette. I am doing an inlay/marquetry hybrid technique. The colors of the wreath consists of natural woods; Yellowheart, Argentinian Verawood, and Peruvian walnut.

When I titled this post "What's Cooking" I wasn't kidding. This is how I shade the edges of the cut out olives to make them look rounded. I cook them in a pan of sand;





The wreath is set right into the Alpine Italian Spruce;



Thanks for viewing!
Mark

I love watching innovation like this at work! Keep up the great work Mark, it's really nice

[Mark Hatcher]

Originally Posted by Marcus Wong

I love watching innovation like this at work! Keep up the great work Mark, it's really nice

Thanks for commenting Marcus!

It seems innovation mostly comes when you discovery your vision isn't as easy to reach as you thought it would be!


Mark

[ukejon]

Originally Posted by Marcus Wong

I love watching innovation like this at work! Keep up the great work Mark, it's really nice

Agreed. This is really impressive workmanship and the design is gorgeous.

[Mark Hatcher]

Originally Posted by ukejon

Agreed. This is really impressive workmanship and the design is gorgeous.

Thanks Ukejon!

I've been trying to get this design to work for weeks now. It's 93 pieces and every one of them is different. I wanted this design put right into the Spruce top. In order to maintain the strength with all of those cutouts I have a wide maple ring set into the inside which gives the needed support. I've thrown away two tops so far and hundreds of cut out pcs of Verawood, walnut, and Yellowheart. It's coming together though as I'm working the bugs out of this new technique.

Mark

[Mark Hatcher]

Well the finish is on and we're heading into the final stretch on this Bear Claw Spruce and bacon flame figured African Paduak Josie small jumbo!:

[TomB'sox]

Stunning Mark!!! Should be a very happy customer!

[cigarfan]

Now that is pretty! Go Roland!

[The Bard Rocks]

I am now working on my schedule to find a few hours next week to get up there to see it and then have it come home with me. Then I won't have so much time to write these things, not with a new one needing attention and finding its place in my arsenal. Right now, all I can do is imagine how whatever piece I am currently playing will sound like when Padauk gets behind it.

[ukejon]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARK HATCHER!!!!

[Mark Hatcher]

Originally Posted by ukejon

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARK HATCHER!!!!

Thanks!

[Steve Kinnaird]

Originally Posted by Mark Hatcher

The wreath is set right into the Alpine Italian Spruce;



Thanks for viewing!
Mark

Well done Mark, that's lovely!

Steve

[Mark Hatcher]

Originally Posted by Steve Kinnaird

Well done Mark, that's lovely!

Steve

Thanks Steve!

[Mark Hatcher]

I make a large number of custom tuner buttons. I include them in my base price when using Gotoh minis. My favorite ones are the round ones I use for my sculpted pillow topped headstock. They remind me of those worry stones that were so popular back in the seventies, well actually they have been popular throughout history and have shown up independently in many cultures around the world. I often get comments from customers appreciating the "feel" of these "worry stone tuner buttons". I guess I'm a bit OCD investigating every touch point between the guitar and player. It's just that there are so many which I'm certain contributes greatly to the popularity and icon status of guitars.

One on the problems I've had making custom wood buttons is there are woods I can't use because the countersunk screw head that holds the button on can act like a wedge and split the wood when it's tightened. The proper way to fix this is to use a brass flat bottomed counter sunk washer which eliminates that wedge effect. Using brass also make turning that set screw smoother. I think most players know that in addition to holding the tuner button on the tension on that screw eliminates slop and play in the tuner gears and also sets the turning resistance. A brass washer there makes it easy to finely adjust the tuner to just they way you like it.

I've been looking for these little washers for years while having to avoid softer woods like Koa or brittle woods like Bloodwood. So I guess this is the long way of saying, sometimes if you want something done right you just have to do it yourself. So after some trial and error I can make them and I now provide an improved custom tuner button and more woods to choose from;



And I can get back to finishing up Roland's guitar! It has Macassar Ebony tuner buttons made from the same board the bridge and fret board came from;





Thanks for viewing and reading all that!
Mark