All Koa 00-42 bound for Healdsburg

[Jimmy Caldwell]

I've been feverishly working to get this one done for next week's show and I'm finally done. A couple of minor tweaks and a little more hand polish and I'll get it ready to ship AM tomorrow. My two other guitars went last week, but I knew this one one would be cutting it close.

Here's a brief set of specs:

Flamed Koa top, back, & sides
42 Style trim in Paua Abalone on top and fingerboard
Cocobolo bindings, end wedge, and peghead
Waverly tuners with Cocobolo buttons
Elephant Ivory (legal from David Warther) hand carved pyramid bridge
"Bird's Beak" Headstock joint
24.9" scale

Please excuse the mediocre photographs. Quickly taken with only minimal equipment. Some of the photography skills exhibited by other HGF participants are quite impressive.

I'm hoping attendance at this year's fest will be good. We'll be in a new venue that offers what appears to be a more intimate atmosphere and certainly more conducive to viewing and playing handmade guitars. It should be a major upgrade over the Wells Fargo arena we've been in for the last 4 or 5 festivals. I'm always looking forward to meeting new guitar enthusiasts and seeing old friends.

Here are the pics and thanks for looking.

[TaylorKoaFan]

Very cool guitar. Great job.

[Joel Stehr]

Beautiful! Good choice with the cocobolo on koa. I love that combo! Can't wait to see it up close!

Joel

[Steve Kinnaird]

Oh that's a beauty, Jimmy. Love the topographic look of the bridge's grain.

Steve

[roberts]

There'll be a lot of fingerprints on this one! Look forward to meeting you on Saturday.... Regards, Robert

[Burton LeGeyt]

Jimmy, That looks great! I agree that the cocobolo looks really great against the koa and I love that slothead with the inlay. The ivory bridge is beautiful too. What do you hear from the ivory? Is it a noticeable difference?

[Jimmy Caldwell]

Originally Posted by Burton LeGeyt

Jimmy, That looks great! I agree that the cocobolo looks really great against the koa and I love that slothead with the inlay. The ivory bridge is beautiful too. What do you hear from the ivory? Is it a noticeable difference?

Burton,

Lots of variables involved on this one with the Koa top and ivory bridge. I made a few adjustments to the box compensate for the weight of the bridge and the Koa top and I'm really happy with the outcome. The tonal quality is not that far from spruce but has a certain woodiness and warmth that's very pleasing.

To give credit where credit is due, Burton made the Cocobolo tuner buttons and supplied a matching piece of Cocobolo that I made the binding from. It's a great match to the headplate material that I already had.

[BBWW]

Beautiful. I'm a sucker for all Koa, I'm amazed I don't own one. This one is a beauty.

[Steve Kinnaird]

Back home from H'burg--worn out--but want to report that this little guitar was a real delight to see and play. Usual high standards from the Caldwell shop, but the all-Koa coupled with an ivory bridge... well...just wonderful.
Oh yes, the bird beak neck joint: wow!

Good stuff Jimmy,

Steve