Birch Bark Guitar

[RGPGuitars]

This classical/flamenco was inspired by Sergei DeJonge's "Group of Seven Guitar Project "Guitar . I used the bark inside out, like indigenous people use birch bark. The top is sitka, neck is adjustable reinforced basswood/cherry, curly maple binding, torrefied book matched maple FB and bridge, spalted maple rosette and bridge tie block, gotoh tuners. The bark is laminated to 1.5 mm marine mahogany plywood. It is a lefty if you hadn't noticed, so it's mine LOL. The guitar sounds surprisingly good. Not as good as a rosewood guitar, but I like it a lot. I might cut a sound port in it one day, unless someone decides they want it more than me. Russ Parker

[fazool]

Obviously I can't comment on how it feels or sounds but something about the way that looks really grabbed me. Especially that middle image on top, showing the back. I love the way that birch grain looks and the lighter wood appointments and neck were just the perfect (to me) visual balance.

And spalted maple is very cool for decorative trim.

And I love the shape of that bridge with those cavities on the ends.

I love the look of this guitar. Really.

(and I think it's so cool that it's basically all North American sustainable woods)

[RGPGuitars]

Thank you for your very kind words. The Bark was a gift from the curator at the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough On, a good friend of mine. Among other things , he made a 36' Montreal Voyager canoe, birch Bark of course. Omg. I like to think of this a quintessential Canadian guitar. All Canadian woods. Trying to ignore the mahogany plywood lining the back and sides of course. And the Spanish design. LOL. Russ

[tkoehler1]

Love the look - gorgeous.

Is it my imagination or is the fret board a little off center? The strings don't look centered in the sound hole.

TK

[colins]

Very nice! Love the way the woods work so well together.

[RGPGuitars]

Thank you. As for the strings being off centre, that is only the camera angle. Not much of a photographer sorry to say. But more importantly, the pic of the sound hole is from another guitar . Dang. LOL. Thanks for bringing it to my seemingly short attention. Russ Parker

[perttime]

That's a cool look. I thought it would be too flexible on its own, but laminating it with another layer seems to work fine.

... You just need a large enough birch tree that doesn't have branches or other blemishes all over the place - and some care peeling the bark off of the tree.