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  #16  
Old 04-02-2014, 12:45 PM
Tom West Tom West is offline
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Originally Posted by theEdwinson View Post
I have heard that most of the "Carpathian" spruce sold in the US is from Ukraine. I get mine from Wood Direct http://eurotonewood.com/
Thanks for posting that link.
Tom
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  #17  
Old 04-02-2014, 01:41 PM
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Default Another Source for Carpathian

John Preston of Old World Tonewood (West Virginia) gets his from Romania.

http://www.oldworldtonewood.com/

I believe he is the US partner of these guys:

www.carpathiantonewood.ro/tonewood/‎

My archtop was made with wood from him and my Gypsy under construction is as well...

Mean while...back to Bruce's thread

:-)
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  #18  
Old 04-02-2014, 02:30 PM
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Please do not hesitate to expand the conversation in this way (Carpathian), just try to avoid changing the subject, or at least try to bring it back around.

It sure is great to be building a guitar!
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  #19  
Old 04-02-2014, 02:34 PM
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Thanks for posting that link.
Tom
I would like to add that you will do best to order the higher grades. Wood grading can be somewhat subjective. I've gotten some gorgeous tops, graded AAAA and Master.
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  #20  
Old 04-02-2014, 02:38 PM
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Yep it's great from my view too.Thanks Bruce, and other contributers.
  #21  
Old 04-02-2014, 02:48 PM
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Please do not hesitate to expand the conversation in this way (Carpathian), just try to avoid changing the subject, or at least try to bring it back around.

It sure is great to be building a guitar!
Hey Bruce, I did want to say, when I see a photo of one of your braced tops, I can hear the inner bell ringing. That design looks really smart to me. No wonder your guitars sound so good.
Jus' say'n...
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  #22  
Old 04-02-2014, 03:06 PM
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I believe, and act like I believe, that the educated eye can "see" that which will sound good, especially when that eye is being operated by the same brain that is using the other senses to understand the materials at hand. My building mantra is "function follows form". Disclaimer: These stunts were performed by professionals and Suffering May Ensue if you try this at home. Thank you again, Steve.
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  #23  
Old 04-02-2014, 03:22 PM
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Sides are bent and glued to the blocks. If no distractions (new business?) come up I'll have the peone in before I have to leave for Orchestra rehearsal at 5:20!

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  #24  
Old 04-02-2014, 04:30 PM
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Originally Posted by theEdwinson View Post
Hey Bruce, I did want to say, when I see a photo of one of your braced tops, I can hear the inner bell ringing. That design looks really smart to me. No wonder your guitars sound so good.
Jus' say'n...
+1, this bracing seems to looks about how I imagine it would sound.
  #25  
Old 04-02-2014, 04:41 PM
Howard Klepper Howard Klepper is offline
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Sides are bent and glued to the blocks. If no distractions (new business?) come up I'll have the peone in before I have to leave for Orchestra rehearsal at 5:20!
Orchestra? Please say more about that.
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  #26  
Old 04-02-2014, 04:53 PM
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Orchestra? Please say more about that.
Yes, it implies that Bruce can be "conducted"...:-)
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  #27  
Old 04-02-2014, 05:44 PM
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Interestingly, it is an un-conducted string orchestra (named Hilliard String Theory) with +/-26 viloins/violas/cellos/doublebasses. I have been playing with HST for over a year now as a violinist. Not something you'd want to fly in from out of town just to hear, but entirely challenging for me.

Although I got a very pleasant phone call from Steve Sommers, for whom I built a guitar and did an AGF build thread a year or so ago, I did manage to get the peone in before I leave for rehearsal with 40 minutes to spare.

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  #28  
Old 04-03-2014, 06:56 AM
58spdstr 58spdstr is offline
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Bruce,

I'd be interested in your thoughts about the elements in this photo that contribute to your guitars' unique tone. The three Sexauer's that I own are all of different woods and in the traditional Schoenberg style. All have an open, mature tone with great balance and strong fundamentals from the very first time they came out of the case. Honestly, none of mine have transformed tonally with age, they are that good when new.

I wonder about not just bracing, but peones, no form/jig for gluing on sides, a relatively large neck block, hide glue, varnish finish, wood thickness, probably many other variables. What is the Sexauer secret sauce?
  #29  
Old 04-03-2014, 09:36 AM
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Originally Posted by 58spdstr View Post

I wonder about not just bracing, but peones, no form/jig for gluing on sides, a relatively large neck block, hide glue, varnish finish, wood thickness, probably many other variables. What is the Sexauer secret sauce?
Looks like plenty of the sauces ingredients have been identified! Perhaps you are ready for the "masterclass". Ordinarily, I would recommend that a person had built a few guitars before considering such a class, but that is because otherwise they'd have no context within which to hold the information; they have to have encountered and considered the questions/answers you pose before there is any utility in the experience.

I wonder if my neck block is oversize as I hadn't considered it. It is 1 3/8 deep and 2 3/4 wide. I do not know what others do, and would like to, please. FYI, the tail block is 11/16 x 2 1/4 before I shape it. I do a somewhat sexier shape on the "standard" guitar than I do on a WRX, which I treat more like a Martin.

There is a good reason why my guitars usually perform well out of the box. Because I build one at a time and make a big deal out of sussing the true capabilities of the materials in each guitar individually, I am generally able to get each one closer to its actual limits of structural competence than a production builder could hope to. The differences between the pieces of wood are quite subtle, and the allowances made for them subtler yet, but essential if one to to have consistently superior results.

I do not believe that the skill set I am describing can be taught. It can be acquired, however, but it must be done over time, individually, and with the focus put in the right directions. A major thrust of the masterclass is to inspire the right questions and direct the inquiry for the answers. In this case it is all about response, tone, and balance without sacrificing longevity.

It is the sum of the total and the proportion of the ingredients, and somehow the written recipe falls short of communicating the magic. The secret ingredient, as always, is the chef.
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  #30  
Old 04-03-2014, 01:12 PM
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I'm going to glue the back on and then go have lunch!
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