The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Custom Shop

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #121  
Old 01-04-2021, 07:05 PM
D. Churchland D. Churchland is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,442
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer View Post

That set is muy guapo! The grain on the top looks nice as well.
__________________
churchlandguitars on Instagram

Formerly known as, "Will Kirk"
Reply With Quote
  #122  
Old 01-05-2021, 06:48 PM
Bruce Sexauer's Avatar
Bruce Sexauer Bruce Sexauer is offline
AGF Sponsor
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Petaluma, CA, USA
Posts: 7,525
Default

Today I spent way more time than expected succeeding at bending Herringbone purfling into a circle. And then I glued it into the center of the rosette, and put the backstrip in too, but in the back . . . of course.





__________________
Bruce
http://www.sexauerluthier.com/
Reply With Quote
  #123  
Old 01-05-2021, 09:19 PM
M Hayden M Hayden is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: The Glorious East SF Bay, CA
Posts: 1,064
Default

My favorite combination - herringbone rosette and zig-zag backstrip. So classic.
Reply With Quote
  #124  
Old 01-07-2021, 02:13 PM
Bruce Sexauer's Avatar
Bruce Sexauer Bruce Sexauer is offline
AGF Sponsor
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Petaluma, CA, USA
Posts: 7,525
Default

Here are some pictures of my current BRW/Adi D that may give some insight into how I approach "tuning" my braces. I apply my top braces in three steps, working each application to give the structure (response and tone) I am aiming for, and using the next application to further guide to process. This gives me some latitude for correcting overly aggressive brace trimming, which means I can approach the abyss (catastrophic failure) with a bit less conservatism.

Here is the first tier as glued in:


First tier shaped, but not "adjusted":


And first tier with preliminary scalloping:


The apparent angles are parallax, the braces are actually parallel.

Bonus pic, the back bracing:
__________________
Bruce
http://www.sexauerluthier.com/
Reply With Quote
  #125  
Old 01-07-2021, 07:33 PM
Skarsaune Skarsaune is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,464
Default

Will you cap, or reinforce, the x brace joint?
Reply With Quote
  #126  
Old 01-07-2021, 07:55 PM
Clovenhand Clovenhand is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Keizer, Oregon
Posts: 25
Default

Why the parallel tone bars?
Reply With Quote
  #127  
Old 01-07-2021, 09:08 PM
Bruce Sexauer's Avatar
Bruce Sexauer Bruce Sexauer is offline
AGF Sponsor
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Petaluma, CA, USA
Posts: 7,525
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Skarsaune View Post
Will you cap, or reinforce, the x brace joint?
No, unlike Martins I have looked closely at, I make the X joint actually fit, and see no reason to cap it. If I did, it would add a bit of weight right were it hurts the most, unless I used the structurally ineffective cloth mask that Martin does.
__________________
Bruce
http://www.sexauerluthier.com/
Reply With Quote
  #128  
Old 01-07-2021, 09:17 PM
Bruce Sexauer's Avatar
Bruce Sexauer Bruce Sexauer is offline
AGF Sponsor
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Petaluma, CA, USA
Posts: 7,525
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Clovenhand View Post
Why the parallel tone bars?
Because we are trying to out-Martin Martin on their playing field, and parallel tone-bars is what they do.

Better isn't enough, it has to be their kind of "Good", but more so. And that's a brag, because there ARE great examples from the Father company, and if mine is only as good as their very best ever, there may be no "better", especially from the Martin connoisseurs' POV. I am describing the target, and the proof is in the pudding; yet to be seen.

2nd Tier, formed but not "tuned":
__________________
Bruce
http://www.sexauerluthier.com/
Reply With Quote
  #129  
Old 01-08-2021, 08:21 PM
Bruce Sexauer's Avatar
Bruce Sexauer Bruce Sexauer is offline
AGF Sponsor
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Petaluma, CA, USA
Posts: 7,525
Default

And here is tier 3 in the go-bar deck. In most of my guitars, tier 3 has mare braces in it, but in Martin facsimiles the tone bars are parallel, so both go in in tier 2. More than you need to know . . . I am using a slightly large maple bridge plate in case it turns out to matter, which I do not actually think is true as long as the plate is in the right weight range. But just in case:

__________________
Bruce
http://www.sexauerluthier.com/
Reply With Quote
  #130  
Old 01-09-2021, 06:57 PM
awchiu awchiu is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Hong Kong
Posts: 28
Default

It's so fascinating to watch these guitars being built. I can't wait to see mine later this year! Keep up the great work Bruce.
__________________
Andrew

Heinonen SJ-C Cedar/EIR
Sexauer FT-15C-JB2 German/BRW
Bourgeois 00c Adi/Hog
Furch Yellow G Cedar/Padauk
Reply With Quote
  #131  
Old 01-11-2021, 01:21 PM
kliend kliend is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 105
Default

Hi Bruce,

My name is Kyle Fisher from Pennsylvania. I love following along and reading your thoughts and opinions on guitar building. Everything about this art is fascinating. I have already read your 2017, 18, 19 and 20 build journals. It is quite the wealth of information! While being just a beginner player myself, I really enjoy the mechanics of what makes a guitar what it is. Your aesthetic and no-nonsense approach to guitar building is spot on. I'll dream of owning one of yours someday.

Thanks again for sharing and best of luck in 2021! Keep up the great work. Cheers!
__________________
_____________________________
Reply With Quote
  #132  
Old 01-11-2021, 01:32 PM
Bruce Sexauer's Avatar
Bruce Sexauer Bruce Sexauer is offline
AGF Sponsor
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Petaluma, CA, USA
Posts: 7,525
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by kliend View Post
Hi Bruce,

My name is Kyle Fisher from Pennsylvania. I love following along and reading your thoughts and opinions on guitar building. Everything about this art is fascinating. I have already read your 2017, 18, 19 and 20 build journals. It is quite the wealth of information! While being just a beginner player myself, I really enjoy the mechanics of what makes a guitar what it is. Your aesthetic and no-nonsense approach to guitar building is spot on. I'll dream of owning one of yours someday.

Thanks again for sharing and best of luck in 2021! Keep up the great work. Cheers!
Kyle,
A very supportive note, and I really appreciate it. I know there is quite a bit of redundancy over the breadth of my AGF blog thread posts, but I have tried to vary them enough that, taken as a whole, they approach being a treatise on my method of building guitars, if not quite in order or complete. I do encourage questions, however, and hope to fill the gaps eventually.
Thank you,
__________________
Bruce
http://www.sexauerluthier.com/
Reply With Quote
  #133  
Old 01-11-2021, 01:43 PM
printer2 printer2 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Middle of Canada
Posts: 5,098
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer View Post
No, unlike Martins I have looked closely at, I make the X joint actually fit, and see no reason to cap it. If I did, it would add a bit of weight right were it hurts the most, unless I used the structurally ineffective cloth mask that Martin does.
Hi Bruce, happy New Year. I missed your little get together online, other commitments. I was wondering on the Martin joint with the cloth 'reinforcement'. I wondered if a poor joint would contribute to the Martin sound, loosening up the bracing. I have been too chicken to try it intentionally, the cloth might be added to dampen any buzzing of the joint (just kidding).
__________________
Fred
Reply With Quote
  #134  
Old 01-11-2021, 08:50 PM
Bruce Sexauer's Avatar
Bruce Sexauer Bruce Sexauer is offline
AGF Sponsor
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Petaluma, CA, USA
Posts: 7,525
Default

It may be that not all eras of Martin treat the X join the same, but the one I have here in the shop has no meaningful joint at all, the braces appear to have been notched before they knew each other! The cloth can only be to hide the fact that they don't join structurally at all.





I do think the bridge plate is a repair job. This guitar did fail catastrophically.
__________________
Bruce
http://www.sexauerluthier.com/
Reply With Quote
  #135  
Old 01-11-2021, 11:02 PM
Ukulele_Eddie Ukulele_Eddie is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Santa Monica, CA
Posts: 441
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer View Post
It may be that not all eras of Martin treat the X join the same, but the one I have here in the shop has no meaningful joint at all, the braces appear to have been notched before they knew each other! The cloth can only be to hide the fact that they don't join structurally at all.





I do think the bridge plate is a repair job. This guitar did fail catastrophically.
Geez, I hope so. Looks like a pre-schooler glued that bridge plate. LOL.
__________________
12-fret Small Body Addict & Sucker for Exquisite Craftsmanship
  • Beneteau 0-12 Sitka/Mahogany
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Custom Shop

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:02 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=