Benjamin Paldacci Guitars - 2019, "Constellation Series" & Regular Builts

[BenjaminPaldacci]

This guitar is the #1 of the Benjamin Paldacci Guitars Workshop "Constellation Series", and she will go to the amazing shop Eddies Guitar.

Matthew Chulka and I, talked a lot about woods, and we wanted to have a pure Fingerstyle guitar, like I love to build. We hesitated beetween European and Engelmann spruce, and even if I LOVE Picea Abies, I have a couple of amazing Engelmann tops! So, I found the ONE I've had bought 5 years ago. The density is amazing, it sound like a bell, and the grain is amazing (tight # Steady).

The wood is pretty oxydized after 5 years in the stash so I need to clean it... Amazing material, one of the best top I've had in this species.

For this guitar, I'll go with a beautifull set of Wenge, which is in my top #3 of my favorite Hardwoods. This set comes from the same batch of the OM #8 I've built years ago, and I wanted to keep it for special occasion... well, I think we have one!

We have chosed Non-CITES Woods To avoid any complications during the export, but because there are many incredible Woods outside the Dalbergia family! I am working with alternative tonewoods for a while now, with success in terms of results tonally speaking... and to my customers. Matthew suggest this wood, and Claro Walnut. This is marvellous To see a high-end shop, who take the "alternative Woods bet"! Kudos To you, Matthew! 🙏

I will complete this OM for 2019 Sonore Festival at Montreal, with a mahogany OO-12. I have the design in my head, I think it will be stunning guitar!

[BenjaminPaldacci]

I am currently building 2 Orders for Customers in the USA (Boston and Denver): OM Pao Ferro & Sitka Bearclaw, and OM Granadillo & Carpathian.

Boxes are close from completion (done for the Pao Ferro, bracing to carve for the Granadillo), and I am pretty happy about results of the series of tests I runned on those instruments. I haven't worked with Pao Ferro & Granadillo before, and those woods are sooo dense & Glassy... those guitars will be pretty special, indeed!

For the first time on my instruments, I have used 315 grade High Clarity Hot Hide glue for side-braces & the entire top (except bridgeplate/central X of the bracing/Rosette-plate reinforcement). I am amazed by this glue, and I won't go back again! Of course, I will continue to use other glues like Titebond I & III, Epoxy, Gorilla, but my world changed since I have Immersed in the HHG Pool!

[TomB'sox]

Congrats on your new series idea, sounds great. The wood choices and workmanship all look stellar! Thanks for posting.

[BenjaminPaldacci]

Hey Tom, thanks for your kind words

[BenjaminPaldacci]

Oh Happy day! Bindings tomorrow!

[BenjaminPaldacci]

Next step: Bindings

[BenjaminPaldacci]

Cooking time! As I have modified the shape of my new OM since the #14 Granadillo & Carpathian Spruce, I needed to make a new mold to bend my sides & Bindings

This new OM is longer than the #1 shape I have used for 5 years, but dimensions are still, pretty close from the "old" model.

Ebony bindings are cooking, peacefully. I will let them in the Fox Machine for the night, for them to cool quietly.






The most important step for bindings: Make it FLAT!

When you are routing your binding channels, the bearing on the router will follow your sides. So, if there is a bump or a pothole, you'll find it on your back or Tops channel. So, you need to bring your sides as flat as possible.

If you have some cuping during the side-bending operation, you'll have to take-off more material, and having some problems in terms of thickness... So, this step, is a good resume of Guitarbuilding IMHO: If you have a problem at the early step of the built, let's say "Point A", you will have some trouble at "Point Z" days or weeks later.

So, this is primordial to be carefull about every step of the guitarbuilding, and produce a top-notch job every day of the week. This is challenging, and definitely not a job for people who don't have patience... and even if there is no perfection, you need to be as close as it! .

[BenjaminPaldacci]

And, done! I will glue this peghead on two 0.3 mm layers of maple (like purflings I've used to build the veneer), and one thicker wenge layer, for stability & Contrast. It should be Nice in the end, I am satisfied about the transcription of my design, from Paper to wood.

[GeoffStGermaine]

Ben - the peghead looks very good. I'm curious about the structure up above the transverse brace. I imagine that the centre piece may relate to your neck block, but what do the outer pieces do? Increase mass or stiffness?

[BenjaminPaldacci]

Originally Posted by GeoffStGermaine

Ben - the peghead looks very good. I'm curious about the structure up above the transverse brace. I imagine that the centre piece may relate to your neck block, but what do the outer pieces do? Increase mass or stiffness?

The quartersawn sapele, crossed grain block, is here to support the fretboard exactly as you've said. Other pieces are here To stiff the area and prevent cracks (crossed grain). They are very light (spruce).

[BenjaminPaldacci]

Wenge Rules!

"The Constellation Series" Goal, is to take the patern and repeat it for Headplate, Rosette & Endgraft ("The Holy Trinity" for me). the repetition should not be redondant, and the is the ultimate challenge is to find 3 designs in one guitar.

So, I have played with wenge grain-patterns, and the fun part is to cross its direction, to make the Libra constellation appears! I didn't want to add pearl in this one, because I think I've found the good balance. 0.3 mm maple lines, are a must for this one.

Those days, I am sold to Thin Rosettes... but as I needed to obtain some Clarity in the constellation-design & wood-pattern, it is larger than the usual!

I love Engelmann Spruce tops because they are white, like a glass of Milk... and the bearclaw bring some figures, which looks like stars in the Milky-Way. The contrast, is exactly what I wanted to have during the design-part of this rosette

[BenjaminPaldacci]

Because of my friends and colleagues @koentoppguitars & @dionguitars made a video about that, I wanted to make one too. Luthiers call this noise: "TheMostSatisfyingNoiseInTheEntireUniverse"

I was not satisfied about the inlay I've made a couple of days ago, and after carving the neck yesterday... I decided to do it again this morning. I've used a beautifull Madrone Burl, to match the color of the Granadillo. A simple line of Black Dyed maple, will illuminate it perfectly!

In the honor of @davidgilmour who sold his guitar collection for $21.5 million at @christiesinc last night ($3,975,000 for the famous Black Strat only), you could hear "Pigs (Three Different Ones)", from one of the best Album of @pinkfloyd in the background

https://www.instagram.com/p/By-fLNuH...p/By-fLNuHWpr/

[BenjaminPaldacci]

When the customer of the Higuerilla OM from Rennes in Britany, FRANCE, send this email to you... it bring some happiness in your day!


"Salut Ben,

L'échéance des 6 mois approche et un premier bilan s'impose.

Je prends de plus en plus de plaisir à jouer la Higuerilla. C'est étonnant car elle est à la fois puissante mais avec un son très défini et jamais brouillon quelque soit l'attaque. Elle est d'une grande réactivité et pousse à l'expressivité.

Concernant la petite "raideur" dans les aigus du début, celle-ci s'efface progressivement avec des notes que je qualifierai de plus souples (je ne sais pas comment qualifier ça autrement). Les basses sont toujours aussi belles mais elles l'étaient déjà depuis le début.

En bref, vraiment très satisfait de mon acquisition.

Désolé mais je n'ai pas eu l'occasion d'écrire une review correct de la guitare sur le forum, faudra que je corrige ça quand j'aurai un peu plus de temps. Je le parcoure de temps en temps et j'ai vu que tu t'étais relancé dans de nouvelles réalisations (intéressant le principe des constellations). Je suivrai ça avec attention.

Bonne journée,

Alain"

[BenjaminPaldacci]

As I've said numerous times, Miters are very important to me. It definitely is, a detail of the built, but this is something which can show to customers, musicians, or anyone else, how much you care about the perfection in your way to build. It is, like, the icing on the cake.

The only thing you need, is a razor-sharped chisel, and some patience. Go ask to Ervin Somogyi and his Andamento, how touchy it is, to nail every miters on a guitar. Fortunately, I don't have as many as that on my instruments, but each one of them need to be as perfect as possible! The madrone burl looks like very cool, and I'm finally happy about this one!

On the right of the burl inlay, Those Granadillo pores are so hudge in this sapwood... that it looks like a dremel accident. Nope, it is not, the routing is perfect! #WoodYouOrganicMaterial

[GeoffStGermaine]

Benjamin - c'est une belle critique!

Je suis curieux de voir le 'madrone burl' de côté.