Sexauer '22

[tadol]

Since I was hanging in the shop while this was happening - I took a couple pics -

[canuck7]

Inspirational!!! A role model for excellence and how the pursuit of a profession that is fulfilling just keeps on giving! Bruce, you are a real mensch!!

[Bruce Sexauer]

Originally Posted by canuck7

Inspirational!!! A role model for excellence and how the pursuit of a profession that is fulfilling just keeps on giving! Bruce, you are a real mensch!!

Coincidentally, perhaps, I am a regular with a Friday morning coffee group who call themselves "Honorable Menschen".

[Bruce Sexauer]

I am almost up to hearing the Olive L00. Not tomorrow, but most likely Thursday.

[Bruce Sexauer]

I did get strings on the Olive/German L00-JB/2 today. It is not "done" though. Looks like I'm going to have to pull the frets, redress the fingerboard, and refret it. The neck didn't pull up quite far enough when I put the strings on. Some will say a double action truss rod would have been advisable, but I truly dislike them and would prefer to have to have to make this correction. After all, it has been well over 100 guitars since I made this particular judgement error. I aim for near 0 relief on the treble, and between .005 and .010" on the bass side of the neck. I got dead flat on the bass, and a very slight back bend on the treble. It is possible it will pull up over night, but I'm not counting on it.

I like all my guitars, as many have noticed, but this one was a wild card. I expected it to be okay, or I wouldn't have built it. But . . . is is wildly better than I imagined. All of my usual attributes are in place, plus huge power and an amazingly FAT tone. Usually, a guitar is much better on the second day, but that hardly seems possible on this one.

[Richard Mott]

That guitar looks fabulous, and sounds like it is too! Bruce, any theories on the neck relief issues? Was it a shallower carve than usual or just the properties of the particular mahogany neck?

[Bruce Sexauer]

I create my fingerboard surface with slightly more relief on the bass than on the treble, slightly dished, and expect the frets to wedge the surface back to “level”. I do this all by feel, and missed the mark by a little. The error cost me about 3 hours of my time, and added a day to my completion date. No biggie. . . Unless I do it twice in a row.

[Steve Kinnaird]

Originally Posted by tadol

I’ve always admired that logo—simple elegance.

Steve

[kliend]

Bravo Maestro Bravo!

[Bruce Sexauer]

Originally Posted by Steve Kinnaird

I’ve always admired that logo—simple elegance.

Steve

Thank you, Steve.

I signed my name a kazillion times, chose the most legible "S", scanned it into Micrografix Designer (my art program of choice), and thickened the line till it looked like it was cut-able. Since I hand cut every one there are no two quite the same, and in my mind they serve as a "signature", one of 4 in every guitar for quite some time now.

The others are: 1) the parchment label, in ink, and sealed under shellac 2) on the neck block, in ink, and next to the tonewood choices and "title", and 3) between the X crossover and the bridge plate, in pencil.

[tadol]

Originally Posted by Steve Kinnaird

I’ve always admired that logo—simple elegance.

Steve

And having watched him cut more than a few, he’s amazingly picky about them being just right, even though no 2 are ever quite the same - sometimes I can see the problem, other times, it’s just his artistic temperament (my opinion, but he’d say otherwise) - the proof is in the results - that I couldn’t argue with -

[Bruce Sexauer]

I am packing up today for the California Bluegrass Association's Father's Day Festival, which runs Thursday thought Sunday this weekend, 6/16 - 6/19. I have been participating in this show for over 20 years, and it may be great this time (as it has been before) due to being canceled the last couple of years, leaving pickers hungry.

I will be one of perhaps 20 luthiers with tables in a fairgrounds steel building, many having brought tools to work on attendee's instruments. I used to do that, but will be merely showing/selling what I will have brought up with me in my trailer. Looks like 15 violins, 2 violas, 2 mandolins, 4 guitars, and one 3/4 size double bass. The guitars are mostly dreadnoughts, of course, with one 000 just in case. The violas are a desperate move on my part as no one I know has much use for one, but there will be plenty of violinists there, and one or two might be so far sighted they'll think they're looking at a violin with a beautifully deep voice.

[Dogma]

Is the 000 the mahogany cutaway?

[Bruce Sexauer]

Originally Posted by Dogma

Is the 000 the mahogany cutaway?

Yes, the very one I built for a repeat customer and somehow failed to make the neck bulky enough for him. So I warrantied it, and made him a new one. He was surely right, as no one who plays it mentions it having a fat neck. It does sound excellent to me, and someone will eventually want it.

[Andy B]

Having only just joined the forum I can only say that this thread is not only beautiful for the eye but quite fascinating to find out what materials you have used. Given how historically the favoured materials were Rosewood and mahogany and maple. I’d be interested to know if you ever thought you would be building guitars with such materials?

Here in the U.K. some great guitars are being made from indigenous wood with great results that shows what’s possible with a good builder.