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Hatcher's Studio '19
Happy New Year everyone! I'm starting this year out with a Greta grand auditorium. This is a custom build with some wonderful woods. The back and sides are Honduran Mahogany from the "Fiddleback Tree".
The top is a mildly quilted old Sitka Spruce: I think they are well match both for color and tone: The trim will be mostly Cocobolo. I am using the last headstock overlay, fretboard, and bridge set from a board I bought quite awhile ago. I love the spiderweb grain patterns on this. It will keep up well with the amazing fiddleback Mahogany on this guitar: Much more to come! Mark
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Mark Hatcher www.hatcherguitars.com “"A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking". Steven Wright |
#2
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That's a fantastic Mahogany B&S set, Mark. Such tight flaming. This is going to look great!
And of course I love the Cocobolo as well. If I'm not mistaken, the fretboard on my Greta is from that same board. |
#3
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Mark
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Mark Hatcher www.hatcherguitars.com “"A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking". Steven Wright |
#4
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Wow! That Honduran Mahogany is stunning Mark.
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#5
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Stunning woods and photography as usual, Mark!
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Collings OM2H Adi / Braz Doerr Legacy Swiss / Braz Franklin OM German / Braz Franklin OM Carpathian / Braz Goodall GC Italian / Honduran Goodall GC Italian / Braz Goodall CJC Italian / Braz Goodall CJC Italian / Afr. Blackwood McPherson 5.0 Full Koa McPherson 5.0XP Adi / Braz Martin D-28GE Adi / Braz |
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Thanks Paul, the curl is deep and beautiful. The kind of figure that makes you sweat when it's time to bend the sides!
Thanks swiftz07, It's my good fortune to get to work with such great woods. Thanks for commenting! Mark
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Mark Hatcher www.hatcherguitars.com “"A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking". Steven Wright |
#7
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Joining the Back
I thought I'd write a few things about joining a fiddleback set. First, it's important to get a clean fit between the two sides. A window comes in handy for checking that:
With this much figure it really shows how well you line up the sides. There's a problem doing this though. Flamed figure is a series of peaks and troughs as reflected by the wood grain actually rippling up and down. When you book match the two back pieces where there is a peak one side of the joint there is a trough on the other. Now if you work the light and view angle you can make them line up fairly well like this shows: Now without moving that penny and changing the viewing angle a picture of the exact same area appears to be mismatched: So even though the woods are perfectly matched the appearance of the match is a moving target! A reasonable solution to this is to use a center graft which puts a little space between the two sides of the back and greatly reduces this effect.
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Mark Hatcher www.hatcherguitars.com “"A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking". Steven Wright Last edited by Mark Hatcher; 01-03-2019 at 01:37 PM. |
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I like the look of peaks and troughs lining up. that's the way it's done in the violin family and to my eye it looks right.
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Kinnaird Guitars |
#9
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I guess it never occurred to me that I could just like that look Now that I think about it, it’s pretty common to see on carved back instruments, including arch top guitars. When I see it on these I don’t give it a second thought. Somehow when it’s on the much less arched back of a regular guitar I’m not comfortable with it. I’ll try liking it and see how I do. Mark
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Mark Hatcher www.hatcherguitars.com “"A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking". Steven Wright |
#10
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Every time I see a fiddle back style, I want a centre strip...it’s great either way, but I can’t help but think it looks unfinished with out one...and having had this explanation maybe now I know why!
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The Bard Rocks Fay OM Sinker Redwood/Tiger Myrtle Sexauer L00 Adk/Magnolia For Sale Hatcher Jumbo Bearclaw/"Bacon" Padauk Goodall Jumbo POC/flamed Mahogany Appollonio 12 POC/Myrtle MJ Franks Resonator, all Australian Blackwood Goodman J45 Lutz/fiddleback Mahogany Blackbird "Lucky 13" - carbon fiber '31 National Duolian + many other stringed instruments. |
#12
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Snazzy wood indeed!
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My YouTube Page: http://www.youtube.com/user/ukejon 2014 Pono N30 DC EIR/Spruce crossover 2009 Pono koa parlor (NAMM prototype) 2018 Maton EBG808TEC 2014 Hatcher Greta 13 fret cutaway in EIR/cedar 2017 Hatcher Josie fan fret mahogany 1973 Sigma GCR7 (OM model) rosewood and spruce 2014 Rainsong OM1000N2 ....and about 5 really nice tenor ukuleles at any given moment |
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Back Strip
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I like balance which I suppose may be a cousin of symmetry. Thanks Ukejon! Speaking of snazzy wood I picked out the wood and designed the back strip today. I am doing a Cocobolo back strip. Typically, I do cross grained center laminates on the necks. I thought I'd carry that arrangement right through to the back laminate. This fiddleback is such a strong and uniform figure doing something a little more random for the back strip would really stand out. So then it was time to pick the actual piece of Cocobolo wood: This is a little piece I'd been saving for something special. The block is about 3" x 5" and 3/4" thick. The figuring in the top left corner is called "cloud figuring" which brings just the kind of randomness I'm looking for. That cloud is about 2" long and goes all the way through. I can slice this down into enough pieces to make both the back strip and the center laminate on the neck. Here is a close up for the back: And a broader view: I'll have purfling on either side when I lay it in. Glad I saves that piece of wood!
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Mark Hatcher www.hatcherguitars.com “"A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking". Steven Wright |
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1995 Maton EM725C - Solid 'A' Spruce Top, QLD Walnut B&S, AP5 Pickup 2018 Custom Built OM - Silver Quandong Top, Aussie Blackwood B&S, Fishman Matrix Infinity Mic Blend Pickup 2021 Faith Neptune Baritone - Solid Englemann Spruce Top, Solid Indonesian Rosewood B&S, Fishman INK3 Pickup 2022 Yamaha SLG200S Silent Guitar |
#15
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Wow ... that fiddleback mahogany ... and that cocobolo ... you'll definitely make something spectacular from that Mark!
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David Wren |