Petros Tunnel 13 12 Fret Review

[Michael Watts]

what you need now is a baritone!

[tkuane]

Originally Posted by Michael Watts

what you need now is a baritone!

Haha, perhaps! I have to try one first to know for sure.

[cpabolting]

I love this guitar and the T13 mojo, very cool.

Any idea why Petros doesn't use a laminated neck? Scientifically speaking. it would make sense.

[mmmaak]

Originally Posted by cpabolting

I love this guitar and the T13 mojo, very cool.

Any idea why Petros doesn't use a laminated neck? Scientifically speaking. it would make sense.

I have noticed that quite a few builders don't. My guess is that it has to do with aesthetics (though I personally like both). I wonder if some of them - and Bruce in particular - have an embedded carbon fibre rod as reinforcement.

[tkuane]

Originally Posted by cpabolting

I love this guitar and the T13 mojo, very cool.

Any idea why Petros doesn't use a laminated neck? Scientifically speaking. it would make sense.

I'm glad you asked! I hope Bruce doesn't mind me answering on his behalf.

In a neck, we have a few things we have to keep under control:

1. String Tension:
This is accounted for by the truss rod and a sturdy, well built body. In the case of this guitar, there are, in addition, 2 carbon fiber rods beside the truss rod to strengthen the neck.

2. Warping of the neck due to humidity changes:
This is dependant on the grain of the guitar and therefore its direction is very difficult to predict. To counteract this, Bruce Petros flip matches the 2 pieces of high quality wood end to end so that the grain is opposing each other. For every little bit of movement one half of the neck will make, it is cancelled out by the opposing grain of the other half, which I think is ingenious. Flip matching by itself is also a form of lamination.

I also contacted 2 longtime owners (before I placed my order) who have each owned their Petros guitars for more than 10 years. Neither of them have ever required as much as a neck set-up despite the thin neck profile of Petros guitars.

There are a few other things like a fingerboard veneer under the length and width of the fingerboard, etc. In the case of both my Petros guitars, I asked for the option of fingerboard binding to further laminate the neck (although I don't know how much it helps).

I'm being long-winded, the short answer is, almost all of the multiple neck laminations will be routed away to put the truss rod in, so Bruce Petros would rather use the methods above to strengthen the neck.

I hope I answered this right.

[tkuane]

Cpabolting,

As you can see from the pictures below, the neck wood grains are mirror images of each other from end to end. There are 2 continous pieces from the top of the headstock to the bottom of the heel, cut from the same blank (I think, got to ask Bruce to be sure). It looks good and is a very effective laminate as explained above. I can understand why some think it is a one piece neck due to the invisible joining of both halves. Beauty + Funtionality. I like. Again, I hope I explained it right.





It's not so clear on the neck of my Ebony/Italian GC because the mahogany neck in that one is absolute top grade; the wood grain is so straight, tight and even to begin with.

[cpabolting]

Originally Posted by tkuane

Cpabolting,

As you can see from the pictures below, the neck wood grains are mirror images of each other from end to end. There are 2 continous pieces from the top of the headstock to the bottom of the heel, cut from the same blank (I think, got to ask Bruce to be sure). It looks good and is a very effective laminate as explained above. I can understand why some think it is a one piece neck due to the invisible joining of both halves. Beauty + Funtionality. I like. Again, I hope I explained it right.



It's not so clear on the neck of my Ebony/Italian GC because the mahogany neck in that one is absolute top grade; the wood grain is so straight, tight and even to begin with.

Excellent, I had not noticed it in fact was a laminated neck. It is a beauty through the roof for sure.

[tkuane]

I forgot to add this earlier, but I though it'll be an appropriate video to link here, if you all haven't watched it already!

Building of Tunnel 13 #13, Gold Special, Limited Edition

Apparently, its owner in Australia received it the same day I received my T13 FS!

[cpabolting]

Originally Posted by tkuane

I forgot to add this earlier, but I though it'll be an appropriate video to link here, if you all haven't watched it already!

Building of Tunnel 13 #13, Gold Special, Limited Edition

Apparently, its owner in Australia received it the same day I received my T13 FS!

It is a great story and a great video. I loved the cutting of the walrus tusk. Great!

[FGBR]

- That looks incredible!

[Fliss]

That guitar is a work of art! Absolutely stunning.

Fliss

[Michael Watts]

Originally Posted by tkuane

Haha, perhaps! I have to try one first to know for sure.

I know where you can do that!