Build Thread: Baranik Meridian "Aurora"

[Huckleberry]

Well, I'm very excited to be able to start my very first build thread on AGF!

This one has a bit of history. I've been very interested in acoustic guitar design for a while now, read much on the theory (including Ervin Somogyi's superb 'Responsive Guitar' books) and spent a lot of time talking to and getting to know local luthiers. I had intended to attend a building course in the US and take up building as a serious hobby, working up to executing my design for a guitar specialising in dropped tunings.

Anyway, long story short, with the arrival of my baby daughter last summer and the demands of work, often away from home, it soon became apparent that I was just not going to have the time to do this properly and enjoy the other important things in my life, and that if I tried it would take too much away from my first love: playing the guitar.

So, I began the hunt for a luthier who could do the job for me. I had already found and purchased my back/sides wood, and had many of the basic functional and aesthetic parameters fixed in my mind, and wanted a builder who shared my vision for this guitar.

I spoke to the best luthiers whose work I was familiar with and, while they were all interested and I have no doubt could have executed the build flawlessly and resulted in a great guitar, I have to say that Mike Baranik's enthusiasm and understanding of what I am after absolutely convinced me that he was the man for the job.

So, a highly-customised Baranik Meridian it is! I placed my order through Trevor at TAMCO, and Mike is just getting started on the build. I should say that I really lucked out taking over a cancelled order, which brought my expected delivery time forward a fair bit, and I've also been able to secure Mike's last Colorado blue spruce top, which had been destined for that order.

So, here are the specs for Aurora:

• Model: Meridian Concert
• Cutaway: Florentine
• Top: Colorado blue spruce
• Back/sides: Celebes ebony
• Neck: Mahogany, standard 'C' profile
• Fingerboard: Plain, unadorned black ebony
• Headplate: Ebony, spalted maple, cocobolo
• Highlights: Spalted maple / spalted hardwood
• Binding scheme: Snakewood with maple purfling
• Rosette: One-off custom - my design, inspired by Michihiro Matsuda's work
• Geometry: 1 25/32" nut width, 2 1/4" spacing at saddle
• Scale: 25.25" - 26" multiscale
• Saddles: Custom 1/4" wide, compensated for standard, CGCGCD and AEEGBE
• Tuners: Gold Gotoh 510 with custom buttons
• Other: bound side soundport and custom adjustable neck
• Tone: Lots of it!

I'm very familiar with Baranik guitars so have a good idea of his signature tone, and based on the Meridian I've played at TAMCO that's exactly the kind of thing I'm after. Beyond that, my brief to Mike was for an exclusively fingerstyle-orientated guitar, lots of sustain, plenty of mid-range complexity but not too bright.

So, I'm very excited, if a little nervous (this is my first custom build) - but Mike is thoroughly professional and a great guy to work with, I know he shares my vision and enthusiasm for this project and I trust him to build me something quite outstanding.

I hope you enjoy the ride with me!

[Huckleberry]

Here's the back/side set I purchased from Allied Lutherie last year:



And here it is in Mike's workshop, in the Meridian template.



Hoping for more photos soon!

[riorider]

I'm strapped in and ready for the ride!

Thanks, Huckleberry! I look forward very much to this. And a huge congratulations on getting that last blue spruce top. It's an amazing top wood!

Best,

Phil

[colins]

Huckleberry,

Great that you got the early slot with Mike and I am looking forward to a lot of words and photos!

Mike did my first custom build (and then the second!). I took delivery of my first CX in 2006 and still look at it (and play it) in amazement every day. I am sure you will end up with something every bit as special.

How did you decide to go for the multiscale – did you try other multiscale guitars to get a feel for this approach?

Col

[Huckleberry]

Originally Posted by colins

Huckleberry,

How did you decide to go for the multiscale – did you try other multiscale guitars to get a feel for this approach?

Col

Well, I could understand the benefit of multiscale geometry when I first saw a photo of one. I play a lot in dropped tunings, and the main draw for me is the ability to keep the tension up on the bass strings when dropped, but also to shorten the treble scale slightly for ease of playability and to sweeten up the tone.

I did try some multiscale guitars too. Based on my experience playing a Greenfield G4 (25" - 27") and a Tippin Staccato (24.75" - 25.5"), both courtesy of Trevor at TAMCO, the 2" fan of the Greenfield was a bit much for me but the Tippin is one of the most comfortable guitars I've ever played.

Putting all this together, Mike and I decided on a 3/4" spread from 25.25" - 26", roughly centred around Mike's standard scale length of 25.6". So, I can benefit from increased bass string tension without the top string getting at all sloppy when I tune it down to D, and without upsetting the overall tension on the guitar too much. I did this fairly scientifically - a set of 12 gauge D'Addarios in standard tuning pulls about 164.5lb at Mike's standard 25.6 scale length - Aurora will pull 165 lb.



Plus, I think they look great! Here's the Tippin, and one of Mike's

[Trevor M]

I am really looking forward to seeing this and sad that I won't get me hands on it for more than a day (if that). Life is tough...

[JasonA]

Can't wait to see it take shape! I love my multi-scale Meridian, although it's a shorter scale than your specs. I think you made a great choice.

[NateFreezy]

[/QUOTE]


Trevor/ Huckleberry, how do you like the Koa Retreux? Love the look of it, including the multiscale!

[El Conquistador]

I can tell you I love mine:





The tone of this thing is just, well, amazing. It is sweet, full, and lush. And, it plays like butter. It is, to my mind, the perfect easy chair guitar.

Steve

[earwighoney]

I'm in London, let me play your guitar when you get it!



Seriously, that guitar looks (and will sound) like my dream guitar. I've been itching to play a multi scale guitar for ages, also one of my tunings of choice is CGCGCD (C2) too!

Great job on the commission though!

[Trevor M]

earwighoney,

I have 3 multi scale guitars in stock. You are welcome to come and try them anytime.

[colins]

Huck, thanks for the info on scale lengths – sounds like a good mix of theory and experimental on your part.

While I am waiting for your next set of photos (hint hint ) I would be interested as to how you choose strings:
• At present I have a set of Thomastik Spectrums on one guitar that total only 125lb (mind you the TI website does not give a scale length for calculation of that data). Also they have very similar tensions for all six strings.
• My walnut CX is left in DADGAD and strung with Newtone Master class 80/20 – the special drop tuning set. They sound great on the CX and, while I have not seen any data, the string tensions feel very even across all six strings. Have you tried these or similar?
• You may have followed Larry Pattis’ recent thread about his new Kraut. Larry plays a short scale length and yet he also plays in drop tuning – I thought that drop tuning behaved a lot better if the scale length was longer.

Col

[Huckleberry]

Originally Posted by colins

Huck, thanks for the info on scale lengths – sounds like a good mix of theory and experimental on your part.

While I am waiting for your next set of photos (hint hint ) I would be interested as to how you choose strings:
• At present I have a set of Thomastik Spectrums on one guitar that total only 125lb (mind you the TI website does not give a scale length for calculation of that data). Also they have very similar tensions for all six strings.
• My walnut CX is left in DADGAD and strung with Newtone Master class 80/20 – the special drop tuning set. They sound great on the CX and, while I have not seen any data, the string tensions feel very even across all six strings. Have you tried these or similar?
• You may have followed Larry Pattis’ recent thread about his new Kraut. Larry plays a short scale length and yet he also plays in drop tuning – I thought that drop tuning behaved a lot better if the scale length was longer.

Col

Col, I'm very dull and use D'Addario PB 12s (EJ16) on all my guitars now. I like the way they feel and sound, they seem to last pretty well for me and do everything I ask of them. 125lb sounds very light - according to my tension calculater (which I built from the D'Addario string tension info and I think is accurate), a standard set of 12s would pull nearly 162lb even at 25.4" scale length.

My Taylor GC7 and Goodall CJ, when I owned them, both seemed to prefer 80/20 Elixirs, and my Martin D16-GT sounded best with 13 gauge D'Addario 80/20s; but beyond that I haven't really experimented with different brands and types, and I haven't tried Newtones.

Yes, Larry's Kraut looks wonderful. I believe he uses medium gauge strings to keep up the tension, so he can comfortably use dropped tunings with his short scale.

[Kyle76]

It looks like Aurora is going to be wearing a double-breasted suit from the "button" figure on those back pieces. Good luck with your build!

[Huckleberry]

Originally Posted by Kyle76

It looks like Aurora is going to be wearing a double-breasted suit from the "button" figure on those back pieces. Good luck with your build!

Yes, the back does have those four knot shadows, but they aren't knots and the wood is structurally very sound. I think it will look good.