Sexauer ‘19, chapter 1 - Page 17

j. Kinnaird · #**241** 06-01-2019, 07:51 AM

I love em both.

Bruce Sexauer · #**242** 06-05-2019, 06:21 PM

Today I thought the BRW/German FT-15 "further" was cured enough to block the finish flat and buff, so I did. I also put the first coat of varnish on the FT-000-es Koa/Adirondack, but that is another story.

Bruce Sexauer · #**243** 06-05-2019, 07:50 PM

The "other story" is now dry enough to handle so I snapped a few for you:

Bruce Sexauer · #**244** 06-05-2019, 07:55 PM

The "other story" is now dry enough to handle so I snapped a few for you:

Guitars44me · #**245** 06-05-2019, 10:05 PM

Dang, these are so pretty!

Beautiful work, Bruce. Drooling down here in San Diego...

Paul

Bruce Sexauer · #**246** 06-07-2019, 05:22 PM

It is interesting to me how that which works well becomes aesthetically preferential, at least to the person who knows it works well. These Schertler tuners are an example of that, for me. They have gone from boring and dull looking to quite beautiful, in proportion to my using them over time and discovering how smooth and accurate they are, in addition to being a no-brainer where installation is concerned. And they're not particularly expensive, either.

"Further" has frets and tuners, and is a bridge away from being a player:

TJNies · #**247** 06-10-2019, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

You’re welcome!

My one Cuban mahogany guitar, documented HERE, was made in 2016 for Schoenberg’s table at the first SBAIC. While it seemed very successful to me, so do nearly all of my guitars. I have not seen it since they sold it and it has blended. Over-written by my more recent pieces. I am currently basking in the sound of my latest Tree guitar, which came in yesterday for a truss rod tweak. Its tone is my idea of perfect, though the Cuban may have been as well. A bird in the hand . . .

Bruce, I've been an arms-length lurker, and only recently heard about "the Tree".

What about this wood impresses you so much?

I have been a RW Martin fan forever, and until recently thought mahogany was second-rate. With zero actual play time to support this. But in the past couple years I have acquired an 0000 and OM Sinker mahogany guitars, and think the world of each (transformed)!

What might kick me forward from sinker to "the Tree" in tonal aspects?

TomB'sox · #**248** 06-10-2019, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TJNies

Bruce, I've been an arms-length lurker, and only recently heard about "the Tree".

What about this wood impresses you so much?

I have been a RW Martin fan forever, and until recently thought mahogany was second-rate. With zero actual play time to support this. But in the past couple years I have acquired an 0000 and OM Sinker mahogany guitars, and think the world of each (transformed)!

What might kick me forward from sinker to "the Tree" in tonal aspects?

I am sure Bruce will reply with specifics, but he had a "Tree" guitar that he made at a little party I had at my house and the guitar was fantastic. I think it got more play time than any other and it was perfection!

TJNies · #**249** 06-10-2019, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

I am sure Bruce will reply with specifics, but he had a "Tree" guitar that he made at a little party I had at my house and the guitar was fantastic. I think it got more play time than any other and it was perfection!

Yeah, I saw some of the pics from that event. While I'd be a "lesser-light"among so many great players, I would have loved to join you all!

I'm just a home player that enjoys amusing himself of delusions of any actual talent, but truly enjoys a really excellent acoustic.

Bruce Sexauer · #**250** 06-10-2019, 06:37 PM

First off, let me say that if some level of virtuosity were required for a person to be able to appreciate a great guitar, or even a merely beautiful guitar, a great many including myself would be working at a more mundane pursuit. You do not need to practice for years to appreciate beautiful tone in a guitar.

Mahogany is the true standard of the guitar world, IMO, and I am glad to hear that you, TJNies, have come to recognize it. This material comes in many flavors, and none is bad in my experience, but the "Tree" stands alone at the pinnacle. Fortunately, it was a very big tree, and there was quite a lot of it. I have to assume you have looked closely at pictures and have noticed that even the most mundane pieces of the "Tree" are very well figured. The best pieces of the "Tree" are spectacularly well figured, and that is what 2 of the three guitars I've made from the wood are. Actually, the 3rd guitars is made from as spectacular an example, but cut on the quarter instead of the face, so less impressive in appearance, though possibly structurally superior.

Some people say the "Tree" sounds like Brazilian rosewood rather than mahogany, but I suspect they may not be all that familiar with BRW. The "Tree" does have a significantly richer sound to my ear than typical mahogany, but not in the same way as BRW. And please remember I am referring to my own work, I have heard other maker's results that were quite different from my own. All three of my "Tree" guitars simply sound exceptionally beautiful, even in the body of my own work. There is simply no way I am aware of to convey the truth of this, but if one had one of these three guitars on the lap and played it for an hour and then went back to whatever else one usually plays, most people with any guitar experience at all would think it obvious. IMO, of course.

My usual policy on sales of inventory guitars is that I will ship, once the check clears, and absorb the shipping in the purchase price. The buyer get a few days to make sure they bond. If the buyer doesn't bond, once the guitar has arrived back in identical condition to when it left, I return the full price LESS the cost of round trip 3 day expedited shipping: between $300 and $500 depending on location in the lower 48. If the buyer chooses to trade the guitar in down the line, it is worth its full original price in trade value against any instrument I have made with a price 150% higher or greater. On instruments priced at less than150% greater, the trade-in is worth 2/3 the price. If that is too hard to decipher, no worries, I can work it out for you.

Bruce Sexauer · #**251** 06-19-2019, 02:12 PM

I have to admit I am surprised that last post elicited no response at all! Life goes on.

Yesterday I put the 8th and final coat of oil varnish on the Koa/AmerRed 000. There is no prefiller on this one as it damages the beauty of the Koa IMO, and I was pleasantly surprised to have the mahogany come level as quickly as the Koa.

With the neck temporarily in place, I took advantage of a beautiful morning here in Petaluma to take a few more pictures.

Erithon · #**252** 06-19-2019, 04:31 PM

That Koa is good looking, Bruce - very nice flaming

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

Mahogany is the true standard of the guitar world, IMO, and I am glad to hear that you, TJNies, have come to recognize it. This material comes in many flavors, and none is bad in my experience, but the "Tree" stands alone at the pinnacle. Fortunately, it was a very big tree, and there was quite a lot of it. I have to assume you have looked closely at pictures and have noticed that even the most mundane pieces of the "Tree" are very well figured. The best pieces of the "Tree" are spectacularly well figured, and that is what 2 of the three guitars I've made from the wood are. Actually, the 3rd guitars is made from as spectacular an example, but cut on the quarter instead of the face, so less impressive in appearance, though possibly structurally superior.

Some people say the "Tree" sounds like Brazilian rosewood rather than mahogany, but I suspect they may not be all that familiar with BRW. The "Tree" does have a significantly richer sound to my ear than typical mahogany, but not in the same way as BRW. And please remember I am referring to my own work, I have heard other maker's results that were quite different from my own. All three of my "Tree" guitars simply sound exceptionally beautiful, even in the body of my own work. There is simply no way I am aware of to convey the truth of this, but if one had one of these three guitars on the lap and played it for an hour and then went back to whatever else one usually plays, most people with any guitar experience at all would think it obvious. IMO, of course.

I'll second Bruce (not that a luthier of his experience needs it) that Honduran Mahogany from The Tree does not sound like Brazilian Rosewood. It's Mahogany, but a harder and denser variety that lends itself to more mids and overtones.

TomB'sox · #**253** 06-19-2019, 04:52 PM

That Koa is outstanding. I think beauty wise, Koa is sincerely very hard to beat. I like the way the birds beak of the mahogany neck seems to just disappear into the Koa headstock veneer, a great look.

Congrats on another beauty.

Bruce Sexauer · #**254** 06-19-2019, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

That Koa is outstanding. I think beauty wise, Koa is sincerely very hard to beat. I like the way the birds beak of the mahogany neck seems to just disappear into the Koa headstock veneer, a great look.

Congrats on another beauty.

Thank you, Tom. It actually DOES disappear into the Koa!

I have completed the BRW/Euro OM and made a page for my site HERE.

And here are a few pics for the casual browser:

Self-Portrait:

tadol · #**255** 06-19-2019, 05:30 PM

Those pictures are amazing! I stopped by yesterday, but only saw the koa after final sanding and before that last coat of varnish went on, and even in the matte, it looked pretty great, but that last coat really makes the color and flame pop! Can’t wait til its fully cured and set-up so I might get a chance to play it -

But I did get a chance to play the new braz OM, and I really love it - its got a clarity and sparkle thats uniquely braz rw, but the notes blend together so sweetly. Hoping it sticks around in Bruces shop a little longer so I can spend a bit more time playing it - he just keeps raising the bar!