Brentrup Guitars and Mandolins

[Haans]

Thanks guys!
Trevor, glad you like the parlor. Dakota Dave Hull was thinking about it, but I decided to ship it to you...
Ed, the GC is fast becoming my prime 6 string. I'll have some more photos up in a day or two. Been busy spot filling John's MJ-12 and also finishing a parlor. I'll do the final shaping on the GC neck today, and I'm off to buy some more high figure white oak.

[maurerfan]

Look forward to the next peek at the progress of your (or your wife's) guitar. Also, perhaps you might share a pic or 2 of your white oak. I've become very interested in this wood since seeing what you can do with it.

[Haans]

Maurer, I'll get some photos up of the planks I got. I managed to finds some lovely quartered and highly flamed white oak.
Meanwhile, here is a shot of the Hormigo I plan on using...



It dyes nicely and looks somewhat like ribbon mahogany, but prettier as the base is more orange than dull tan.
Some progress carving the neck on the BRW...





I'll do a bit more refining today and inlay the neck.

[Joe Sustaire]

That's a great looking heel Haans!
Elegance all the way around with your builds, just what a guitar should look like.

Joe

[Haans]

Thanks Joe! Our tastes are quite similar...
Lots of photos today (some not so good, but gets the idea across). First, progress on the BRW neck...
Inlay glued and scribed.


Inlay scribed, removed and scribe chalked. Holes drilled for dots.


Routing.


Filled, sanded and ready to go.


Tortoise dots cut from a turned piece of celluloid chucked in a drill motor.


Final heel shape.

Neck is ready for final sanding and dying.

A parlor almost ready to dry for a few weeks.


A too small set of Hormigo (after cutting out the sapwood) made larger like a D35. No back stripes on mine, though.


Center strip is made up of 5 pieces of scrap Hormigo cutoff from sides.


Not too crazy about the flatsawn part, but still rings like a bell...

[Haans]

Finally, some of the quartered White Oak I got. Not only is most of it flamed, it also has ray and flake.






Also some of the regular stuff. Ray follows the guitar shape.

[maurerfan]

Well, my check-in was rewarded. Lovely oak for sure! When the back-plates and sides are optimally thicknessed, where does this wood stand .. weightwise .. compared to, say, mahogany vs. the dense Rosewoods? I'm curious to know if the oak guitars tend towards the heavy side, or?

[Nort]

I love that flamed red oak!

[Haans]

White oak, Nort!
I did see some really flamed red oak, but probably wasn't quite as stiff.
Maurer, I'd say the white oak is about like Sapele in weight. Not really concerned with weight in my guitars, and laminated bracing probably turns it into an whole different ballgame anyway. It's all about taps to me. My "wife's" white oak GC weighs 4#, 2oz.
On an interesting note, I forgot to bring my jig saw to cut the planks (they let you cut as long as you leave 4-5' out of a board). So, I had to use their hand saw...like cutting oak with a butterknife. You really wouldn't believe how dull that saw is. The flamed stuff cut like stone, but one other board cut relatively easily. Will be interesting to judge the taps on these...
Lot's of finishing yesterday and also managed to tint the top, dye the neck and scrape the purfling.

Lacquering the purfling. Very tedious and time consuming and why most builders don't tint or dye...too much work. Three coats are brushed on all the purfling.


After the top is tinted, all the purfling is scraped clean. Also very tedious, took 6 hours to scrape.


Results are worth it to me...

[Joe Sustaire]

Exquisite work Haans!
Do you have to mask the b/w/b rings around the soundhole also?

And that parlor you've got drying is beautiful.
Nice to see you still adding to the woodpile, love what you do with oak.

Keep on building,
Joe

[TimL]

Always like seeing what you are up to Hans. Like the looks of the little oak parlor you sent to Trevor and of course your hand made purfling is always inspiring.

Tim

[Nort]

Ooops, I don't know why I said red, should've been white?

Can't claim dyslexia on that, so I'll just plead old age

Thanks for trying to keep me straightened out Haans

Beautiful photo of the top, I would agree, the time spent, certainly well worth it.

[pgilmor]

This stuff is just flat out amazing!!!

[Haans]

Thanks guys!
Joe, likely I will build till I just can't anymore. I skip the outside ring as it is celluloid as is the inside ring. I do lacquer the inside ring to mask off the ivoroid.
Tim, the look is worth it to me.
Nort, do it all the tmie msyfle...
pgilmor, thank you for the kind words. Just believe in doing something different than others and also trying to keep the look and tradition alive.
Shot the first coats on the BRW yesterday and I can say that I have never seen BRW this dark. No dying this one, no filler, nothing but lacquer. Ribs are almost black. I'll get some photos up soon.

[Haans]

Kind of a slow day for a change. Another 2 coats on the BRW. Here's just how dark the stuff is...


Here's a couple of shots of the GC build I'm doing for TAMCO.


Red spruce and EIR


I'll get the neck going on that one now...