Michel Aboudib Italian Spruce-Bois de Rose Modified Dreadnought

[TomB'sox]

Everything is looking just fantastic thus far!!!!

[doodahdoug]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

Everything is looking just fantastic thus far!!!!

Thanks Tom, I have high hopes for how this one is going to turn out.


Here are a couple of pictures from Michel showing the top and bottom being glued on:

[doodahdoug]

Michel shared this "in progress" picture of the carved end graft. I think it's beautiful and ties-in with the carved rosette very well.






Here's a couple of other "end of the day" workshop pictures he shared:

[sinistral]

Oh, my! Michel has made the jump into luthier hyper-space! I think he is going to have a hard time saying no to requests to do something similar in the future…

[canehorn]

Wow, yet another knock your socks off build! How do you decide which of your amazing guitars to play each day? Nice problem to have, I can’t wait to play her. On a roll of increasingly exotic woods; figured koa, black ebony, bois de rose…too cool!

[doodahdoug]

Originally Posted by sinistral

Oh, my! Michel has made the jump into luthier hyper-space! I think he is going to have a hard time saying no to requests to do something similar in the future…

Bill, Michel told me that his Somogyi style carved rosette takes him about 5 times longer than his standard carved and colored rosette due to the amount of detail work required. I definitely wanted a Somogyi styled rosette on his first Modified Dreadnought build, especially since I already have one of his lovely hand carved and painted rosettes on my MA-D build, as seen below.

Originally Posted by canehorn

Wow, yet another knock your socks off build! How do you decide which of your amazing guitars to play each day? Nice problem to have, I can’t wait to play her. On a roll of increasingly exotic woods; figured koa, black ebony, bois de rose…too cool!

Rich, of course you can try out this Mod-D after I get it...as long as you bring over your Traugott and Tippin to the next living room jam!





Below are a couple more pictures. First, the back of the guitar after it was glued on and second, cleaning up the sides prior to installation of the ebony binding and b/w/b/w purfling:

[Deliberate1]

Doug, that is magnificent instrument.

The last millennium featured a Golden Age of luthery attributed to historic builds from the big houses. That said, who could dispute that we live in another such age, when the opportunity to commission the finest in custom-crafted guitars, from the skilled hands of a luthier anywhere in the world, is literally at our fingertips.

I am following your build with great interest and enthusiasm.

David

[sinistral]

I hear you, but I think that is more than the extra time involved—it’s the level of precision. For the carved rosettes that Michel has done up until this point, there hasn’t been the need for each of the shapes to be exactly the same. Framebuilder Richard Sachs has a slogan (of sorts): Imperfection is perfection. In this case, only perfection is perfection. There is zero room for error. That rosette and end graft are mesmerizing.

[Steve Kinnaird]

This thread and it’s pics prove the adage, “You may be cool, but you’ll never be red-anodized-cam clamp cool”. I feel so pedestrian….

SK

[doodahdoug]

Originally Posted by Deliberate1

Doug, that is magnificent instrument.

The last millennium featured a Golden Age of luthery attributed to historic builds from the big houses. That said, who could dispute that we live in another such age, when the opportunity to commission the finest in custom-crafted guitars, from the skilled hands of a luthier anywhere in the world, is literally at our fingertips.

I am following your build with great interest and enthusiasm.

David

Thank you David. I should give a shout-out to Tom B'Sox and his BIG guitar shows. Otherwise, I would not have had the opportunity to meet Michel and try out his guitars just a few months before he began his Somogyi apprenticeship.

Michel has been great to work with on this commission and the first one. We use Whatsapp messaging and calls to keep in touch before and during the build. Having formed a nice relationship with Michel we'll be in touch long after this guitar is completed.

Originally Posted by sinistral

I hear you, but I think that is more than the extra time involved—it’s the level of precision. For the carved rosettes that Michel has done up until this point, there hasn’t been the need for each of the shapes to be exactly the same. Framebuilder Richard Sachs has a slogan (of sorts): Imperfection is perfection. In this case, only perfection is perfection. There is zero room for error. That rosette and end graft are mesmerizing.

Bill, you're right. There is something very special when a luthier executes his or her vision at this level of precision.

Originally Posted by Steve Kinnaird

This thread and it’s pics prove the adage, “You may be cool, but you’ll never be red-anodized-cam clamp cool”. I feel so pedestrian….

SK

Ha! Steve, you're too cool for school with mojo to spare. I'll see if I can find out where Michel bought his red cam clamps. Maybe they're just Stew Mac clamps with Bois de Rose pixie dust coloring.

[Steve Kinnaird]

Originally Posted by doodahdoug

Ha! Steve, you're too cool for school with mojo to spare. I'll see if I can find out where Michel bought his red cam clamps. Maybe they're just Stew Mac clamps with Bois de Rose pixie dust coloring.

Haha, maybe you’re right. Or maybe Michel had an unfortunate accident that left his clamps red-stained? Maybe you shouldn’t ask…

The guitar is looking great!

Steve

[doodahdoug]

I received an update from Michel with a couple of progress pictures from his workshop -


1). "Back and sides...cleaned up time for binding" (ebony).

2). "Checking the fit...I haven't added all the details on the end graft yet".






I'm looking forward to see the completed end graft as well as the ebony binding with white purfling lines installed on this guitar!

[Carpinteria]

The decorative carving work is just spectacular. So distinctive and tasteful. Looking good!

[doodahdoug]

Originally Posted by Carpinteria

The decorative carving work is just spectacular. So distinctive and tasteful. Looking good!

Thanks Dave, I'm thrilled with how the Carved Rosette and End Graft looks too!


Michel is back in the workshop this week after a nice holiday with his family. He says the body binding and purfling is now installed and once he has it trimmed and cleaned up he'll supply updated pictures.

For today, he sent just this "teaser" picture of the work he's doing...

[Jamiejoon]

If you get embarrassed having such a nice guitar, I could help you out...