Salz guitars - new OM sized model

[Salz Guitars]

Hello everyone,

I’ve been a lurker for some time and I’m at a stage where I’d like to share my work as well. Let me introduce myself. My name is David Smrž and for the past couple of year I’ve been building under the name Salz guitars in Prague, Czech Republic. Prior to that I was named Jester guitars, but I’ve quickly found out that I’m not alone, so the name needed to change. I’ve studied guitar building school where I got to know the fundamentals. In the last year of studies I discovered the vast world of incredible makers and my thirst for perfecting my craft really began.

Last year I came upwith a new model of mine. The DS, which is my take on an OM sized fingerstyle machine. A new body shape and a couple of new building techiques such as structured sides (credit to Jeremy Clark of 52instrument co.) and live backs (credit to Trevor Gore). The difference to my prior work surprised me so much that I now offer these features as a standard.

Right now I’m in the process of adding another model, a smaller body (14 3/8“ Lower bout) 12 fret to body join with cutaway as a standard. Think of it as 00 12 fret with slightly bigger lower bout and longer scale length (25.5“) . You can follow along on my IG page Salz_guitars where I try to be active.
Here are some in progress photos of the first batch (the maple one is still available )


The woods have been chosen

Tops as well

I've wanted to try another new thing, so brass in rossette it is

Not so shabby

Haven't been to gym in a long time so..wenge necks as a substitute?

The structured sides are taking shape and my heart

Live backs about to get fitted

Tops glued on

Had a little mishap when routing the binding channels

But in the end I've made thicker binding and I'm quite a big fan of this look. I hate that I love to make mistakes

I only use fully bolt-on, bolt-off neck, such a joy to work with

Almost ready to carve

I love Radian routerbits, this is straight of the router

My makeshift gym

Anyone selling new pair of hands?

[Salz Guitars]

Starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel

Oh my, just look at that

I don't know why, but I'm craving chocolate...

Oh I forgot to mention there's an inlay in this back

Still craving chocolate

First set of strings on, now guard it till the photoshoot!

[Salz Guitars]

I need to make a confession about this one. I needed a labrat to experiment the new building techniques on so there are a lot of tiny places that didn't get the attention they deserved. I never intend to sell this one so the impefections haunt me everyday when I sit on the couch near the wall hanger.

Materials:
Back and sides - African Mahagony
sides are structured - outer layer is 1.5mm African Mahagony, core is
6mm Basswood and inner veneer is 0.6mm reclaimed Bog Oak from Charles bridge (one of the oldest bridges in Prague, Czech Republic)
Soundboard - Swiss moon spruce
Rosette - Brass and recycled paper with coffee grounds
Bindings - Wenge with BWB accent strip
Neck - Wenge with Bog Oak black strip
Fretboard - Wenge with EVO gold frets (medium size - 2x0.94mm)
Headstock and backstrip overlay - Wenge with BWB stripe
Bridge - Wenge with Ebony pins
Tuners - DJ tuners
Finish - Spin on Ken Parker's Epoxy/oil finish

Sizes:
Scale length - 648mm
Frets to body - 14
Body Length - 488mm
Lower bout width - 380mm
Body depth at lower bout - 111mm
Body depth at neck joint - 90mm
Width at nut - 44.5mm
Spacing at saddle - 58.5mm

[Salz Guitars]

This one is still available

Materials:
Back and sides - Flamed maple
sides are structured - outer layer is 1.5mm Flamed maple, core is
6mm Basswood and inner veneer is 0.6mm reclaimed Bog Oak from Charles bridge (one of the oldest bridges in Prague, Czech Republic)
Soundboard - Swiss moon spruce
Rosette - Brass and recycled paper with coffee grounds
Bindings - Wenge with BWB accent strip
Neck - Wenge with Bog Oak black strip
Fretboard - Wenge with EVO gold frets (medium size - 2x0.94mm)
Headstock and backstrip overlay - Wenge with BWB stripe
Bridge - Wenge with Ebony pins
Tuners - Schaller Grandtune
Finish - Spin on Ken Parker's Epoxy/oil finish

Sizes:
Scale length - 648mm
Frets to body - 14
Body Length - 488mm
Lower bout width - 380mm
Body depth at lower bout - 111mm
Body depth at neck joint - 90mm
Width at nut - 44.5mm
Spacing at saddle - 58.5mm

[Salz Guitars]

Materials:
Back and sides - Crelicam ebony
sides are structured - outer layer is 1.5mm Crelicam ebony, core is
6mm Basswood and inner veneer is 0.6mm reclaimed Bog Oak from Charles bridge (one of the oldest bridges in Prague, Czech Republic)
Soundboard - Swiss moon spruce
Rosette - Brass and recycled paper with coffee grounds
Bindings - Wenge with BWB accent strip
Neck - Wenge with Bog Oak black strip
Fretboard - Wenge with EVO gold frets (medium size - 2x0.94mm)
Headstock and backstrip overlay - Wenge with BWB stripe
Bridge - Wenge with Ebony pins
Tuners - Schaller Grandtune
Finish - Spin on Ken Parker's Epoxy/oil finish

Sizes:
Scale length - 648mm
Frets to body - 14
Body Length - 488mm
Lower bout width - 380mm
Body depth at lower bout - 111mm
Body depth at neck joint - 90mm
Width at nut - 44.5mm
Spacing at saddle - 58.5mm

[colins]

Great photos David.

That’s an impressive amount of shavings under the neck being carved!

[jmat]

Very nice work! I like the bog oak back story. You should record Bridge Over Troubled Waters on that guitar

[Salz Guitars]

Originally Posted by colins

Great photos David.

That’s an impressive amount of shavings under the neck being carved!

As you can see, the neck blanks were a little bit on the thicker side...I think i've done most of it with my shinto saw rasp. I love that thing.

Originally Posted by jmat

Very nice work! I like the bog oak back story. You should record Bridge Over Troubled Waters on that guitar

Thank you, I'll ask my quality and tone control guitarist friend if he knows this one, It's an absolutely incredible song.