#46
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Woodman Update
I strung up the Redwood/Walnut Woodsman this week. It has a temporary Maple saddle while it settles in to being a guitar. The bridge, truss rod cover, nut, and K&K pick-up are installed. The first thing I did was weigh the guitar:
Three pounds eleven ounces is a very light guitar, as intended. I hope to get some sound clips up this coming week. I can say now though, that it already sounds great even with the Maple saddle!
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Mark Hatcher www.hatcherguitars.com “"A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking". Steven Wright |
#47
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Mark, could you remind us how old the redwood and the black walnut are? The redwood is from a railroad tunnel and the walnut from an old mill, if I recall correctly. Also the Brazilian rosewood parts, if you know.
I am very, very excited about this, as you can imagine. This next week is going to be a long one for me! Stan
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Hatcher Woodsman, Collings 0002H, Stella Grand Concert |
#48
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I don't think Mark posted this pic here earlier. The first Woodsman had ebony fingerboard, bridge, and binding. I asked if he would consider Brazilian rosewood and he was happy to do it, even finding me an especially dark set so that it wouldn't appear too different from the prototype. I'm thrilled with how it came out.
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Hatcher Woodsman, Collings 0002H, Stella Grand Concert |
#49
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Quote:
The Redwood was harvested from local old growth forests by a company called Dolbeer & Carson which ran the largest mills on the west coast during those times: The Redwood from this top came from Tunnel 14 which I believe is the tunnel on the top left in this old lithograph: More recently they replaced the original Redwood timber support beams with concrete. Because this was government work the company doing the work was not in a position to sell or profit from the beams they pulled and beams were simply thrown down into the ravine below. A local fireman/woodworker/part time guitar maker was aware of these beams and started the slow process of hiking down into the ravine and selecting the best beams to salvage. He would cut pieces that he could carry out: The billets were taken to his wood shop where he cleaned them up and re-sawed them: The Eastern Black Walnut came from a friend of my brother who has a business restoring old barns. My brother was asked by his friend if he would be interested in helping clean out an old pile of lumber that was left over in one of those old barns that had been a wood mill. Turns out the pile of lumber was rough cut Black Walnut and it had been sitting in the barn since it closed in 1850! I was happy to go out and help clean that out! The Brazilian Rosewood came from a retiring luthier up here in New Hampshire. I believe he got it from H L Wild Luthier Supplies in NYC which closed in the mid 1970s These are all very special woods which fit well with my intention in making my Woodsman model which is, "If it looks old, it's because it is old!" Mark
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Mark Hatcher www.hatcherguitars.com “"A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking". Steven Wright |
#50
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I happen to have one of Marks guitars with a Tunnel 14 redwood top and it not only sounds great but has the tightest grain I ever saw. You really have to get close to even identify the lines... wonderful wood !
Good those logs were retrieved and saved from slowly being turned into whatever else than a wonderful instrument! I bet you will love it! |
#52
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As for the Tunnel 14 Redwood... I have some experience with this legendary wood, having built five or six guitars with it (three of which were from Tunnel 13). So I have an idea how magnificent this Woodsman guitar you've just created sounds. The tap tone of the high-grade T-14 tops knocks you back on your heels, it rings like a temple bell, and in the built guitar, it could be described as sounding sumptuous, luxurious, multi-dimensional, even mystical. This may be the King of all woods for fingerstyle guitars.
I just delivered a custom build last month of a Ziricote/T-14 Consort 000 guitar, and my brother-luthier and shop partner Joel Teel is currently about 2/3rds through an African Blackwood/T-14 guitar. Just imagine how that combo will sound! I'm considering selling one of my kidneys so I can buy a few more T-14 top sets while they're still available. Or maybe I'll drive over to Pensacola and buy a Lotto ticket, and hope for the best.
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Edwinson |
#53
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Looking schweeet! 3 pounds 11 is astounding! I hope Stan may let me touch it!
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Life is like a box of chocolates .... |
#54
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Quote:
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Mark
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Mark Hatcher www.hatcherguitars.com “"A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking". Steven Wright |
#55
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I too am very pleased that Stan is bringing this guitar along to the party. I hope I have been a good enough boy to be allowed to play it! Beautiful woods and guitar and story.
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PS. I love guitars! |
#56
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Thanks Tom, if you get a chance to play it, I’d be interested in your impression.
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Mark Hatcher www.hatcherguitars.com “"A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking". Steven Wright |
#57
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Of course you can play it, Tom, as long as I get to play your new guitar(s) too. (I think I'll get the better end of that deal!) And Dennis, Kevin, anyone else who can find the time. There are going to be way too many guitars at your party! And Doug is bringing another new Hatcher too.
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Hatcher Woodsman, Collings 0002H, Stella Grand Concert |
#58
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That is one supremely classy looking guitar. Exceptional work, Mr. Hatcher.
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My YouTube Page: http://www.youtube.com/user/ukejon 2014 Pono N30 DC EIR/Spruce crossover 2009 Pono koa parlor (NAMM prototype) 2018 Maton EBG808TEC 2014 Hatcher Greta 13 fret cutaway in EIR/cedar 2017 Hatcher Josie fan fret mahogany 1973 Sigma GCR7 (OM model) rosewood and spruce 2014 Rainsong OM1000N2 ....and about 5 really nice tenor ukuleles at any given moment |
#59
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Quote:
Mark
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Mark Hatcher www.hatcherguitars.com “"A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking". Steven Wright |
#60
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Won't be long we'll be seeing this beauty in person!
But at 3 lbs. 11 oz. I think we'll have a hard time holding it down--it'll want to just keep floating away! Amazing work--congrats, Stan and kudos, Mark!
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2013 Stehr Auditorium (Carpathian/Myrtle) 2015 Stehr Auditorium (Adi/BRW) 2020 Baranik Meridian (Blue Spruce/Manchinga) 2020 Wilborn Arum (Tunnel 14/Coco) 2021 Kinnaird Graybeard (BC Cedar/Bog Oak) 2022 Kinnaird CS Student Build (Adi/Padauk) 2023 Kinnaird FS (Italian/Koa) |