NGD teaser - Allison all-mahogany Single 0

SJ VanSandt · #1 07-11-2018, 12:26 PM

I'm putting this in the Custom Shop because John is a custom builder and though he didn't custom build this one for me initially, he's just about to finish it up for me. Also, I have posted several threads with questions about mahogany topped guitars (and redwood as well) over the years, and gotten a lot of good feedback from folks in this sub-forum. I'll have more pictures and story soon - real soon, I hope.

(And maybe I can figure out how to size the photos better!)

SJ VanSandt · #2 07-11-2018, 08:18 PM

John let me come over and play it a bit before he takes the strings off for the final touches. I won't get to bring it home for a couple more days!

SJ VanSandt · #3 07-11-2018, 08:30 PM

Allison Single 0, all mahogany body and neck
Ebony face plate, fretboard, and bridge
Short scale, 1 11/16" nut
Waverly open-back tuners with ebony buttons
K & K pick-up
No binding or purfling anywhere
hand rubbed varnish finish

More pics to come when I get my grubby little hands on it.

Earwitness · #4 07-12-2018, 12:14 AM

Wait, what?
Another custom for you?!
I’m suspecting your signature isn’t listing all your guitars!

That is going to be another great one.

SJ VanSandt · #5 07-12-2018, 05:49 AM

It's a loong story, Travis. This one has been in the works for years, literally. John had the body and neck done before he closed his shop on 183 - I think that was about three years ago. Then he went back to work for Collings, got into building boats and brewing beer, moved, and really wasn't doing his own brand anymore. But I had always had my eye on that little all-hog, so at his 2016 Christmas party I proposed putting a 50% deposit on it if that would give him the push he needed to get it finished. Finally, last summer, he agreed to do that, but the home shop wasn't set up (still isn't, really) so it was more months before progress was made, and that has been . . . at the Allison pace.

I'm used to it. It's not as excruciating as it was when he custom built that AJ for me back in 2013, but I don't expect I'm going to be good for much for the next few days. The good news is that what he has left to do isn't especially temperature/humidity sensitive (he can't control those factors - has to wait for the right weather!), so it shouldn't take much longer. Shouldn't.

And the even better news is that this guitar is VERY different from anything I own. When I walked up to his front door I could hear him playing it and I thought, "oh, good, he has the pickup installed - it sounds pretty good plugged in." But it wasn't - he hasn't. It's just that loud!

https://www.facebook.com/stan.vansan...4711662781792/

SJ VanSandt · #6 07-17-2018, 10:50 AM

mountainguitar · #7 07-17-2018, 12:12 PM

Congratulations Stan! That's a beautiful little guitar! I'm sure it sounds sweet-

beth

SJ VanSandt · #8 07-17-2018, 01:25 PM

I haven't had the chance to play it much yet, but I am rather shocked to find that it really shines in . . . bluegrass flatpicking! I was hoping it would do well with fingerstyle blues (I won't know until I actually learn to play some) and maybe old coffee house folk stuff, but I think it's going to tear it up doing fiddle tunes. Who woulda thunk it?