New Wilborn build/Nautilus style/Braz-Adi

[AZ Cardinal]

So I was just at Ben’s Shop!

This is a full scale drawing of Frogtar. Since it has a multi scale length that Ben hasn’t used before, he drew up a real sized picture to help get everything in the right place, and proportions correct. Yes Please!

Bending various veneers for the cutaway and the rest of headstock..


Here he is, about to glue the rear headstock veneers on.. They are pre-bent to accommodate the volute...



The Great Bruce Sexauer taught Ben how to cut the multi scale fret slots... Thanks Bruce!
Ben, never to be out done, created his own jigs.. Drop C tunings will appreciate this collaboration!



And now my favorite, where my eye goes every guitar, the Headstock!
Cut and bored for tuners..
Brazilian... of course, cuz that’s how I roll ,
Bwah haaa haaaaaaa haaaaaaaaaaaaa!!



Thanks for looking!
Frog

[Flat5]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

If B.I.G. can happen next March, all attendees should be able to hear this one singing and if nice to Mr. Frog, may be able to play it a bit for yourselves?

Count me in man!

[BlackKeys36]

Thanks for the update, Brad! I greatly appreciate you volunteering to guinea pig this new model for me!

[WilbornGuitars]

Originally Posted by BlackKeys36

Thanks for the update, Brad! I greatly appreciate you volunteering to guinea pig this new model for me!

Brad is so selfless that way.

[j. Kinnaird]

Love your work Ben. It’s all good, the tools and the final product.

John

[WilbornGuitars]

Originally Posted by j. Kinnaird

Love your work Ben. It’s all good, the tools and the final product.

John

Thanks, John. That means a lot, coming from you!

[Guitars44me]

Boss!

Paul

[AZ Cardinal]

Hi! Some updated progress of Frogtar here.
Aaaaaaannnnndddd, this is where the magic happens!!!



The two long curved braces are bent laminations made up of thin strips of spruce glued over a form. They are then inlaid into the bridge plate. You can also see that the rounded ends of all the other radial braces are let into sockets in the plate. This whole bracing system is essentially just an elaborate extension of the bridge plate.






Completed back and side assembly, with a couple coats of satin lacquer.






The carbon fiber strut makes up for strength lost to the 3D soundport which will be cut into the top and side.





It looks like a really nice Apartment I can’t afford!



Thanks for looking!
Frog

[TomB'sox]

I have said it before, it is too bad the top can't be clear so we could see the insides like that whenever we wanted to. That BRW looks pretty darned nice with a little wet stuff on it!

I just noticed, the sapwood also looks like it has some spalting in it making it extra cool on the cool scale in frogdom.

[Nemoman]

So nice and clean--it all looks awesome!

[Hanter]

Lovely. And also the first time I’ve seen the (in)famous radial bracing that give these monsters such gorgeous tone! What a treat.

[BlackKeys36]

That bracing pattern is mind-blowing, Ben. I’m guessing there are more than a few brainstorming hours pictured here. 👏🏼

[WilbornGuitars]

Originally Posted by BlackKeys36

That bracing pattern is mind-blowing, Ben. I’m guessing there are more than a few brainstorming hours pictured here. 👏🏼

This pattern is the product of- I am not joking here- 10 years of thinking of absolutely nothing but guitars. When I go to bed, as I am trying to drift off, I always pick a detail of construction to mull over. I was always drawn to the sweetness and responsiveness fan braced (classical) tops, but found them to be lacking in shimmer and sophistication when applied to steel strings. It's a long story, but when I decided to build multiscale instruments, the incompatibility of that asymmetry with the standard X-braced pattern became too awkward for me to reconcile. It really came sort of suddenly into focus one night how I would lay out this pattern, and, more importantly, why it made sense, where the stresses would lie and be deflected, and what parts would give voice to various frequencies. Since then, I've made several large adjustments in prototype form, and I expect I'll be tweaking this design for some reiterations to come. But yeah, I didn't just glue a bunch of sticks on there where they fell...

[Guitars44me]

Clear guitar...

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

I have said it before, it is too bad the top can't be clear so we could see the insides like that whenever we wanted to. That BRW looks pretty darned nice with a little wet stuff on it!

I just noticed, the sapwood also looks like it has some spalting in it making it extra cool on the cool scale in frogdom.

Remember the see thru Lucite Electric Dan Armstrong guitars from the early 70s???

Remember the late 60s? Clearly? If so you did not experience them fully.... hahahaha

Ah, Lucite would not sound very good for acoustic anyway

But that bridge plate/bracing is so COOL....

Salud

Paul

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by Guitars44me

Clear guitar...



Remember the see thru Lucite Electric Dan Armstrong guitars from the early 70s???

Remember the late 60s? Clearly? If so you did not experience them fully.... hahahaha

Ah, Lucite would not sound very good for acoustic anyway

But that bridge plate/bracing is so COOL....

Salud

Paul

Well since I was 2 years old in 1960, yes, I did not experience them as you are suggesting LOL