The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Custom Shop

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #136  
Old 02-28-2011, 10:51 AM
lclyman lclyman is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Colorado
Posts: 431
Default

Wade,
I saw your guitar at Howard's shop...well...the body and neck separately of course..and it looked just wonderful..

And while I was there I played 3 of Howard's guitars he had on hand including a brand new smaller bodied guitar..

All 3 were magnificent sounding, playing, and looking instruments...

And after getting a much appreciated opportunity to listen to and talk with Howard about his approach to various aspects of guitar building it's perfectly clear that you're going to get everything you asked for and more...

BTW..you haven't truly experienced luthier "geek speak" until you've witnessed 2 world class builders wax rhapsodical about a certain rare type of 3M fine grit sandpaper that Howard managed to find and hoard...!

Oh..and also...I didn't know this until I was at Howard's shop and actually saw the obviously authentic autographed photos, but Howard was Marilyn Monroe's extra special favorite guitar instructor..

Hopefully Howard will chime in here and perhaps tell some tales..!!

LC
Reply With Quote
  #137  
Old 02-28-2011, 08:58 PM
GuitarFundi GuitarFundi is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 590
Default

"BTW..you haven't truly experienced luthier "geek speak" until you've witnessed 2 world class builders wax rhapsodical about a certain rare type of 3M fine grit sandpaper that Howard managed to find and hoard...!"

LOL... I love it
__________________
Guitar Fundi


Gibson "Custom Late 1950's Reissue Southern Jumbo Triburst"
Taylor 314CE (Built by Ren Ferguson)
Mystery Resonator
Fender Stratocaster
Reply With Quote
  #138  
Old 02-28-2011, 09:38 PM
Glennwillow Glennwillow is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Coastal Washington State
Posts: 44,928
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wade Hampton View Post
...Anyway, if I had wanted a strict copy of the Gibson design I probably would have taken the commission to some other builder, but for me it was never a question of "Can you make an exact Gibson AJ copy?" but, rather, "What can you do with this idea and overall design?"
...
Hi Wade,

Being a longtime Gibson AJ owner myself, I have to say I am intrigued by this idea. Like so many here, I am anxious to see and hear how this all works out for you. April is kind of a long way away, but I understand your concerns about the Alaska weather. Maybe you should wait until June...

- Glenn
Reply With Quote
  #139  
Old 02-28-2011, 11:43 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Chugiak, Alaska
Posts: 31,168
Default

Actually, April isn't all that far off, it's only a month away. Given the curing time that the lacquer needs, all I'd save - at most - would be a couple of weeks, if that, if Howard were to ship it the moment it was completed.

This way he can show it around, have some fun with it, and not feel any pressure from me to hurry up and rush the guitar off.

Am I eager to get the guitar? Of course I am. But I'm not in a hurry. It's kind of like swearing off sweets for Lent: they're that much tastier on Easter morning simply because you've held off for that long.

Letting Howard hang onto the guitar for a while also makes sense in a practical way because sometimes little problems on these custom instruments won't manifest themselves for a week or two. This way they can raise their ugly little heads, thinking that the coast is clear, only to have Howard say: "A-HA!! Gotcha!!"

So it isn't a matter of me being noble and patient, but sheer pragmatism on my part to insist on Howard waiting a little while to ship the guitar. And hopefully he can get a little bit of mileage out of the guitar this way, too.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller
Reply With Quote
  #140  
Old 03-01-2011, 03:04 AM
murrmac123 murrmac123 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Edinburgh, bonny Scotland
Posts: 5,197
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by lclyman View Post
Oh..and also...I didn't know this until I was at Howard's shop and actually saw the obviously authentic autographed photos, but Howard was Marilyn Monroe's extra special favorite guitar instructor..

LC

Apparently Howard schooled her in the Wes Montgomery style ...


Last edited by murrmac123; 03-01-2011 at 11:49 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #141  
Old 03-01-2011, 01:16 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Chugiak, Alaska
Posts: 31,168
Default

Well, that was cute, Murrmac, but not only am I better-looking than the scrawny little peckerwood you gave my word balloon to, but the word "y'all" is the plural form of the word you. Well brought up scions of old South Carolina families like me never use "y'all" when addressing one person, only if there are two or more.

Now, TEXANS will perform that particular act of butchery on the English language, say "y'all" for one person and use "all y'all" when addressing more than one, but not someone with roots in Charleston like me.

Just so you know....


Wade Hampton Miller
Reply With Quote
  #142  
Old 03-01-2011, 01:31 PM
murrmac123 murrmac123 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Edinburgh, bonny Scotland
Posts: 5,197
Default

Thanks, Wade, for that gracious and erudite response.

I have to confess I had some trepidation about putting that particular post up on the thread, but when I get a feed like Larry's , I just gotta run with it ...

I am still awaiting Howard's response with trepidation, but fortunately I have an underground bunker which should survive the fiercest onslaught ...

BTW, shouldn't that be "Just so's you know" ... ???
Reply With Quote
  #143  
Old 03-01-2011, 01:56 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Chugiak, Alaska
Posts: 31,168
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by murrmac123 View Post
Thanks, Wade, for that gracious and erudite response.
Well, I try.

Quote:
Originally Posted by murrmac123 View Post
I am still awaiting Howard's response with trepidation, but fortunately I have an underground bunker which should survive the fiercest onslaught ...
Howard mentioned to me that he and his sweetheart have a trip out of town in the works, so he might have already left on that journey. So don't take it personally if there's a lull in the conversation - Howard may need a while before he can reply.

Quote:
Originally Posted by murrmac123 View Post
BTW, shouldn't that be "Just so's you know" ... ???
No, that's yet another American dialect, East Coast someplace, New York City, maybe. Not South Carolina and not Missouri, which are the two places where I have my roots and spent most of my formative years.


whm
Reply With Quote
  #144  
Old 03-15-2011, 12:52 PM
Howard Klepper Howard Klepper is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Earthly Paradise of Northern California
Posts: 6,627
Default Back

Okey dokey folks. We're back. I rubbed out the lacquer the past couple of days. Came out quite well, if I say so myself. I've abandoned my efforts at motorizing parts of the finish sanding process and gone back to old fashioned wet sanding by hand up to 1200 grit (CAMI system for you sanding geeks; that's 2000+ for those of you using the P grit system). It just works better for leveling and getting out all the scratches. The hands are more sensitive than a random orbit sander (duh!). But boy, are my arms tired!

The photos are not going to to show accurate color, and everything looks darker than it really is. This is under shop light with reflections of various stuff, especially the white towels on my bench. But here's a few anyway. The neck is just sitting there for looks. I put the bridge on before installing the neck.





Here's the back of the neck and an amorphous blob of plastic that is to become the pickguard. I've been making my own pickguard material from epoxy finishing resin. Basically the same thing John Greven does. It's fun in an alchemical sort of way. Neither neck nor pickguard is as dark as they seem here.



I'll try for some more accurate photos as I move along.
__________________
"Still a man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest."
--Paul Simon
Reply With Quote
  #145  
Old 03-15-2011, 01:01 PM
bubbaprime bubbaprime is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 614
Default

Man, Howard, everything just screams purity in elegance. Nothing jumps out with gaudy appeal, but everything whispers quiet confidence of royal pedigree. "Simply" beautiful.
__________________
_____________________________
Jeff
_____________________________
Edwinson EPS "iCrucified" [2011]
Edwinson Consort "Spirit" [2016]
THGCo. 000-Concert "Chi Rho" [2019]
Taylor 514e FLTD [2013]
Taylor 714e [2016]
Martin OM-21 Ambertone [2017]
Reply With Quote
  #146  
Old 03-15-2011, 01:05 PM
gitnoob gitnoob is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Emerald City
Posts: 4,327
Default

Beautiful! Very nice!

BTW, is that an 0-16NY she's playing?
__________________

gits: good and plenty
chops: snickers
Reply With Quote
  #147  
Old 03-15-2011, 04:29 PM
Howard Klepper Howard Klepper is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Earthly Paradise of Northern California
Posts: 6,627
Default

Made and glued the bridge this afternoon:

__________________
"Still a man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest."
--Paul Simon
Reply With Quote
  #148  
Old 03-15-2011, 04:40 PM
patticake's Avatar
patticake patticake is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 5,669
Default

wow, that's looking absolutely gorgeous!
Reply With Quote
  #149  
Old 03-15-2011, 04:41 PM
Bruce Sexauer's Avatar
Bruce Sexauer Bruce Sexauer is offline
AGF Sponsor
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Petaluma, CA, USA
Posts: 7,525
Default

Looks like I can hope for your company soon, Howard!
__________________
Bruce
http://www.sexauerluthier.com/
Reply With Quote
  #150  
Old 03-15-2011, 05:38 PM
mesa mesa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Sweden
Posts: 3,156
Default

Just beautiful Howard!
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Custom Shop

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:15 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=