Tassie #4 - Slinky ...

Chris Shute · #1 09-14-2020, 04:00 PM

... Thylacine, 2020

Inspired by a well known red Koi beside a soundhole, I thought a Tasmanian Tiger would be a nice way to allude to the Tassie origin of most of the timbers used for this guitar. Sibling to 'Morty' (Sugar Skull) - with the addition of Venetian cutaway and crushed champagne-coloured shell inlay, Thylo's back & sides are Blackheart Sassafras, top is Qld Bunya Pine, neck is Tassie Oak & Myrtle, fingerboard/bridge are dark Blackwood, bevel & head are reddish Blackwood.

Both guitar bodies progressed together until it was time to design their different tops

Among a number of drafts and sketches, this tribal-look design seemed to best capture the slinking motion of a Thylacine on the prowl.

Then it was time to close the box, moving on to create my first Ventian cutaway. Fiddly stuff, especially since I got some of the sequence mixed up. It's a bit more time consuming to fit the binding later where the corners should meet neatly, when it could have been done simpler at some previous step. Part of the learning curve for me.

... crushed shell inlay and resin, bevel and purfling

Instead of finishing with shellac/french polish as my previous guitars, for Thylo I chose nitrocellulose varnish to keep it a bit lighter. The fret markers on the fingerboard signify Tassie Tiger stripes, also inlaid with crushed shell. It seemed to me as if the nitrocellulose made the colours pop with more brilliance than shellac.

jaan · #2 09-14-2020, 09:22 PM

That’s really beautiful!

colins · #3 09-15-2020, 01:31 AM

So many nice things about that guitar Chris, well done!

Chris Shute · #4 09-15-2020, 03:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaan

That’s really beautiful!

Thanks jaan, nice of you to say so.
I liked the idea of adding something playful to the rosette, without it becoming too overpowering. Turned out ok, phew

Quote:

Originally Posted by colins

So many nice things about that guitar Chris, well done!

Thanks colins, for your kind words. It's always a boost and a bonus to me to receive positive feedback like yours. Much appreciated.

amohr · #5 09-15-2020, 04:00 AM

Marvelous!

Nahil.R · #6 09-15-2020, 07:46 AM

Another fantastic build Chris. I love your use of Aussie timbers!

I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this is only #4 .... Great work and looking forward to seeing more.

Chris Shute · #7 09-15-2020, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amohr

Marvelous!

Thanks amohr, nice that you like it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nahil.R

Another fantastic build Chris. I love your use of Aussie timbers! I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this is only #4 .... Great work and looking forward to seeing more.

Thanks Nahil, yes I think that Aussie timbers are making steady progress in the guitar building world. Nature is amazing - doesn't mind overthrowing traditionalist's precepts by growing fantastic tone woods in far flung places

Re only #4; well, it's been a long journey (nearly 4 years) during which my friend & mentor mainly tried to impart this philosophy, "If you could get it right by doing the right things from the start - why wouldn't you?" That's another journey in itself. Enjoyable and thoroughly rewarding. The rest is contemplation and practice, practice, practice ... trying to keep my wall of shame small

Carpinteria · #8 09-17-2020, 04:50 AM

Your design sense is very nice, and your courage in tackling hard stuff is admirable. These really look great! Congrats!

Steve Kinnaird · #9 09-17-2020, 08:39 PM

Very nice details, Chris. The rosette demands one's attention, and rightly so, but mercy--those are nice details on the cutaway. Tight, precise work.
Kudos!

Steve

Chris Shute · #10 09-18-2020, 03:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carpinteria

Your design sense is very nice, and your courage in tackling hard stuff is admirable. These really look great! Congrats!

Thanks Carpinteria, that's a very nice thing to hear [emoji41], taste is so subjective. Tackling hard stuff? Yeah, though I've received encouragement from this comment: 'It's only hard until it's easy.'
This wasn't easy. But it was fun.

Chris Shute · #11 09-18-2020, 04:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Kinnaird

Very nice details, Chris. The rosette demands one's attention, and rightly so, but mercy--those are nice details on the cutaway. Tight, precise work.
Kudos!

Steve

Hi Steve, that's a great compliment to receive from an accomplished luthier such as yourself, spurs me on to not slacken off - thanks heaps!

Nahil.R · #12 09-26-2020, 03:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Shute

Thanks amohr, nice that you like it.

Thanks Nahil, yes I think that Aussie timbers are making steady progress in the guitar building world. Nature is amazing - doesn't mind overthrowing traditionalist's precepts by growing fantastic tone woods in far flung places

Re only #4; well, it's been a long journey (nearly 4 years) during which my friend & mentor mainly tried to impart this philosophy, "If you could get it right by doing the right things from the start - why wouldn't you?" That's another journey in itself. Enjoyable and thoroughly rewarding. The rest is contemplation and practice, practice, practice ... trying to keep my wall of shame small

Hi Chris,

I would love to see some pics of your top bracing ... any chance you have some you can share?

Cheers mate,

Nahil.

J.R. Rogers · #13 09-26-2020, 09:05 PM

Hello, Chris! Beautiful designs! Do you happen to have a website or Facebook page that I can link to in our sponsor directory? Thanks for your support!

JR

Chris Shute · #14 09-27-2020, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nahil.R

Hi Chris, I would love to see some pics of your top bracing ... any chance you have some you can share? Cheers mate, Nahil.

hi Nahil, thanks for your interest. Unfortunately I don't have any good pictures of my top bracing (mostly obstructed by go-bar-sticks), but I can tell you that atm I'm following pretty close to those traditional layout patterns which are readily available from books or build dvd's. I'm gathering experience along the way as to what works best, what doesn't - and try to get to the bottom of why it is so. Somogyi adressed the layout principles in his books 'The Responsive Guitar'. That was very helpful to me.

Chris Shute · #15 09-27-2020, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.R. Rogers

Hello, Chris! Beautiful designs! Do you happen to have a website or Facebook page that I can link to in our sponsor directory? Thanks for your support! JR

Hi JR, thanks for your nice welcome! AGF is this fabulous venue for fans & builders, I enjoy it a lot!
Thanks for your kind offer, however I have neither website nor FB page for my guitars as yet. I'd say it'll still take quite some time before I'm ready to design/create a website ... for my coming out as it were

Best Wishes, Chris