#16
|
||||
|
||||
Peter, this should be an amazing and fun experience for you...congrats!
I've done one such build (Doerr) and the collaboration and connections along with learning a whole lot were just wonderful, not to mention the guitar. Just as an aside, Walnut often gets pared with Redwood here in the US (and elsewhere?) and is known as a killer combination. I think the basics are what your builder has for experience and reaction to this.......and, that there is "redwood" and then there is REDWOOD. A wide variety, but the best redwoods, with great build properties and some of the signature redwoods (Tunnel 13, 14, LS) bring a lot to the table and stand on their own for superior sound qualities. Just a thought! Will be sure to follow your build! Fred
__________________
1993 Bourgeois JOM 1967 Martin D12-20 2007 Vines Artisan 2014 Doerr Legacy 2013 Bamburg FSC- 2002 Flammang 000 12 fret 2000 McCollum Grand Auditorium ______________________________ Soundcloud Spotify Mike McKee/Fred Bartlett Spotify playlist |
#17
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
I am very similar - I always have at least two guitars out and will often swap between them when working on a piece to see which grabs me. I think a cedar/RW is a nice mix to have for fingerstyle.
__________________
Burguet AC-007 (2003 - Cedar/Rosewood) Webber OM (2009 - Sitka/Sapele) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8A...2TVEhWes2Djrig |
#18
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Thanks Fred - it’s a lot of fun but also a lot of responsibility to get it right! I have never played redwood - it’s a £400 upgrade for this build but I will certainly consider it.
__________________
Burguet AC-007 (2003 - Cedar/Rosewood) Webber OM (2009 - Sitka/Sapele) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8A...2TVEhWes2Djrig |
#19
|
|||
|
|||
Chiming in to say congrats on the build!
I have just spent a happy few days for a McNally OM in Walnut and Adi that I am reviewing for the Guitar Magazine and can say that he obviously knows what he's doing with spruce (which would be my choice anyway) and the upgrade for Euro might make sense to you if that's the sound you're looking for. All the best Michael
__________________
www.michaelwattsguitar.com Album Recording Diary Skype Lessons Luthier Stories YouTube iTunes Guitars by Jason Kostal, Strings by Elixir, Gefell Mics and a nail buffer. |
#20
|
|||
|
|||
I think "redwood" is a big risk unless you can play it first, go with the European spruce. Sorry to be blunt, but I have never played a redwood guitar that I liked.
|
#21
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Thanks Michael, I did see you were doing that review and look forward to seeing / hearing it. Did you feel that the guitar was “Irish” sounding and if not how would you describe the tone?
__________________
Burguet AC-007 (2003 - Cedar/Rosewood) Webber OM (2009 - Sitka/Sapele) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8A...2TVEhWes2Djrig |
#22
|
|||
|
|||
Well it doesn't sound like a Lowden or a McIlroy. There's more of an American voice in there to smooth things over. I won't go into too much detail until the review s published of course...
__________________
www.michaelwattsguitar.com Album Recording Diary Skype Lessons Luthier Stories YouTube iTunes Guitars by Jason Kostal, Strings by Elixir, Gefell Mics and a nail buffer. |
#23
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Thanks Michael - I will look forward to reading it when it’s out.
__________________
Burguet AC-007 (2003 - Cedar/Rosewood) Webber OM (2009 - Sitka/Sapele) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8A...2TVEhWes2Djrig |
#24
|
|||
|
|||
I try to refrain from offering opinions/suggestions on tonewood choices these days (we all have different ears and hands) but I can highly recommend the Euro/Walnut combo if fingerstyle and general versatility is your thing. I also use nails and use a good many tunings, so maybe(hopefully) some half-decent advice to follow....I love the resonant, singing treble you get from high-quality Italian/Swiss/German spruce and the Walnut tends to have great, clear string-separation with full mids for fingerstyle. I think of walnut as mahogany but smells and looks nicer (imo) It doesn't have the abysmal bass and upper-end shimmer of rosewood but I personally think that is a good thing for busier fingerstyle arrangements and especially in front of microphones or for vocal accompaniment.
I received an Alpine/Black Walnut Beneteau Jumbo in July of 2018 and it just keeps getting better and better...I will echo the comment that the Euro spruce starts off just a *tiny* bit tight (which any good spruce guitar will, unless its braced so lightly it may have issues later in it's life) but after just a month it's bass and mids started to blossom and now almost two years later it is a force to be reckoned with. I have owned quite a few cedar and euro-topped guitars (being an avid fingerstyle player) and I'm personally more comfortable with the versatility of spruce when commissioning these days. If you dial in the setup, string choice, and learn how it behaves you will be really happy with the Euro/Walnut combo I think. The Euro gives you the cutting treble of rosewood but the walnut keeps the mids balanced and sweet like a cedar guitar, just without the extra overtones and less headroom associated with it. I have yet to enjoy the privilege of playing a McNally so I can't say if any of these comments have any merit, just my own experience with the woods in retrospect of a good many nice ones I've played.
__________________
Dustin Furlow -Award-winning songwriter/guitarist, Visual storyteller -D’Addario, G7th and K&K Sound Artist -Music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube: www.youtube.com/dustinfurlow -New album "Serene" (Oct '23) and tablature available at www.dustinfurlow.com |
#25
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Thanks very much for the input Dustin - very much in line with my thinking so far so really helpful. I don’t think I realised until recently just what it is about my spruce/RW OM that doesn’t quite gel - but it’s the lack of clarity in the lower registers, it just gets a bit muddy sometimes. I do however love it’s sweet trebles.
__________________
Burguet AC-007 (2003 - Cedar/Rosewood) Webber OM (2009 - Sitka/Sapele) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8A...2TVEhWes2Djrig |
#26
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
__________________
Dustin Furlow -Award-winning songwriter/guitarist, Visual storyteller -D’Addario, G7th and K&K Sound Artist -Music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube: www.youtube.com/dustinfurlow -New album "Serene" (Oct '23) and tablature available at www.dustinfurlow.com |
#27
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
Redwood was my first thought, too. Obviously you have to check with your builder, but Redwood/Walnut should be lovely; warm, yet clear and with headroom. I'm also a fan of bevels to make a larger guitar feel more comfortable. They might push the budget too far, but it's an option. Good luck!
__________________
--------------------------------------- 2013 Joel Stehr Dreadnought - Carpathian/Malaysian BW 2014 RainSong H-OM1000N2 2017 Rainsong BI-WS1000N2 2013 Chris Ensor Concert - Port Orford Cedar/Wenge 1980ish Takamine EF363 complete with irreplaceable memories A bunch of electrics (too many!!) |
#28
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Thanks Mike - I love my Furch G23 and have come to appreciate that it is definitely their sweet spot. I am going to have to think these wood choices through carefully, but I have some time to do so while I scrape together the pennies..
__________________
Burguet AC-007 (2003 - Cedar/Rosewood) Webber OM (2009 - Sitka/Sapele) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8A...2TVEhWes2Djrig |
#29
|
||||
|
||||
Peter, this is great. I'm looking forward to your updates on your wood selections and the build process. Congrats!
__________________
Barry Sad Moments {Marianne Vedral cover}: My SoundCloud page Some steel strings, some nylon. |
#30
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Thanks Barry - but I am not quite there yet.. Funds would require some sales to be made and those are not easy decisions..
__________________
Burguet AC-007 (2003 - Cedar/Rosewood) Webber OM (2009 - Sitka/Sapele) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8A...2TVEhWes2Djrig |