A few photos of my latest, for post 2K

[Rodger Knox]

Let's see if I can post photos...

Although I am a sponsor now, I'm not quite comfortable posting in the custom shop.

Carpathian spruce top with mesquite back and sides

My Open Headstock...

[Rodger Knox]

I was going to post more photos, but over 150 views and no comments? I guess just because I can post photos doesn't mean I should.

[redir]

I can see the photo's. It's an interesting headstock design, those are normal tuners on edge then?

[Rodger Knox]

Thanks for the response!
Yes, they are regular solid headstock tuners. I believe I borrowed the open headstock idea from Mario Proulx, but it may have been Steve Sheriff. At any rate, I got the idea from a guitar I saw online, and developed my own design from that.

[Jcamp]

Cool guitar. I like the wood grain on the back and sides. Head stock is pretty cool. I’m shocked that the open design works with that much pull on it.
Gotta ask... what was the reasoning that the upper shoulders (not sure what that is actually called) is more blocky than normal? Had does that effect the sound?

[Rodger Knox]

The shape I copied from a 1936 Kalamazoo that came through my shop back when I did repairs. I liked the way it sounded, and also the smaller body size, so I traced the shape and measured the depth at the neck and heel. I didn't do any reasoning about the shape, just did my best to copy my tracing.

I've got construction photos if anyone is interested.

[Truckjohn]

Roger,
Congrats on the 2,000 posts as well as the new build completion. It's definately pretty. Sort of a different shape - at first I thought it had a few creases from side bending... But since they are mirrored (and you said it was by design) - I suppose it's intentional.... Probably the original wasn't intentional - maybe a new apprentice or some cranky wood on Gibson's budget line...

I ran into the same thing you are running into here.... I posted a couple "do you want to see a new build" threads - and got basically no response or interest.... So that means I am the only one who gets to see it unless I send pix to my family... Kinda depressing - but I suppose it tells you that the board would much rather pile on throwing Gibson under the bus or complain about buying/selling on Craig's List than see awesome in-process guitar builds right here on this guitar board...

So... If that's what they want - who am I to argue...

Thanks for posting your pics.... And if you want to post some build pix - I personally love seeing them....

Thanks

[TEK]

Hey Roger,
Nice looking guitar. I too am usually lurking around here and not always commenting but that doesn't mean I am not interested or enjoying watching.
Its cool to see some different things being tried such as your headstock and body shape. Keep it up and thanks for posting.
Travis

[rlb9682]

Beautiful guitar. I hope it sounds as good as it looks, because that is a gorgeous one. I love the Back and Side wood, what is that?

[charles Tauber]

I enjoy seeing what you've made but I don't have any specific comment on it. Ditto for Truckjohn.

Thanks for sharing.

[Rodger Knox]

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the feedback.
truckjohn, you've already seen the build photos.
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/v...=10145&t=47987
I just got around to finishing it.

I post on here quite a bit, and I wanted to post some of my work to illustrate my skills. I'm not quite there yet on my fitting skills, particularly on bindings/purflings. I'm satisfied with the finish I'm getting with TruOil, but from now on the tops will be padded shellac. I've switched over from Titebond to HHG for most work. As for tone, I'm not going to offer an opinion, that's up to the listener.

That back and side wood is mesquite, which I really like. This is the second guitar I've made from mesquite. It's really dense, and is more toward rosewood than mahogany. My first is here:
https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=389262
At the time, I did not know that I should have been a sponsor to post my work in the Custom Shop. I apologize for the transgression, and will continue to post in B&R until I make some worthy of the Custom Shop.

[mercy]

I am going to take a bold step and offer some feedback. I love seeing new guitars on the forum. There are some things I like and some I dont about this one starting with what seem to me to be a large pickguard. The finish and fit looks great and I admire anyone that can build a guitar. I would like to have seen some development pics.

[redir]

Last year after some 25 years of building guitars I decided to try out Tru-Oil and quite frankly I like it a lot. I had always avoided it because some how it got into my head that it's an 'amateur' finish. It's true it seems that a lot of beginners do go for it. But really what it comes down to is that it's a varnish. It goes on very nicely and I think it looks great. I'll most likely be using it again in the future.

The upper bout design is interesting on that guitar and I didn't notice it at first. It almost looks like it's thought to be like a hook for the leg rest position or something.

Fit and finish has been the biggest problem I've had since I started building guitar. IT drives me crazy quite frankly. Honestly if I could I would farm out my finish to someone who really knows what they are doing. I have NEVER finished a guitar to my satisfaction or even to that of factory standards. Of course I won't sacrifice looks over a thick tone dead finish either, these are musical instruments after all.

Fit I have gotten a lot better at and what helps there is the proper tools and sharp ones at that. If I was going to ever run a luthiers school, which I never will, The very first lesson would be how to sharpen a chisel and a plane and no student would be able to proceed if they cannot shave the hair off their forearm with it

[Rodger Knox]

Anyone that wants to see build photos, check out the first link in post #11.

Originally Posted by Jcamp

Cool guitar. I like the wood grain on the back and sides. Head stock is pretty cool. I’m shocked that the open design works with that much pull on it.
Gotta ask... what was the reasoning that the upper shoulders (not sure what that is actually called) is more blocky than normal? Had does that effect the sound?

The shape of the upper bout didn't come out exactly right, I tried a different headblock design and the sides developed a couple of kinks. You can see why in the construction photos linked in post #11. The sides are very thin, less than 0.06". I'll try to post some closeups of the back and sides when I get home tonight.

Originally Posted by mercy

I am going to take a bold step and offer some feedback. I love seeing new guitars on the forum. There are some things I like and some I dont about this one starting with what seem to me to be a large pickguard. The finish and fit looks great and I admire anyone that can build a guitar. I would like to have seen some development pics.

I agree that the pickguard is oversized. I built this one for a family member that is just learning, and the TruOil finish on the top is very thin and not quite as hard as nitro, so I opted for more protection. I don't really like pickguards.

Originally Posted by redir

Last year after some 25 years of building guitars I decided to try out Tru-Oil and quite frankly I like it a lot. I had always avoided it because some how it got into my head that it's an 'amateur' finish. It's true it seems that a lot of beginners do go for it. But really what it comes down to is that it's a varnish. It goes on very nicely and I think it looks great. I'll most likely be using it again in the future.

The upper bout design is interesting on that guitar and I didn't notice it at first. It almost looks like it's thought to be like a hook for the leg rest position or something.

Fit and finish has been the biggest problem I've had since I started building guitar. IT drives me crazy quite frankly. Honestly if I could I would farm out my finish to someone who really knows what they are doing. I have NEVER finished a guitar to my satisfaction or even to that of factory standards. Of course I won't sacrifice looks over a thick tone dead finish either, these are musical instruments after all.

Fit I have gotten a lot better at and what helps there is the proper tools and sharp ones at that. If I was going to ever run a luthiers school, which I never will, The very first lesson would be how to sharpen a chisel and a plane and no student would be able to proceed if they cannot shave the hair off their forearm with it

I started with TruOil because I had used it for gunstocks, and knew how to use it. I switched over to the old Rockhard tabletop varnish, but then they changed the formulation, so I only did two guitars with it. I've been meaning to try another of the brushing varnishes (Epiphanes, Ace, or Pratt & Lambert), but there's usually a learning curve with getting the most out of any finish and I like the results with TruOil.

I started building mostly electrics, this is about my 12th acoustic, so I'm still refining my construction techniques. Although I've been building since 1999, there have been some extended periods when building guitars was superseded by other construction projects, minor remodeling to get a house ready to sell, kitchen cabinets for the new house, that kind of thing. I'm just about to start putting finish on a sitka/birdseye maple slope shoulder dred that I've been working on for over two years.

[redir]

Do you have any secrets to using Tru-Oil? I found that I had to cut it a bit. I forgot what with now but I'm gonna say mineral spirit? But anyway it made it go on a bit thinner I thought.