Build thread – Baranik 00 in blue spruce and koa

[colins]

Now, let’s finish off that rosette. Here are the main segments:



And again, actually set into the top.



I like a bound sound hole so here is the maple that Mike will use for the binding.



The same maple will be used to bind the side port and the main body, and the current plan is that all the maple binding will eventually be painted dark blue to match the resin, but with the wood grain still showing through.

Sound hole binding in place:



Black purfling lines installed and being glued.



And here is the finished rosette! I am hoping Mike will eventually put in a sound hole too.



Last of all, a detail shot to show Mike’s great build quality:



It might be timely to step back for a moment here, and say that my main goal from a custom build is not a fancy rosette! It is to have a guitar that I love to play, tonally and ergonomically. I was fortunate to go into this build having had two other custom builds with Mike. The body shape for this new guitar is the major change from my previous builds and the main reason for a new guitar. Second reason was to work with koa. But in addition to that, the fun we are having with these “fancy bits” like the rosette helps to makes the whole build process so enjoyable. And it results in a guitar that not only meets my goals for tone and playability but also gives me unique touches such as the rosette and all the good memories of the build process.

Next we’ll have work on the body or on the headstock……

[justonwo]

Looks amazing, Col!

[El Conquistador]

Very cool, Col.

Steve

[colins]

Originally Posted by El Conquistador

Very cool, Col.

Steve

Originally Posted by justonwo

Looks amazing, Col!

Thanks guys. I must say...the excitement is starting to mount

[Deft Tungsman]

It's coming together nicely, Colin. You have a lot to look forward to .

[colins]

Mike's been busy, so here are some more "fancy bits" for you.

He has made the front face of the headstock using some more of the resin-flooded maple burl. Still unfinished, but here is how it looks so far:




Kind of reminds me of a topographic map of a coastline!

The theme of wood and resin are a match for the lower segment in the rosette.





This will all look different when the finish is applied and the real colours come out. On the next image Mike has wet a little part of the headstock to show how it changes. There is a lot of detail in that maple just waiting to come out!





You can see that the rosette has the koa element in the upper segment, and Mike will match this in the overall headstock by making some of the tuner buttons out of koa.

At present the plan is to have the top buttons from coloured burl and lower buttons from koa. He used a similar approach on my blackwood CX in 2008 (shown below), and it gives the headstock quite a distinctive look.





Mike has a guitar show coming soon that will take a bit of his time in September, but we are looking at my guitar being ready in October.

Starting to count the days !

[Deft Tungsman]

That headstock !! Wow, Mike has done it again !! So organic, so fresh, so seemingly effortless.

It reminds me of those flowing-sand-in-a-picture-frame thingies that people with a lot of space and very little work keep on their desktops. (That wouldn't be you, Col, by any chance?)

[Cocobolo Kid]

Looks stunning Colin! Can't wait to see the finished guitar.

[colins]

Originally Posted by Deft Tungsman

That headstock !! Wow, Mike has done it again !! So organic, so fresh, so seemingly effortless.

It reminds me of those flowing-sand-in-a-picture-frame thingies that people with a lot of space and very little work keep on their desktops. (That wouldn't be you, Col, by any chance?)

I had a flowing sand thingy, but my cute plastic dinosaur got jealous and kicked it off the desk. So I ditched them both and now I've only got the standard Terry Pratchett "You don't have to be mad to work here but it sure helps!" coffee mug.

Originally Posted by Cocobolo Kid

Looks stunning Colin! Can't wait to see the finished guitar.

You and me both! Baranik sound, great size, and cool looks are all I could ask for.

Col

[colins]

I have a chance to update the thread, so let’s see the top coming together.

Mike uses hide glue to fix the braces to the topwood. He says this glue sets pretty quickly, so the braces have to go on in stages.

Here is the first set, held in place in the vacuum unit while the glue sets...



More braces, and the bridge plate too...



And finally the little ones go on…



Out of the vacuum unit and it looks pretty neat...



I thought the wood for the braces looked a lot like the topwood, which is blue spruce. I asked Mike and he told me that most of the top braces are Adirondack spruce that he selects for this role. The transverse brace (between soundhole and neck) looks a little different for a reason. It is actually a wood called Achihua, which he also uses for the back braces and the kerfing. The bridge plate is different again – this is hard rock maple.

Finally, the Golden Gate Bridge shot…



More images soon!

[El Conquistador]

Originally Posted by colins

The transverse brace (between soundhole and neck) looks a little different for a reason. It is actually a wood called Achihua, which he also uses for the back braces and the kerfing.

Col,
My 00M has the Achihua bracing as well.

Steve

[Deft Tungsman]

I like the "Golden Gate Bridge"shot, haha!

Is this a 13 or 14 fret neck? Scale length? Maybe you mentioned it somewhere along the way, but I don't remember.

Looking great, thanks for sharing the update!

[jaymarsch]

This is looking fabulous, Col. Nice details. How exciting.

Best,
Jayne

[chippygreen]

This is looking really great! I just love what is happening with that headstock/rosette combination, and those colors are striking and rare, just fabulous.

[Kenneth Casper]

Great rosette and headstock! Mike builds a great small body guitar.