CIRCA GUITARS: 12 Fret 00 [German Spruce | Malaysian Blackwood]

[FormerFoodie]

Looking good!

It must be super nerve-wracking to bend sides, particularly with a cutaway.

Keep the pics coming! I'm loving how this is coming along!

[iim7V7IM7]

Since John had not bent Malaysian Blackwood before, he was cautious in how he approached it. As it turns out, it is a well behaved wood that bends beautifully without much spring back.... Malaysian Blackwood is a very dense, stiff and hard Ebony. It is similar to Macassar Ebony (which falls between Cocobolo and African Blackwood in its density) but tends to have lower acoustic damping.

Originally Posted by FormerFoodie

Looking good!

It must be super nerve-wracking to bend sides, particularly with a cutaway.

Keep the pics coming! I'm loving how this is coming along!

[iim7V7IM7]

There are many mitered joints on a guitar and John was kind enough to share a few shots of how he achieves these with me. Here John is using a guide block and a sharp chisel to miter the end of the cutaway side Malaysian Blackwood rim by the Khaya end block.



Here is the freshly mitered edge of the side rim.



The small Malaysian Blackwood side piece that will covers the neck block with its miter being fitted.





Here is finished, mitered joint. The Malaysian Blackwood rims have the landscaping figure lined up across the three pieces that form this portion of the sides.

[Steve Kinnaird]

What elegant work. You must be immensely satisfied!

Steve

[Carpinteria]

Beautiful work, and very cleverly done.

[justonwo]

That’s coming along beautifully. Loved the photos of the miter-in-the-making.

[jmat]

i didn't realize the miters were hand cut that that. What skill.

[iim7V7IM7]

Originally Posted by Steve Kinnaird

What elegant work. You must be immensely satisfied!

Steve

Just as I was when you and Ryan crafted an instrument for me...

Originally Posted by Carpinteria

Beautiful work, and very cleverly done.

Originally Posted by justonwo

That’s coming along beautifully. Loved the photos of the miter-in-the-making.

Originally Posted by jmat

i didn't realize the miters were hand cut that that. What skill.

Thanks Gents...

[iim7V7IM7]

John uses kerfed Spanish Cedar linings for his top linings and kerfed Honduran Mahogany linings for his back linings because they can be readily seen through the sound hole and tend to cut cleaner and unlike Spanish Cedar they don’t weep resin (or as John lovingly refers to as “aromatic snot”)over time.



Here is a shot of the top linings being glued into the Malaysian Blackwood rim assembly with Khaya neck and end blocks.

[mhw48]

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7

John uses kerfed Spanish Cedar linings for his top linings and kerfed Honduran Mahogany linings for his back linings because they can be readily seen through the sound hole and tend to cut cleaner and unlike Spanish Cedar they don’t weep resin (or as John lovingly refers to as “aromatic snot”)over time.

Oh no! Smelling the interior of a guitar is never going to be quite the same for me after hearing the phrase "aromatic snot"!

[sinistral]

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7

John uses kerfed Spanish Cedar linings for his top linings and kerfed Honduran Mahogany linings for his back linings because they can be readily seen through the sound hole and tend to cut cleaner and unlike Spanish Cedar they don’t weep resin (or as John lovingly refers to as “aromatic snot”)over time.



Here is a shot of the top linings being glued into the Malaysian Blackwood rim assembly with Khaya neck and end blocks.

But, but cedar kerfing makes a guitar pitch perfect!

Given that the mahogany kerfing is better, I’m curious why he doesn’t use mahogany for the top lining as well? The guitar is going to be spectacular and the soundhole adds new meaning to the expression nothing to sniff at (although it will probably still be something to sniff, just not as much as if the top lining were cedar, too).

[iim7V7IM7]

I am not sure that it is "better", just aesthetically cleaner in an area that can be seen...

Different luthiers use different materials (Spruce, Poplar, Basswood, Port Orford Cedar, Spanish Cedar, Mahogany) and designs of linings (kerfed, reverse kerfed, solid and tentalones). Spanish Cedar is about 20% less dense than Mahogany on average but is 90% as stiff as a material. For example, Bruce Sexauer uses Red Spruce Tentalones (peone) top linings. They are 25% less dense than Mahogany on average but is >5% as stiffer as a material.

Different builders view the roll of linings and rims differently depending on their approach.

Originally Posted by sinistral

But, but cedar kerfing makes a guitar pitch perfect!

Given that the mahogany kerfing is better, I’m curious why he doesn’t use mahogany for the top lining as well? The guitar is going to be spectacular and the soundhole adds new meaning to the expression nothing to sniff at (although it will probably still be something to sniff, just not as much as if the top lining were cedar, too).

[sinistral]

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7

I am not sure that it is "better", just aesthetically cleaner in an area that can be seen...

Different luthiers use different materials (Spruce, Poplar, Basswood, Port Orford Cedar, Spanish Cedar, Mahogany) and designs of linings (kerfed, reverse kerfed, solid and tentalones). Spanish Cedar is about 20% less dense than Mahogany on average but is 90% as stiff as a material. For example, Bruce Sexauer uses Red Spruce Tentalones (peone) top linings. They are 25% less dense than Mahogany on average but is >5% as stiffer as a material.

Different builders view the roll of linings and rims differently depending on their approach.

Thanks for the explanation. My comments were meant to be lighthearted (as indicated by the use of the word “pitch,” which refers to the resin produced by plants).

[iim7V7IM7]

The kerfed Spanish Cedar top linings installed, John has moved on to install the kerfed Honduran Mahogany linings. John uses both Rosewood and Mahogany side reinforcement strips in his guitars. For mine, he is using Honduran Mahogany side reinforcement strips (next step in rim assembly).

[soma5]

May I ask when you ordered your guitar? It looks great and I'm sure it will sound great, pure John Slobod.