#46
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Ryan is very kind in his comments on my “courage”, but all I did was agree with Steve and Ryan’s awesome ideas. I had seen enough of Steve’s work to know I could trust his aesthetic judgement 100%. Lord, that incredible guitar he and Ryan built for Dennis!
I do know what I like, and I love being able to support great luthiers in doing new things. In addition to everything else about this awesome guitar, I really like the rosette design, and I really appreciated Steve’s good sense about what woods to use so it would be beautiful and not garish. I think the rosewood, Purple Heart and Osage complement each other very well, and will get even better over time as the Osage darkens. I am hoping the purple heart doesn’t lose all of its purple. I love that wood. |
#47
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Seriously, great thread. Would also love to hear more about Osage as a tonewood. |
#48
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Love the rosette and the Osage Orange!
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#49
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I built a small parlor of Osage Orang and keep a piece on my bench to pick up and strike. It is about 9" x 9" and .1" or so thick , and it sounds like a bell
It has been called Poor Man's Brazilian Rosewood Ed |
#50
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Thanks for all the interest so far in this guitar. To my hands, there is a similarity in density and stiffness to Brazilian. The Osage is working well, but it doesn’t look or smell anything like Brazilian. More’s the pity.
Here’s some shots of bracing the top. Starting off with our bracing diagram. Some of us need help with our dot to dots. Then I glue all the braces in one direction. Then the ones in the other. Then I get a sharp pointy metal rod that is not for fingers to shape the Port Orford braces. Thanks. |
#51
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Ryan
I am intrigued by that extra brace just south of the bridge plate. How does it effect the sound? What is it doing for you structurally? Ed |
#52
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You can ask Don Musser...
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings… |
#53
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Indeed you can, if you can find him? He has posted here in times past, but I haven't seen him in a bit. Anyway yes: Don (to my understanding) was the originator of this wee brace. It spans the legs of the X brace (can't say just anywhere) and is glued also to the bridge plate.
It does several things: Helps resist the tendency to bulge behind the bridge, Helps even out the string values, And--our contribution--enhances the treble. We peak it just behind the little e string to give some localized stiffness there. (My take on Don's brace.) Hope that makes sense. Steve |
#54
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You are adventurous on this one, Jamie! I use osage orange a lot for purflings. It is very, very yellow when first cut. But I love the orange amber hue it gets as it soaks up air. Steve and Ryan will coax the best out it I am sure. Congrats!
Ken
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www.casperguitar.com |
#55
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Thanks Ken! I agree, I think it will age nicely.
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#56
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Thank you, PJ
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A Gibson A couple Martins |
#57
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They are actually not highlighted, they are cut out. What you are seeing is the wood of the top beneath the bracing diagram. I can then trace the edges of the cut out areas with a pencil onto the top. Then I connect all the lines with a ruler, and then I know exactly where I want my braces to go for that model. You can see some of the remaining lines in the next shot that don’t have their braces yet.
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#58
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Oh! Now I get it. Very clever!
It looks like you “reinforced” these cutouts, maybe to keep them from tearing or becoming deformed? Thank you! PJ
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A Gibson A couple Martins |
#59
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Steve |
#60
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We’re at the point where we’re collecting parts and making them into something. That something is an impractical box.
First we scribe where the brace pockets will go so everything fits together. Then I use a handy-dandy router and relieve those pockets like Michelangelo carving marble. Then our ribbed yellow insides. And the engine block. And some other non-sequitur metaphor. Feel free to caption this picture. More coming. |