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JOHN BUSCARINO: 16” Monarch Archtop (Carpathian Spruce/ Fiddleback Sycamore Maple)
We don’t see many archtop build threads here on AGF, but I thought I would share this one with the Custom Shop. I have commissioned a custom 16” Monarch archtop from North Carolina luthier John Buscarino.
https://buscarino.com/ John builds archtops, flatops, nylon string and solid-body electric guitars. He originally apprenticed for both Augustino LoPrinzi (classical and flattop guitars) and Bob Benedetto (archtop guitars) and has been making guitars for about 40-years now. John built me his carved back nylon hybrid model (‘015 Carpathian Spruce/Carved Honduran Rosewood Cabaret Model) about 5-years ago and a carved back steel string flattop (‘018 Carpathian Spruce/Carved East Indian Rosewood Rhapsody Model) about 2-years ago. Instead of his standard 3” rim depth, John recommended utilizing tapered rims (3” to 3-1/2”) for enhanced acoustics. This has a body volume similar to a 3-1/4” constant rim depth instrument. The guitar will be very much a “Johnny Smith” like guitar (e.g. 25.0” scale, 1-3/4” nut, wider string spacing etc.), but with a smaller 16” body. Again, John will add a small sound port to the upper bout for an enhanced acoustic player experience. Dimensions: Lower Bout Width: 16” Body Depth: 3” to 3-1/2” Scale Length: 25” Nut Width: 1-3/4” String Spacing: 2-3/16” Fretboard Radius: 12” Number of Frets: 22 Cutaway: Venetian Side Port: Fleur De Lis John being a builder for many decades has amassed a large wood locker of aged tonewoods. Typically, John won’t build with anything that has not been stabilized in his shop for > 5-years. For this guitar John chose a Master Grade Carpathian Spruce top from Romania (Old World Tonewoods). For the body, a 17 year old Master Grade European Fiddleback Sycamore Maple from Andreas Gleissner from Austria. John is fortunate to still have quartersawn flamed Rock Maple neck blanks which are harder to find these days. Materials: Top Wood: Master Grade Carpathian Spruce Body Wood: Master Grade European Fiddleback Sycamore Maple Neck Wood: 3-Piece Neck, Master Grade Highly Figured Rock Flame Maple Fretboard: Gaboon Ebony Bridge & Saddle: Gaboon Ebony with Thumb Wheels Tailpiece: Gaboon Ebony Pickguard: Gaboon Ebony Here is a photo of the Fiddleback Sycamore Maple set. It was from Austria and resawn in 2003 by Andreas Gleisner. This guitar will have a very traditional aesthetic with split block position markers and a lighter almond sunburst set off by lighter birdseye Rock Maple bindings. Decoration: Body Binding/Purflings: Bird's Eye Maple with b/w/b/w/b for top and back and b/w/b top and side Fretboard Binding/Purflings: Bird's Eye Maple and b/w/b top/side Purflings with Ebony Side Dots F-Hole Binding/Purflings: Style A, Bird's Eye Maple Scrolls with b/w/b Pickguard Binding/Purflings: Bird's Eye Maple Binding with b/w/b Purflings Fretboard Inlay: Split Block MOP Inlays with Abalone Stripes Headstock Veneer: Ebony with Birdseye Maple Binding Headstock Veneer Inlay: New “Buscarino” Logo Rear Headstock Veneer: Ebony Laminated with Ebony/Maple/Ebony Truss Rod Cover: Gaboon Ebony Finish: Custom Almond Sunburst (Nitrocellulose Lacquer) I have been very happy using Jescar EVO fretwire on all of my guitars. John will use one of his custom humbuckers made for him by Kent Armstrong. Because these use bar magnets, John can use wider 2-3/16” string spacing vs. the typical 2-1/16” string spacing typically used with his 12-pole piece humbuckers. Hardware: Fret Wire: Jescar EVO .047” x .095” Tuners: Gotoh SG510 (21:1) with Ebony Buttons Truss Rod: Double Action Nut: Bone Strings: TI BeBop .013” - .053” Pickup: Buscarino Signature Floating Humbucker Volume and Tone Controls: Concealed Underneath Pickguard Jack: @ End pin Strap Pin: @ Heel Plate Case: Hiscox Lite Flite John will begin to build the guitar in January and as he builds the guitar if he forwards me some shots I will post them here.
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings… Last edited by iim7V7IM7; 01-12-2020 at 01:00 PM. Reason: Photos |
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Very cool! Please keep us updated on the build process.
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John |
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Whee!!!
This will be FUN
Lovely Maple !!!! Enjoy the process. You must, you are back for MORE. Cheers Paul
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4 John Kinnaird SS 12c CUSTOMS: Big Maple/WRC Dread(ish) Jumbo Spanish Cedar/WRC Jumbo OLD Brazilian RW/WRC Big Tunnel 14 RW/Bubinga Dread(ish) R.T 2 12c sinker RW/Claro 96 422ce bought new! 96 LKSM 12 552ce 12x12 J. Stepick Bari Weissy WRC/Walnut More |
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Definitely looking forward to seeing this one come together!
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I will do my best and you of course can audition it at Woodstock in October....
Quote:
Thanks...that makes two of us...
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings… |
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Subscribing!
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Bashkin 00-12 Adi/Hog Bashkin 0M-MS Swiss Moon/PRW(build thread) Bashkin GC-12 Sitka/Koa Carter-Poulsen J-Model German Select Spruce/MacEb Fender MIJ Strat ('90) and 50s RW Tele ('19) Martin 00-28c Spruce/BRW('67) Martin M-36 (R) Sitka/EIR Michaud O-R Cedar/Koa - New Build Michaud J-R Sitka/MBW K. Yairi RF-120 Spruce/EIR KoAloha KTM-25 Koa/Koa Yamaha G-231 Cedar/Hog ('71) |
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Very cool, Bob! Always fun to watch your build threads.
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Circa OM-30/34 (Adi/Mad) | 000-12 (Ger/Maple) | OM-28 (Adi/Brz) | OM-18/21 (Adi/Hog) | OM-42 (Adi/Braz) Fairbanks SJ (Adi/Hog) | Schoenberg/Klepper 000-12c (Adi/Hog) | LeGeyt CLM (Swiss/Amzn) | LeGeyt CLM (Carp/Koa) Brondel A-2 (Carp/Mad) |
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Thanks.... Things should get going in earnest in January.
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings… |
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January is going to be an excellent month for build threads.
I look forward to this one!
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Life is like a box of chocolates .... |
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We’ll be watching the bench in Petaluma no doubt...
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings… |
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Very nice! Exciting to see an archtop build in this forum.
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Collings Baby Collings 01 Bourgeois OMC Martin 00L-17 Martin D-18 Gibson L-00 Gibson J-45 |
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Glad to see that other AGF members appreciate seeing an archtop here...
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings… |
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Looking at top sets
John has been going through some of spruce top sets in his wood locker for my guitar. These are just the first three sets that he shared with me. These three sets are all Carpathian Spruce sets from Romania. For those of you less familiar looking at archtop top sets, they are 1”+ at the center seam and are either right triangles of 1/2 of a trapezoid in shape. I believe he is also looking through some Italian and Sitka tops as well.
Set A Set B Set C
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings… |
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Rough Carve
John added CNC to his operation many years ago. He uses it for a number of labor intensive operations including the rough carving of archtop top and back plates. Here are two Carpathian Spruce tops (Sets A and B) where the outer rough carve has been executed. The tops are located on the CNC with registration pins and are held in place with a. vacuum assist. We will wait to decide between these two until the inside rough carve is executed on these two sets so John can better assess the acoustic potential of each set. In their raw state, it is difficult to assess beyond the quality of their cut, density, some indication of figure and % moisture content on 1” thick archtop sets. The one that we don’t select will not go to waste, but will be used for a spec. guitar.
Top Set A: Top Set B:
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings… |
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S-Holes
Instead of traditional f-holes, we opted for simpler s-holes on this archtop. Here is John’s CNC drawing showing their position within a 16” top.
John creates b/w/b purfled birdseye maple bindings for each of the s-holes. Here is a close up shot below of one of them. The Birdseye Sugar Maple bindings will really “pop” when the top gets its subtle burst. Here is the rough contoured Carpathian Spruce top with both bound/purfled s-holes installed.
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A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings… |