John Mayes new model 00 for Healdsburg build - Page 2

Trevor M · #16 04-28-2011, 02:09 PM

Wow! That looks great.

drcmusic7 · #17 04-28-2011, 04:23 PM

Looking good! I really love John's style, very classy guitars. African Blackwood bridges rock and John's new design is really cool. My Vines Colorado has an ABW bridge and I love the way it turned out.

Kindly,
Danny

58spdstr · #18 04-28-2011, 05:34 PM

Spent a couple hours today with my Mayes mahogany MJ55. It's a remarkable guitar in several ways and a reflection of the talent of it's builder. It's about as light a guitar as you can find. Only thing that comes close that i own is a 1932 OM 18. It is loud, has a huge midrange bark as well as the solid bottom end that you'd expect from an SJ. Anything that John makes is going to be special. I'd love to have one of his 00's

JohnM · #19 04-28-2011, 10:25 PM

You guys are too kind, but I appreciate the nice words. It encourages me I'm on the right track!

I'll have a new website out right before healdsburg showcasing some of these new models, but the more vintage models aren't going anywhere either. I like them both too much to stop making either.

colins · #20 04-29-2011, 03:30 AM

Phil, you are going to have to keep a box of tissues near your guitars because when anyone sees them all together (this one included) they are going to break down and cry!

Seriously - this looks like it is going to be a wonderful guitar to complement the Baraniks and Paragon. Well done to you and to John. And keep posting them photos!

Col

El Conquistador · #21 04-29-2011, 10:12 AM

Phil,
Very cool! That hog B&S will be by far the most tame looking hog you own.

And, I can see your influence in the new lines of this model . ; )

It's funny, I have just recently had several conversations with guitarists of a certain age, and, it certainly would appear that the 00 is quickly becoming the guitar body size of the Boomer generation.

Looking forward to this build,
Steve

riorider · #22 04-29-2011, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Conquistador

Phil,
Very cool! That hog B&S will be by far the most tame looking hog you own.

And, I can see your influence in the new lines of this model . ; )

It's funny, I have just recently had several conversations with guitarists of a certain age, and, it certainly would appear that the 00 is quickly becoming the guitar body size of the Boomer generation.

Looking forward to this build,
Steve

It must be the official Boomer guitar then!!

I can tell you I really do like the small bodies, and the shape of this one is really attractive to me. John designed just what I was hoping for - but without my input I assure you.

I've loved what I've heard of Eric Skye's playing on his signature Santa Cruz model, and it seems to me that this intimate, bold, fresh tone has a place for a lot of music I play and enjoy!

Here's one more pic, of the sides in the mold with the blocks glued in. You get a really good feel for the shape in this picture:

Marc Durso · #23 04-29-2011, 07:32 PM

Some pictures of us at Glades Guitars playing a Mayes and having a wonderful time. So will you I'm sure.

http://acttrue.com/altpicpage8.html

JohnM · #24 04-30-2011, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marc Durso

Some pictures of us at Glades Guitars playing a Mayes and having a wonderful time. So will you I'm sure.

http://acttrue.com/altpicpage8.html

Thanks for the trip down memory lane Marc! That was a cool little guitar. They are vastly better now, but that one was a cool one!

Neil K Walk · #25 05-01-2011, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by riorider

It must be the official Boomer guitar then!!

I can tell you I really do like the small bodies, and the shape of this one is really attractive to me. John designed just what I was hoping for - but without my input I assure you.

I've loved what I've heard of Eric Skye's playing on his signature Santa Cruz model, and it seems to me that this intimate, bold, fresh tone has a place for a lot of music I play and enjoy!

Here's one more pic, of the sides in the mold with the blocks glued in. You get a really good feel for the shape in this picture:

Looks good so far. That's a huge neck block though...!

riorider · #26 05-02-2011, 08:48 PM

I think you all will enjoy this part of the build "history". John sent a note to me just after I'd agreed for him to build this for Healdsburg and not to wait until next year. His note said:

Quote:

Ok.. so check it out. This is an idea. What I made today was a mosaic medallion. I know you're not a fan of inlay/abalone so I wanted to keep it organic.

I used the same woods I think would be best for the purfling and binding scheme - African blackwood, maple, ebony, and Brazilian rosewood. The rosette itself will be black/maple/black lines followed by a brazilian rosewood line, black/maple/black, then the main section from radial cut African blackwood, then mirrored from there with b/m/b-brazilian-b/m/b.

The woods in the medallion mosaic are African Blackwood, Maple, and Brazilian rosewood. This will tie nicely into the ring of the rosette. It's the first mosaic anything I've ever done.

Then he pointed me to a photo site where he'd uploaded the following pics, and then had the "cheese" to ask me if I liked it, and that he wouldn't use it unless I agreed. I couldn't reply "YES!!!" quickly enough. I think I smelled the ether burning.

Tell me what you think of it - I think it's exceptional!

and - how it will look against the LS redwood color (unfinished in this photo):

edit: blast! how come I cannot edit titles??

pepperboy · #27 05-02-2011, 09:16 PM

Saw that on his FB... jealous! I love that mosaic!!

colins · #28 05-03-2011, 04:03 AM

Big thumbs up from down here Phil and John!

Martin_Nut · #29 05-03-2011, 09:36 AM

Phil,

Pretty cool so far ... I like the medallion a lot. Different from John's other medallion rosettes, and I think well suited to your guitar's design. Should be a worthy addition to your already fine stable of guitars!

John

riorider · #30 05-05-2011, 07:39 AM

Thanks Travis, Colin, and John!

In our shop visit yesterday, we saw the progress John had made, picked an ABW fretboard out of the 10 or so John had (another nice aspect to having a guitar built - I get to pick my own fretboard!!!), and thoroughly enjoyed the visit. I saw the medallion 'in person' and it's impressive.

The kerfing is glued, and the body sanding is next.

Here are a few more shots from earlier in the build:

Gluing the back:

Thickness sanding the sides:

Prepping the sides for bending (wetting and layering):

Sides in the bender:

And, with both sides bent, now placed in the mold: