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  #16  
Old 05-13-2018, 12:04 PM
JoeCharter JoeCharter is offline
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RE the cocobolo, I would think that for a guitar of this calibre you can still find fully quartered cocobolo back and sides.

I would accept some slab rings on the outer edges of the lower bouts if I fall in love with a spec guitar that is readily available -- but on a new custom build? Probably not.

It's still a very nice set but I would keep looking.

RE the cutaway, I find Michael's guitars to all look better without a cutaway.
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  #17  
Old 05-13-2018, 12:07 PM
Znerken Znerken is offline
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Originally Posted by JoeCharter View Post
RE the cocobolo, I would think that for a guitar of this calibre you can still find fully quartered cocobolo back and sides.



I would accept some slab rings on the outer edges of the lower bouts if I fall in love with a spec guitar that is readily available -- but on a new custom build? Probably not.



It's still a very nice set but I would keep looking.



RE the cutaway, I find Michael's guitars to all look better without a cutaway.


This is a former build of his, not the specific coco I’ll get. I found that photo on The North American Guitar. However, I find it amusing that you are skeptical to the wood, as I’ve heard Michael has one of the best collections in the world. Marketing? I’m not very experienced on wood, besides look, so I appreciate your info.
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  #18  
Old 05-13-2018, 10:37 PM
JoeCharter JoeCharter is offline
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Originally Posted by Znerken View Post
This is a former build of his, not the specific coco I’ll get. I found that photo on The North American Guitar. However, I find it amusing that you are skeptical to the wood, as I’ve heard Michael has one of the best collections in the world. Marketing? I’m not very experienced on wood, besides look, so I appreciate your info.
Michael's shop is a very short drive away from my home. On a sunny day I can easily walk. There is no doubt in my mind that Michael will build you a wonderful guitar that will sound and look incredible.

RE having "one of the best collections in the world", whether that is true or not is a bit irrelevant. Most successful and established luthiers have plenty enough tone woods to build your dream guitar.

Besides, I'm not "skeptical to the wood" (interesting choice of words), I only pointed out that if I were to treat myself with a Greenfield guitar, I would want nothing but the most primo tone woods all around.

When it comes to rosewood, the most sought after pieces are fully quarter-sawn. There are some exceptions to this rule. Some flat-sawn woods show exceptional figure. Other woods are so rare or expensive that you have to compromise.

There's nothing worse than a piece of plain looking rosewood that is not quarter-sawn. You don't get the looks, you don't get the stability, you don't get the prestige -- nothing. Besides, cocobolo isn't so rare and expensive that you'd have to compromise.

My recommendation would be to ask for a fully quarter-sawn set of cocobolo for your guitar. I estimate 99% of the AGF crowd would agree with me on this.

RE the top, I trust that Michael only uses the best sounding tops he can find.

That said, if you think the top of this guitar looks great, you have nothing to worry about: https://eddiesguitars.com/acoustic-g...amm-instrument

If you don't like that top, let me know.
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  #19  
Old 05-14-2018, 01:01 AM
Znerken Znerken is offline
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Originally Posted by JoeCharter View Post
Michael's shop is a very short drive away from my home. On a sunny day I can easily walk. There is no doubt in my mind that Michael will build you a wonderful guitar that will sound and look incredible.



RE having "one of the best collections in the world", whether that is true or not is a bit irrelevant. Most successful and established luthiers have plenty enough tone woods to build your dream guitar.



Besides, I'm not "skeptical to the wood" (interesting choice of words), I only pointed out that if I were to treat myself with a Greenfield guitar, I would want nothing but the most primo tone woods all around.



When it comes to rosewood, the most sought after pieces are fully quarter-sawn. There are some exceptions to this rule. Some flat-sawn woods show exceptional figure. Other woods are so rare or expensive that you have to compromise.



There's nothing worse than a piece of plain looking rosewood that is not quarter-sawn. You don't get the looks, you don't get the stability, you don't get the prestige -- nothing. Besides, cocobolo isn't so rare and expensive that you'd have to compromise.



My recommendation would be to ask for a fully quarter-sawn set of cocobolo for your guitar. I estimate 99% of the AGF crowd would agree with me on this.



RE the top, I trust that Michael only uses the best sounding tops he can find.



That said, if you think the top of this guitar looks great, you have nothing to worry about: https://eddiesguitars.com/acoustic-g...amm-instrument



If you don't like that top, let me know.


Thank you for a very informative answer :-) I actually talked to TNAG about this when I ordered, and I think I will request a highly figured set with perhaps sap. I too think the wood set in the photo(and other plain) often looks a little boring.

Well, I don’t like the duo tone of the top, to be honest.

Last edited by Znerken; 05-14-2018 at 01:07 AM.
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  #20  
Old 05-14-2018, 04:37 AM
Michael Watts Michael Watts is offline
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Congratulations! That looks like a great set and I'm going to enjoy watching this build progress.
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  #21  
Old 05-14-2018, 04:46 PM
JoeCharter JoeCharter is offline
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Originally Posted by Znerken View Post
Thank you for a very informative answer :-) I actually talked to TNAG about this when I ordered, and I think I will request a highly figured set with perhaps sap. I too think the wood set in the photo(and other plain) often looks a little boring.
I was actually suggesting that you get a "boring" set -- but one that is fully quarter-sawn (the set in the photo is not).

But if you like the highly figured slab-sawn variety, that's fine too. Some are really spectacular. The drawback is that slaw-sawn is potentially less stable.


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Well, I don’t like the duo tone of the top, to be honest.
I feel the same.
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  #22  
Old 05-14-2018, 07:06 PM
Gordon Currie Gordon Currie is offline
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I would suggest that you do not get the cutaway if that is the case! Most luthiers would probably concur that a guitar with a cutaway sounds lesser than one without.
I posed that question to many of the luthiers in attendance at La Conner Guitar Festival this past weekend. All said it would have negligible to no effect on tone since that area tends to have the heaviest bracing and is therefore acoustically somewhat inert. And a number said even if there was a tone difference, it could be eliminated when they voice the top.

Not ONE luthier said it would affect the finished guitar in a negative way.
I'm still waiting to hear from luthiers who think it is a negative acoustically.
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  #23  
Old 05-28-2018, 11:38 AM
swiftz07 swiftz07 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gordon Currie View Post
I posed that question to many of the luthiers in attendance at La Conner Guitar Festival this past weekend. All said it would have negligible to no effect on tone since that area tends to have the heaviest bracing and is therefore acoustically somewhat inert. And a number said even if there was a tone difference, it could be eliminated when they voice the top.

Not ONE luthier said it would affect the finished guitar in a negative way.
I'm still waiting to hear from luthiers who think it is a negative acoustically.
This is my understanding as well, and i have spoken to quite a few established luthiers in this regard.
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  #24  
Old 05-29-2018, 09:19 AM
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Originally Posted by Znerken View Post
Thoughts? Florentine cutaway, or not, that's the question...
I have also commissioned a Greenfield (directly through Michael for early 2020), and I had my consultation with him just yesterday to establish the build specifications. I too was considering a cutaway, so I specifically asked Michael his opinion on the sonic differences between cutaway and non-cutaway. Without any hesitation, Michael emphatically stated that "...non-cutaways always sound better than cutaways".

He did further elaborate on that by saying that many may not have the ear to discern the difference; and further, that most wouldn't ever realize it, because they'd likely never have an opportunity to A/B two exact Greenfield guitars except for the cutaway option anyway. Additionally, he went on to say that even though some of those choosing the cutaway option do so for functional reasons (frequently play beyond the 14th fret), many others choose it simply because they prefer the aesthetics of a cutaway.

FWIW, I put a high premium on tone, and I very rarely play beyond the 14th fret; so, following our discussion, I opted to go with a non-cutaway...
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  #25  
Old 05-29-2018, 11:27 AM
Cincy2 Cincy2 is offline
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FWIW, I put a high premium on tone, and I very rarely play beyond the 14th fret; so, following our discussion, I opted to go with a non-cutaway...
Same here. I might also note that MG also offers a raised fingerboard option that facilitates access to higher frets without a cutaway. I have that option on my G1 and ordered it on my future G3.

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  #26  
Old 05-29-2018, 01:04 PM
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Same here. I might also note that MG also offers a raised fingerboard option that facilitates access to higher frets without a cutaway. I have that option on my G1 and ordered it on my future G3.

Cincy
Additionally, he has the "palm away", which serves a similar purpose; however, I opted for none of them. Access beyond the 14th fret just isn't a concern for me, and on the rare occasion I go up there to actually fret notes, I'm able to. But, I fully recognize that there are others who play up there frequently, and for them, I can see one of these options being very beneficial.
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  #27  
Old 07-13-2018, 11:44 PM
690MBCOMMANDO 690MBCOMMANDO is offline
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Congrats! Greenfields are incredible!!
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