Sexauer '22

[printer2]

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

I agree that smaller guitars requirer thinner tops, but not so much that lighter strings need thinner tops. I tend to look at the braces as the structure, and think of the top as a membrane independent of the braces, and that there is a ideal thickness for the membrane, depending on the tonal target.

This Italian Spruce top is on the stiffer side, and although I thicknessed it entirely by feel, I measured it for you. It varies between .093 and .097 at the extremes of 10 measurements, and is mostly between .095 and .096, or 2.43 mm, if that's your thing.

As you probably know by now, I put my braces in rough and shape them in situ. I rarely show their profile clearly, but thought you might be interested. The difference between the upper and lower bouts is profound. These X braces are a bit narrower than my norm as well, barely over 1/4".

I have also thicknessed by feel, just check with a mic for giggles. I do not recall if you ever showed a picture of the profile as well as the current picture, from years of examining your pictures I gathered you shaped the braces as shown. The profile is very efficient in terms of loading a beam without excess weight.

[Bruce Sexauer]

The JB-CN is shaping up.

When I make peone with which to connect the sides to the top, I make enough for about 5 guitars. That's about as close to a "Production" move as I come. They are made from brace material, in my case Adirondack spruce. I rip the spruce into roughly 3/8" x 17/32 strips which are parallelogram shaped in cross section, 1 1/2 degrees off square. Then I cross cut them on the table saw using the same blade that I slot my fingerboards with. That's what these pictures represent:





The sides for this guitar look spectacularly good to me, but for reasons beyond my understanding were unusually challenging to bend . . . if fact I broke the cutaway section to smithereens. But I have plenty of scrap BRW, so I chose a piece with the right coloration, and it bent as easily as one could hope. It is not as quartered as the rest of the sides, but will suffice. Here is the box waiting for me to complete making the peone.

[jmat]

Originally Posted by dosland

Oh no, the neck's "too slim"! [...leaves to buy another lotto ticket for the Sexauer Fund...]

For any interested parties, this is a very nice mahogany / adi guitar.

[Bruce Sexauer]

Originally Posted by jmat

For any interested parties, this is a very nice mahogany / adi guitar.

Jmat is referring to a 000C I made him a couple of years ago. He has very particular ideas re neck dimension, and despite the fact that I have made several guitars for him that hit his marks, I somehow made this one without the required bulk. I subsequently made him another one and took the offending guitar in trade. I now have it here in the shop and for sale.

The tonal target for the Adi/Hmah 000C was to be as dry as Martins 1930 guitars tend to be, and Jmat and I do agree that the target was achieved. Although I am at the moment smitten with my recent Ceylon Satinwood JB-16, it would be easy to console myself with the 000C if someone takes the JB-16 off my hands at the coming Woodstock event.

I am not yet certain what I will bring to the show, but currently I am thinking:

1, the all Myrtle CN
2, the Olive L00
3, the Ceylon Satinwood JB-16
4, the BRW FT-15 ‘31 OM emulation
5, the Jmat 000C trade-in

Y’all have watched me build all of these here in the AGF, I imagine it would be very interesting to find out what they are really like. I hope you do!

[Guitars44me]

Am I overlooking the Jmat trade in on your website?

Thanks

Paul

[Dogma]

Originally Posted by Guitars44me

Am I overlooking the Jmat trade in on your website?

Thanks

Paul

It's there:
https://sexauerluthier.com/FT-000-C-2020.html

I know because it's "my" guitar - aside from the minor issue that I can't afford to purchase it due to recent guitar over-consumption A very nice instrument indeed and deserving of a worthy home - unless Bruce wants it, in which case it already has one!

[Dogma]

Originally Posted by Dogma

It's there:
https://sexauerluthier.com/FT-000-C-2020.html

I know because it's "my" guitar - aside from the minor issue that I can't afford to purchase it due to recent guitar over-consumption A very nice instrument indeed and deserving of a worthy home - unless Bruce wants it, in which case it already has one!

And, just to avoid any possible misunderstanding, this is not really "my" guitar, just one that I loved on first sight and playing so I watch it and hope for it to get a good home! Don't want Bruce to miss out on a sale by muddying the waters

[Bruce Sexauer]

Thank you for the kind words and clarification, Ms Dogma.

I closed the JB-CN to day:

[Bruce Sexauer]

The top is bound, and the back will be by tomorrow, barring the unforeseen.

[Nemoman]

Beautiful work, Bruce!

[Bruce Sexauer]

Originally Posted by Nemoman

Beautiful work, Bruce!

Thank you, sir.

[Bruce Sexauer]

Here's the last 1 1/8" of binding going on the JB/CN:

[Bruce Sexauer]

On 10/19 I fly to Albany, NY, and then drive to Woodstock (yes, that Woodstock) to show in the Woodstock International Luthier's Showcase (WILS). I will have my latest work with me, as well as my friend Tad Laird to assist. If you wonder what happens when a guy spends 55 years working toward making uncompromised music tools, the show is open to the public 10/21, 10/22, and 10/23 in the Bearsville Theater. There will be a number of other top drawer luthiers there as well, if I'm not enough for you.

[Bruce Sexauer]

The JB-CN is bound and ready for the graft and the dovetail cavity, then on to the neck. I am getting ready for Woodstock, so progress will slow down a bit.

[Treenewt]

Absolutely gorgeous work Bruce.