The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Custom Shop

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #196  
Old 04-25-2021, 04:54 AM
jt1 jt1 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,062
Default

Stunning guitar, Bob. Cogratulations!

I'm looking forward to seeing it and you at Woodstock and Artisan.
__________________
John
Reply With Quote
  #197  
Old 04-25-2021, 07:41 AM
iim7V7IM7's Avatar
iim7V7IM7 iim7V7IM7 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: An Exit Off the Turnpike in New Jersey
Posts: 5,152
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mhw48 View Post
That is a happy looking guy!
Congratulations on a beautiful looking instrument, and -- from your description -- beautiful sounding as well.
Thanks! I am still getting to know it, but a delight so far...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nemoman View Post
Congrats on your beautiful new Blanchard, Bob!

Many thanks for taking us along on this informative ride...

Enjoy!
I am glad that you found it informative...

Quote:
Originally Posted by cigarfan View Post
Thanks for the report. Sure is lovely. Congrats Bob!
Dennis, I hope you get a chance to audition it at one of the upcoming guitar shows...

Quote:
Originally Posted by jt1 View Post
Stunning guitar, Bob. Cogratulations!

Dennis, I hope that you can audition it some day...

I'm looking forward to seeing it and you at Woodstock and Artisan.
Count on it JT...
__________________
A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…

Last edited by iim7V7IM7; 04-25-2021 at 03:37 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #198  
Old 04-25-2021, 08:15 PM
Richard Mott Richard Mott is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 398
Default

Bob, great looking guitar but I have to disagree that the Brazilian isn’t dramatic looking! It has a fascinating texture and the colorful banding on the back is beautiful, all the drama anyone could ask for.
Reply With Quote
  #199  
Old 04-26-2021, 06:54 AM
Gitfiddlemann Gitfiddlemann is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,368
Default

Bob,
Hearty congrats on a your amazing new Blanchard. Mark takes guitar building to a whole new level, combining both artistry and masterful woodworking skills.
Your narrative, as always, was a very compelling read, as were all the pics, and I'm sure Mark appreciates how much more informed and aware people are now of how he goes about his craft.
In any case, you seem very happy with the result by the look on your face.
Lastly, among the many pleasant elements of this thread was seeing Kath chime in again in her inimitable style. Great to have her back around on the forum.
Enjoy your beautiful new Blanchard!
__________________
Best regards,
Andre

Golf is pretty simple. It's just not that easy.
- Paul Azinger

"It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so."
– Mark Twain

http://www.youtube.com/user/Gitfiddlemann
Reply With Quote
  #200  
Old 04-26-2021, 07:54 AM
justonwo's Avatar
justonwo justonwo is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 7,120
Default

A real stunner. I hope you enjoy it in good health!
Reply With Quote
  #201  
Old 04-26-2021, 09:20 AM
iim7V7IM7's Avatar
iim7V7IM7 iim7V7IM7 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: An Exit Off the Turnpike in New Jersey
Posts: 5,152
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Mott View Post
Bob, great looking guitar but I have to disagree that the Brazilian isn’t dramatic looking! It has a fascinating texture and the colorful banding on the back is beautiful, all the drama anyone could ask for.
Richard, I agree and also find it to be beautiful!

We just see so many examples of stump wood with dramatic crotch figure or even sometimes some beautiful landscape figure as well and I was making a visual comparison regarding its dark, subtle pigmentation.





This is a straight grained, quartersawn set from a cocoa plantation in Brazil. A friend who is a well established expert on Brazilian Rosewood recognized the types of parasitic holes in the raw set that are associated with cocoa. While it was certainly an "old growth" tree (A 9"set containing no sapwood reflective of a large tree) that was left to provide shade for the cocoa when the forest was cleared. So during some of its later life before the parasites killed it, it did not need to struggle for light through the canopy. Hence some of the wider grain that can be seen in it. Since Brazilian is a glassy wood that can be prone to cracking, I am happy that it is well seasoned and dried (been in Mark's shop 10-15 years) and is well quartered.

What is most important is that the guitar sounds EXCELLENT...
__________________
A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…

Last edited by iim7V7IM7; 04-26-2021 at 09:42 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #202  
Old 04-26-2021, 10:03 AM
iim7V7IM7's Avatar
iim7V7IM7 iim7V7IM7 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: An Exit Off the Turnpike in New Jersey
Posts: 5,152
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by AndreF View Post
Bob,
Hearty congrats on a your amazing new Blanchard. Mark takes guitar building to a whole new level, combining both artistry and masterful woodworking skills.
Your narrative, as always, was a very compelling read, as were all the pics, and I'm sure Mark appreciates how much more informed and aware people are now of how he goes about his craft.
In any case, you seem very happy with the result by the look on your face.
Lastly, among the many pleasant elements of this thread was seeing Kath chime in again in her inimitable style. Great to have her back around on the forum.
Enjoy your beautiful new Blanchard!
Quote:
Originally Posted by justonwo View Post
A real stunner. I hope you enjoy it in good health!
Thanks Gents!
__________________
A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
Reply With Quote
  #203  
Old 04-26-2021, 10:25 AM
Hanter Hanter is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 285
Default

I enjoyed the build thread tremendously and have learnt a lot throughout the process. You certainly provide enhanced technical commentary and that gives more insight into the luthier's thoughts and work. The end product is an absolute gem of an instrument and I wish you many many hours of fun and enjoyment playing with it. Congratulations!
__________________
--------------------------------------------------------------
2021 John Kinnaird Graybeard-12 Lucky Strike / African Blackwood
2006 Brook Euro Spruce / Flamed Maple Taw
Reply With Quote
  #204  
Old 04-26-2021, 10:53 AM
justonwo's Avatar
justonwo justonwo is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 7,120
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7 View Post
Thanks Gents!
Gent? There must be some kind of mistake here!
Reply With Quote
  #205  
Old 04-26-2021, 12:07 PM
iim7V7IM7's Avatar
iim7V7IM7 iim7V7IM7 is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: An Exit Off the Turnpike in New Jersey
Posts: 5,152
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hanter View Post
I enjoyed the build thread tremendously and have learnt a lot throughout the process. You certainly provide enhanced technical commentary and that gives more insight into the luthier's thoughts and work. The end product is an absolute gem of an instrument and I wish you many many hours of fun and enjoyment playing with it. Congratulations!
You are quite welcome. I am glad that you found it informative. I enjoy looking at beautiful wood figure or a novel/elegant decorative feature as much as the next fan of guitars. But in the end, these are tools that we use to make music with. We all know that luthier X's guitars sound different than luthier Y's guitars. But why? By looking over the shoulder of a builder who is generous enough to share their thinking one can try to glean some insight into why luthier X's guitars sound different than luthier Y's.
__________________
A bunch of nice archtops, flattops, a gypsy & nylon strings…
Reply With Quote
  #206  
Old 04-27-2021, 06:25 AM
eKat eKat is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 39
Default When perfection is understated . . . .

Hi, guys (remember, that's generic, not genetic)

Whoa. . . did this puppy turn out beautifully!

About this Brazilian rosewood; it is the epitome of understated perfection, from grain orientation and structure to variety of color. It's breathtaking.

The entire guitar is an exercise in integration; it speaks of all elements, not one of which jumps out and slaps you in the face.

AND. . . Bob, I'm stoked that you're lovin' the way it sounds, after all, it's not supposed to be just a guitar shaped object.

Here's to untold hundreds of hours becoming one with your second Blanchard. It would be really fun if you checked in periodically with updates on that journey.

KEEP THE MAGIC ALIVE!
Reply With Quote
  #207  
Old 04-27-2021, 06:31 AM
Richard Mott Richard Mott is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 398
Default

One thing further on this guitar, is the compound curve of Mark’s cutaway. It is simply the most elegant I’ve seen—totally solves the issue of blending the curved heel to the side. Aesthetically, I never was able to get used to the little side “shelf” adjoining the heel in many cutaway acoustics. Mark’s approach is lovely and I would have expected it to become a lutherie standard. It must be quite a trick to achieve or it would be more widely used. But just beautiful!
Reply With Quote
  #208  
Old 04-27-2021, 06:42 AM
eKat eKat is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 39
Default Compound Contoured Venetian Cutaway . . . .

HA. . .

I SO wanted Blanchard to call his compound contoured Venetian cutaway his "Signature Cutaway."

Ya know what he said?

"Ewwwww. . . my name's not on it!"

Ya gotta love that level of humility!
Reply With Quote
  #209  
Old 04-27-2021, 08:01 AM
Steve Kinnaird's Avatar
Steve Kinnaird Steve Kinnaird is offline
AGF Sponsor
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Nacogdoches, TX
Posts: 3,601
Default

Happy for you, Bob. What a beautiful guitar!

Steve
__________________
www.stephenkinnaird.com

Crafted in the Piney Woods
Reply With Quote
  #210  
Old 04-27-2021, 08:13 AM
rule18 rule18 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: Orange County, NY
Posts: 1,413
Default

Great looking guitar, congratulations! I too enjoyed the build thread.
__________________
{ o}===::: Craig
________________________
2003 Gibson J45
2021 Furch Yellow Gc-CR MC FOR SALE
2023 Hatcher Greta
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Custom Shop

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:05 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=