Raymond Kraut OM (Brazilian/Spruce) "rebuild" - Page 2

billgennaro · #16 02-25-2015, 11:15 AM

Wow! Very striking! Ray is a wonderful luthier. The anticipation must be peaking.

bdm0509 · #17 02-25-2015, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billgennaro

Wow! Very striking! Ray is a wonderful luthier. The anticipation must be peaking.

Bill-

It's been an interesting ride. I actually commissioned and paid for this guitar in late 2010/early 2011. Along the way there have been more ups and downs than I'd ever wish upon anyone. By last year, I'd really sort of gotten over the whole guitar, what with all those ups and downs... I'd just gotten emotionally worn out and wanted to be done with the thing. I even stopped playing guitar for a long while, partly because of all the upheaval of this build and some other things related to my guitar world.

In the last few weeks, though, I've found that most of the history of this guitar has begun to slip away for me... and that's a good thing. Now I'm hopeful that a really great guitar might be headed my way. To a large degree, I'm excited and hopeful without the emotional attachment, and given what's come before, I think that's a really good place for me to be.

I talked with Ray a bit yesterday about setup. We'll see... I know he really likes the guitar, and I hope I do, too. I know I have options in the event that I don't, but best case would be this thing comes and I really enjoy playing it.

These commissions are strange... you get really wrapped up in them, and as a friend of mine said to me, it's really hard to not raise the expectations way beyond anything reasonable. Add to that the bumps (and wrecks) along the way of this one? Man.

I'm not sure if I'm done with commissions or not. I think the next guitar I purchase won't be a commission, although it will almost certainly be an individual luthier-built guitar. The commission road, though, just wears me out.

All that to say that I'm fortunate to be near the end of this road, and I am glad Ray is excited about this guitar. I'm hoping I see it next week.

-B

Nemoman · #18 02-25-2015, 11:44 AM

Really a beautiful set of woods on this one. Hope that you love the guitar, Brett, and that it reignites your passion to play. Looking forward to seeing and hearing the end result and your report...

stringjunky · #19 02-25-2015, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdm0509

Bill-

It's been an interesting ride. I actually commissioned and paid for this guitar in late 2010/early 2011. Along the way there have been more ups and downs than I'd ever wish upon anyone. By last year, I'd really sort of gotten over the whole guitar, what with all those ups and downs... I'd just gotten emotionally worn out and wanted to be done with the thing. I even stopped playing guitar for a long while, partly because of all the upheaval of this build and some other things related to my guitar world.

In the last few weeks, though, I've found that most of the history of this guitar has begun to slip away for me... and that's a good thing. Now I'm hopeful that a really great guitar might be headed my way. To a large degree, I'm excited and hopeful without the emotional attachment, and given what's come before, I think that's a really good place for me to be.

I talked with Ray a bit yesterday about setup. We'll see... I know he really likes the guitar, and I hope I do, too. I know I have options in the event that I don't, but best case would be this thing comes and I really enjoy playing it.

These commissions are strange... you get really wrapped up in them, and as a friend of mine said to me, it's really hard to not raise the expectations way beyond anything reasonable. Add to that the bumps (and wrecks) along the way of this one? Man.

I'm not sure if I'm done with commissions or not. I think the next guitar I purchase won't be a commission, although it will almost certainly be an individual luthier-built guitar. The commission road, though, just wears me out.

All that to say that I'm fortunate to be near the end of this road, and I am glad Ray is excited about this guitar. I'm hoping I see it next week.

-B

I think what you are going to get is a definitive Kraut because you let him loose and that's the way I will do it in future if I have another one made by someone, apart from body style and setup measurements.

bdm0509 · #20 03-02-2015, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stringjunky

I think what you are going to get is a definitive Kraut because you let him loose and that's the way I will do it in future if I have another one made by someone, apart from body style and setup measurements.

That's definitely my hope! Love it, like it, or hate it, I think I'll be evaluating Ray's "best" guitar, so that's good.

-B

bdm0509 · #21 03-02-2015, 09:51 AM

Here are some more pics as this build comes to its close.

These are all of the rosette pre-finish.

bdm0509 · #22 03-08-2015, 05:51 PM

We shall see how this thing turns out, after (literally) nearly 4 years.

-Brett

Oxwood_Handmade · #23 03-08-2015, 08:09 PM

Man, Ray's work is so precise and clean! I was just at Ervin's voicing course and was talking to him about Ray. He said that Ray was a perfectionist to the most minute details, so much that if he were building a jig, he would lay out the screw spacing with a scale. I applaud such craftsmanship.

Congratulations on your build and I hope you find yourself very satisfied!

jperryrocks · #24 03-08-2015, 08:19 PM

That is a delicious looking back. If wood can be called delicious 😜.

stringjunky · #25 03-08-2015, 10:49 PM

Exquisite work and aesthetic. I think he's quite japanese in his design sense.

bdm0509 · #26 03-09-2015, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stringjunky

Exquisite work and aesthetic. I think he's quite japanese in his design sense.

I agree. I know that lots of folks feel like he borrows heavily from Matsuda. While I do think it would be insane to say that he isn't influenced by Michi, I do feel he has carved (yuk yuk) his own niche in this design space.

His rosettes and stylings seems way less "me too" than much of what I see from some. In my mind, Matsuda is clearly at the forefront of innovative visual design, and I see folks like Ray Kraut and Simon Fay in the upper echelon as well.

Just my opinion, but I've always got plenty of those.

-Brett

CoolerKing · #27 03-09-2015, 10:31 AM

Just wonderful spruce and rosette. I hope it knocks your socks off.

Billy Boy · #28 03-09-2015, 11:37 AM

I hate to break it to you, Brett, but you will not be getting Ray's best guitar to come from his work bench...I already have it

...and absolutely gorgeous quilted birds-eye maple/spruce OO with a slot head...with sound big enough you think it's an MD but balanced so well you think it's an OM...but, your guitar is absolutely beautiful and I'm sure you'll love it!

bdm0509 · #29 03-09-2015, 11:46 AM