Sexauer ‘19, chapter 1

[Bruce Sexauer]

Surely SOMEONE can diss my wordplay?

The hOMage box is closed:

[TomB'sox]

I thought it was very clever, but did not want to give you too much credit for you cleverness I am still trying to get over how nice the BRW is...

[Bruce Sexauer]

I think of my 40 sets of BRW as A, AA, AAA, and Master. This bears no relationship with standard wood grading, but is for my internal use. They go in steps from $2500 to $7000 as far as upcharge is concerned.

This set is A grade, meaning it has the "casual" appearance of quarter everywhere inside the waist. I see many sets being used by others touted as Mastergrade which would not meet my A grade standard, but that's the modern world we live in. I got the bulk of my wood many years ago with the intention of spoiling myself and my customers; it seems to be working as planned.

[Bruce Sexauer]

One of the great advantages, to me, of celluloid binding is that it can all go on at once without compromising craftsmanship. I am still not getting the near perfect plastic to plastic connection that Slobod does, though he insists he is telling me everything. Perhaps because 19 out of 20 on my guitars are done with wood binding. Practice/practice/practice.

Now I move on to the neck.

[Nemoman]

That's some mighty fine looking A-grade, Bruce...

[Bruce Sexauer]

Originally Posted by Nemoman

That's some mighty fine looking A-grade, Bruce...

To be fair, this stuff is probably a strong AA by conventional standards. My AA and AAA are AAA conventionally, and my MasterGrade is MasterGrade, by traditional standards: beyond criticism in any era. It is also perhaos worth mentioning that I do not actually have any MasterGrade BRW, by my standards, but I am not therefore calling my AAA mastergrade.

[Bruce Sexauer]

Tomorrow is Easter, and Linda and I will go up to Sacramento to visit my Daughter in her first rental house. She moved in a week ago and I have only seen pictures. We will bring a BBQ as a house warming gift and cook some ridiculously expensive lamb chops.

Happy Easter!

So here's as far as the hOMage will get until Monday:

[CoolerKing]

Truly a beautiful guitar, and the woods are beautiful!

[Guitars44me]

Nice quote, and very sweet guitars!

"The FT-15-D Kerala is an extraordinary instrument. All the power of a dread, but the note separation of a 000. All the throatiness of a 12-fret, but the clear trebles of an OM. Highly responsive, but with infinite headroom. Remarkably clear bass. More sustain than any guitar I’ve ever played."

And, OK, I will word play...

There is no place like hOMage.

Paul

[Bruce Sexauer]

Over the last couple of days I finished shaping the neck on the hOMage, then I sealed the the whole thing, porefilled it, resealed it, and applied the first coat of varnish.

[Jimmy Caldwell]

Outstanding! Can't wait to see the finished product.

[TomB'sox]

I am quite drawn to that top for some reason...

[Bruce Sexauer]

Color in the top is a deal killer when it come to AAA rating, and there was a time when I could not perceive the obvious beauty myself. But that time has passed, and this top rates very high on my aesthetic index. It is gorgeous.

When I was about 10 years old my family took a car trip through the Marin/Sonoma hills, which were in their golden brown stage at that moment. I had been told how beautiful the hills would be and all I could see was a barren lumpy desert. That too is the past, now I live there and love them completely.

Aside from looking extremely beautiful to me, I have good reason to believe this is a great top structurally and tonally. I believe this knowledge informs my aesthetic sense.

[BrunoBlack]

I really like the character of the Top and B&S woods. Beautiful by my standards. Very nice guitar.

[Bruce Sexauer]

In contrast to the FT-15 hOMage, I'm now making a closely related FT-15 of my own design.This one is also my "entry level" BRW, but with a German top from Martin Guhl.

Here's the back as I am about to brace it: