Sexauer '24

[tadol]

Originally Posted by Palladio

Tadol, if you have time, please go play it before it heads my way.

You can count on that! I’m hoping to drop by today for a few minutes, as I need to go out and make sure there’s still a cliff supporting our beach house!

[gerberguitars]

In one of the recent photos you describe the bridge being made and installed, and it appears the wings of the bridge are still being shaped. Is that common practice for you to adjust the wings of the bridge as a means of tweaking the resonance of the soundboard or to create some other desired outcome? Care to elaborate at all on this?

[Bruce Sexauer]

It is possible for me to get about 2 grams of weight out of the bridge by using a gouge to scoop out the wings. But that’s not why I first did it, nor why I did it on this guitar. Originally, it was done as a visual design feature on some of the “Dream Series” guitars I was making for Paul Heumiller. Some of my subsequent customers thought it was cool and asked for it, as did the customer for this build. We considered Snakewood for the bridge, and had we used it, the scalloped wings would have been more important, but since we used lighter weight MadRose instead, it is more of an aesthetic feature, IMO.

Good question, Ryan.

[Bruce Sexauer]

Last week I had my #80 acoustic guitar, built in 2002, come into the shop with serious trouble. It is a super light build with pyramid bridge and had an over-bellied top behind the bridge, while at the same time the top was deeply concave in front of the bridge. Amazingly, the bridge had deformed spectacularly w/o any glue failure, and still came off pretty easily. I added a third toner, and replaced the bridge with a fairly authentically proportioned belly bridge, and the guitar seems to have lost little if any of genuinely spectacular tone it had learned to produce.



In more contemporary news, I buffed out the all-Koa "Tool" today and glued the neck on. Since no one has stepped up for it, I think I will fret it w/o inlay, which is my preference. If someone wants inlay at a later point, it will be a lot more trouble to put it in, but doable.

[Treenewt]

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

Last week I had my #80 acoustic guitar, built in 2002, come into the shop with serious trouble. It is a super light build with pyramid bridge and had an over-bellied top behind the bridge, while at the same time the top was deeply concave in front of the bridge. Amazingly, the bridge had deformed spectacularly w/o any glue failure, and still came off pretty easily. I added a third toner, and replaced the bridge with a fairly authentically proportioned belly bridge, and the guitar seems to have lost little if any of genuinely spectacular tone it had learned to produce.



In more contemporary news, I buffed out the all-Koa "Tool" today and glued the neck on. Since no one has stepped up for it, I think I will fret it w/o inlay, which is my preference. If someone wants inlay at a later point, it will be a lot more trouble to put it in, but doable.

The Koa tool is spectacular looking Bruce! What a beautiful piece of wood for the top!

I can’t remember you having one come in needing that kind of work before. That seems rare for you, even after twenty years. I know that’s one happy owner to have it fixed!

[Bruce Sexauer]

Indeed, this is the first I’ve seen or heard of with this issue. I think I spread the X braces too far, and that it is likely the only one.

[Szk]

Bruce. On a Dread sized guitar, what would be a common X spread for you, what degree if you happen to measure? If I recall correctly, it appears from braced photos you've shown that your X spread is a fair bit tighter than the approx 98 degree that Martin commonly uses. (I'm going from memory, so my numbers may be out.)

[Bruce Sexauer]

I have never measured my “X spread” in degrees. Instead, I make sure that the upper end of the X braces reach all the way to the UTB, and that they just pass under the wings of the bridge, which they did not quite do on the recent warranty issue. I can say that smaller guitars are a bit tighter than larger guitars.

It is my opinion that a very large proportion of Martin’s neck set issue come from too large a gap between the X ends and the UTB, leaving an obvious weak area across the soundhole which promotes the folding of the guitar top. Many seat of the pants engineers try to compensate by beefing the neck to body area, but that is not the problem at all, in most cases. Interestingly, to me, the neck geometry on my #80 is as good as it was when I made it.

[tadol]

Originally Posted by Palladio

Tadol, if you have time, please go play it before it heads my way.

Well, I did get by for a few minutes yesterday (had wife, mom, and dog waiting in the car - could only ignore them for so long) and you have a really fantastic guitar there! Initially, it was just one of Bruces really good guitars - something I’ve kinda become accustomed to - but after I’d played it a bit, I handed it back to Bruce and got a chance to hear it from in front, and WOW - this guitar has the power and smooth balance you’re looking for in a great vintage guitar, but it has even more besides! I understand you aren’t having it shipped out right away, so I hope to get by and spend a little more time with it. Bruces’ 16” design has proven power and balance, and it’s one I’m thinking I need to add.

I also got to check out the koa and cambodian guitars he has in process - I can’t wait to hear them. The koa because I’ve long enjoyed Bruce’s hardwood topped guitars (and he doesn’t build many) and the cambodian because I have a Sexauer mini-dread made from the same material, and I’m looking forward to comparing them, since the shape (and some years) will be the biggest difference between them.

But responsibility dragged me away too soon - so I’ll plan another trip up there soon when I can be far less responsible and really have fun!

[Bruce Sexauer]

The all-Koa JB-15-WRX is going to be playing in a couple of days. It would be tomorrow except for family obligations. I'll be visiting "Old Town" in Sacramento, not just with Linda and my daughter Laurelyn, but also with with Tad (Tadol) and his wife Nancy.

I believe the only way to get a perfect playing surface on a guitar is to create it AFTER the neck is glued to the body. This means additional hazard from having steel tools very near the guitar's finish, but I happily pay that price.

Here is the fingerboard, ready for frets:



I decided to use diminutive diamonds and squares for the inlay on this decidedly un-Martin-like guitar, and EVO frets, of course:



I made a super-light bridge for this hardwood guitar:



And I glued it on:

[Tim McKnight]

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

I believe the only way to get a perfect playing surface on a guitar is to create it AFTER the neck is glued to the body.

Beautiful guitar as always and I couldn't agree more Bruce! Fretting the FB prior to adjoining the neck almost always sacrifices fret height if one tries to get the guitar to ultimate playability.

[Bruce Sexauer]

It's late in the day here, and the Koa Tool has been done for hours . . . . but I have been distracted and having trouble getting around to posting. What could be so distracting, you ask, well you really oughta hear this one!!!!

[Bruce Sexauer]

With any luck at all HERE is a video of the All-Koa guitar.

[Berf]

Spectacular Bruce... a sight for sore eyes and real music to my jaded ears.

[Bruce Sexauer]

Originally Posted by Berf

Spectacular Bruce... a sight for sore eyes and real music to my jaded ears.

I think this post means the link works. Thank for say so, Berf.