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  #46  
Old 10-11-2013, 02:18 PM
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justonwo justonwo is offline
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Agreed, my Adi/Mahogany Brondel is an absolute thing of beauty and has really resulted in a total paradigm shift for me on tonewoods. Power, projection, note separation, but still with a pleasing complexity and musicality. Breathtaking.

Here's an example of the Tasmanian Blackwood, by the way. As well as an example of what my guitar is likely to look like in the end.








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  #47  
Old 10-11-2013, 04:31 PM
jackaroo jackaroo is offline
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Wow! you've drifted a fair bit from where you were you were when this all began.

I'm left wondering what I was after I read this a while back...Why not pick up a nice 00-18 from 1926-1932? Those guitars are incredible! They cost about 6-7 K so I'd wager the cost is just about parallel with John Slobod's new build.

I think the custom build route makes sense when:

The guitar exists already so you don't have to wonder if you'll like it.

The guitar you want has features that are NOT available.

The guitar you want is a reproduction of a guitar that is just way, way out of reach financially.

You can afford to take a big hit on resale if you don't bond with the commissioned instrument.

Obviously it's your money and privilege to do what you want with it...this is just my perspective.

I see you're looking for the cutaway...so that falls within my guidelines. I've heard great things about Slobod. Coincidentally, a friend owns Petteways maple 00 that everyone is talking about here and says it's a very special instrument. I'd wager whatever happens you're in for a treat! Just the same having a nice old Martin from the late 20's through the late 30's is never a bad thing. I love the few I'm lucky enough to own.

Lastly...I can't imagine wanting a guitar with more overtones than my 00-18. It's just about perfect.


Disclaimer:waiting for 4 custom builds this year! I own a lot of old vintage guitars...

Last edited by jackaroo; 10-11-2013 at 06:08 PM.
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  #48  
Old 10-11-2013, 05:30 PM
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I'm glad I meet your guidelines. Why the thumb's down?
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  #49  
Old 10-11-2013, 05:39 PM
jackaroo jackaroo is offline
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Now now....

No thumbs down, and that's just one guys opinion. No need to get like that.

In fact it makes sense, you want a cutaway right? They never made an old Martin with a cutaway...so go the custom route.

I'm excited for you, and the new build...but you did point out that after doing the legwork over in Tiburon, it turns out that you DO like the old Martin sound...kinda begs the ? "Why not get an old Martin? "

Whatever you do I'm glad you're happy, so congrats!
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  #50  
Old 10-11-2013, 06:08 PM
jackaroo jackaroo is offline
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Weird...I just saw that red thumbs down. I had no idea that was there!

Ill see if I can edit it out. I feel silly now.


J
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  #51  
Old 10-11-2013, 06:09 PM
jackaroo jackaroo is offline
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Done!
Sorry for that.

J
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  #52  
Old 10-11-2013, 06:34 PM
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Stupid emoticons.
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  #53  
Old 04-25-2014, 05:50 PM
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Well, with the acquisition of my Euro/koa Montuoro 000-12 in December, John and I revisited the idea of a Adi/Tas 000-12 and felt there would probably be too much overlap. So we have changed course . . . again . . . a lot can happen in 2 years, I suppose. Repeated trips to Schoenberg have really changed my acoustic guitar preferences.

So it'll be a 00-12 cutaway (slot head) with Adirondack and Madagascar rosewood, style 42. I asked John to take the liberty to voice it the way he thinks best. 00-12s are a particular specialty of his, and I know it will sound fantastic. Here's a really cool 00-12 of John's at Luthiers Collection.







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  #54  
Old 04-26-2014, 09:42 AM
JohnM JohnM is offline
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John is as good of a builder as there is. Barre none. PERIOD.

That said when someone wants all these very particular tonal goals and is banking on hitting them all it becomes very hard to please. We can control a great many things with some degree of certainty but to assure that everything is coming out just as wanted is a road that leads to some sort of disappointment. Sorry but there is an element of luck in there too. That element is diminished to an extent by experience and John has a wealth of that and skill, but if it were me I wouldn't promise someone all those things with absolute certainty. Tone can be very subjective as Howard explained.

Which is why sometime down the road when I get my shop back together I will not take commissions. I won't do it for the money per se. I'll build whatever the hell I want and if someone doesn't want it then it's no skin off my back.

Good luck with the build. If I were to order a guitar from ANYONE it would be John. Someday I will actually. He is that good. Plus getting to know and love the guy from working with him and many other things helps too, but above all else he has a talent for building not many do.
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  #55  
Old 04-26-2014, 10:42 AM
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Agree that John is a great builder. My only expectation is that he builds a great guitar. I doubt that he will disappoint. That being said, this is not my first commissioned guitar, and I am well aware of the potential for the outcome to vary somewhat from preconceived notions. In this case, over the 2 year period since John and I first started talking about a 00-12 commission, my tastes have evolved significantly. This thread happens to capture part of that evolution, which I suppose makes me come across as fickle or uncertain of what I want. I can live with that.

Quote:
Originally Posted by justonwo View Post
Well, with the acquisition of my Euro/koa Montuoro 000-12 in December, John and I revisited the idea of a Adi/Tas 000-12 and felt there would probably be too much overlap. So we have changed course . . . again . . . a lot can happen in 2 years, I suppose. Repeated trips to Schoenberg have really changed my acoustic guitar preferences.

So it'll be a 00-12 cutaway (slot head) with Adirondack and Madagascar rosewood, style 42. I asked John to take the liberty to voice it the way he thinks best. 00-12s are a particular specialty of his, and I know it will sound fantastic. Here's a really cool 00-12 of John's at Luthiers Collection.
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  #56  
Old 04-27-2014, 04:12 AM
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I think that both Howard K. and John M. make excellent points regarding a client and builder's common understanding of tone based upon nomenclature and the inherent variability of wood and the build process to achieve them. To Justin's point, some clients may have a better understanding of what they want or can articulate it in a more effective way.

Despite these challenges, most clients are usually delighted with their commissions. This speaks in part, to both luthier information gathering skills and their ability to manipulate the music from the wood. In the end, like many of life's most wonderful things; commissioning a guitar is an act of faith.

My $.02
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  #57  
Old 04-27-2014, 09:23 AM
kirkham13 kirkham13 is offline
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This is the first time I've seen this thread. I just want to plug tasmanean blackwood, tremendous sound. I also like adirondack, and think lutz might be a good consideration as well. I'll have to go visit Schoenberg next time I'm on the west coast...
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  #58  
Old 04-27-2014, 10:15 AM
billgennaro billgennaro is offline
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I have played that Circa 00-12 (Adi/Koa) at Luthier's Collection a number of times. Each time I do I wonder why I never bought it! What a great guitar. Perhaps the fact that its a non-cutaway 12 fretter that holds me back. I've also played many other John Slobod guitars and, pretty much, every one has been fairly stellar. I'm torn between commissioning a Circa or a Franklin OM for my next guitar. Anyway, best of luck on your new build. You are a very fortunate man to be able to build one guitar after another from such great luthiers. I assume your Brondel was all you had hoped it would be.
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  #59  
Old 04-27-2014, 10:57 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kirkham13 View Post
This is the first time I've seen this thread. I just want to plug tasmanean blackwood, tremendous sound. I also like adirondack, and think lutz might be a good consideration as well. I'll have to go visit Schoenberg next time I'm on the west coast...
Yeah, I believe Tasmanian blackwood, as a cousin of koa, probably sounds amazing. I just wanted to be careful not to overlap too much with the koa 000-12 I already own.

Quote:
Originally Posted by billgennaro View Post
I have played that Circa 00-12 (Adi/Koa) at Luthier's Collection a number of times. Each time I do I wonder why I never bought it! What a great guitar. Perhaps the fact that its a non-cutaway 12 fretter that holds me back. I've also played many other John Slobod guitars and, pretty much, every one has been fairly stellar. I'm torn between commissioning a Circa or a Franklin OM for my next guitar. Anyway, best of luck on your new build. You are a very fortunate man to be able to build one guitar after another from such great luthiers. I assume your Brondel was all you had hoped it would be.
That Circa 00-12 koa does look ridiculously nice. I've sound not having upper fret access from a non-cutaway 12 fret isn't super limiting to me. Maybe one in five songs I play requires access that high up the neck. The Brondel is super.
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  #60  
Old 04-27-2014, 10:58 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by billgennaro View Post
I'm torn between commissioning a Circa or a Franklin OM for my next guitar.
Good place to be, Bill!

Congrats on the 00, Juston. John makes the best I've played...in ANY price range.
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