A Very Non-TREE-ditional Edwinson C-000

[Mark Hatcher]

Wow! Beautifully done Steve!

Mark

[Glenn23]

The black-framed presentation is the perfect counterpoint to the wild undulations of "The Tree"!

[theEdwinson]

Originally Posted by Aspiring

The pictures are stunning. My guess is that it plays and sounds as good as it looks!

Thanks for the kind comments. When I took on this commission, I was a little concerned about how this guitar would sound. This is the first Mahogany-topped guitar I've made, and many of the Martins and others that I've encountered over the years were somewhat uninspiring, tone-wise. They have mostly had a strong fundamental, short sustain, not much tone color, and a chunky vibe that works great for playing dirty blues, and kicking out raucous jams while sitting in front of a fishing shack at the edge of a Mississippi swamp.

Not so with this guitar! It actually sounds more like a Euro Spruce-topped guitar. It has great depth in the bass, strong mids, chimey trebles, lots of sustain, and some delicate overtones. And it's still a totally green apple. It's only going to improve from here.

I built the top and bracing lightly for maximum response. I was very concerned about using such wildly figured wood for a soundboard, ESPECIALLY with a pinless bridge. I was concerned that the rotational torque might cause the top to "open up" in the WRONG way at some point. So, when I designed the bridge, I decided to incorporate a JLD Bridge Doctor into the scheme. This device is usually used to resuscitate old guitars with bellied/sunken tops, by correcting that rotational torque and flattening the top. Breedlove custom shop guitars were built with these devices as standard equipment- maybe they still are--and those guitars have a great reputation for sound and performance. So, I decided to build-in a JLD from the get-go as cheap insurance to keep the top from getting too stressed out.
I didn't have time to experiment with it, so I can't really say how much the JLD Bridge Doctor influences the tone; but it sounded so good with the first set of strings, I decided not to mess with it.

[theEdwinson]

Here are some pics of the pinless bridge. I was initially quite skeptical of using a pinless design on this guitar, for reasons stated above; but now I'm so pleased with the outcome that I've decided to add this bridge to my standard lineup of options. I think I'll make a pinned version as well.



For anyone who has been familiar with my work for a few years, you probably know that my original bridges were on the radical side. Some of them look like Ninja weapons. For this bridge, I opted for simplicity- once again, not wanting to compete in any way with the Tree figure. I recall a beautifully elegant Double-0 guitar built around 2010 by my Seattle shop partner, Aaron Andrews, which had a bridge that was very similar in shape to this one, although it was a pinned bridge. Thanks for the inspiration, Aaron!

The saddle is made of bone, but per Charlie's request, I dyed it black, using a pressure cooker on the stove.

[theEdwinson]

Originally Posted by Mark Hatcher

Wow! Beautifully done Steve!

Mark

Hi, Mark, Thanks! Give me some Tree wood to chop up in six hours, and I'll take three months looking for a sharp axe!

[Guitars44me]

Mighty NICE Steve!

I like the understated look of this one. And of course the wood is spectacular.

I am also a fan of bevels and ports, so this appeals to me that way too!

Very Nice to have you back here in the Custom Shop!

Salud,

Paul

[Nemoman]

That is insane--WOW!

Amazing work once again, Steve. Love all the understated appointments that let the Tree shine. Your new pinless bridge is really cool as well.

Really looking forward to seeing you and your latest creations at BIGer.

[TomB'sox]

Not that it matters, but I am a big fan of this more subdued bridge as well, definitely less Ninja warrior and more elegance for the Tree!

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by Nemoman

That is insane--WOW!

Amazing work once again, Steve. Love all the understated appointments that let the Tree shine. Your new pinless bridge is really cool as well.

Really looking forward to seeing you and your latest creations at BIGer.

Me too Mr. Nemoman...For the rest of you, Steve is one of 11 luthiers attending B.I.G. this fall and is one of the nicest guys you can meet. You won't know this though unless you come!!!

[fitness1]

Pretty speechless here......and that doesn't happen often. Spectacular on all accounts.

But - you know I love those dual ports!

[BBWW]

This is an outstanding guitar and this coming from the biggest snob in "Treedom".

[theEdwinson]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

Not that it matters, but I am a big fan of this more subdued bridge as well, definitely less Ninja warrior and more elegance for the Tree!

Thanks, Tom. The older I get, the more I feel drawn to tone down some of those attention-getter bridges I make. I actually tried to move on to more, um, "normal" shapes in the past, but my original Talon bridge (the one that looks like it was designed to skin and eviscerate big game) had a lot of fans, and they demanded it on their builds. Somebody on YouTube called it the "badass Batman bridge". That made me chuckle, but jeez, it's time to grow up!

[Vaillant75]

That is quite special.

While keeping its distinctive elements, I agree with the understated push so it doe not "conflict" with this incredible wood. Amazing work all around.
Interestingly, the guitar as is reminds me of the Casimi work, especially with the soundports and the lines at the neck joint.

Thanks for sharing, the new owner is a lucky guy.
Cheers,

[Rumblefish]

That is intense! I love the dual soundports.

[Carpinteria]

That’s a beautiful and unique guitar! Great work! Dave