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  #31  
Old 05-11-2012, 12:26 PM
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  #32  
Old 05-11-2012, 01:25 PM
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Originally Posted by justonwo View Post
Things I have no idea about:

1. How it will look (other than the assumption that it will look awesome)
2. If it will smell more like cotton candy or cigar smoke...
I vote for cotton candy, of course!

It's a good thing we didn't have a daughter, or she might have been saddled with that name.

cotten
  #33  
Old 05-15-2012, 09:59 AM
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I vote for cotton candy, of course!

It's a good thing we didn't have a daughter, or she might have been saddled with that name.

cotten
Oh, you would have paid dearly for that around age 13.
  #34  
Old 05-15-2012, 10:26 AM
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Oh, and you can color me a sick bstrd because I decided to commission a Kraut OM as well.
  #35  
Old 05-16-2012, 03:11 AM
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What (apart from the joy of owning two amazing guitars), was the reasoning there?!
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  #36  
Old 05-16-2012, 10:54 AM
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What (apart from the joy of owning two amazing guitars), was the reasoning there?!
Well, apart from Mike Baranik's and Matt Mustapick's guitars, the three Krauts I played at Healdsburg are the best guitars I've ever played. Bear in mind, I've only been to Healdsburg twice and probably played guitars by 30 builders total . . . so I'm leaving out a lot of great builders, I'm sure.

But Ray brings something completely distinct to the table that really stands out from other guitars I've played. Perhaps this is the Somogyi influence in his sound (because I heard the same quality in the Matsuda I played), but the bass is huge and gorgeous and loaded with great overtones. That, and his guitars are insanely ergonomic and comfy to play.

So by ordering an OM on top of the Mod D, I hope to really capture a full spectrum of Ray's work, from the girth of the D-sized guitar to the presence and punch of the OM. They are more likely to be similar than totally different. I will still most likely end up with a hard/dense wood for the back and sides (old growth EIR is at the top of my list, actually) and some variety of spruce for the top. Scale length, sound ports, fan frets, and all those things are still up in the air (actually, most of the guitar is still up in the air). A lot will probably depend on the outcome of the Mod D, and I will probably use that guitar as a benchmark for discussing the OM.

All that is to say . . . yeah, it's basically the pleasure of owning two of the best acoustics out there (actually 3, including my Baranik).

Oh, and here are some gratuitous shots of the ebony that will be used for the Mod D.






Last edited by justonwo; 05-16-2012 at 11:19 AM.
  #37  
Old 05-16-2012, 12:01 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lonerstoner View Post
What (apart from the joy of owning two amazing guitars), was the reasoning there?!
I've also got a MD and OM on order, but from Jason Kostal (also one of Somogyi's ex-apprentices); the MD is underway at the moment.

The MD and OM are two completely different beasts as far as I'm concerned. They feel different (the MD is a big guitar) and they sound very different - totally different tonal balance. Different scale length as well.

Huge generalisation, but the OM is better balanced and more "vanilla". The MD is a bruiser on steroids - huge bass and a bigger sound. More "immediately" impressive but can be unbalanced; bass heavy, but WHAT a bass. What you loose on the roundabouts...

I like them both and so ordered both. They'll do different things and one is not better than the other.

I've played an OM by Ray Kraut and it was nothing like any of the Somogyi stable MDs I've played. Never played a MD from Ray.

Cheers,
Steve
  #38  
Old 05-16-2012, 12:06 PM
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Originally Posted by justonwo View Post
A lot will probably depend on the outcome of the Mod D, and I will probably use that guitar as a benchmark for discussing the OM.
Good idea - that is exactly what I am doing. I plan on living with my MD for several months before proceeding with the OM; I asked Jason for slots 6 months apart.

What I like/dislike about the MD and want/don't want from the OM can the fed back in a far more evidence-based fashion if I've had the benefit of having one of the guitars at home and getting to know it well.

We'll see how it all comes out in the wash...

Cheers,
Steve
  #39  
Old 06-05-2012, 12:22 PM
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Poll:

For a 25.25-26.00" fan fret, would you . . .

1) Go for medium gauge on the 2 high strings? (Would require ordering custom strings sets, though I know this is possible).

2) Go for lights across the board?

3) Go for custom hybrid like Pearse New Mediums or similar?

Bear in mind, Ray usually uses mediums on his 25.25" scale Mod Ds. Having a medium string on the bass E seems like overkill since the scale length is 26" there.
  #40  
Old 06-05-2012, 01:36 PM
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I run mediums on my OM with the same fan... no problem at all. Of course, I've been playing mediums since college (some 15 years ago, now), so I've never wanted anything but. I like thick string and fundamental, so mediums it's always been.

Anyway, Ray did a great job of dialing the guitar in for mediums.

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  #41  
Old 07-25-2012, 08:30 PM
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Sides are being bent. It's all starting!
  #42  
Old 07-26-2012, 03:05 AM
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Sides are being bent. It's all starting!
Cool - get those pics up here; we need entertainment!

cheers,
Steve
  #43  
Old 07-26-2012, 10:25 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by steveh View Post
Cool - get those pics up here; we need entertainment!

cheers,
Steve

++1 !!!

Looking forward to it... along with your sideline commentary...!!

Phil
  #44  
Old 07-26-2012, 11:13 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by justonwo View Post
Poll:

For a 25.25-26.00" fan fret, would you . . .

1) Go for medium gauge on the 2 high strings? (Would require ordering custom strings sets, though I know this is possible).

2) Go for lights across the board?

3) Go for custom hybrid like Pearse New Mediums or similar?

Bear in mind, Ray usually uses mediums on his 25.25" scale Mod Ds. Having a medium string on the bass E seems like overkill since the scale length is 26" there.
Congratulations on your new build.

I would probably put mediums on that guitar but for no scientific reason.

Your choice of black ebony is very interesting and fairly uncommon. In my discussions with Harvey Leach, he also recommended black ebony for my playing style.

I think Ray's aesthetics work very well with dark back and sides and I expect your guitar will have plenty of sustain and harmonic overtones.
  #45  
Old 07-26-2012, 11:35 AM
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No photos to post yet, but rest assured they will be posted as soon as they become available.

Yes, ebony is not all that common, but ultimately I'm trusting that Ray will make the right choice based on the sound I've requested. And I'm always happy with being pleasantly surprised about the end result. I want to make sure I don't over-constrain Ray and give him leeway to select the building materials he thinks will work best.

I tried some Pearse new mediums on my guitar and although they weren't THAT much harder to play, I didn't really hear an improvement in the sound that was worth the extra effort. Given that the scale length will already be 3/4" longer than Ray's standard in the bass, I think lights will probably work just fine. If I'm unhappy with treble response, I can always increase to medium gauge, but I've never really found this to be an issue on any other guitar I've played.
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