Official Luthiers Forum!

This guitar is finally completed and photographed. This my best guitar so far and,
although no perfect, i am quite proud of it. Thanks to many on this forum for their
help and encouragement!

Specifications:
Plantilla: Santos Hernandez
Scale: 650 mm
Weight: 3 lb. 2 oz.
Back and sides: Cocobolo
Top: Englemann Spruce
Neck: Spanish Cedar
Fingerboard: Gabon Ebony
Bridge: East Indian Rosewood
Head veneers: Cocobolo (front) and Partridge Wood (back)
Bindings: East Indian Rosewood
Purflings: Sycamore and black fiber

Here are the pictures - multiple posts.



Please note the sound ports as this is the first time I have incorporated these on a guitar.
They make a tremendous difference to me when playing.

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

Very nice Max, beautifully done. Classic appearance, I'm sure it sounds great.

Beautiful!!
Is that a Rodriquez style rose?

Do the ports help with that Flamenco sound!
How is it braced??
And what style ?

keep up the great work!!!!
Mike
[url]www.collinsguitars.com
[/url]

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Mike Collins

More pictures...

Here is a look at the head and Schaller tuning machines with Ebony buttons.



Here's another view of the head showing some beautiful coco.



Stacked heel with EIR heel cap.



More to follow...

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

Very pretty Max. I sure would like to see the back.
Where did you get sycamore veneer that thin?

More photos...

My all-time favorite ready-made rosette - original by Miguel Rodriguez.



Here's a look at the great silk in the Englemann top.



Now for a look at some fabulous Coco from Hibdon.







The bindings, end splice and bridge are all EIR and subtly offset the wild coco.



Here's look at some side figure.



The guitar sounds quite flamenco, though less brittle than most that are made of Cypress.
It's very responsive and, when playing, I feel enveloped by the sound from the sound ports.
I'll definitely be taking this guitar with me to my flamenco workshop in Spain this July.

Best regards, and thanks for looking.

Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

I forgot to mention one very important item - Joe White did the catalyzed polyester finish.
He did a brilliant job and took this instrument to another whole level for me. The poly finish
is great for flamencos because it is very tough but very thin, about .003".

Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

Max--

This guitar is gorgeous! Very, very well done! Will this be going to Spain with you this summer?

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Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC

Mike,

Thanks for the kind comments. As I later mentioned the rosette is a Miguez Rodriguez design made by a Russsian luthier and available from LMI. The sound ports are great for the player. I don't know about the listener. The bracing is based on Santos Hernandez' symetrical 7 fan brace layout, but with the lower transverse bar angled down about 10 degrees toward the treble side. There is a bridge patch and the braces are scolloped.

Regards,
Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

Lovely!

John,

The Sycamore veneers for the purfling comes from Madinter Trade in Spain. I visit them every summer when I'm in Spain. They have excellent veneers - all Sycamore and 0.5 mm thick. They have a number of very good colors as well as natural. They have a website where you can order, but shipping costs to the US are very expensive.

Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

Wow, Max, that is drop dead gorgeous! Can't find anything I don't like about it. Oh yeah, thought of something. It's not mine!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Max my friend you did a beautiful job on this stunning guitar and I feel honored that I got to see it in the white and also hear it once finished.

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Ann Arbor Guitars

stunningly beautiful guitar Max! Wish I could hear it sing

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Reguards,

Ken H

Max well done. The coco looks very nice. That guitar is amazingly light at 3.2 lbs considering you used coco.

BTW: The soundports should make an audible difference to the listener as well. That is an interesting location for the ports -- I like it!

Max,

Beautiful guitar and superb workmanship. The coco is really stunning and the Engleman top is super. I'd be interested in hearing it sometime. We'll have to get together when time and weather permit. Keep up the great work!!

Peter

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Peter

J Howell said,


You bet, Jim. Can't wait to show it to my friends at the workshop. Who knows... maybe some one will want one
Thanks for the kind words.

Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

Nice guitar, Max.
Beutiful job...

Congratulations.

Cheers,
Claire

That is really nice Max, congratulations I bet I sounds beautiful.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Beutiful guitar and a great looking headstock!

Lovely guitar, Max. How thin are the back and sides?

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

Pretty darn nice!

_________________
Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

Thanks to you all for your kind words, especially Claire and Peter, who both make flamencos, and my excellent friend, Hesh.

In answer to your question, Ken, the back and sides are about .065" thick.

Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

Stunning Max!! What a beautiful guitar!
Did you take any special precautions while working with the cocobolo and what kin dof glue did you use?

Great job! A real beauty!

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Instagram: @jfrenchluthier