Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi folks, guess who's back! For a while, due to some work projects then a lenghty vacation and then my father was sick, I left the forum aside. Now that things are easier I finally finished the...finish of my second guitar, which was also a commission for a good friend.

The top is gorgeous looking Lutz from Shane, Spanish cedar neck and EIR back&sides from Rivolta, Rio bridge from Martin Guhl.
The rosette is the Russian kind LMI sells, and from them I also got the tuners, shellac, pumice, and purfling veneers. Headplate is ebony. At first i wanted to use a black schem with black binding too, but it was breaking like nuts so i switched to the side EIR offcuts.

The size is on the small side, S.E. Torres, and the bracing is Torres style with some Romanillos ideas thrown in.

The finish is far from being mirror-like ultragloss, but it makes the wood look warm and inviting, while the colors are just fabulous (photos don't do justice). The depth is quite impressive knowing how thin the finish is.

The owner has a degree in classical guitar at the Bucharest Conservatory and he is pleased with the guitar. I also gained a lot of experience, so I am happy with the result

Pics and backgrounds are quite lame yeah OK. I wanted to do outside pics int he sun, with blurry garden backgrounds but is overcast and rainy for days, and today I delivered the guitar. Oh well.

I will try to post some sound clips one of these days when we get to record smth.

Many thanks to the OLF (members and old posts, dealers etc.) because it probably wouldn't have been possible without this resource.

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Build log

Alex, you ol' dog you! You've been working behind our backs. Glad to see you back at OLF. You have done a yeoman's job on that guitar. It looks really great. The binding from the cut-offs really makes it look rich. Nice job. Congratulations. Also glad to hear your life has settled down a bit.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Beautiful Alex!

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Dan

That is the best looking mosaic rosette I have ever seen And for me that is saying somthing because I literally hate mosaic rosettes

Looks great, Alex. Welcome back!

I had trouble breaking ebony bindings for my two flamencos, but ebony also provides the best opportunity for filling, sanding, and cheating!

Does it cost you a fortune to buy from LMI? Are there suitable European substitutes? (I guess not!.)

I've been so busy at work these days that nothing guitarwise is getting done.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Thanks guys! I did not do that rosette, it is by a Russian luthier. LMI and Martin Guhl sell his stuff and their are great.


I really don't see any problem with buying from the USA. Wood can be cheaper, also no stinkin 20% VAT, so yet again even cheaper !!, shipping can be quicker (if not always quicker) and not really expensive. Custom duties might be a problem, so no FEDEX etc. But with USPS its OK, the mail clerks know me and have sympathy for a guitar builder and they don't check the invoice


I will never ever try to use ebony bindings again -what a PITA At first I tried to bend them EIR style, and snapped like a matchstick. I added heat from above with a clothes iron, it bent, and then it simply felt apart. Sort of similar to a hot plastic that separates from heat, no crack no nothing.

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Build log

Alex, beautiful work, nice job on the french polish, I know that pumice fill takes some extra work. Great looking top, shows some very nice silk. Are the purflings maple?

Thanks. I am happy with how pumice works. But I should have done 2 session instead of just 1. After I leveled with 1000 grit it was looking nice, but after the first shellac session I discovered a number of pores that were only half filled and were showing up as shallow depressions here and there. I decided to keep going on. Myself I don't mind it, neither the customer, it makes for a natural woody look, and its visible only when looking at certain angles and using light.

The top is perfect wood and perfect cut, thanks Shane. It has full silk the whole width, equal grain count, zero runout

I used veneers, curly maple / Indian / c. maple for the back purfling, maple for sides, and for the top, maple + fine fiber BWB.

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Build log

Very nice job! It must be a real boost to have a musician of that caliber want you to make a guitar for them, even if they are a friend.

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

Alex she is a real beauty and for a second guitar - well that is just not easy to believe because this guitar is stunning in all respects! WOW!!!

What they all said!

There's nothing wrong with the photos either. No dirty washing in the background, etc. I think they're fine.

Here's a short tiny mp3 with a friend improvising. The recording setup makes it sound sort of dark, while in real the sound is little brighter. Also the cheap mic seems to remove the wood color. (for example makes the new guitar and my first (lighter Euro top/cypress B&s) sound very similar)

MP3

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Build log

Alex, I missed this, what a great job you did, I'm impressed. You should be proud of your work, the guitar looks great and from my point of view even more importantly, sounds great too.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Thank you very much Colin! It is a great encouragement from a builder whose work (and playing) I greatly admire!

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Build log

Really nice tonality. Good clear and clean sounding. Great, Alex. I couldn't open the link you had pm'd me, but this one opened. Your friend must be very happy with this instrument.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Alex;
That's a beauty !
The tone is also great!
Was it difficult to have it leave your shop ?
Now every guitar you make will have to measure up to this one.
Keep working them woods !

Mike

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Mike Collins