Well after threatening to finish my second Selmer build a few weeks ago, events conspired against me so I've used the chance of the easter break to finally finish the project off. After making one for a customer recently, I was so taken with how it came out & sounded that I've made this one for myself.
First a few details:
Scale length 25" - my personal preference to play.
Top is Sitka
Back and sides are Tasmanian Blackwood
Bindings are black plastic (
). I went through numerous ebony strips trying to get it right on the cutaway but because of the 3D nature of the top it didn't want to play nicely & I kept getting gaps between the spruce & ebony,hence the drastic decision to go plastic. At least with the plastic I was able to apply abit of heat and they formed right into the curves. May the god's of wood forgive me.I'm a fan of the 'clean & simple' look so I didn't install any purfling on this one. I don't think it's lost anything by leaving it out?
Neck is a 2 piece Sapele with ebony headplate and ebony fingerboard.
Floating bridge and moustaches are ebony with an ebony insert in the brass tailpiece.
As with my first petite bouche, I again used pickups in this one as it seemed to work well in my first build (as per it's customer's instructions) & went for the "Pure Maccaferris" K&K's under the soundboard & tried an EMG FT (an active tele neck PU) in the neck. Used a Fishman endpin preamp again which allows for seperate volume controls of the piezo's and active.
Unfortunately I didn't take any pics of the bracing but this one has the straight brace between the bridge and tailblock removed. Wanted to open up the top a little in conjunction with a slightly longer scale length & it seems to produce the volume so I'm pleased about that.
So the pics:
Another shot showing the slight angle of the cutaway as it meets the neck. Gives a nice feel as there is no ledge for your hand to negotiate at the body join.
A classic "head shot"
My Kiwi inlay on the tailpiece.
& finally a close up of the rosette inlay. Does anybody else notice the optical illusion? The oval curve of the rosette lines makes the string look curved, it's kinda weird when you look at it straight on, the two E strings look as though they 'neck inwards' as they go past the soundhole.
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. It should be Nitro and purists will hang me but I find it more resilient & able to take the knocks better than Nitro. Plus in our little corner of the world the weather can be......"changeable" rather quickly. I spray out in my garage so unless it's high humidity or pouring with rain where blushing is a problem, I find the Urethane will cure independently of outside temps so I can spray almost year round. The lacquers don't like low temps.
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