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This is build No. 7 for me, and my first flattop with a tailpiece. Lutz top, sapelle back and sides, 25" scale, 14 5/8" lower bout. This is also a new bracing pattern for me.


Ladder bracing with some lengthwise bracing to counteract the potato chipping tendency of a thin top when ladder braced.

And here she is...






I've always wanted to try a tailpiece model and during final assembly it hit me, this one is so lightly braced I decided it would be a perfect candidate for one, so I just used an old one I had on hand, a little rusty but stylish.

And the good news, she's only been strung up for a day, but is opening up nicely. I'm not much good at describing sound with words but it feels very responsive, loud and even across the strings.

I do believe it's going to be a player,
Joe

Hey Joe,

That is one COURSE looking top but man am I glad to see someone make an instrument with it. And with the amber finish and the tailpiece it looks cool in my books! I am sure we would all be interested to hear what you have to say about the sound over the next while!

Shane

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Canada

Very cool guitar Joe my friend and I'll second how cool that top looks!!! This guitar just has a "best of old friends" look to it that I think is pretty cool.

Hi Joe,

Outstanding! So how is the tone "quality" with that bracing patern? Where did you get the top?

Dave

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God, Family, Carreer

COOOL Looks antique. .
Lars.

I love it! It looks really great. I am curious as to which steps you took to achieve the cool finish on the top.
MC

I love it! It looks really great. I am curious as to which steps you took to achieve the cool finish on the top.
MC

Yeah way cool with the rusty piece and the aged top...I am curious about the color too, it really looks great!

I too have some of Shane's packing wood set aside. The stiffness along the grain and tap tone are great but it is cut off the quarter. I plan to make a lattice braced guitar with it.

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Build log

Thanks for the great comments guys!!!

Dave the top I got from one of the luthier forum, (the other one), auctions. You know, Mario DaCosta, the "only supplier of genuine lutz tops." I bought quite a few low-end tops for my building education.

I'm really pleased with the tone "quality". I built a pair of Ditson's a while back, one traditional ladder braced, and one x braced, to see how the bracing affected the sound. In that ladder build the quality and complexity of tone didn't hold it's on to the x brace one. So I just pulled out the x braced Ditson, which has a tone quality I'm really pleased with, and compared the two and this new one more than holds it's own. In fact I really think it's better. Now this is a larger box than the Ditson so it may not be a fair comparison, but bottom line, this bracing pattern is sure 'nuff working on this build. Hurray!

And Michael, I worked the top with 3 trans-tint water based dyes, trying to get what John How achieves on his vintage finishes, then it's finished with Permalyn, a rubbed oil varnish, for gunstocks. By the way, your sel-mac's have really been catching my eye lately!

Thanks again for the feedback guys,
Joe

Love that aged look Joe! It's always a plus to have a great sounding guitar to boot.Nice job!

I like it a lot Joe! It has a very cool vibe to it!
I'm glad it sounds as good as it does already for you!

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

How cool looking Joe...The top definitely has a John How influence and looks fantastic! Nicely done!

Just how thin is that top?

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Joe,
Love the guitar.
I hate rust! I can tell you how to clean it off and leave the tail piece looking new if you want.

Steve

I just love this guitar Joe, everything about it, even the wacky top bracing.

May your tribe increase!

Now, tell about rust, Steven.

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https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008907949110

JJ, you mean thin is not quite accurate enough for you?
I've got to start keeping notes as I build! Well I had forgotten to put in my label also, so I unstrung it, got the label in and it seems to mic out between .112 and .168 using a digital mic with a 5 or 6" reach, so it's not overly thin. Seems I hit a pretty good balance between top, bracing and tailpiece cause it's working.

Yes Steve, tell me how to restore the tailpiece please.

And thanks again everyone for the feedback!
Joe

Joe, I love it. It looks like its your go to guitar that you have had forever. Now that you've smoothed out your driveway a bit, time to find someone who will play it as you record it for us to enjoy. Thanks for sharing.

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Aoibeann

Great guitar, Joe. I love the sleek bridge and the rosette. I think you need a little more rust on that tailpiece to compliment the colors in the woods. How many coats of that finish do you use? Is it buffed? It looks great. I've played around with some similar bracing patterns too. Looks like you got a good combination there.

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

I'll throw a topic about electrolytic rust removal in the tutorial section.

Steve

Joe, I just love the color of the top and the resette goes perfectly with it! The tailpiece give it on old time look that is just great. Nice job!

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

Nice looking guitar Joe! I really like the color of the top and the dark binding on a rosewood guitar.

Excellent work Joe,

Like everyone else I REALLY like the colour of the top. The rose ain't too shabby neither. All in all shes most inviting and I just want to pick her up and give her a play. Don't think you can give any higher praise than that.

Well done mate

Cheers

Kim

I don't see an edit button here. The top measurement should read .112 to .118, you can't trust a hillbilly with decimal points and measurements. Anyway it's less than 12 thousand at the thickest place I could reach.

Ken, I didn't keep track of the number of coats, you just rub a bit on with the pad of your hand every few hours until it builds to what works for you, and I didn't sand or buff it, it's just hand rubbed. Now I've seen this finish rubbed and buffed to an immaculate finish, but this was far enough for this one for me. Now one caution, this was my first time with this finish and it was no doubt a bad time to be trying it, right in the middle of a two week rainy spell in my shop with no climate control. I was finishing this and a uke with ebony mun b & s with african blackwood binding. The finish wouldn't harden up on the mun or ab, I stripped it down once and tried again, and finally had to strip it down with paint thinner and did a french polish on it, which worked great. It dried hard on the spruce top on the uke and worked great on this one except for the padouk headplates and heelcap. They stayed tacky. So I've got to research this a bit further.

Thanks again everyone!!!
Think I'll go pick a while,
Joe

Outstanding Joe! A brand spankin' new rustic vintage guitar. I love it!!!

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

Joe, I just love that guitar. It looks so comfortable. The vintage look really is outstanding, and the top has so much character. What a great job you did!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Joe that is one cool looking guitar (I don't believe I just used the word 'cool'!) You could just imagine that in an old photo with Robert Johnson holding it. My first guitar when I was a kid was the mass production cheap version of that one and I loved it to bits. What ever you do don't change that tailpiece.

Colin

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