Official Luthiers Forum!

Guitar Specs:
Cocobolo Rosewood back/sides
Carpathian Spruce Top
Ebony Binding
Herringbone top and back purfling and back strap
Cocobolo/Black side and Rosette Purfling
Ebony Bound Cocobolo End Wedge
Radial Cocobolo Rosette
Ebony Heel Cap with Cocobolo/Black veneers
Cocobolo Headstock Overlay
Ebony Bridge
Ebony Fingerboard with Pearl Diamond Shaped Inlays
1940's Style V-shaped Truss Rod and Carbon Fiber Reinforced Mahogany Neck
Semi-hemispherical Fret End Treatment
Waverly tuners
Clear Pick Guard

Vince Gill summed it up best when he said, "This one is real special to me." After having lost nearly 40 of his cherished instruments in the recent Nashville flood, it came as a blessing to be able to offer him this guitar.

Most of his collection is 1940s era Martins. So, while I could not use the same quality of wood that came from that golden era of instrument making, together, Vince and I chose these woods as suitable substitutes. The combination of Cocobolo and Carpathian Spruce is a very close tonal match to the Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce of the 40s. And the combination seems to have worked. Vince's playing of the guitar sang a sweet song as he began thinking of the new tunes that this instrument has in store. He told me, during the designing of this guitar, that, "if a guitar is pretty but sounds bad, you might as well put a pot in the thing and use it as a planter." This made me nervous throughout the building process. Yet, as he picked up his new guitar for the first time and began playing, it became very apparent that this would not be turned into a potter for some pansies. He played it non-stop for nearly half an hour and reminded me over and over about how much he appreciated me building it for him.

The guitar has a very sweet sound. Whether strumming, flat picking, or finger picking, this instrument sings a warm song. When left to sustain, the guitar goes through a series of warm overtones that adds depth to its tone. As is typical of all Ensor Guitars, this instrument has great sustain and plenty of volume- making it easy to play whatever dynamic you desire.

This was a great experience and one that I will hold dear forever. I am very proud of the guitar and extremely thankful to my parents for funding this and giving me the idea to approach Vince in the first place. I couldn't have done this with out their help and support.


Note: There is a video of him picking around on the guitar on my blog: http://www.ensorguitars.blogspot.com

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ELEVATE || Next Level Lutherie
http://elevatelutherie.com
&
http://ensorguitars.com

Congrats!

Beautifull guitar ! It has a excellent sound obviously appreciated by an excellent musican. That is quite a nice endorsment for you abilitys and talent .


I could only dream of having a musican of his calibre intrested in my work , if someone like that played my creation and liked it id prolly stroke out !

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The Shallower the depth of the stream , The Louder the Babble !
The Taking Of Offense Is the Life Course Of The Stupid One !
Wanna Leave a Better Planet for our Kids? How about Working on BETTER KIDS for our Planet !
Forgiveness is the ability to accept an apology that you will probably NEVER GET
The truth will set you free , But FIRST, it will probably Piss you Off !
Creativity is allowing yourself to make Mistakes, Art is knowing which ones to Keep !
The Saddest thing anyone can do , is push a Loyal Person to the point that they Dont Care Anymore
Never met a STRONG person who had an EASY past !
http://wiksnwudwerks.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/groups/GatewayA ... rAssembly/

Wow! A big congrats to you and Vince. I don't really like country music, but I love Vince! What a great opportunity, and glad it turned out. I'd be scared when I strung it up, as I'd be afraid of it turning into a pot holder. Although being a pot holder in Vince's house is not a bad thing either

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

Chris, what a beautiful guitar!......and man does it sound nice! Congratulations for pulling this off and kudos for pulling off a nice build under pressure. I've very happy for you!!!

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

Looks very very nice, except the grain tearing at the rosette. You can avoid this by using sharp circle cutter prior to routing.

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Build log

What a very nice looking guitar. Great job, great sound and great player!
Chuck

Congrats Chris, what a great looking/sounding guitar!!! And a blessing to have Vince Gill in your home on video enjoying it!

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

Chris. congratulations. I am really happy for you . I started up my business a while back and just like you I am around my 7th. So for you to sell to Vince gives me joy as it prooves my thinking that you dont have to make 100 guitars before you are an excellent builder. for some it might be true, but for others its just there ! some people are born to be football players other to become luthiers, born with the feel !!. again congratulations my friend.

Lars.

Congratulations !!

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It's this new idea from recent decades that everyone gets a participation award. - MUX

Thanks all for the kind words. It was a pleasure working with him and an even larger one to hear that he liked the guitar!

_________________
ELEVATE || Next Level Lutherie
http://elevatelutherie.com
&
http://ensorguitars.com

That is a beautiful guitar -- you should feel very proud!!!