Official Luthiers Forum!

Just finished up this Redwood/Koa custom last week, and thought I'd share some pics. The sound on this one is all over the place, and still waiting for it to settle. Some days I pick it up, and it is the best thing I've ever heard, and other days, it sounds dull. So note sure what to think about it. One thing for sure, is if you use a pick and drive it hard, it does not do good for note separation and instead gets this high jangley overtones that all melt together. But for fingerstyle it will work very well, and that is what it was made for. I made several mistakes, but don't mind because this guitar was for me.

I always like to try at least 3 new techniques when I build a guitar, so here are some new things for me:
1. Used zipflex for the purfling(love this stuff!)
2. Custom decorative offset rosette
3. Mitered side purflings at the end wedge.
4. Slotted peghead.(All done by hand with drill and rasps/files)
5. Laser cut sound port

Here are the specs:
Woods:
Top-Redwood
Back/sides end wedge -High Flame Koa
Neck - Honduran Mahogany w/ Black Fiber center strip
Bridge - Macassar Ebony
Peghead - Madagascar Rosewood
Binding - EIR w/ maple purfling.
Purfling - Abalone zipflex
Sound Port - Laser Engraved Celtic Knot Design
Rosette - Splalted Maple
Fretboard - Macassar Ebony
Nut/Saddle - Bone
Tuners - Gotoh SEP770 w/ black buttons and new X Nickel Finish
EIR - Backstrap on back of peghead
MOP Inlay initials on back of Peghead
Abalone wave inlay at 12th fret
Bridge Pins - ebony/abalone
Elixir Nanoweb Light Strings
X Bracing Scalloped
Finish - Ubeaut Shellac on top of z-poxy(back and sides) - applied in straight strokes with a fp pad using a 1lb cut. Then micromeshed out with 2400 to 4000 grit, then #2 Plastic Polish.

Dimensions:
This body is a shape that a friend invented, it is called the Cameron Model.
Body Length is 20"
Upper Bout - 11"
Lower Bout - 15 1/2"
Depth at lower Bout 4 1/2"
Nut Width - 1.75"

Here are lots of pics:

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

that's gorgeous Love the rosette. very modern. and WOW that Koa is sweet!

Beautiful, Tracy!

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Thanks guys! I forgot to mention the finish on the neck. This is also something new I tried. I did 3 coats of zpoxy to fill the pores using nitrile gloves and my index finger to get it on. Then wiped off with a thick blue paper towel. Sand with 400 grit between zopy coats almost down to bare wood. Final coat was a wash 50/50 zpoxy/DA. Padded on with thick blue paper towel. Then I padded on ubeat shellac using a FP pad. I did this over a 3 day period doing 3 sessions a day. Then I used a flat Pratt and Lambert #38 Varnish. I brushed 3 coats of this on, and sanded with 400 grit between coats. Let this cure, then sanded out with synthetic 0000 steel wool. I really like this feel, and it should hold up to the elements. We'll see!

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

Wow! That's very nice Tracy. I like the shape and great job on the peghead.
Hope the tone settles in for you like you want. I just recently used zipflex for the 1st
time too and Love it too! Very cool guitar.

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Love the rosette. Or should we call it a ro___te?

And the inward tapered slot-head is nice too. I tried to design one of those recently and gave up. Looked like I was going to have to go to great lengths to keep the 3rd and 4th strings from rubbing. How did you manage that?

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http://www.chassonguitars.com

Actually, the 3rd and 4th strings do rub, but it still looks cool. Since this guitar is for me, I really didn't care. I can always touch up the finish if I need to. I would have designed it slightly less taper and widened the slots a hair more. Thanks for your kind words!

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

Awesome!

wow !!! beautiful Tracy !! thats one elegant looking guitar. love all about it. tell me more about the soundport. really cool rosette ! the all and all is just beautiful.

how she sound ?

Lars.

Tracy: Very classy looking guitar...congrats...! Play your baby HARD and OFTEN for at least a month before making any rash judgements about tone.It's been my experience that most new guitars improve dramatically in a relatively short period if they are well played. Good luck.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

That's a beauty. I especially like the peghead shape and execution. Very nice work. I gotta do a slot head one of these days.

Chris.

Tracy,
I've been waiting to see the finished product. You posted some earlier pics. WOW IMHO that's one of the nicest guitars I have ever seen! Very cool slot head, sound port and rosette. The Killer Koa! Where did you come buy it? I haven't seen those tuners. Where are they from? I love the look.
This one's an inspiration. Exceptional work. If you're ever up this way be sure to bring it along(if you're keeping it).

Cheerio,
Danny

Very nice Tracy! I too like the ro___te.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Tracy, that's just awesome. What a great display of craftsmanship!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Thanks so much everyone for your very nice comments. Just to answer a few questions...the Koa I got from Edward Dick, a local builder who builds banjolas now, and used to build guitars. (see banjolas.com). This was from his personal stash and he owed me for doing some website work. What a great trade!

The tuners I bought directly from Japan from this site: https://ssl.bfit.jp/~jby/login.php I must warn you that they are not cheap! I paid over a $140 for these tuners.
The sound port I got from Here: http://www.harpkit.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=rosette

Danny, I'm definitely keeping this one! Thanks Waddy, Steve, Chris and Tom, and Lars! I like the way this one came together, as I had designed it in my head, but it came out better than what I thought.

Here is a few sound files thrown together. Not a very good recording, but gets the point across:
http://luthiersuppliers.com/guitar5song1.mp3
http://luthiersuppliers.com/guitar5song2.mp3
These recordings have too much bass in them, the guitar actually sounds more clean than this.

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

Beautifully crafted and nicely appointed Tracy. And as for the ro___te what more could I add?

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

Tracy,

It looks great! I agree that the koa is killer and the finish looks great too.
I am into the headstock also, awesome!

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

Tracy- That is one fabulous guitar. The koa just sings, & the craftsmanship is outstanding! -Steve

Tracy-that is one beautiful geetar !
Nice design work also.
Give it time to open .
I find for my steels it takes 3 months to get to 90% of
their fully open sound(tone)
Then all of a sudden they're really alive !
If it's under built then it will open much faster.
Also what strings&guages are you using?

Thanks for posting the suppliers urls

Mike

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Mike Collins

Tracy you are a very evil and ingenious person! You managed to combine quite literally ALL of my favorite guitar specs! Slotted headstock, redwood top, beautiful back and side wood (I'd prolly do a rosewood though), abalone purfling, interesting rosette, and to top it all off, the beautiful sound ports!

"The tuners I bought directly from Japan from this site: https://ssl.bfit.jp/~jby/login.php I must warn you that they are not cheap! I paid over a $140 for these tuners"

Tracy that is indeed a lovely guitar! Next time you buy those tuners e-mail me, I think I can get them too you for less than that.

Keep up the great work!

Shane

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Canada

Stunning guitar, Tracy!! Wow!!

Ken

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http://www.casperguitar.com

There are lots of things to like about your guitar, Tracy. I think it's beautiful. Excellent visual styling throughout. The pictures make me want to pick it up and just hold it a while.

Very nice work - and unique. Really impressive

Its all been said....Unbelievable!
The KOA supplier must be a secret.....and listed with the gold commodities market.

Kent

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Wood Creations by Kent A. Bailey
EXCELLENCE IN SCULPTURE, CARVING, LUTHIER, ARCHITECTURAL MILLWORK AND DESIGN

http://www.kabart.com