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This one was just strung up today. ...My first florentine cutaway. ...and this is the first time that I carved the neck. It took me a while to finish this one, but I'm pleased. This is number 5. I'm getting better with each build. I got kinda fansy this time. I hope I didn't over do it. I used a set of position markers I got from Andy Depaul that were called lotus. I thought they looked like agave cactus. So I got this idea of inlaying a southwest theme. I used 4 types of wood that I had in the shop... I also bound the headstock for the first time. I used a pretty wide abalone rosette and I was worried it would be too much. The tortoise purfling came out nice. That was the first time I tried that. By-the-way, I overdid the lemon oil and it looks a little greasy in the headstock photo...

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

Looks great Steve! Hope it sounds as good as it looks.

Chuck

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Nice guitar, I usually don't like the plastic binding but that Tortoise looks real nice especially with the same in the purfling.
A lot of firsts on this guitar, you must be proud.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

I love the tortise purfling. Nice work.

That's, magnificent.

That's a beauty!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Impressive! I love the headstock inlay. Keep up the good work!

Very nice, Steve.
I particularly like the shape of your cutaway. And the walnut looks fine set off by the faux tortoise.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Very Sweet! Congrats

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Beautiful!! Congratulations. Very clean and nice appointments.

Really nice - if it sounds as good as it looks you are on to a winner!

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I second the comments on the purfling. How did you make it?

Thanks for all the nice comments. These aren't the best pictures. If there is any interest, I can try some other shots. I'm quite pleased with the sound and set-up. I plays very well. You never really know how it will turn out until it's strung up, but it looks like I measured well. I checked the set-up dimentions against my Martin and Taylor and it is just right. It is bright sounding right now and I guess it needs time to open up. I've been trying to place an aquariam pump on it for a few hours at a time. I don't know... we'll see if that does anything...

The tortoise purfling was pretty easy to do. I cut (sliced) a piece of regular binding to the thickness I wanted using a jig like one I had seen here on the OLF. It consists of an several small blocks of wood arranged to hold the binding and a blade from an exacto set. The binding is drawn threw the jig by feeding it into the jig and then pulling the rest through. You pull it through several times, each time with the blade deeper (in the same position) until you go through. Then it's simply inlaid with B/W (or other purf of your choice) along with the binding. I'd show you a picture, but I'm at work and supposed to be working instead of thinking of guitar building.

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

You cut the binding to the width you want and then it will bend, is that it? Do you have to heat it?

No heating required because its plastic binding. A regular binding piece would not bend so easy, but if you cut it thinner it bends, no problem.

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

I love the tortoiseshell binding too ... I've always been a sucker for it. You must be very pleased about that one Steve!


David Wren http://www.wrenguitarworks.com