Official Luthiers Forum!

Here's what I've been working on since September 27



This was a side/side build where attention to details and testing were done to see what results would be noted based on differences in wood selection. The tops were deflection tested before and after bracing and tuned to be nearly identical. One is Sitka/Sapele the other is Redwood/Black Walnut.

Of note (where the forum really helped out) is that the instruments were pore filled using egg whites and finished in USL.

The neck on the sitka instrument was the very first neck I ever built a few years back. It was made from a piece of Rock Maple that I bought at Menards (big Midwest box/lumber store). It sat long enough and proved to be stable enough that I decided to actually put it on a guitar. As long as I was experimenting, this was the first head I've done with recessed tuners and a back veneer (that hides the terrible butt joint on the back of the head.)




The Walnut was wood that I picked up from a local sawyer. I couldn't be happier with it even though it is one of the bugliest pieces of beauty I've ever built. Not knowing if the local wood would work out, I went all-out on the 'try something new.' It has a mahogany/maple/rosewood laminated neck, with aspen binding and a failed attempt at a double herringbone rosette and a flamed maple tail piece. All in all, I violated the three-wood rule pretty heaftily. Somehow I actually think the look could grow on a person. For now I'll hope someone likes the way it sounds so that I can make a true beauty similar to it later on down the road.


As for tonal differences, it is absolutely amazing how unique the tones are to each instrument. Both of them are braced almost identically using douglas fir. Each barks with great volume, but in completely different ways.
The Sitka/Sapele performs as expected with a ton of bass (much like my d-18.)
While the Redwood/Walnut is very well balanced with crystal clear notes up and down the neck.

Thanks to the forum for all the help over the past nine months.

Dave Livermore
Lindstrom, MN

WOW Dave!!! You have been busy and the results of your efforts are very cool! Both guitars look fantastic!

I also like the head stock inlays and matching sound ports - good going!

Very well done X 2.

Congratulations Dave... They both look great and each has it's own character and merits. What did you use for finish?

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Peter

That's a pair of real cool looking guitars, I love the look of the redwood top. How deep are the bodies, I have contemplated building a deep OM/000 size guitar?

Fred

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

I'm so impressed! Great job and I'll bet you learned a lot by building and comparing the two.

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

Thanks for the comments guys.

The were sprayed with Target USL. (I had plenty of troubles and postings on the issues, but all in all, learned a lot about finishing.)

I took the body depth off an old D-18 I have, figuring that if the body was so similar in size, then would just making them deeper, make the OM sound more like a D. It still scares people into thinking they're smaller than a 'big' guitar, but the tone projects like an OM with a lot of the depth of a D. Nice compromise.
Tail depth is 4.75" with an inch of taper to the neck.

Dave

I thought I would post a followup of these two instruments.

While the Sitka/Sapele remains a nice, punchy guitar, the Redwood/Walnut instrument has hung on the wall since it was built. Mostly because the tone was pretty Blah. But a year and a half later, I've started playing it regularly again and have noticed that it is the nicest sounding instrument I've made so far. Punch, warmth, overtones, sweetness are all great descriptions of the tone.

It just took that long to open up.

Lesson learned (remembered) is that the day it is strung up will be probably the worst a guitar sounds. Some just take longer to break in than others.

Dave

Nice looking pair of guitars Dave! The different woods seem to have a different effect on sound as well as when they open up. I too have noticed how redwood gives a warmth to the sound when building my flutes as well. I'd like to build an all redwood OM guitar someday just to hear it's voice.