Official Luthiers Forum!

This is my first build using Trevor's guidance to build an "active" back and tune the plates using spectrographic analysis....
I first strung it up last weekend, then disassembled and buffed it up this weekend.
All I can say is...WOW! This thing is a tone monster! Loud and clear. Did I say loud? Unbelievable.
Will post the finished analysis once I quit playing it endlessly....
Thank you Mr Gore!

Well done! There's nothing quite like happy customers....

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Trevor Gore, Luthier. Australian hand made acoustic guitars, classical guitars; custom guitar design and build; guitar design instruction.

http://www.goreguitars.com.au

I'm jealous as I can't wait to try one. Unfortunately I'm using self discipline and forcing myself to finish the two that I already have underway before starting another one

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

So, did you do an X for the top?

Please share some more info about the build.

Kevin Looker

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

+1 I'm curious too.

Beautiful guitar based on the photo, Robbie!

Sure! I am building two at once, this one was the first out the gate.
The build strategy was to keep them unadorned - no headstock or FB binding, no purfling, all-wood rosette, etc.
On an early build I suffered some fingerboard dive, so I have beefed up the UTB (a massive sapele beam) and am now using a "C" style heelblock.
I used Shane's Lutz/Bubinga, Lutz braces, Bloodwood binding, H. Mahogany neck, Ebony FB & Headplate, EVO Gold fretwire, 25" scale.
For fingerstyle I went with a wider nut at 1 13/16"
The top is X-Brace, the back is radial.

I used a "C-Type" heelblock:

Ready for the top:

Inlay done:

Pore-filling the bubinga:

Wish I could take better guitar pix:

Robbie - thanks for the additional information and photos! I may have to give the "active back" and spectrographic analysis a try. I have Trevor's books but have not had a chance yet to really dig into them. I guess I need to make the time.

Again, the guitar is really beautiful! Love the silking on the top.

Thanks Charlie!
Shane's Lutz is amazing....
Shoot me a line when you get geared up to start testing.
One thing I struggled with was interpreting the formulas from the book into Excel. (and I am a whiz with Excel...)
Took me a while but I finally got it dialed in with repeatable results that matched the examples in the book.
One other thing that I had not done before the books was to reduce the thickness of the top at the edge of the lower bout - this may also contribute to the amazing volume this guitar produces.
BTW, the lower bout is 15", so I believe the body size is close to OM...

Rob

Nice job! Nice looking bubinga!

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

One other feature on this build was the backstrap.
I like to install some sort of veneer on the back of the headstock, if only to cover the scarf line.
On this build I created a very subtle profile at the thumbstop, and used mahogany veneer:

Thanks for the offer, Rob. I'll take you up on it when I get geared up to start testing.

I have two in the works right now with Lutz tops (from Shane)...an L-00 and a dread. Gotta agree with you...it is amazing spruce. I've been so impressed with how stiff and light it is that I've bought about 3 dozen sets. Super consistent, and cheap to boot.

Now I'm off to do some reading.

Very nice!