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I've just finished a guitar using new woods to me, both the Beng B&S and the white spruce top came from my good friend Grant Goltz, I believe the beng is a new wood to guitar making and this may be the first finished guitar. I have made something over 60 guitars now and when I first strung this one up I was totally amazed with the voice, it seems to combine the bell like quality of a Sobell and the richness and tonal complexity of George Lowden. I believe it is the best sounding steel string I have built, and that is on day one!

B&S, Cambodian Beng
Top, White Spruce
Neck, mahogany
FB/bridge/binding, Madagascan rosewood
Headplate/purfling rosette, Beng
Finish, Liberon finishing oil

Some not very good pictures, the weather is awful here.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Very beautiful and unusual guitar, Colin. How dense is the Beng?

Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

Wow! The figure in the Beng is startling!
Very nice execution, glad it sounds as good as it looks!
The purfling is very cool!

Rob

Lovely guitar Colin. I like everything about it especially its unique er...everything. Beautiful.

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Thank You and Best To All

Very nice build! I love the purfling choice and that back is way cool. Any chance you are going to post a video?

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You ARE the man, Colin. Beautiful results, as usual!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Nice Colin,
But I have thought that about everyone of your guitars !
What was your finishing schedule for the Liberon.
Link

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Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.

Was this your first build with white spruce?

Stunning Guitar!

I think that one is a keeper. BTW, Love the Liberon finish. Nice to see a natural looking guitar.

Steve

Thanks everyone, it's amazing how after making a lot of guitars, one can still surprise you.

Mario, yes this is the first time I have used White Spruce, but most certainly won't be my last. It reminds me of the very best Adirondack and then some, I have used Lutz, which is of course a White Spruce/Sitka hybrid and liked it. I don't like Sitka, or at least it doesn't suit my building style, so I thought I might see if the Lutz gets the qualities I like from its White Spruce line, it seems to me now that the Sitka dilutes the qualities of the White.

Link, the Liberon Finishing Oil is used by a number of the very high end clasical builders over here, it is used very similarly to Tru-oil or the other wipe on finishes, seal coat of shellac, then wipe on a couple of very thin coats a couple of times a day, fine sand with 4-500 grit every four coats. It didn't need any leveling or power buffing, just buffed up with swirl remover.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Looking really good Colin, you sound well pleased with it.
As always, your work is an absolute inspiration.

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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.

Beautiful job as always. I can't wait till you post a pic of this at the AGF and someone asks what the tonal properties of Beng are!
Seriously though, that is some sweet looking wood. It looks like burl in the lower bout areas. Outstanding! And I also like your purfling. I assume you made it yourself? Very classy.

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

Beautiful guitar Colin. I like Cambodian beng too. It looks great with an oil finish. I made a baritone last April that was an eye opener for me. Paired it with a Port Orford cedar top. It has an Arm-R-Seal oil finish. I liked it so well that I bought another board for more guitars. Not as fancy as your set but nice straight grain with some character. My son made a guitar a year before mine so I guess he beat us both, and he's probably not the first either.

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

Beautiful guitar. I haven't heard of beng wood before....but it sure looks amazing

I'm interested in the tone of the white spruce. I have several tops I got from Grant Goltz a few years ago but haven't used any yet. You think it would be ok on a dred?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins

Colin and others who have used Beng - any idea what the density is? I've been checking the internet and haven 't found any specs. BTW, some of those sites say that Beng is an endangered species. Any comments?

Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

The reason I asked if this was your first use of white spruce is that I suspect -that- is the prime mover regarding this guitar's great tone. I've cut, and used, white(and black) spruce and it is a great, yet little known, tonewood....

Would love to acquire some White Spruce to try out...

(hint hint...)

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Mario, I guessed that you would have used it before, I'm one of the '80% of the tone is in the top' builders, I think we only colour it with the B&S etc, which is why I said that I thought it was probably the White that makes Lutz good, and yes it is by far my favourite N.American topwood now.


Oh and Chuck I don't make Dreds at all, but my guess is it will be superb.


Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Who sells white spruce?

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Pat

Collin, congratulations! It´s an amazing guitar, as always! do you have sound examples?


I believe that Grant Goltz (active at the luthier comm) sells it, or at least he did at one point. (like Collin pointed out)


Sorry, i just found this funny out of context, but i´d also like to know.

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member of the guild of professional dilettantes

I've seen the recent threads about beng being endangered but it's not on the CITES lists and Cambodia is a member country. Makes me wonder. In any event I got my beng from Pine Creek Wood Co. in Oregon. The site states that it was sawn in the 1990s so certainly before any recent logging.

Without measuring I'd say the density is about 50 lbs/cu.ft.

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

*Bing, Again!* ( As Ned Ryerson would say)

Great work, Colin, love that back. Have you changed your peghead?

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Stunning guitar Colin! Your finish does look amazing. What a great feeling it must be to have such an unusual blend of woods turn out to be your best sounding guitar yet! By the way, if these are your bad photos, I'd love to see some of your better ones! Bravo!!!

Steve, no this is my usual solid headstock, but I don't do them very often, I much prefer making slot heads when ever I can.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.