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I just put the last touches on this one today. Mostly setup stuff and minor things like the end-pin hole

This one is a 12-Fret slot-head size 0. Has a mahogany body and neck with a Euro-spruce top that I got Dennis Leahy in a swapalooza 3 or 4 years ago. X braced with a bolt on neck. Scale is Martin short at 24.75". Based on my first good guitar which was a '68 Martin 0-16NY (and which I still have). Binding is black plastic because I had not tried it yet; it went on really easy and under finish I can't tell the difference between it and ebony. Speaking of finish, this one got finished 3 times. The first two times I tried the water-based PolyWhey from Vermont Coatings but didn't like the way it was coming out. It wasn't hard enough and didn't seem to level as easy as I expected. On the last refinish I used nitro. I'm happy with that.

My overall goal was to keep it simple and I think I succeeded. Sounds real sweet; I originally strung it up with silk and steel strings but they were just too soft so I put on some D'Addario PB lights to give it just a bit more punch. I like the sound now. Action is very light and I may have to redo the saddle and up it 10 or 15 thou on the base side for more aggressive finger style playing.

Not a great day for photos so these were inside. One of these days I'll learn how to do it.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Top bracing is a tapered X

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Very neat craftsmanship! I admire the fact you refinished it twice to get the outcome you were after.

That's really nice Steve!

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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.

Actually got a good look and a few strums last Sunday, really nice looking, & sounding little guitar, Very very clean, I'm gonna have to clean up my act!

Nice steve Question ? your photo makes the colour (earthtones) look on the cool side.Was that your intention, or do you like that look. Reason I ask , is when I/ve used waterbase I always use a amber shellac sealer under the waterbase to warm up the coolness.

Thanks Ernie. When I refinished it I took it all the way back to the bare wood. I used amber shellac as sealer before I filled it. After I sanded back the filler I shot over that with Behlen vinyl sealer followed by the nitro. The photos were taken indoors and the color is not as good as I would like. The rosette and bridge shots are pretty close. I still have a lot to learn about digital photography.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Steve thanks for the explanation.Guessing it was waterbase filler?. I/ve never shot behlen vinyl sealer. We are in the process of looking for a shop , so I can spray. I know beans abt photos .Guessing it was the lighting shining back a the gtr.Think wife uses daylight bulbs from lowes for photo shoots of instruments.

very nice Steve!

She's a beaut, Steve... I always wanted an O-16NY. You did yourself proud.

--Jay

Nice! I am trying to decide between a 12 fret O size and a 14 fret OOO for my next project. I had all but settled on the OOO but now you have me thinking. . .

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Sweet. A size 0 12 fret slot head has been on my "to build" list for awhile. If I can ever get this viola da gamba finished!

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

One sweet little guitar. I need to make me one someday.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Looks great Steve. Is that a walnut rosette and headstock veneer? I hope to see this some day soon. I should have my 000 done in the next month or so and plan to bring it to the meeting.

Thanks for all the nice comments folks!

Gil, the headstock overlay is rosewood but I don't remember which type and I think the rosette is Texas ebony. Problem with this one is that I finished the box and roughed in the neck several years ago then finally brought it to the front of the queue to get it finished. Unfortunately I've forgotten some of the details. I'll bring to one of the meetings in the next month or so after it opens up a bit more so you should get a chance to play it.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Looks fantastic, Steve.
Why is the tone bar going the opposite way to normal?

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

I wondered when someone would notice that:) I laid it out backwards and after I realized it I just didn't think it would matter so I left it that way.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Great looking guitar!! I really love the size 0 body....I made a 14fret size 0 a couple years ago and its now my favorite

Steve, is that an inlay in the traverse brace where the truss rod comes through?

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

Joe, that's an overlay and strictly cosmetic. I was a bit careless and had a small tear out when I drilled the original hole so I glued that on and re-drilled.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"