Official Luthiers Forum!

Top = Lutz Spruce
B&S = EIR with a Quilted Bubinga center wedge
Binding = Bloodwood
Headstock, Heel Plate, Butt Wedge, Rosette = Quilted Bubinga
Finish = Cat Polyester by Joe White
Tuners = SM's new 6-on-a-plate vintage tuners.

Special thanks to Joe White for a special vintage-looking toner on the spruce top. He made up about 100 test color panels before we selected the right shade. He's the best!

Special thanks also to Don Williams who designed my new signature logo and cut it and the headplate on his new CNC machine.

Finally, thanks to Mario Proulx who last fall gave me a few of his new prototype cast pickguards to try. These look like the Greven style Tortis PGs but are significantly thinner yet still have a distinct bevel. Look for these soon in the StuMac catalog...I think they're going to be a winner!

I'm blessed with special friends and very grateful for their support.

Check out the pics:
Mario's pickguard...


Full front


back


Headstock and Signature Logo


Rosette & Bridge


Butt Wedge


I'm very pleased with the sound...it is full and sustaining and surprisingly has a warm tone...not the jangly sound that I have experienced on the heavier braced factory 12ers. It's tuned to concert pitch now but I'll be tweaking for another week until it's all settled in.

Thanks for looking.

_________________
JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

That is nice. Great finish. How did you do the rosette? It almost looks like the pick guard material. Which I like.

JJ My Friend, that is outstanding



That 4th picture of the headstock is excellent.

Stellar!

The bloodwood is perfect, not over powering like it can be at times.

Wonderful execution of a difficult design.

_________________
My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Looks terrific JJ. Very nice combination of woods. Nice pickguard too.

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

JJ, great looking crafstmanship, and I love the slothead, sort of goes on for ever, but makes the 'Dread' look so much lighter. Oh, and more people (including me) should do three piece backs. Great job all round.

Colin

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

Beautiful work JJ. Can't wait to play it in April!

_________________
John Watkins
CNC Guitar Parts

An elegant instrument, JJ!

Great work JJ, the slot head and slope shoulder are a natural pairing and give a very classy look and the lutz top look superb, no staining so it must be one of Shane's?

Cheers

Kim

How do you like the vintage tuners?

Many thanks for the kind and generous comments.

John...The rosette material came from the same orphaned back that the Zootman found. After the wedge and headplate, there was little left. Just enough to rout out 2 semi-circular strips that kinda matched. I routed out a corresponding pocket in the spruce top then inlayed and glued them in place. After leveling, I then routed for the multiple layers of purfling and glued them in place.

On the vintage tuners...I like the look, but their operation is nowhere close to the precision I'm accustomed to with Waverly or even Grover open backs. Sadly, there just aren't any good options for slothead 12 strings. Too bad because the 12er's tuning sensitivity is the very issue that would be immensely helped by having good tuners.

Kim... It is in fact a top from Shane...the only Lutz source I would ever trust! I originally planned to do a burst but Joe gave me that look...you know the kind of look I mean. His reluctance was because he thought it had such strong silking and it just needed to be enhanced... and a burst would have detracted from the top's natural beauty. He was right...as usual.

_________________
JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

That is nice. You done good.
The quilted Bubinga looks fabulous on the headstock.

Steve

JJ
Very nice. I am sorry I got you so addicted to this . You need to stop in for apple pie some day again
john

_________________
John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Got a shot of your bracing pattern JJ? Oh yeah, one more thing. Being a fairly recently cut wood have you had any stability issues with Shane's Lutz? Do you bake your tops? I love the way Lutz sounds but I have definitely had more movement with these tops vs. old stuff. Nice job on the instrument.
Terry

_________________
It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

I'm glad to have friends like you and Joe. The appointments are different than a vintage instrument, yet it feels vintage. I love the sloped shoulders.

I gotta try a 12 one of these days. I gotta try a steel string one of these days.

Darn nylon string guitars...so addictive!

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

JJ,

Lovely guitar all round - let's hear it !!

_________________
Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Beautiful instrument JJ ..... That Quilted Bubinga center wedge and headplate is really dazzling and the Bloodwood really complements it well. I miss the sound of a great, mellow 12 string. I guess I'll have to go and dig out the Leo Kottke CD's... Congratulations... keep up the good work.

_________________
Peter

John Hall...Thanks for the first "fix!" Brenda's apple pie could start another addiction. It should also be noted that I got the informal plans for the slope-shoulder from John, who got them from Martin. Nonetheless, I reduced the bracing mass to a fair extent based on the stiffness of this top as well as "intuition" based on experience.

Terry...I actually don't have bracing pics but here's the gist. The X is splayed at 98*. It is 1/4" wide but 5/8" high at the intersection and not tucked at the lower legs. All braces are tapered...not scalloped. The top which I have had aging in my shop for 2 years should be stable...this is my 2nd Lutz top from Shane and never have seen signs of movement. I believe he kiln dries his tops as well before shipping, but I like to give them at least 1 year probation before using. I did not bake this top.

Dave...Stay tuned on the sound clip. I'm going to have Joe White record this soon. My opinion, however is that it's better to hear it live...so you've been officially and formally invited for a visit!

_________________
JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Out of the park, JJ!
I love 12-fret dreads, and yours re-confirms my affection.
Your color palette is supurb, and you really used that Bubinga to a nice effect. (Great, another JJ guitar to copy....)

Steve

_________________
From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Congratulations on a very nice 12 string guitar!

Got the glue today, and thanks again.

_________________
Ken

Beautiful! I saw this hanging in Joe's shop - it's nice to see it finished.

I hope you will bring it to the Chicago OLF gathering

_________________
John Ressler

Excellent work JJ!

Vince

Whoa! Man is that cool! Congratulations JJ!

I won't try to top Hesh's accolades. But he is right! Ver good job!

_________________
Steve Walden
Aspiring Builder,
Bartlesville, OK

Outstanding, JJ! You done good!

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Terry...I found a bracing pic that was taken before final carving and voicing. The lower x was lightened significantly and the legs end 1/2" before the liners.

_________________
JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com