Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi my friends!

I thought that I had better check in on the OLF and perhaps update you all a bit on what I have been up to lately.

First - many, many thanks to all of you who have been contacting me and my sincere apologies for not responding to most folks... No excuses - I should have acknowledged everyone and again I am very sorry for not responding....

Next I thought that I would share some not-so-good pictures of a guitar that I completed about a month ago. This guitar was the "mule" for some training that I was very fortunate to receive from David Collins. Specifically the training focused on set-up and fretting.

As some of you know Rick Turner, when he was participating here regularly, gave many of us a wake-up call of sorts that although the guitars being produced were certainly pretty enough it really has to be all about the player and playability was every bit as important as tone and fit & finish. I took Rick's comments to heart and decided that I needed some professional training in set-up and fretting and David was kind enough to put up with me for a while....

Needless to say I learned tons and I also learned that Rick was absolutely correct - final set-up is a skill and there is a lot to a very good set-up.

So this guitar was used during my educetieon from David as our test bed and as such it has the best playability of any guitar that I have ever excreted from Heshtone Guitar Works.....

Now for some pics and please excuse the poor quality of the pics, it was still winter here in Michigan and the light was funky....:

This guitar has Cuban Mahogany sides and back from Uncle Bob and also a Carpathian (Euro) top also from Uncle Bob. The neck is one of John Watkin's killer necks and the finish is yet another Joe White Poly finish. By the way David and I measured the finish thickness in the bridge area and came up with .0035 thick!!!! Needless to say Joe's finishes are superb and the Poly is as tough as any finish I have worked with prior. Thanks again Joe, Uncle Bob, and John!!!

















The guitar sounds great and plays fantastic and again many thanks to David Collins for his very valued assistance!!! Sorry, no sound clip and as some of you know Smoke On The Water is about the only song that I know how to play....

Also I noticed that there is a thread right now on the gold EVO fret wire. This guitar has this wire and it was an absolute joy to work with in all respects. The frets were pressed in place and glued (yeah... CA and Hesh is now using some CA in his building..... ) and there were no issues. This wire is slightly harder than standard wire but not as hard as stainless. It also cuts and files very well too. The color is a muted gold, not an in your face gold, and as such it really is very pretty and tends to not draw your eye to it while still complimenting the earth tones of the woods that we use. I don't remember if we beveled the fret slots or not prior to pressing the frets in place.

Right now I have two guitars on the bench, an OM and a dreadn*ught and I am finding that batch building is a little... confusing at times.

In addition I have been planting trees. A couple of days ago I planted 13 trees in my backyard and man am I feeling sore right now....

So that's my update my friends and I'm sticking to it!!! Thanks again for all the well wishes too.

And - congrats to my friend Bill Hodge for making the 300,000 post on the OLF!!!!!

Take care

Hey Hesh!

Another example of beautiful workmanship!

I’ve not been around for while, so how many guitars have built now?

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Everything has beauty, But, not everyone see's it!

Hi Hesh,

It is good to hear from you.

Nice work on that guitar for sure.

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http://www.booneguitars.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephen-Boone-guitar-builder/488208541257210

Great to hear from ya Hesh. The guitar is beautiful. So before you worked with David, did you think your guitars were very good as far as playability? I felt that my first effort was pretty good, but there is never a substitute for years of doing combined with an understanding of what "really good" is.

Darrin

Good on ya for planting those trees, Hesh! Are these the tonewood stash of some future luthier?

Chris

It hasnt been the same without you around, and that guitar loks great too!

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Jordan Aceto
Ithaca, NY

Nice job on the guitar, on dedicating yourself to learning a new skill and for planting all those trees. Well done.

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George :-)

Pretty darn nice for a test piece!

And a perfect opportunity to learn a new song...

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

Good to hear from ya Hesh Bud!
Sounds like time well spent.
I hope you have time to post some sounds sometime.

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Wade
Nashua, NH
http://www.wadefx.com

Hey buddy!
Good to see you! Thanks for checking in!

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Support the OLF! Bookmark our STEWMAC link Today!
Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Nice work there Hesh! Glad to hear you have been very busy. Nothing like planting trees to get you in shape! What will the bluebirds do when you fill the back yard with trees. They like open spaces, you know. I'm sure they'll adapt. Keep it between the lines, Hesh!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Beautiful work Hesh. And welcome home Even though I never was a participant here until March of this year I've
been a lurker for in the neighborhood of 3 years. I've always enjoyed and appreciated your input here here in Luthiville.

Figured I'd better get involved, participate with the rest of the family, and stop trying to be a lone wolf

I'm still a bit dazed by the win. Never thought it would be me

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

Hesh your class always shows thru in your guitars.Another beauty.Keep postin`, We need you.
Skin

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

Welcome back Hesh...the guitar looks great!

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

I was beginning to fear alien abduction. What else could keep Hesh, his encouraging words and helpful advice from us?

Classy guitar Hesh, if it plays so sweet perhaps you'll break free from Smoke on the Water and work on a fingerstyle arrangement of Iron Man?

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Gabriel Regalbuto
Carlsbad, California
Freedom 35!

Welcome back Hesh. I can tell from the many posts that I wasn't the only one that missed you. Glad to hear you're making some things happen. The guitar looks fabulous. Set up is definately the most daunting part of the process to me. You were smart to get one on one help. Thanks for the update and again, good to have you back.

Welcome back! Now you do realize that those trees will not grow fast enough to provide backs and sides! At least not in our lifetimes.

That nut on the HeshTone sure looks great. Actually the whole guitar looks great.

Keep it up! We want more HeshTones!

Really cool getting to spend a while with Mr. Collins!

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Steve Walden
Aspiring Builder,
Bartlesville, OK

Good to see you, Hesh! Nice guitar! I hope I get a chance to check it out in the flesh. I'm envious of your time spent studying with David. No doubt that was a big help.

I'm going to start a new thread with some questions about the CA method on the frets.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Guitar looks great!, as usual. Nice to hear from you.

Chuck

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Hesh, may all your excretions be so nice!

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Beautiful Guitar!!!

HESH!
YEEPPEE

Wow, what a great blessing this is. So glad you're back with us my friend.

Your test guitar looks perfect. Love the gold wire too.

Hope to see lots more guitars from you.

Glad you're getting your trees planted and your house nice and cozzy!

Hutch

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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

Beautiful guitar Hesh.

Good to hear from you again

Mat

Another beauty Hesh........nice to hear from you!

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Dave
Milton, ON

Glad to see you back! I missed reading your many posts.And that guitar looks great. Keep um coming.