Finally! No2 Selmer style...

[Nick]

Well after threatening to finish my second Selmer build a few weeks ago, events conspired against me so I've used the chance of the easter break to finally finish the project off.
First a few details:
Scale length 25" - my personal preference to play.
Top is Sitka
Back and sides are Tassy Blackwood
Bindings are black plastic (:oops: ). I went through numerous ebony strips trying to get it right on the cutaway but because of the 3D nature of the top it didn't want to play nicely & I kept getting gaps between the spruce & ebony. At least with the plastic I was able to apply abit of heat and they formed right into the curves. May the god's of wood forgive me.
I'm a fan of the 'clean & simple' look so I didn't install any purfling on this one. I don't think it's lost anything by leaving it out?
Neck is a 2 piece Sapele with ebony headplate and ebony fingerboard.
Floating bridge and moustaches are ebony with a brass tailpiece.
I again used pickups in this one as it seemed to work well in my first build (as per customer's instructions) & went for the "Pure Maccaferris" K&K's under the soundboard & tried an EMG FT (an active tele neck PU) in the neck. Used a Fishman endpin preamp again which allows for seperate volume controls of the piezo's and active.
Unfortunately I didn't take any pics of the bracing but this one has the straight brace between the bridge and tailblock removed. Wanted to open up the top a little in conjunction with a slightly longer scale length & it seems to produce the volume so I'm pleased about that.
So the pics:












Another shot showing the slight angle of the cutaway as it meets the neck. Gives a nice feel as there is no ledge for your hand to negotiate at the body join.


A classic "head shot"


My Kiwi inlay on the tailpiece.


& finally a close up of the rosette inlay. Does anybody else notice the optical illusion? The oval curve of the rosette lines makes the string look curved, it's kinda weird when you look at it straight on, the two E strings look as though they 'neck inwards' as they go past the soundhole.

[Allen]

Oh, that's so mucho cool Nick. There's so much to like about it, I'm hard pressed to pick my favorite feature, but I'll go with the headstock design and your logo inlay is really top notch......Oh, and mustache bridges. :serg

The more instruments that I build, the more I appreciate the things that I know are just so difficult to pull off, and make look seamless and unassuming. Looks like you've certainly got the building chops.

BTW, what type of tuners are you using. They look great.

[DarwinStrings]

Top notch Nick, That headstock and I like the "clean & simple" look too mate. Do we have any chance of hearing it please.

Jim

[Kim]

Outstanding stuff Nick, gotta love that headstock and the inlay designs are very very stylish. As Allen said, you obviously have the chops.

Thanks for sharing.

Cheers

Kim

[Nick]

Thanks guys for your comments, having seen your work I'm well chuffed & quite humbled that you like mine.
The headstock is a standard Selmer shape with my little twist on it & the inlay is just my signature in MOP that just seems to sit well in the available space.
And Jim, I'll see what I can organise as a sound sample, maybe get a youtube clip up of my original customer playing it, he's far far better than I am.

[Mark McLean]

Outstanding work Nick. The look is really clean and stylish. You are putting these beauties together with great flair. And you even had time to mow the lawn!

I notice that you are using a zero fret. Is it the same height as the other frets or a little taller? What do you think are the advantages
Mark?

[Nick]

First thanks for your kind comments Mark, they're greatly appreciated.

I notice that you are using a zero fret. Is it the same height as the other frets or a little taller? What do you think are the advantages
Mark?

Micheal Collins (who wrote the book on constructing these guitars) makes traditional copies and leaves the Zero fret higher, I dress it down along with all the other frets. Traditionally these guitars are played hard & are really laid into with a 5mm thick pick so I guess the reasoning was to use a higher overall action to avoid fret buzz. I believe modern players are a little more subtle so I like to run a lower action (3/64ths on high E & 4/64ths on low E) so that the guitar feels nice & easier on the fingers. Having said that, I know of one local player that really lays into his Del Arte so if I was to make one for him I'd leave the zero fret higher along with the overall action.
Not sure if there's a tonal advantage to Zero frets but it makes setting up nice and easy because you don't have to adjust individual slot heights! the bone is just there to space the string & direct it to it's tuning post.

[ozziebluesman]

Yep, that's a winner Nick. Beautiful guitar. Just love your kiwi signature on the tail piece. You have a wonderful flair for unique design.

Thanks for sharing the pics.

Cheers

Alan

[kiwigeo]

Hotter than the Jazz Hot Club Nick! A very nice looking guitar....reckon I might just have to come over and check out your workshop and share a few Montieths with you.

[Nick]

Hotter than the Jazz Hot Club Nick! A very nice looking guitar....reckon I might just have to come over and check out your workshop and share a few Montieths with you.

Thanks Martin. Not much to see in the workshop front, not compared to your den but there's a beer waiting here with your name on it, Monteiths or otherwise.
I have a friend who is the brewer at the twisted hop who brews some very nice english style beers if that's your style of poison.

[Taffy Evans]

Hi Nick, It's all been said and I agree with comments made above, very nice looking and finished guitar, what's next?

[Stephen Kinnaird]

Great stuff, Nick.
Where do you get those crooked strings?

Steve

[Nick]

Where do you get those crooked strings?

They're a special import Stephen, I buy them by the case load from the Banana republic.
And Taffy, I have another project in my head but I'll have to shed a guitar or two first, the house is filling up and I'll get the tea pot if I bring another stray in. But I'm thinking another acoustic somewhere in the 000 range with a few 'tweaks', I have a nice piece of Myrtle & some Adi that are begging to be titebonded together. I might also have a commission for a classical coming up soon if everything pans out. *Crosses fingers*

[Bob Connor]

Very tasty looking guitar Nick.

[Lillian]

Nick, I keep coming back to look at your guitar. Besides admiring your craftsmanship, I want to play it. I want to hear what it sounds like. I want a really good look at it. I've seen them in pictures, but not up close and personal. Now I want to find one and check it out.

[Nick]

Nick, I keep coming back to look at your guitar. Besides admiring your craftsmanship, I want to play it. I want to hear what it sounds like. I want a really good look at it. I've seen them in pictures, but not up close and personal. Now I want to find one and check it out.

Awww Shucks Lillian Thanks very much for that, it is very much appreciated. They are a great fun guitar to play or listen to for that matter. They have quite a cutting slightly 'trebley' sound because traditionally they are played more toward the bridge than the neck and have heaps of volume. I'll try & talk my last customer (a founder & tutor of a recognised local jazz school) into playing it & video it, then post it up.
Have a listen to any of Django's tunes (he used them exclusively) or search for Angelo De Barre or Stochello Rosenberg on youtube to get some idea. They end up about the size of a 000 so are small but comfortable to play.

[WaddyT]

It is, without doubt, a great looking guitar. Nice job.

[Ron Wisdom]

Yeah, I like that a lot. Great job.

Ron

[Craig]

Wow ! , Great job Nick . Superb craftsmanship.

I'd love to play this one . Definatley on my "to Do " list

[Nick]

Shucks
Thanks everybody, knowing the talent that lurks on this forum I'm most humbled.

[Clancy]

Damn! That is one smokin' guitar Nick!
Hanging out to hear/see any video you can do.
Excuse my ignorance - what is the black square at the top of the rosette?

[Nick]

Damn! That is one smokin' guitar Nick!
Hanging out to hear/see any video you can do.
Excuse my ignorance - what is the black square at the top of the rosette?

Thanks for your comments Craig, will try to get some video of it being played, just have to talk nicely to a guy that can actually play this style of axe. I can play in a fashion but it isn't just the neighbourhood dogs that howl when I do! I've got fingers on me like pigs tits when it comes to playing
The black square you ask about is a small patch of ebony inlayed into the rosette channel after the purfling strips have been glued in. It wasn't that I cocked up, the original Petite Bouche ("little mouth")Selmer's had these, it makes inlaying the rosette purfling much easier because they dont have to meet perfectly at their ends. On the larger Grande Bouche ('D' hole)the fingerboard extended into the soundhole so covering the rosette join up this way.

[Hesh1956]

Beautiful guitar Nick buddy!!!!

It's also great to see someone building Selmer style too.

This one has a lot going for it and I like everything about it.

Great work!!!