Bearclaw/Mahogany Dreadnought

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Bob Connor
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Bearclaw/Mahogany Dreadnought

Post by Bob Connor » Thu Mar 27, 2008 11:26 pm

This ones heading to a customer in Tassie tomorrow.

The Spruce came from Brent Cole at Alaska Specialty Woods. If you want Bearclaw Brent is your man. The set we put on this guitar is what he sells as medium bearclaw. :shock: And it was as stiff as buggery.

The back and sides are Mahogany.

Dave and I are personally delivering it just to ensure it gets there OK.

That's bullshit of course. As well has handing over the said instrument we're on a wood safari for the weekend so we'll post more pics when we get back.

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Bob

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Dave White
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Post by Dave White » Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:21 am

Bob and Dave (does Dave not like computers and forums? Does he really exist or is he your alter ego Bob :D )

Another great one done. Your customer will be pleased I'm sure. Is the Spruce sitka? Bet it's a "cannon" as the North Americans would say.

Looks like the bear left something on the top ... oh, wait a minute that's a fine tortis pickguard methinks.

Watch out for bears in the woods on your safari.
Dave White
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Post by Hesh1956 » Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:00 am

A very nice d*eadnought Bob and Dave! :cl :cl :cl :cl :cl

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Kim
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Post by Kim » Fri Mar 28, 2008 7:22 am

Nice work once again guys, fit and finish looks first class. What a ferocious bear that must have been.

Cheers

Kim

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Post by sebastiaan56 » Fri Mar 28, 2008 7:59 am

An amazing looking guitar Bob, bearclaw just rips me up. I didnt realise that there was a demand for dreddies any more....

I look forward to seeing your Tassie visit stuff.
make mine fifths........

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Craig
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Post by Craig » Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:01 am

That bearclaw is HOT ! Bob ,as is the whole guitar. This guy is gonna be thrilled to bits for sure. What a fantastic excuse to go wood hunting ! :lol:
Have a great time down there guys and may you find some delicious wood at low prices !


Cheers , Craig

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TimS
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Post by TimS » Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:42 am

So Bob thats what you call Bear Claw Bob!
[url]http://www.australiantonewoods.com[/url]

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Post by gratay » Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:41 am

thats stunning..

Just wondering where you got that scratchplate from ,Bob.
Thats just what I'm looking for.
cheers.

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Post by matthew » Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:15 pm

I love that bearclaw, very striking. Does bearclaw really make the spruce stiffer? Anyone know why?

As a guitar-uneducated person I am wondering whats the differece between a 000, 00, Dreadnought, parlour, whatever whatever whatever. Is there a website resource where one can see the different common models of guitar side-by-side for comparison?

Paul B

Post by Paul B » Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:38 pm

I don't know about stiffer, but areas of bearclaw are more dense.

I noticed this when I thinned my first bearclaw top and held it up to the light, the areas where there was bearclaw were opaque, everywhere else was translucent. Held up to the light the top looked spotty.

I'd guess that increased density would equate to increased stiffness, but it would be localised to the areas that are bearclawed - at least to my way of thinking. But I could be wrong, perhaps the whole top is stiffer, anyone?

Nice axe by the way Bob.

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Bob Connor
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Post by Bob Connor » Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:53 pm

Thanks Gentlemen.

Dave - Dave does actually exist but prefers lumps of wood to keyboards.

Just to prove it here's a pic of us arriving home from the pub at Port Fairy.

Strange thing is I can't actually remember this pic being taken. :gui

Image

Sebastiaan - I hope there's still a demand for Dreadies. I've got a couple of unfinished ones in the shed.

Grant - the scratch plate is a Greven. You can get them from his website or from LMI. I reckon they are far and above the best ones available.
I was talking to Kim recently and we think they may be a good candidate for a group buy some time in the future.

Some people claim that Bearclaw Sitka is stiffer than garden variety Sitka but I think it comes down to the individual set or billet.

This was the stiffest piece of Spruce I've worked with and I took it down to 2.75mm in the centre (and 2.5mm around the lower bout edges) and it still felt too stiff.

Matthew

Here's some pics of the various Martin Models. They stopped making 0 models in the thirties I think. I've called these 18 series but some of them are 28 series. Rosewood backs instead of Mahogany but you'll get the idea of the basic shapes.


O model 14 frets clear of the body

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O-16NY 12 fret model

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OO-18 14 fret

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00-18 12 fret

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OOO-18 14 fret (OM is the same shape with a 25.34" scale. OOO has 24.9)

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OOO-18 12 fret

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Dreadnought

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Terz/Size5

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Bob

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Allen
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Post by Allen » Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:57 pm

So, if you felt it was still too stiff, what did you end up doing?

Man, I love Bear Claw. Very nice looking guitar fellows, have a great trip overseas.
Allen R. McFarlen
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Lillian
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Post by Lillian » Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:25 am

Guys, you do first rate work. Its beautiful and I know it has a loud, sweet voice.

Thanks for the pictures. Its nice to put faces to names. But who's who?

Matthew, there is a recent thread over on the OLF that show an OM v OOO. Its hard to see the differences if they aren't side by side.

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Allen
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Post by Allen » Sat Mar 29, 2008 6:54 am

Here's a table of the sizes of Martin Guitars. For many of there guitars it's very hard to distinguish them from their shape alone. It's the dimensions and scale length that differentiates them.

Image
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Serge
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Post by Serge » Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:18 am

Awesome gitters guys, keep on keepin' on, very nice! :cl :cl :cl :cl :cl

Serge
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Dennis Leahy
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Post by Dennis Leahy » Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:56 am

Aha! Dave does exist!

Gorgeous chunk of wood in that top.

Looking forward to photos, stories and _____________ from Tasmania!

Dennis
Another damn Yank!

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Bob Connor
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Post by Bob Connor » Mon Mar 31, 2008 6:22 pm

Thanks everyone.

Allen - we left the top thickness and bracing as it was with the intention that we would have some leeway to adjust the bracing internally. The only mod that we made was taking the finger bracing down a little. This gave the mids, particularly the D and G string a little more life and punch.

Lillian - I'm wearing the glasses.

Bob

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Post by kiwigeo » Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:05 pm

bob wrote:
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Frick..I thought Gene Simmons had the longest scariest tounge in show buisness!!!

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Post by kiwigeo » Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:07 pm

Serge wrote:Awesome gitters guys, keep on keepin' on, very nice! :cl :cl :cl :cl :cl

Serge
Hey Serge,

Are you building at the moment?? Lets see some pics Bro'!

Cheers Martin

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