Blackheart OM-S

jeffhigh · Post by **jeffhigh** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 8:10 am

Hi guys, finally got my OM-S strung up
Still a bit of setup and finish repair etc to be done
Neck is feeling a bit chunky and will be reworked
Specs-
Blackheart Sassafras B&S
Lutz Spruce top
Celery Top Pine Neck
Cooktown Ironwood fretboard
Tiger Myrtle bridge and binding
Tru-oil finish

Tried a few different things with this-

Modified OM with rounded upper bout and very slightly rounded lower bout
V- joint neck to headstock
Non adjustable neck with carbon fibre rod set towards the back of the neck.
Elevated cantilevered fingerboard extension
One bolt adjustable neck with the bolt integrated as a strap button.

sebastiaan56 · Post by **sebastiaan56** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:13 am

Hi Jeff,

Funky! I just got some Sassafras from my tonewood pusher (sorry Tim) and hope to do it similar justice,

Sebastiaan

SteveF · Post by **SteveF** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:03 am

Very nice Jeff.....
Got a couple of ?'s tho..is the celery top as white as it looks and what does it work like......Steve

jeffhigh · Post by **jeffhigh** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:45 am

Yeah the Celery top is sitka spruce white with the occasional dark streak.
mine is finished in tru- oil with the birchwood casey sealer underneath which helps to keep the colour light

Works pretty easy except for the occasional pin knot and associated cranky grain.

This is from a couple of boards I got at the Newcastle wood show cut from the log on the day, this piece was nice and clear and perfectly quartered to the face.
When I looked up the wood properties it was listed as stiffer than mahogany so I thought I would give it a try for a different look without the weight of a hard maple.

ozziebluesman · Post by **ozziebluesman** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 12:28 pm

G'day Jeff,

Very nice indeed mate. I have a soft spot for Sassafrass as you know! It is certainly a striking look!

What's your opinion on Tru-Oil as a finish?

I found the Sassafrass very warm in tone. How dose this new little beauty sound?

Beautiful guitar mate. Congratulations.

Cheers

Alan

Bob Connor · Post by **Bob Connor** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 12:54 pm

Lovely work Jeff.

That Celery almost looks like Marble in the pics.

How are you finding the sound of the instrument?

jeffhigh · Post by **jeffhigh** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:28 pm

I am a bit on the fence about the tru- oil, it is a bit softer than the alternatives and shows no mercy with sanding deficiencies
Only strung it up yesterday morning so the sound is still developing,
sounded reall shitty at first, then picked it up that night and a big change for the better
Probably would'nt call it warm, has a bit of edge. but I am not good at describing tone

gratay · Post by **gratay** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:51 pm

Jeff, That looks beautiful.. excellent stuff.
about the tru-oil?
when you say "shows no mercy in sanding"
do you mean sanding the finish or getting the final sand on the guitar right first?

Kim · Post by **Kim** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 2:56 pm

Looks great Jeff,

Would like an update in a week or so when you have had a chance to play her hard, what your impressions are then of lutz for a soundboard. I also like the clean look of the celery top neck.

Cheers

Kim

jeffhigh · Post by **jeffhigh** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 4:58 pm

I guess with the sanding I mean it shows any deficiencies in he sanding before finishing and also it scratches fairly easily during the finishing process with any stray grit.
I found the best way for me to get the final surface was to sand from about 800 through to 2000 with turps to get a matt finish then wipe on and buff a really thin coat and call it done

jeffhigh · Post by **jeffhigh** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 5:40 pm

Kim,
I will give you my impressions in a week or so but the Lutz was really nice to work with and very stiff.
Got both the Lutz and the sassafras from Tim Spittle who was very helpfull when I "lost" the original back........
Weighs in at 1.7kg despite a fairly bulky heel.
The only flatop I have here for comparison is a 30 year old Solid top/ mahogany B/S Takamine dread which I prefered to the martin D28 I sold 15 years ago.
This already has better volume and response despite being a fair bit smaller.
Will compare them both with fresh strings in a week or two

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 6:22 pm

There looks to be some very nice work done on that Jeff. What made you try the style of head stock joint? Just the challenge of pulling it off so well? I really like the volute that you get with that style.

How about the adjustable neck? How did you go about the adjustment mechanism?

Taffy Evans · Post by **Taffy Evans** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:01 pm

Nice looking guitar Jeff certainly an eye catcher, looks great.

I've still got a bit to learn about some tone woods, who would have thought pine for a guitar neck. Could you tell me a bit about Lutz Spruce, I've only ever heard the name on the forum. People that play some of my guitars that are in the show cabinet, all have a different comments on the necks, some fall in love some dont like. It's hard to please every body.

jeffhigh · Post by **jeffhigh** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:18 pm

Hi Allen, thanks for the kind words.
I just really liked the look and concept of the v- joint as opposed to a scarf joint and did not want to do a one piece again like I did on my LP Junior.

The neck joint is REALLY simple.

I considered a lot of options, wanted external rather than trru the soundhole adjustment, and in the end went for a sort of Stauffer arangement but with furniture assembly bits from bunnings.
The neck block has a coarse threaded insert screwed in from the inside.
There is a 5-6mm deep neck heel shaped recess in the outside, no tennon etc just a flat surface.
The bolt/ Strap peg is a stack of flat head bolt, brass sleeve, drilled out sleeve nut inserted into neck heel from the outside.
No captive bolt or spring or washers.
The neck just bears on a strip of 3mmx1mm carbon fibre resting part on the top endgrain part on the neck block. yaw adjustment by filing.
There are diagonal braces glued to the underside of the soundboard to support the neckblock.
It takes a lot of pull to displace the neck backwards against string tension.
Havent got any neck pocket pics but will do next string change

jeffhigh · Post by **jeffhigh** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:29 pm

Hi Taffy,
I wanted to try something different with the neck and I had a few boards of the Celery top pine so...
Totally different to Radiata, the pieces I have would have a ring count of 20 - 25 to the inch. Stiffer and denser than spruce
Only had it strung since monday, maybe one thou relief so far
I believe the lutz is a hybrid of sitka with Black? spruce.

TimS · Post by **TimS** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 12:33 am

Nice job on the guitar Jeff. I am very interetsed to see how you go with the celery top pine for the neck. I have several large baords of Cewlery Top Pine that I was going to convert into neck myself.

regards

Tim

Dennis Leahy · Post by **Dennis Leahy** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 3:28 am

Jeff, your guitar looks very nice. I'd like to see some bigger photos with more light.

The Celery Top Pine looks as white as Holly - really striking!

Do you have photos and documentation for the adjustable neck joint? I'd love to see what you did, then hear your engineering thoughts as well as your thoughts now that you can test it out. Please add it it to the Adjustable Neck thread.

Dennis

Tigermyrtle · Post by **Tigermyrtle** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 6:46 pm

Taffy, Celery Top is not really a Pine as such.
Like most Australian timbers named wrong by the early settlers.
Celery Top is one of the most dense timbers growing in tasmania.
it ages to a beautiful honey gold colour.
Regards,Bob.

Taffy Evans wrote:Nice looking guitar Jeff certainly an eye catcher, looks great.

I've still got a bit to learn about some tone woods, who would have thought pine for a guitar neck. Could you tell me a bit about Lutz Spruce, I've only ever heard the name on the forum. People that play some of my guitars that are in the show cabinet, all have a different comments on the necks, some fall in love some dont like. It's hard to please every body.

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 6:54 pm

jeffhigh wrote: I believe the lutz is a hybrid of sitka with Black? spruce.

Lutz spruce is a hybridization of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), White spruce (Picea glauca) and sometimes Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii).

Tigermyrtle · Post by **Tigermyrtle** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 7:23 pm

And while we are on the subject Tiger Myrtle is hybridization of the Tasmanian Myrtle, Nothofagus Cunninghamii and the last known Tasmanian Tiger. Cheers,Bob.

kiwigeo wrote:
jeffhigh wrote: I believe the lutz is a hybrid of sitka with Black? spruce.
Lutz spruce is a hybridization of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), White spruce (Picea glauca) and sometimes Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii).

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 7:53 pm

Anyone knows you cant mate a marsupial with a tree.....but then again stranger things have happened in Tasmania

Tigermyrtle · Post by **Tigermyrtle** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 7:58 pm

thats for sure I have seen alot of tree huggers the past few years so stay tuned for the next new tasmanian species.

kiwigeo wrote:Anyone knows you cant mate a marsupial with a tree.....but then again stranger things have happened in Tasmania

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