#16 completed

[steve roberts]

Hi guys,
I finally finished my 16th guitar on 12/12/12! It has Tassie Blackwood back and sides; Sitka Spruce top and SheOak headplate & bridge.
It is the first guitar I have built with a live back and I followed Trevor's guides in his book re frequencies to the best of my ability and am very happy with the results - I think it is the best sounding guitar I have made to date.
Anyway, I've attached some photos for you to look at.
I'm also pleased to be able to say that No. 17 is well under way - a "Lefty" this time and I am really looking forward (as a left-hander) to being able to test and play this one myself.
Regards
Steve

[martintaylor]

Lovely looking guitar Steve!
Curious to know how you go about your cutaway, bending iron or in a jig? I am yet to do a cutaway, I know it is inevitable but still a bit freaky.

I have used tassie blackwood on a couple of guitars now and it adds such a good bright tone. I haven't used a spruce soundboard yet. What is it like to work with?

Can't wait to see the lefty (and maybe a vid of you playing it??)

Martin

[kiwinoz62]

That's a pretty cool looker Steve, I love the finish.

[P Bill]

Neat and tidy with a quiet sparkle. LIKE

I didn't know the trials of leftys till I built a left hand bass and tried to play it.

[steve roberts]

Thanks for your kind comments Martin, Wayne & Bill.
Martin, in response to your query about how I bent the timber for the cutaway, this was my first cutaway so I bent it by hand using a piece of pipe, a blow torch and a lot of perseverence!
I figured that since I will probably be asked to build more cutaways I would make a bending form, which I have now done and am using for my current "lefty" build. See the attached photo of the mould and heating unit built as a fox style bender with heat lamps inside.
Even though I am not a big fan of cutaways, the market demand is certainly there. Hope this helps you.
Kind regards
Steve

[n~dl]

Great jigs! Certainly better than the ones I've thrown together. I'll probably be lifting some elements from you in the future, thanks!

I'm not a fan of cutaways either except for maybe on archtops, but I'm becoming more and more into 12 fret guitars where there is greater necessity for them. I do like the look of the cutaway on some of Dana Bourgeois' guitars, but they may be a bit too subtle to really give much access to the upper frets:



Whatcanyado...

[n~dl]

Great jigs!

And of course the guitar as well!