Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

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Originally Posted on: Wed Jun 30, 2010 5:50 pm

It's been a while but I finally got something completed.
Specs for this are
Kauri Top
QLD Maple B&S
Maple Binding
Rock Maple Neck with Tas Blackwood
Ebony fingerboard & fittings

Still finding it's voice.
Here's the pics, hope you like.

(Not all the original pics posted - these are the pics I had on hand post thread recovery)


Last edited by Craig Clancy on Fri Jul 02, 2010 5:30 pm; edited 1 time in total

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 5:57 pm Post subject: Re: Kauri/Qld Maple Archtop

Craig Clancy wrote:

Here's the pics, hope you like.

Me like img~
Nice work Craig, looks very nicely put together, love that neck. I also like how you've actually made a feature of the tailgut adjusters, I've never thought of doing that!
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A handmade Guitar for $300 ? Phftt. Sure, give me a chunk of wood, a hammer & some 6 inch nails & I'll see what I can knock up for ya.

Nick Oliver
http://www.oliver-guitars.com

Very Nice Craig, she's quite the looker with much to like and nicely executed detail.

Cheers

Kim
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Last edited by Kim on Sat Jul 03, 2010 9:47 pm; edited 1 time in total

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 9:42 pm Post subject:
All class Craig! Beautiful workmanship and the Queensland Maple back and sides look very sweet with the King Billy top.

Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Cheers

Alan
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"Play to express, not to impress"

Alan R Hamley

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 11:16 pm Post subject:

There aren't too many things more beautiful in this world than a well executed archtop. A true art form. I must get around to building one of these one day and hang it on a wall. Love your work.
Pete.

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 11:17 pm Post subject:

It looks to be up to your usual standard, beautiful in design and execution. As Kim said, there is lots to like about it. You will be posting a sound clip of it, please.

Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 11:33 pm Post subject:

Beautiful piece Craig. Unadorned and elegant. Your selected timber combo of Kauri and Q. Maple, alongside that neck, really suits. Congrats.img~

Jeremy.
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J.F. Custom Guitars
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Cannons Don't Kill People...
Pirates with Cannons Kill People.

Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 1:18 am Post subject:

A very cool looking instrument there with some nice bits and pieces going on, I like the meeting of Australia and New Zealand.

Jim

Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 11:00 am Post subject:

Wow, plenty of praise there. Thanks everyone. Glad you did like. img~

The guitar has been playing in nicely and has developed a really nice tone, though I think I'd like to change to different strings from the phosphur bronze currently on it.
Will talk to the owner when he collects it in August.

Nick, the tailgut feature was one of those "I wonder if I..." moments. I wasn't sure if it would add or take from the look. Happy you approve.

Jim, the timber yard seemed pretty sure that the Kauri Pine came from queensland, though it had been stored down in a dark corner there for a long, long time.
When I searched the net on Kauri just about everything said kauri was a NZ native (Agathis Australis), however there were a few references to Pacific Kauri (Agathis Macrophylla) and this...

Quote:
Kauri Pine (Agathis microstachya, palmerstonii, robusta) or Queensland Kauri, or Bull Kauri, is a large softwood native to the Cairns and Maryborough districts. Similar to, but slightly darker than Hoop Pine. Heartwood is not durable. Suitable for plywood, furniture, joinery, patternmaking, vats, kitchen utensils, battery separators, turnery, violin bellies. Supplies mainly limited to northern Queensland

Anyway, I found this piece, I wanted to see how it would work as carved soundboard. It works and I'm happy cause I've got more of the stuff and it was too expensive for firewood img~

Cheers
Craig

Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 5:56 pm Post subject:

Nice work. You are going to have to drop around with it before you give it away. You must feel you are getting up a head of steam now. Powering through them.
Cheers
Dom
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but you can't bomb the world to peace!

Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 9:52 pm Post subject:

A lovely guitar Craig....a Clancy Classic.
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One can never have enough tonewood

Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 10:00 pm Post subject:

Looks good to me Craig, nice all over but I do like that neck.
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Taff

Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 3:36 pm Post subject:

I guess I should change that to a nice meeting of a couple of Queenslanders then, thanks for the info and that one, if for nothing else but its good looks is now going on my list of potential Aussie soundboards, I will keep and eye out for it next time I get to some of the timber yards down south.

Jim

Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 4:38 pm Post subject: Re: Kauri/Qld Maple Archtop

Craig Clancy wrote:

img~

Better look out...someone is going to reach in and try and pull that wonderful gat through that catflap.

Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 9:39 pm Post subject:

Jim, your right about the good look of this kauri.
It's a deep golden honey colour that surprised me on the first coat and then came to appreciate more & more as I polished it.

Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 11:15 pm Post subject:

Craig,

I have an old pine table, its an ex military job from WW11. On the underside it is clearly stamped TOWNSVILLE. The top is made of 3 jointed boards, one in the centre @150mm wide and reasonably 1/4ed and the two outers both flatsaw @400mm each and I know it is not Bunya because its just too fine and Bunya, well its a rocket so even the old growth stuff has relatively wide grain...

Anyhow some years back when I first acquired the table, I had ask an ex-cabinet maker who had been a mate of my oldman's before he passed what kind of wood it was. This bloke was well qualified to give an opinion because not only was he a woody from his early teens, but he was also a digger who had spent time at the army camp in Townsville QLD during basic training prior to being shipped off to Port Morsbey to march over the Owen Stanleys and turn back the peril.

This bloke was firm in his reply that it is "QLD Kauri Pine". He went on to say that all the mess tables at the camp had been knocked up from the same "local" wood and that they had made heaps of them. Ironic that such a table should wind up here with me in WA. What is even more ironic is that he went on to say that all of the serviceman's foot lockers that lined the dorms had been made of WA Jarrah and I also have one of those in my shed to hold nice bits of 'stuff', it to is stamped TOWNSVILLE.....so she came home img~

Sorry to waffle on but my point is that the wood of your guitar top does have some history of being tagged "Kauri Pine" colloquial or not, the term dates back to at least the 1940's.

Cheers

Kim
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Pull me Finga

Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 11:34 pm Post subject:

Just had a chance to have a look at this Craig. It's a beauty, and I really like the whole package.

I notice a little talk about Qld. Kauri and N.Z. Kauri. While I've never seen the N.Z. variety, I've got plenty of the Qld. Variety, and from the pictures that I see of yours, it looks exactly like the pieces I've got.

I've done deflection tests with it, and it holds up as well or better to some of the spruce I have. I've used it for braces, and linings, but as yet, not for tops. You might have my mind changed on that aspect though.

Thanks for posting.
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Allen R. McFarlen

Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 11:20 am Post subject:

Kim, that's a great story, I really enjoyed it as well as learnt something. Thanks.

Allen, I selected this Kauri to try and find a local alternative to spending a fortune importing spruce wedges. The Kauri certainly works and further "experiments" with it should get even better results. If I come across more I'll grab it. I don't know how this particular kauri would work as a "flat top". Probably similiar to Bunya but nicer looking and and much nicer to work with.

Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 7:48 pm Post subject:

Originally posted by david chan, however at the time of restoring the topic, the poster is not a registered member.

To all of you out there admiring this work of art! i can't believe that i will have it in my hands in six weeks. it's been like a dream to see it progress
through all the stages of craft, i just hope that my hands and fingers will do it justice Craig.All that have seen the photo's have been drooling mate!
We all cow tow the the god of guitar making you are a true artisan
many thanks. Dave, the guitar playing nut from Queensland(also known as your brother( in law)

Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 8:50 pm Post subject:

Welcome to the ANZLF David, you got urself one nice looking guitar.

Sounds like a happy customer to me Craig, well done mate.

Cheers

Kim
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Pull me Finga

Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2010 9:12 am Post subject:

Two things Dave,

First, it may look good but if it doesn't sound good or feel right then you may as well just stick a nail in it and hang it on the wall.img~

Second, you haven't got it yet mate, and I'm taking a real liking to it! img~

Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2010 11:03 am Post subject:

Ahhh yes, letting go can sometimes be the hardest thing of all Craig.

Too bad Dave, that was a real nice axe you nearly had img~ img~ img~

Cheers

Kim
_________________
ĆϾϿƆ
_(ӧ) ∩
_ڔ ڔ
Pull me Finga

Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2010 8:31 pm Post subject:

Christian. Craig what a beautiful instrument !!!!! suberb work you must be thrilled with it. worth fighting over thats for sure !!!
Glad you took the plunge and used Kauri for the top i bet even at this early stage it sounds awesome !!! I've been using NZ Kauri on steel strings for quite a while now and i actually prefer it to Spruce, for what its worth i'm pretty sure that your top isn't NZ Kauri, which is great cause hopefully you can find more of it !!!! although huge amounts of our Kauri made it to Aus
for those out there wondering what NZ kauri looks like i've attached a pic

again great guitar Craig!!

Cheers,

Christian. img~

Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 7:39 pm Post subject:

Thanks christian,
It was work like yours & your fellow nz luthiers that gave me the confidence to give the kauri a go.




This is the final re-constructed message of this topic posted by the ANZLF help team.

Craigs brother David just poped over to pick up a vice I offered him and brought this guitar over for me to look at.

Fantastic job Craig, beautifully finished guitar.

Cheers.