Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
This ones been strung up for over a week now and been waiting for the weather to fine up a bit in order to get some pictures. We got a break from the constant downpour of the last 3 months for a few hours today, so out with the camera.
I had planned on building this guitar for some time, and when the customer came around to pick wood, he fell in love with the very pieces I would have use had it been my own. I love it when it works out like that. And it's not often that you get someone wanting a terz guitar.
Anyway, the details are thus:
Back and Sides - Zircote
Top - Adirondack Spruce
Bindings - Blackwood
Neck - Brazilian Mahogany
2 Carbon Fibre rods plus double action truss rod
Fret Board - Minneretchi
Bridge - Minneretchi
Bridge patch - Honduran Rosewood
Braces - Adi Spruce
Linings - Spanish Cedar
Fret Wire - Gold EVO
Tuners - Golden Age Restoration Tuners, Antique finish with etching
Finish - Mirotone 3220 over WEST Systems
Stings - 12 - 54 tuned 3 half steps up to Terz tuning
I had planned on building this guitar for some time, and when the customer came around to pick wood, he fell in love with the very pieces I would have use had it been my own. I love it when it works out like that. And it's not often that you get someone wanting a terz guitar.
Anyway, the details are thus:
Back and Sides - Zircote
Top - Adirondack Spruce
Bindings - Blackwood
Neck - Brazilian Mahogany
2 Carbon Fibre rods plus double action truss rod
Fret Board - Minneretchi
Bridge - Minneretchi
Bridge patch - Honduran Rosewood
Braces - Adi Spruce
Linings - Spanish Cedar
Fret Wire - Gold EVO
Tuners - Golden Age Restoration Tuners, Antique finish with etching
Finish - Mirotone 3220 over WEST Systems
Stings - 12 - 54 tuned 3 half steps up to Terz tuning
Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
Oh Baby, come home to Papa!
drooool.....
drooool.....
Craig
I'm not the sharpest tool in my shed
I'm not the sharpest tool in my shed
- ozziebluesman
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Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
What an unreal little guitar! The headstock is a stunning feature and your finish is first class as per usual. Love the fret marker shapes as well. Beautiful mate!
Cheers
Alan
Cheers
Alan
"Play to express, not to impress"
Alan Hamley
http://www.hamleyfineguitars.com/
Alan Hamley
http://www.hamleyfineguitars.com/
Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
Yes this one is a lovely looking little guitar Al. I really like the delicate structure of the peghead, very nice indeed. By delicate I mean it is elegant, yet the tuners butch it up just enough to give balance so the look is classy rather than dainty.
Great work as usual mate.
Cheers
Kim
Great work as usual mate.
Cheers
Kim
- charangohabsburg
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Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
What a beautiful guitar! Great artwork, including the pictures themselves!
Markus
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It's only the others who suffer.
To be stupid is like to be dead. Oneself will not be aware of it.
It's only the others who suffer.
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Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
It's beautiful. The timber choices and appointments are stunning. How are you going to let that one go?
Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
That's easy Lillian. She's paid for. Just waiting on a case from Cedar Creek that's suppose to be in the mail.Lillian wrote:It's beautiful. The timber choices and appointments are stunning. How are you going to let that one go?
Thanks everyone for your kind comments. Trying to take pictures of these things is actually a lot harder than one imagines. Reflections and such either have to be eliminated....no easy feat, or try and make a feature of them....that's not so easy either.
I was trying to go with a bit of a vintage look, but the wood choices give it a rather modern flair, so it's a blend of both I guess. I'm pleased with the outcome and I think I pulled that off here.
Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
Allen wrote:That's easy Lillian. She's paid for. Just waiting on a case from Cedar Creek that's suppose to be in the mail.Lillian wrote:It's beautiful. The timber choices and appointments are stunning. How are you going to let that one go?
Well that does take a bit of the sting out of it, now doesn't it.
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Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
What can I say Allen? Beautiful craftsmanship as ever & the Ziricote is just plain stunning with one of your gawwwgeous coats of jam over it. I've lost my Borat piccie until I can retrieve my laptop, so you'll just have to make do with a good wholesome dose of the clap!
"Jesus Loves You."
Nice to hear in church but not in a Mexican prison.
Nice to hear in church but not in a Mexican prison.
Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
Lovely little guitar Allen. Must be proud of this one.
What kind of sound does the design in general produce, relative to an OM say?
Cheers
Dom
What kind of sound does the design in general produce, relative to an OM say?
Cheers
Dom
You can bomb the world to pieces,
but you can't bomb the world to peace!
but you can't bomb the world to peace!
Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
This one has lots of fundamental and each note is very clearly defined. The Adi spruce is just so very stiff that it's going to take some time to open up. 3 weeks with strings on it, and it's just getting to where my other guitars have got to in a day or two.
I tried tuning to standard tuning, but the strings just wouldn't drive this one at all. So at a terz tuning is obviously brighter than your regular OM. Volume is building as it's opening up, as is the sustain which is really great. The customer is going to be picking it up in May when he's in Cairns and I'll try to get a video with sound sample if he's willing.
I tried tuning to standard tuning, but the strings just wouldn't drive this one at all. So at a terz tuning is obviously brighter than your regular OM. Volume is building as it's opening up, as is the sustain which is really great. The customer is going to be picking it up in May when he's in Cairns and I'll try to get a video with sound sample if he's willing.
Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
Hi Allan, wow this one looks wonderful.
Can you elaborate more on the tuning.
Can you elaborate more on the tuning.
Cheers Luke
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Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
Lovely work as usual Allen.
Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
Found this on the Acoustic Guitar Forum. It is a copy of a letter from Dick Boak that goes in the case pocket of every Style 5 Mini Martin
Dear Martin Enthusiasts,
The fact that you are reading this letter means you are probably one of a select group to have in your possession one of the Size 5 “Mini-Martin” guitars. These little instruments are very close to my heart and I am proud to have played a part in reviving them for this special Martin edition. As many of you know, Size 5 Martin models came to be known as “terz” guitars because the instrument was invariably tuned to a minor third (3 half notes) above standard guitar tuning or G, C, F, Bb, d, g.
The Mini-Martin is equipped from the factory with Martin MSP-4050 Custom Light “SP” Phosphor Bronze strings. I recommend that you first tune your Mini-Martin to standard pitch (E, A, D, G, b, e). You’ll see that the strings are not stretched quite tight enough. Play the bass “G” note at the third fret, then tune the low “E” string up to that note. Accordingly, tune all of the remaining strings up three half steps to achieve the terz tuning: G, C, F, Bb, d, g. Now the strings will feel more correctly tensioned.
I personally prefer to string my personal Size 5 instrument with a customized “high string” or “Nashville tuning” set. This is similar to using the high strings only from a 12-string set. The first four (bass) strings are thus an octave higher while the two treble strings remain unchanged. I first saw such as string set when I visited Paul Simon. I was so impressed, I came back and experimented with a variety of gauges. My clear preference is:
Standard Pitch Gauge Terz Tuning Bb Tuning
E .025” wound G (one octave higher) F
A .017” plain C (one octave higher) Bb
D .013” plain F (one octave higher) F
G .008” plain Bb (one octave higher) Bb
B .012” plain d d
e .010” plain g f
I have enclosed a customized set of these “high” strings. They have an extremely sweet, almost “piano-like” tone. I encourage you to experiment with both standard and alternate tunings using these strings. For example, tuning the two G strings down a full step to F and the C string down to a Bb, yields an open Bb tuning. These string sets are not yet available in stores, so if you fall in love with this tuning, you might want to pick up individual string gauges to make up your own sets. I hope you enjoy the Mini-Martin as much as I do!
Sincerely,
dick boak
C. F. Martin & Co., Inc.
----------------------------
NOTE:
High string standard pitch for mini
E .032
A .023
D .016
G .011
b .017
e .013
Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
It looks fantastic against the background of those beautiful gardens. I'm no accountant but you should be able to write off those landscaping costs as a business expense now
Last edited by liam_fnq on Wed Mar 16, 2011 9:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
Allen !!! what a beautiful instrument !!! first class workmanship all the way, I'm a huge fan of the smaller bodied guitars much more focused tonally and aesthetically, as mentioned its super elegant because you kept it relatively simple and let the wood speak for itself.
Awesome work mate !!!
Cheers,
Christian.
Awesome work mate !!!
Cheers,
Christian.
Why does the eye see a thing more clearly in dreams than the imagination when awake?
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Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
Wonderful looking guitar Allen, very attractive and nice work.
Taff
Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
Lovely guitar!!!
Who did you get the ziricote off?
What a lovely piece.
Who did you get the ziricote off?
What a lovely piece.
Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
That set came from Don Williams many years ago now when he was getting out of the tone wood business.
Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
Hi Allen
Nice looking guitar. Do you insert bushes into the peghead to support the
tuners posts ?
Nice looking guitar. Do you insert bushes into the peghead to support the
tuners posts ?
Bruce Mc.
Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
No bushes on this one. The first one I did used different tuners and I did install bushes, but it was a real pain in the arse to get them in.
Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
Hi Allen
Thanks for your reponse. I think I can imagine why you say what you say.
Is it common practice to fit bushings to tuner posts on slotted peghead steel string
guitars?
I am currently working on an OM style and am planning to use Golden Age Restoration
tuners with a slotted peghead Queensland maple neck, hence my enquiry.
Thanks for your reponse. I think I can imagine why you say what you say.
Is it common practice to fit bushings to tuner posts on slotted peghead steel string
guitars?
I am currently working on an OM style and am planning to use Golden Age Restoration
tuners with a slotted peghead Queensland maple neck, hence my enquiry.
Bruce Mc.
Re: Zircote / Adirondack Style 5 Terz
I'd never use bushings on a slot head again after that first time around.
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