Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

This morning I finished #15 which is based on the very fine OLF SJ plans by Michael Payne.

Since from the weather forecast it looks like there will not be any sun here for weeks I decided to do the best I could with the photographs and post them anyway.

This guitar is going to a dear friend and will be delivered to him Saturday at Uncle Bob's (Zootman - RC Tonewoods) in Buffalo. After that event you will be able to hear some various opinions on the tone, playability, etc.

Specs:

Mahogany back and sides - Uncle Bob, RC Tonewoods
Bearclaw top - Shane, High Mountain Tonewood
Neck - Hog and Maple lam, John at CNC Guitar Parts
Finish - Joe White at Sunset Finishing
Mahog-O-Lam wood purflings - Uncle Bob, RC Tonewoods

Great to see your are still deriving lots of joy Hesh. Nice guitar mate, the compensated bridge, how did you derive the design?

Hesh,

Lovely guitar and up to your usual high standards. Are you becoming a mahogany fan? If so you'll love Black Limba that I know you have some of from Uncle Bob.

Give us the tone report and pics of the happy owner.

Love the look of that mahogany! It sparkles! Fretboard looks awesome too! Adds a nice comtrast! Again a great "stink'in"(?) guitar!

Very, very tasty Hesh.

Joe's polyester finish looks super as well.

Your naked theme is working very nicely.

Bob

Very nicely done my friend. It is beautiful. You have some serious chops there. One day, if the world spins right, I'll get to hear one of your creations in person.

Many thanks folks!!!!

Sebastiaan my friend the bridge shape was developed from a thread that I started on another forum asking "Why are bridges shaped as they are" that turned into one of the biggest and ugliest fights that I have ever seen on a forum......

But once you waded through the unfortunate part of that thread I developed a friendship with Scott Van Linge who is best known for hot rodding guitars to optimize tone and response. Scott shared a lot on info with me and I had my own design goals too.

I wanted the bridge to have a larger foot print and "melt" into the top and the inspiration for the shape was a melting Hershey kiss (chocolate) on a cookie..... I also wanted no hard edges and a thicker saddle. After three prototypes I had a batch of 6 of these made for me at a CNC shop. The one that you see above is one I made myself because I wanted to use this beautiful piece of BRW.

BTW the bridge pins are also BRW, 3 degree, unslotted. I call this bridge the "stealth" bridge.

Dave mon I am indeed a mahogany fan almost to the degree of Colin. I love mahogany both working with it and the predictable tone of this very fine wood.

I had some black Limba but ditched it in a swap meet since I am now trying to rope in my design goals which pretty much only include "core" woods now i.e. rosewoods, mahogany, blackwood, koa, etc.

I'll have some pics of the presentation ceremony next week.

Bob buddy thanks and I like the simpler look for a guitar but showcasing the natural beauty of the wood. I give a lot of thought into the wood combos and will often "kit" a guitar and then just look at the parts for a week or more changing things out until it looks right to me.

With #16 on the bench now I have found my voice and a couple of people commented last week that all of my recent guitars sound like they have the same voice. So these days it is all about the tone and playability without doing anything, or adding anything that detracts from the natural beauty of the wood.

I wanted to add that this poly finish that Joe White did for me is superb in all respect. I could not be more pleased.

Rick Turner also very graciously helped Joe when Joe was considering getting into poly so I own Rick a big thanks too!

Lillian my friend I hope to get out your way for GAL and would love to meet you too and I will be sure to bring a guitar for you to play.

That would be great Hesh! I would love to meet you in person. That would be so much fun.


Aaaa, about the guitar playing. Aaa, well, ya see. That's what started this journey many years ago. I have always wanted to play the guitar, but could only afford cheap, read crappy, guitars. Well that's not true. My mother bought me a nice Alverez that I had to part with not long after I received it to get myself out of a jam. I know, I know, I was stupid, on so many levels. So... After visiting Kathy site, I thought, naively enough, "Hey, I could make myself a really nice guitar and learn on it." Now I won 't confess the number of years ago that was, but in my defense I've moved four times since then. But I am getting closer than ever before. No, really I am. I swear. I can get back to thinking about guitars, after I get all the insulation up under the house and finish what was started in the attic. How can you live in a house for 30 years and not insulate???! Sorry, I digressed from my confession.

Hesh, I can't play. But I would still love to hear one of your beauties sing.

Hesh,

The pins, 3 degress, unslotted, I assume means the taper is 3 degrees, not the angle. I never noticed a lathe in your photos before? Actually I was interested in the shaping on the bone in the bridge. Intonation tweek? PM me if its a secret, I wont tell....

I like the Hershey Kiss idea, could be little bits on the edge of a moustache.

It looks great Hesh. The pics. here look a lot better than the OLF pics.
The finish does look awesome. Love your stealth bridge.
So,Is she a cannon? The recipient of this fine instrument is going to be overjoyed man !!
BEAUTIFUL guitar !!

Hesh,

Another nice looking guitar, of course no surprise there.
The Mahogany sure "pops" under finish, just stunning!

Joe's finish work is superb, give him a thumbs up for me.

Tom

Great Axe Hesh. Love the simplistic style and mahogany really is at the core of this craft. Sooooo, when does the Native Olive get a run at Heshtone???

Cheers

Kim

I've always loved checking out your guitars Hesh. And I like the bridge design as well. So much so that I'd like to borrow a few of your design elements and adapt them to my own needs.

Thanks folks!

Joel I am flattered that you would ask and please go ahead and borrow what ever you like. Most everything that you see in my guitars has been done before in one iteration or another by someone else.

Kim bro I don't know when I will get to the Native Olive. I have a Cuban/German on the bench right now. I agree that Mahogany is so very historically important to the craft and very much under rated IMHO.

Tom absolutely - Joe's finishing came out great and this was the first one that he did too!!!! I wish my first anything was as nice.

Dave buddy I thought that the pics looked better here too and they are the same pics - go figure......

This guitar is not the cannon that I thought that it might be but it is still loud when pushed and I can't make it break up either.

Sebastiaan my friend yes 3 degrees is the taper and of course unslotted means that the bridge, top, and bridge plate are slotted instead of the pins. This places the string ball more firmly on the bridge plate and will reduce pin and bridge plate wear and tear over time. These pins were custom made for me of BRW since you can't buy these any place.

Do BRW bridge pins sound better? Who knows but I think that they look very pretty and show some attention to detail. BTW I chuck each one in a cordless drill and hit them with micro-mesh pads to get them shiny.....

The saddle shape is just a function of the individual adjustments needed to intonate each string. If you look at one of Dave White's bridges with the split saddle you will see how the B string needs to be longer and each individual string needs a slight tweak too.

Lillian I can relate and I hardly play at all anymore and hence have gotten pretty rusty. Technically I am told that I am a good player since I can do many techniques and I am comfortable all over the neck knowing my scales and being a blues lover. But I just never play anymore and when ever I get around other builders they are all better players then me so I just listen and enjoy.

Hesh, another beautiful build. I wish I could play one!!

I was only talking about you to Sweetie (Lillian, is it OK to use this term you invented?) the other day and commented on your attention to detail and how the guitars seem so flawless.

Love the shape of this one.

Sure Sam, well sure as long as your husband doesn't mind.

I just love that one Hesh, superb in all respects, i just hope i'll be able to hear it sing one day!

Congrats bro!

Another beautiful instrument from the 'House of Heshstone'

Superb guitar mate. Love the appointments and body shape . Great craftsmanship Hesh,,,,,,,,again !


Cheers, Craig

Many thanks folks

beautiful.....subtle, tasteful.
I've enjoyed them all and this is no exception.
excellent stuff, Hesh.