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First guitar for a paying customer

Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 7:14 pm
by martintaylor
Hi all, this is the first guitar I have made for someone that actually paid for it! At last I can start to justify some of the expenses to my wife now. The specs are: Back and sides - Tasmanian Fiddleback Blackwood, Soundboard - Bunya Pine, Neck - QLD Maple, Fretboard and Bridge - Mulga Wood. I love working with Australian tone woods. The shape is a "Classical" small body shape.

Re: First guitar for a paying customer

Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 7:19 pm
by ozwood
Nice Guitar , congrats on your choice of all Aussie Timber.

My question is though what's the label on the inside say , cause first or last name your in for a Lawsuit :lol: :lol: :lol:

Seriously though nice small body guitar , it looks spotless.

Thanks for the Pics.

Cheers,

Re: First guitar for a paying customer

Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 7:24 pm
by martintaylor
Hi Paul,

Yes my name happens to be Martin Taylor and as it is my birth name I can trade under it without breaching trademarks. If only my parents knew when they named me that I'd end up making guitars one day! haha.

Re: First guitar for a paying customer

Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 7:25 pm
by Bruce McC
Hi Martin

Welcome to the forum and congratulations, that is a nice looking guitar.
Was it a commission and how many others have you made before this one?

Re: First guitar for a paying customer

Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 7:27 pm
by Bruce McC
ps. Your photography is pretty slick as well!

Re: First guitar for a paying customer

Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 7:33 pm
by martintaylor
Hi Bruce, Yes, this was commissioned by an ex staff member that had heard I had started making guitars. He wanted a small body acoustic and chose the timbers so he was involved in the process. I had only made 2 guitars before this one so was a little nervous to say the least. I spoke to him the other day and he said that he has played it every night since picking it up a couple of months ago and that it seems to be sounding better each day, maybe that is his playing getting better, but I'll take the compliment anyway! And the photos are taken with my iPhone in my lounge room! Just a little bit of photoshop to remove unwanted backgrounds.

Re: First guitar for a paying customer

Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 8:07 pm
by steve roberts
Hi Martin
Great looking guitar welcome to the forum.
Regards Steve

Re: First guitar for a paying customer

Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 2:40 pm
by MaddAddam
Nice guitar :cl :cl :cl
Be interested in knowing where you got your Bunya Pine from?? Are you happy with the sound?

Re: First guitar for a paying customer

Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 4:06 pm
by willcall
MaddAddam wrote:Nice guitar :cl :cl :cl
Be interested in knowing where you got your Bunya Pine from?? Are you happy with the sound?
Here is some. Don't know where martintaylor got his though.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Bunya-Pine-A ... 3cbc6e1bb8

Re: First guitar for a paying customer

Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 7:05 pm
by 56nortondomy
Australia luthier supplies sells Bunya tops. Great looking guitar Martin. Wayne
http://luthierssupplies.com.au/index.ph ... _33_39_101

Re: First guitar for a paying customer

Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 11:39 pm
by martintaylor
To answer the above questions, I get my timbers from Thomas Lloyd Guitar School in Melbourne. I did the course there and Chris Wynne packages up the timbers and selects lovely sets for me. I am keen to source timbers closer to home (Central Coast NSW) but have been slowly getting into this caper of luthiery and am just beginning to look at purchasing timber in greater quantities. I aim to look through lots of the posts on this forum to see where you all recommend purchasing from.

Re: First guitar for a paying customer

Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 11:44 pm
by martintaylor
MaddAddam wrote:Nice guitar :cl :cl :cl
Be interested in knowing where you got your Bunya Pine from?? Are you happy with the sound?
I am really happy with the sound but have been a little nervous to comment on it myself. The customer was thrilled with it and he is a much more experienced muso than me so as long as he was happy. He briefed me on the style he was after, clear mid-tones, crisp top end and subtle bottom end, plenty of volume. He has just told me he has played it every night since getting it and is preparing a recording that I can have for my website as an example.