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Silky Oak Classical Parlour

Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2017 4:33 pm
by lamanoditrento
Hi All,

Here is my 3rd guitar, which I recently strung up in the nick of time for an anniversary prezzie for my wife. It is my first solo build although; I do owe a lot of thanks to Andrew Armstrong and forum members for a lot of advice along the way. My wife has had some netball injuries over years to her fingers and struggles a bit with barre chords. So the idea was for a smaller guitar, with a shorter scale length and connical fretboard. It is roughly based on Courtnell’s ‘Torres 2’ plans.

As an anniversary present, I have put a lot of bling on it (I am sure some would say too much), including rose gold side dots made from off cuts/filings left over from making my wife’s wedding ring. Pretty sure the #4 will have absolutely no shell on it.

I learned (sometimes re-learned) a lot of lessons, including a new appreciation of how much ebony and spruce don’t get along. A fair amount of stuff ups including upside down Spanish heel wedges, strings riding pegs, 3 sides bent, ca stains on spruce, plus many more. Such a good time though.

The sound is surprising woody and full of sustain. I am pretty happy with the result although not sure I like the planetary friction pegs – so weird to tune having to push in at the same time and I think 1:4 ratio is so low

The specs are:
Top: Engelmann spruce
B&S, headstock & rosette: Northern Silkyoak
Inlay: Miles of paua & touch of rose gold
Neck: QLD Mahogany
Fretboard: Ebony
Bridge: ebonised Black Wattle
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Re: Silky Oak Classical Parlour

Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2017 10:21 pm
by Mark McLean
Wow! That is really a stunning piece of work. First I just looked at the pictures - and there is a lot to take in. You have really got a nice theme going there with the longitudinal lines in the fingerboard, end graft, backstrip and neck lamination. Then I read this....
"rose gold side dots made from off cuts/filings left over from making my wife’s wedding ring".
I think that really takes the prize for custom ornamentation. And did you make the wedding ring too? She must feel pretty special.
The silky oak has a real rose gold hue to match. Overall - very impressive. Yes - #4 might need to be a shell-free zone to recover from this effort.

Re: Silky Oak Classical Parlour

Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2017 9:51 am
by Hank
Wow! I keep scrolling up and down and like........... Wow!
The rosette, fretboard and then the headstock flourish, very Art Nouveau
Nice work, love it

Re: Silky Oak Classical Parlour

Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2017 2:12 pm
by Mark McLean
I keep looking back at this one. The silky oak has an interesting pearlescent quality too. But I also wanted to complement the idea of highlighting the layering in the heel stack. Sometimes the joint lines show up when you don't want them to - so actually making a feature of them is a nice solution to that problem.

Re: Silky Oak Classical Parlour

Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2017 8:35 pm
by Fisherman
Awesome work on this build... very artistic. Love the headstock and the colours all match great. I bet all that detail work took a long time! Looks like a lot of care and fun.. congrats

Re: Silky Oak Classical Parlour

Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2017 12:48 am
by lamanoditrento
Thanks for the encouraging words, I was a little worried the aesthetic was too busy with busy grain and busy colours from the shell, so appreciate the feedback.

Yes, I did made my wife's engagement and wedding ring and had 3 or 4 grams of off cuts and filings floating around the house bugging me that I didn't have a use for it.

Here is a frc too for those who are also interested in that sort of thing
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Re: Silky Oak Classical Parlour

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2017 3:16 am
by Gassert
What a beauty! I love that rosette. Amazing work, thanks for sharing.

Re: Silky Oak Classical Parlour

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2017 3:02 pm
by kiwigeo
Nice work Trent. Is that Englemann one of the Graham Hein tops you got off me?

Re: Silky Oak Classical Parlour

Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 11:47 am
by lamanoditrento
kiwigeo wrote:
Wed Oct 11, 2017 3:02 pm
Nice work Trent. Is that Englemann one of the Graham Hein tops you got off me?
I wish I built that quickly! No it is one from Andrew's student stash, but I have just started a neoclassical with a lutz top I got from you. So stiff the target thickness came out at 2.1mm

Re: Silky Oak Classical Parlour

Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 8:38 pm
by kiwigeo
lamanoditrento wrote:
Thu Oct 12, 2017 11:47 am
kiwigeo wrote:
Wed Oct 11, 2017 3:02 pm
Nice work Trent. Is that Englemann one of the Graham Hein tops you got off me?
I wish I built that quickly! No it is one from Andrew's student stash, but I have just started a neoclassical with a lutz top I got from you. So stiff the target thickness came out at 2.1mm
2.1mm would be about right for that Lutz.....it's beautiful stuff. Looking forward to seeing the finished instrument.

Re: Silky Oak Classical Parlour

Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 11:57 pm
by mooshalah
Wow Trent!

This is really lovely. So many things to look at and admire; and so many ideas to think about when I next make a pretty parlour guitar.

Just looking at the rosette sets my mind on a number of trains of thought, all of which are novel.

And the thought of making a feature of the stacking of the heel is also refreshing; I've always tried to minimize the idea of the stacking, trying to make it as inconspicuous as possible through careful matching. Now I suddenly see an opportunity - for a parlour guitar, if not a classical or flamenco instrument, where tradition keeps sucking me back into conservatism - to try a few new things with lines and strips appearing in places where I've never stuck them before.

Lots of ideas for ukuleles too.

Thanks!

Frank.