Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

The Cockatoo.
This is a 000-style guitar and is named after an old gold mine in my area. It has 14 frets to the body with a spruce top and New Guinee Rosewood back, sides, and neck.
The story. Whilst building this guitar I decided that as the name was going to be the cockatoo I would put a feather as a 12th fret marker. When the customer saw this she was over the moon with that choice, saying “How did I know she was a bird fancier and worked in a wildlife reserve”. I said I did not know that.
She said that she had a pet Cockatoo, so that is the reason for the bird-related inlays on the fingerboard and the neck heal.
Was she happy? Well, she did offer way more than I was asking for the guitar, so I was happy too. Thanks for looking Taff

Hi Taffy,

Beautiful guitar as usual. Pity I didn't get to play that one.
Thank you for sharing your amazing craft.

Cheers

alan

A very nice bit of kit. Interested colours in the New Guinee Rosewood. Can I ask what the neck attachement is, and what finish you have used?

I like all the inlay details with the timber combination used to create this great guitar.

Wayne

Hi all, thanks for your comments guy's much appreciated.

Bob, the finish if I remember correctly was a waterborne lacquer, I was trying different finishes at that time so not sure what brand. Here is a photo of a neck I'm working on at the moment, I use flatpack furniture bolts and insert nuts. I drill the holes in the neck [special horizontal borer for this] and line the hole with CA glue to harden the end grain and fit the nuts. also shown is the tool I use for assembly and removal during the setup.
Thanks for your interest Taff

Thanks Taff. R.M. Mottola, who is technology editor and a contributing editor for American Lutherie, advocates this method in his book Building the Steel String Acoustic Guitar. I used it on my most recent guitar build, and while I found it a challenge to get the inserts dead square, I was pretty happy with final result.

Hi Bob, I was always a bit concerned about disclosing this method many years ago as it was not the done thing, but then I saw Taylor Guitars was doing it so I felt better then.

I'll have to show my dedicated drilling machine for doing the neck holes.
Cheers Taff

Taffy Evans wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 08, 2023 5:25 pm

Hi Bob, I was always a bit concerned about disclosing this method many years ago as it was not the done thing, but then I saw Taylor Guitars was doing it so I felt better then.

I'll have to show my dedicated drilling machine for doing the neck holes.
Cheers Taff

I'd be interested in seeing them!

Hi again Bob, just posted the hole borer over on the Jigs and Fixtures section, enjoy.
Taff