Return to retro - medium size style 41 (ish)

[Trevor Gore]

The first guitar I ever built was an OM style 41 with traditional Martin X-bracing.

Many years later, I've returned to the Style 41, with a new "retro" body shape, this time with falcate bracing. The styling is after the Martin Foden Style 41, EIR back and sides, Lutz top, maple binding, NGR neck, SS frets, "Mystic" fretboard inlays, slot head Waverleys, stained walnut bridge, NC on back and sides, FP'd top, K & Ks.

Sounds like one of mine! .

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And finally.... the obligatory polished back shot, in the archetypal Aussie back yard .

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[kiwigeo]

Is that big rain water tank falcate braced???

[Kamusur]

Is that big rain water tank falcate braced???

That's not fair Martin i was about to ask some serious questions

That's bloody well done Trevor, excellent workmanship and sensational appointments, bet it sounds and plays like a real cracker so it won't stay long on the shelf for sure.

Have a set of Waves but 3 on a plate though (they look sweet but haven't used em yet) are you happy with your tuners Trevor?
One more question if you have time please Trevor, looking at your pale headstock veneer is it thicker than the 0.6mm that seems to be the max that i/you/ can source in this country?
Best ideas i can come up with are lam the 0.6s' together or attempt to delaminate thicker veneers from backing boards n that'd be a bloody hassle and prob non satisfactory.

Steve

[Jeremy D]

I really love the body shape Trevor. Beautiful guitar.

[Trevor Gore]

Is that big rain water tank falcate braced???

No, lattice. Really! That tank was dead on my arrival to the property and has a door cut in it and it's used as a shed. I had to add a bit of bracing to keep it rigid. That crow-bar leaning against it is defence against a large goanna that gets a bit agro at times... I caught the bugger in the kitchen trying to open my fridge door last week. I should start a thread "Seen from the workshop window". I get some real doozies around here.

That's bloody well done Trevor, excellent workmanship and sensational appointments, bet it sounds and plays like a real cracker so it won't stay long on the shelf for sure.

Thanks, Steve. It was a commission, so gone already.

...are you happy with your tuners Trevor

I've put them on a few guitars on request. They have a bit of a "pressed steel" look, but work fine with little to no backlash, at least when new. They are "fast" though. They seem a lot faster than the 16:1 in the spec., compared to 18:1 Gotohs that I often use. Probably to do with the post/shaft diameters.

...looking at your pale headstock veneer is it thicker than the 0.6mm that seems to be the max that i/you/ can source in this country?

It's 0.5-0.6mm. At one stage Gerard had some thicker stuff, ~0.8mm, but I kept on having to take it down to 0.6mm to match other purfling lines.

I really love the body shape Trevor. Beautiful guitar.

Thanks, Jeremy.

[DarwinStrings]

Cool bit of retro Trevor. That bridge looks good sitting right in the guts there.

Jim

[ozwood]

Very Nice Indeed Trevor, what are your thoughts on the Lutz ?

Good ! I hope I have 40 sets !!!

Cheers,

[Kamusur]

Thanks very much for the answers Trevor.

Steve

[Trevor Gore]

Very Nice Indeed Trevor, what are your thoughts on the Lutz ?

Thanks, Paul.

The Lutz works fine on steel string guitars. Similar low damping to Engelmann, but harder, so collects fewer dings. Looks nicer because the silking is more defined, but more colorful across the width (at least the stuff I have is). The guitar before this one was Lutz/Blackwood, about 00 sized. That one sounded quite special. Jury is still out on classicals. I'm still preferring Engelman there, but the sample size isn't large.

[Trevor Gore]

Cool bit of retro Trevor. That bridge looks good sitting right in the guts there.

...and no cutaway...

[Nick]

Very nice, love the clean lines and no-nonsense appointments. Not usually into Paua/Abalone adornment (every Kiwi had at least 4 paua shell ashtrays in their homes back in the 70's! so I tend to think of those when I see it on anything ) but this just seems to bling it up without hitting me between the eyes.
Being the godfather of Falcate bracing I know your going to be biased but how would you say the sound has differed from your original X braced model? I'm curious to hear your thoughts on the tonal/sonic differences between similar sized guitars but with the different structural approaches, I've often thought it would be an interesting experiment to build two side-by-side (one using a traditional X bracing and as best as my experience would allow and an 'alternative' be it lattice or Falcate) but never had the time to do such an experiment. Or are such observations already in 'the book/s'? (I have them, just haven't had the luxury of time to read them yet!)

[peter.coombe]

Beautiful Trevor. I like it.

[Trevor Gore]

...how would you say the sound has differed from your original X braced model?

Hugely!

Here's my original OM:

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Sitka top with EIR B&S, hog neck. The compensated nut, non-slot headstock shape and bridge shape all there from day one!

It's a 100/182 guitar, non live back (not that I'd figured that stuff out ~20 years ago!). The bridge must be ~35 grms and, though I haven't measured it, the monopole mobility will be ~ 12-13 s/kg * 10^-3. The medium-retro is 19.1 s/kg*10^-3. (I did measure that!). Back in the day, I thought the OM a pretty nice guitar, louder than most you'd find in a shop, but still sounding like a X-braced guitar. The medium-retro has a much bigger sound right across the range. But trying to improve that OM was what led to all the research, testing and innovation because it was always clear that there was plenty of opportunity for improvement. The medium sized guitar in the book plans is basically OM/000 sized also, though of a non-traditional shape and there's a couple of those in the pic just above the OM. The body size has a major affect on the sound, the details of the shape less so. I have a personal preference for the sound of the newer shapes, but not everyone prefers the look!

Beautiful Trevor. I like it.

Thanks, Peter.

[needsmorecowbel]

That crow-bar leaning against it is defence against a large goanna that gets a bit agro at times... I caught the bugger in the kitchen trying to open my fridge door last week. I should start a thread "Seen from the workshop window".

Just watch out when you're fending off the goanna that you don't tumble into the shark infested waters...

Wild Imaginations aside, lovely guitar (s)

Stu

[Trevor Gore]

Just watch out when you're fending off the goanna that you don't tumble into the shark infested waters...

Yeh....gotta watch out for those sharks...

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[needsmorecowbel]

do you also get crocs?

Stu