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I like Cuban Mahogany, and use it when I can get it.
This guitar is a 000, or OM, and the Honduras Mahogany top is thickness sanded to .115". After finish sanding, before finish, I expect it to be .110" or .100"
I hope it isn't thinner than .100". It is hard to know the exact thickness of the lower bout when finish sanding is complete. I do a lot of tapping when finish sanding, I am listening for a satisfying "bonk"!

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I also arch the UTB and use an A brace between the UTB and the X but I use a 3/8" birch ply block between the neck block and the UTB. Makes it pretty much rock solid up there.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I think -- not tested -- the extra mass and stiffness that the block between the neck block and UTB helps tone when playing notes above the body join. I want to have the string energy stopped at the nut or fret, not going into the top at that end of the string. More clarity and sustain--seems to be the case with my classicals, anyway. I suppose it might change something in the neck mode.

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

I'm sure it does, I noted a big difference when played in that area with a solid FB extension support compared to just a popsicle brace.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Also makes a difference with steel strings. I’ve noticed an obvious difference in clarity going from a floating fretboard supported by two 1/4” CF rods to standard popsicle brace to the 3/8” block.


Steve

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I aim for lightness of build as first priority, hopefully not to a fault. My building style is almost "wood Aircraft structure-like". If I can make every part of the guitar resonate when the strings are struck, that is my goal. I try to choose every piece of wood by its ability to resonate. That doesn't mean that I choose some not-so-resonate wood from time to time. Sometimes the wood is just too pretty to ignore.
I don't think much about what sound I am wanting to hear when I'm building, I trust the wood to sound good.
Probably the wood that I am drawn to build with again and again, are the ones that have given me pleasure in the past.

Tody Castillo - Austin singer, songwriter, playing one of mine, makes me smile. Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br3YVB5WPaA

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Well, somewhere in there, there's a really nice, big bench, and on it or in vises, or hanging above it, are necks and bodies of 3 guitars at various levels of finish. FINALLY!

Two of padauk with hog necks and one macassar with a curly maple neck.

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Brian R, Wood Mechanic
N8ZED

I just completed a walk-up spray booth so that I can begin spraying finish instead of padding it on.


Planning drawings.


1.5"x.75" pine frame without the skins installed.


The white doors are plastic and open to access the booth. The collapsible orange and black duct and yellow explosion proof exhaust fan are on the shelf to its right. The fan will be moved outdoors when in use which will extend the duct. There is a shelf above the booth compartment to hold finish, guns, air regulator, etc.


Setup with duct extended to explosion proof fan outside.


Finished interior of the booth with 20x36 filter taped sealed in place and galvanized pipe which swivels and supports the guitar while being sprayed.


The wooded holder is bolted to the guitar and will fit over the pipe so that it can swivel 360 degrees for spraying the top, back and all sides.


A 7/8" Forstner bit makes the perfect size hole to fit over 1/2' pipe to hold the guitar on the pipe.

Welcome back Ed.

I like that booth design!

Something you might consider adding to the spray booth is a lining of replaceable paper or cardboard to protect the walls from overspray build up. With the compact size of the booth it is likely the surfaces will catch some overspray. Changing the paper is less onerous than scrubbing the box with solvents.

Currently spraying for the first time with GF High Performance Topcoat.
I've only got a 3 stage Fuji system which is perhaps why the first attempt was orange peeled.
Had to thin it about 6.5 percent, it's so thick compared to my previous original EV which I've been warned is not perhaps so guitar finish friendly after reformulation.
Tried EV 2 - it spays beautifully, much better than the original, but apparently can show witness lines which don't buff out.






Sent from my moto g(50) using Tapatalk

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Been enjoying my semi-retirement (I only work mornings now) and doing fun stuff.

As you know I just finished building my 4th amplifier a Princeton Reverb clone. So I started checking out the vintage pedal kits at Stewmac with encouragement and inspiration from JF here and James for the amps some years back I dived in to the pedal making activity.

Just completed my 3rd pedal yesterday and decided to make a board of just dirty pedals that I make. Had a spare power supply kicking around since I upgraded my main pedal board to nearly all Strymon including their excellent power supply.

Here's the board as it sits this morning and the next addition will be the Two Kings boost pedal after I paint the enclosure purple and build the pedal.

The Klon clone (Ghost pedal pictured) is by far the best overdrive I have ever used and it's so pleasing that you can even use it where traditionally on covers it was not used and you can get away with it still sounding right. Great pedal my only regret is that I did not paint the enclosure. Maybe I can get StewMac to sell me another enclosure and do it proud.

And oh yeah just had a flare-up of GAS and found myself on Roger Sawdowsky's web site. Big mistake..... bad Heshy, bad Heshy so now we have this Sawdowsky on its way to its new home here in Heshtone land.

I had worked on Sawdowsky's before with Robert Hurst a regular client with Sawdowskys and other clients and this week someone brought in one of these Sawdowsky semi-hollow body guitars. His was outfitted for jazz with an ebony tail piece and only a neck pup. I wanted to be able to do jazz, blues and rock so mine will have two PAFs and a Nashville style bridge and stop tailpiece. I'm excited about having a Sawdowski to add to my Collings, Suhr, G*bson, Fenders and PRS. Resistance is futile

Hesh, we are losing you to the dark side. Next thing you know, you will be addicted to the HomeSkoolin channel.:>)

Hesh, is every electric guitar you own a burst?

Hesh, where did you get the Princeton Reverb kit from and how do you like it?

Yeah but my first love was always electric guitars and as I get older the more I return to my original state.

Most of them are it's my favorite and then glass black is after that. The tobacco burst is my really, really, really favorite and I have a few of those.

It was the StewMac kit and would give it five stars, no issues, superb instructions (and support only I never needed it until the end and then I found my own cold solder joint). The amp fired up first time with only the tremolo not working very well until I found the cold solder joint.

This kit added reverb and tremolo to my experience base and there was really nothing to them and it has a reverb tank supplied.

I upgraded the speaker to one level up from Jensen and all up I love this little amp and I have been playing it all week. The tubes and point to point wiring with vintage components and it just shimmers with highs and the bass is nice and tight but very present. I'm a lot of bass guy usually and "6" is enough for me on this amp.

I've never built a Mojotone kit (yet) but the differences that I know about are StewMac stuff has excellent documentation where Mojotone on many models there are no instructions so you follow the parts placement guide and the schematic. What's been stopping me from going Mojotone so far is StewMac provides documentation that guides you through checking all the dangerous/high voltages step by step as we sneak up on rolling the amp out. I figured when I know more Mojotone here I come, maybe. I still want my dream amp a 65 blond Bassman separate head and cab as seen behind Clapton and Ginger Baker on the cover of Blind Faith.

StewMac also claims they use premium parts in their kits and that's been my experience too. Long ago in another life I supervised some NASA certified electronic techs so I am familiar with electronic components and who makes them.

What the Princeton really offers is a Twin like platform that is super clean with tons of natural tube compression. Add some dirt (pedals) and it comes alive and cuts though the mix like nobodies business.

So JF highly recommended and if you get on the StewMac mailing list they occasionally offer 10 - 15% off which is when I typically by an amp kit from them. I'm going to build the Deluxe I'm just waiting for my 15% off coupon and I'll pull the trigger on a Deluxe, they are out of stock currently.

This time I triple checked my work like I am doing with pedals too and it paid off immediate gratification and no need for support.

Started on a koa concert uke for my wife a year ago, then some commissions and health issues got in the way. Now I'm back to it.

I did my first inlays in the mid-70s, always enjoyed doing them, but they took a lot of time on commissions and would hold up the build, so I got away from doing them. Also, I've been building classicals lately, and inlays don't sell in that world. This one is a gift, and there's no delivery date. Gold MOP. Engraving needs a little touchup.

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Very nice Pat.

Cool, thanks Hesh. Been thinking of a Princeton but also a Bassman too.

Well, and a Champ

I can completely relate!

Hesh,

I LOVE that sunburst! I favor the ones like that that do not go to complete black around the outside. Beautiful color, too.

I think he, Roger calls this a Sienna burst and I like it too. It's very violin like in color and even feel with the semi-hollow body.

It's here and now I know why many of the A-listers play Sawdowskys, wow great guitar and my new favorite! If I had to distill my impressions of this guitar to one word it would be "refined."