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Cedar/Cuban Mahogany Grand Concert Cutaway
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Author:  Dave White [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 9:23 am ]
Post subject:  Cedar/Cuban Mahogany Grand Concert Cutaway
I got this one finished in time for delivery last week to a good friend of mine at the annual guitar camp in Burwell that I go to. It has a fabulous Western Red Cedar top from Shane, and Cuban Mahogany back, sides and neck. The Cuban mahogany was imported into England from Jamaica in1908 (not strictly Cuban but close enough for me) and is fabulous wood that is pretty much fully quartersawn across the whole width of the back – not bling but stunning wood all the same and a joy to work with. The neck is cut from the same wood billet as the back and sides. The binding is curly koa (again from Shane) with an ebony fingerboard bound with the koa. Headstock veneers and middle section of the end-graft is Australian blackwood, with curly narra bridge (ebony pins) and handmade tuner buttons. It’s 13 frets clear of the body with 630mm scale length, Florentine cutaway and side soundport. Finish is nitro (over Z-poxy on the b/s) and Tru-oil on the neck. The Cuban gives the expected mahogany sound with rosewood overtones and I’m very pleased with the sound out of the blocks. I know it’s going to get better and better as cedar does open up a lot with time too. As Martine is a singer rather than fingerstyle player, and as I only currently have three working left-hand fingers I thought it appropriate to record a song (the downside is you have to listen to my singing) so did my arrangement of Joni Mitchell’s “For the Roses” in open G tuning with the Capo at the second fret:

For the Roses

Some pictures:

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Thanks for looking and listening.
Author:  Dave White [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 9:32 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cedar/Cuban Mahogany Grand Concert Cutaway
And a happy new owner:

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Author:  Hesh [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 10:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cedar/Cuban Mahogany Grand Concert Cutaway
Stunning Dave! If I had heard someone saying that they were going to use curly Koa bindings with Cuban mahogany I would have thought that it would look terrible.

This one looks killer and this is a combo that I will remember, if you don't mind.... :D

As always Dave a fantastic guitar from you! [:Y:] [clap] [clap] [clap] [clap] [clap] [clap]
Author:  Steve Kinnaird [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 12:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cedar/Cuban Mahogany Grand Concert Cutaway
Dave, that's as sweet as usual. One of the cooler bridges I've seen.
Could you post a close-up of the bridge as well as rosette?
Thanks too for the sound clip.
I love the upper end shimmer you get out of your guitars!
A very pleasing sound.

Steve
Author:  Sam Price [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 12:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cedar/Cuban Mahogany Grand Concert Cutaway
Fantastic!

I too, love the way you brought out the internal glow of the wood; and the tone is amazing.

I have just read a book about the inspirational luthier Andy Manson and can't help asking; is he one of your many influences in terms of guitar design? I see the same continual flowing, graceful curve in the left upper bout to the cutaway. The shape REALLY works.

Thoroughly enjoyed the guitar piece too; wonderfully played and sung.
Author:  Colin S [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 4:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cedar/Cuban Mahogany Grand Concert Cutaway
Dave, I think I've already told you how much I like this guitar, but it's really good to hear it played as well, your better with three fingers than most with four! As to the singing, well........

As Dave said this Cuban mahogany came from a log imported into the UK from Jamaica in 1908, but the tree came down in 1858 so has been nicely seasoning for 150 years waiting for a craftsman of Dave's skill to do it justice. I have two of it's sister sets and as Dave said this wood is absolutely stunning, I think it's probably the finest guitar wood I have ever held in my hand.

Great guitar as always Dave, you did the wood justice alright.

Colin
Author:  Frank Aarre [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 6:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cedar/Cuban Mahogany Grand Concert Cutaway
Dave White wrote:
And a happy new owner:




And with good reason [:Y:] [clap] [clap] [clap] [clap] [clap] [clap] (have to agree with hesh on this one)

You certainly don't need bling on your guitars to make them turn heads, nice job [:Y:]
The tone and balance you get out of your guitars is the main reason i get excited when i see you showing a new build here, 'cause i know there'll be a soundclip in there.

Frank
Author:  Jim Watts [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 6:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cedar/Cuban Mahogany Grand Concert Cutaway
Dave,
that's really nice. The recording is great too [:Y:]
Author:  Dave Anderson [ Sat Aug 02, 2008 10:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cedar/Cuban Mahogany Grand Concert Cutaway
Dave, The Cuban is just gorgeous !! Fine,fine tone and excellent playing and
Hey,the vocals aint bad either!! [clap] [clap] [clap]
Author:  Ken Franklin [ Sun Aug 03, 2008 12:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cedar/Cuban Mahogany Grand Concert Cutaway
Dave, that is lovely wood and excellent workmanship. I really like the sound of a 13 fretter. It's the best of all worlds.
Author:  WaddyThomson [ Sun Aug 03, 2008 1:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cedar/Cuban Mahogany Grand Concert Cutaway
Dang, Dave, you must not have anything else to do but make beautiful guitars. Another killer! Good sound clop too. Thanks.
Author:  Ricardo [ Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Cedar/Cuban Mahogany Grand Concert Cutaway
Dave, understated elegance! bliss
Author:  Dave White [ Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cedar/Cuban Mahogany Grand Concert Cutaway
Hesh - Thanks. Curly koa as a binding works just about everywhere.

Steve,

I'm glad you like the sound. I don't have any close-ups of the finished bridge but here's one of when it was just glued on that shows the rosette as well:

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Sam,

Thank you. I have had Andy's "Talking Wood" book for many years and find it inspiring to go back to again and again. About 10 years ago when I worked in London, I went to Hanks in Denmark Street one lunchtime and played one of Andy's guitars - I think it was a Heron or Kingfisher model - and was very impressed. He's always been a big inspiration. Having a stall opposite him at Cheltenham last year was nice.

Colin - Thanks. I agree with you about the Cuban - it was a priviledge working with such fabulous stuff. I'll be back for some more sets when the wood fund builds up enough.

Frank - Thanks - I was very pleased with the sound, as was Martine.

Jim/Dave/Waddy/Ricardo - thanks.

Ken - Thanks. I agree, I really like 13 frets clear bot on long and shorter scale guitars.
Author:  joel Thompson [ Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cedar/Cuban Mahogany Grand Concert Cutaway
Stunning dave,

I am really glad to see some of that wood made into guitars as a large proportian of it went off to the antique restoration folks.
which is no bad thing but i would have liked to see more of it cut into guitar sets.

I still have 6 sets left the lightly curled stuff from the same batch if anybody is interested.

Its pricey though at £160 a set.

Well done you continue to inspire,

Joel.
Author:  joel Thompson [ Mon Aug 04, 2008 5:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cedar/Cuban Mahogany Grand Concert Cutaway
Oh sorry i just realised that my stock allthough from the same source is the genuine cuban not the jamaican stock.

as the jamaican stock came from a factory that had cut the stock into squares and the cuban stock came from a cabinet maker who had kept the wood for a "special" job that never happend and was in the form of quarter sawn lumber along a load very old curly honduras stock.
Both batches were imported before 1948 but the jamaican stock was imported in 1908 by a furniture making factory.

There is allmost no diference in the wood except the cuban tended to have some figure to it.

Joel.
Author:  JJ Donohue [ Mon Aug 04, 2008 7:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Cedar/Cuban Mahogany Grand Concert Cutaway
Looks and sounds great, Dave.
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