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First completed build. 17.5" Maple/Adi Jumbo
http://w-ww.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=53272		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  DanKirkland [ Fri Jun 05, 2020 6:03 pm ]
Post subject:  First completed build. 17.5" Maple/Adi Jumbo
I've put together kit guitars in the past but this is my first from scratch build of my own design.

It's a short jumbo at 19 1/2" long but the lower bout is 17.5" with a 11 3/4 upper bout. I made it without a mold and I also made every component except for the neck which I got from LMII with the "semi carved" option they have so I could put my own headstock shape and neck profile on it. I did alot of things to make the body feel smaller and it really worked. Nobody that has played it complained about the width or even mentioned it.

It's definitely not in the Martin or Gibson camp in terms of tone. It's been strung for about a week now and the initial reaction everyone gives me is "wow this thing is really powerful" so I guess that's good. We'll have to see how she ages in.

She's really rough, and she's kind of asymetrical, but she's my first and I'm really proud and feeling accomplished. Already got the next one planned.

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Thanks for all the inspiration and help on this forum. And special thanks to Bruce Sexauer for making me feel better about asymetry and not building to a Martin/Gibson style.
Author:  Clay S. [ Fri Jun 05, 2020 8:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: First completed build. 17.5" Maple/Adi Jumbo
Not bad for a first instrument. Completing your first and having a playable instrument is a big step toward becoming a luthier. When you strum the first few chords and the instrument comes alive always gives a nice sense of accomplishment. Eventually you will refine the work and obsess over the details, but with the first just having it all come together and be a good sounding guitar is enough. Overall the guitar looks well put together and the woods are quite nice.
So what do you have planned for the next one?
Author:  Bri [ Fri Jun 05, 2020 8:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: First completed build. 17.5" Maple/Adi Jumbo
Nice, the pics make it look huge.
I love the dark binding/light wood contrast, wenge or rosewood?
Ggod job
Author:  bcombs510 [ Sat Jun 06, 2020 12:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: First completed build. 17.5" Maple/Adi Jumbo
Nice work, Dan. I like that you made your own shape on the first go. Kudos for that!


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Author:  Colin North [ Sat Jun 06, 2020 3:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: First completed build. 17.5" Maple/Adi Jumbo
My hat's off to you Sir, nicely done!
Author:  Luthier1975 [ Sat Jun 06, 2020 7:44 am ]
Post subject:  Re: First completed build. 17.5" Maple/Adi Jumbo
Beautiful wood and a great first guitar! I’m impressed. Kudos.


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Author:  jfmckenna [ Sat Jun 06, 2020 9:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: First completed build. 17.5" Maple/Adi Jumbo
Yeah that's a big-un there! Congrats,
Author:  Hesh [ Sat Jun 06, 2020 12:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: First completed build. 17.5" Maple/Adi Jumbo
Love it, nice job Dan!

https://youtu.be/VMnjF1O4eH0
Author:  James Orr [ Sat Jun 06, 2020 1:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: First completed build. 17.5" Maple/Adi Jumbo
You took on a lot of challenges for your #1! Congrats!
Author:  doncaparker [ Sat Jun 06, 2020 2:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: First completed build. 17.5" Maple/Adi Jumbo
Deep thought: The only way to get good at doing anything is to do it imperfectly, and then do it some more, getting better each time. Think of how many things you learned by building this one. Hats off for going with something other than what we normally see.

Keeping with the celebration of the wide lower bout:

https://youtu.be/X53ZSxkQ3Ho
Author:  Ken Nagy [ Sun Jun 07, 2020 8:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: First completed build. 17.5" Maple/Adi Jumbo
I like that it is outside of the norm. But then again, I don't really go for anything that is normal. Why be YBNRML That's what my wife says my personalized license plate would be. There are 1,000's of guitars that are normal.

The outline of the body is kinda Art Deco somehow, and it has a minimalist feel with simple binding and nothing else. The maple is left alone to be the star. Nice. The thing about doing thing differently, is that if that is your habit, then you seem to always find something that you'd do differently in everything that you do. Like Don just said, everything you do is an opportunity to grow and learn. It's exciting to live like that.

Good job.
Author:  George L [ Sun Jun 07, 2020 9:59 am ]
Post subject:  Re: First completed build. 17.5" Maple/Adi Jumbo
Well done, Dan! Building from scratch is high bar to clear, even more so when creating a unique design. Lovely wood choices and, like others, I admire the juxtaposition of dark and light. [clap]
Author:  DanKirkland [ Sun Jun 07, 2020 10:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: First completed build. 17.5" Maple/Adi Jumbo
Thank you all for the kind words. And yes I was headbanging to Queen while I was making this thing Hesh and Don haha!


Ken Nagy wrote:
I like that it is outside of the norm. But then again, I don't really go for anything that is normal. Why be YBNRML That's what my wife says my personalized license plate would be. There are 1,000's of guitars that are normal.

The outline of the body is kinda Art Deco somehow, and it has a minimalist feel with simple binding and nothing else. The maple is left alone to be the star. Nice. The thing about doing thing differently, is that if that is your habit, then you seem to always find something that you'd do differently in everything that you do. Like Don just said, everything you do is an opportunity to grow and learn. It's exciting to live like that.

Good job.


Thanks Ken. I'm actually really happy that you pointed out all those things as that's pretty much exactly what I was going for in looks. So thank you for the kind words!

Clay S. wrote:
Not bad for a first instrument. Completing your first and having a playable instrument is a big step toward becoming a luthier. When you strum the first few chords and the instrument comes alive always gives a nice sense of accomplishment. Eventually you will refine the work and obsess over the details, but with the first just having it all come together and be a good sounding guitar is enough. Overall the guitar looks well put together and the woods are quite nice.
So what do you have planned for the next one?


Thanks Clay!

The next one will.be another in this body shape and size. My big concern was how it'll feel to people that are used to a regular OM or a dress and since I've gotten 0 complaints on the size I'd count it a success. I also plan on mechanizing a bit and getting a few power tools. My biggest hurdle was cutting the binding channels and doing that by hand just takes forever and resulted in the little nicks and chips you can see in the first photo. It's cool to do it all by hand but wildly impractical for some jobs in my view.

I might get a nice piece of Fiddleback and do a darker shellac for the next one too. I really want to refine this body shape and make it something.
Author:  DanKirkland [ Sun Jun 07, 2020 12:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: First completed build. 17.5" Maple/Adi Jumbo
Bri wrote:
Nice, the pics make it look huge.
I love the dark binding/light wood contrast, wenge or rosewood?
Ggod job


Thank you!

Not gonna lie it is a large guitar. The binding is ebano from LMII. I tried ebony but it wasn't quite the color I wanted.
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