Official Luthiers Forum!

Alright everyone - this is the last NTB of the week I promise
Name this builder- hails from California - These pictures have never been published anywhere on the web.
Let the guessing begin! <------Demented laugh!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Lance Mc

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

nope- that was yesterday

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Hank Mauel

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Good job JJ!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Nice looking guitar. Wood looked like the stuff Lanc's uses.

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

What is the top wood? It looks like walnut...I'd love to know more about it's history...absolutely gorgeous.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Hey Lance, please don't let this one be the last. This is so cool. A few suggestions:
...let us guess the builder
...guess the top wood
...guess the B&S wood
...critique & discuss other features
...have the builder present his story on the guitar and answer questions.

You might have to cajole a few of the alpha-builders (and even some mere-mortals) to take the time, but what a learning experience this could be. It would help everyone get to know the builder and allow him to get a little more exposure. While doing it daily might be difficult, perhaps once a week at least. Waddya think?

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

I like it JJ! Matter of fact lets start with HANK! Im sure he'll pop in some time today.

SO lets guess the top and back woods, -

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I really like the inlay on the head for this one.

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Instagram: @jfrenchluthier
Web: https://www.jfrenchguitars.com/

Stunning guitar!

Back walnut, top redwood?

Jeff

Good guess, Jeff. We know that Hank hoards primo RW. I'd be interested in knowing what issues, concerns and considerations there are in using a non-quarter-sawn topwood???

C'mon Hank...curious minds want to know!

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Drat! We should have excluded JJ and John How. I think they may have seen the neck/fingerboard when they visited the shop a few months back.

The guitar is indeed flamed black walnut, flamed redwood top, macassar ebony fingerboard with the brown/grey portions looking like clouds, through which the dove position markers (of gold M.O.P.)are flying down the fingerboard through a gold MOP cloud at the 12th fret.

The flamed redwood top has proved problimatical. It requires a larger bridgeplate to help distribute stress, light gauge strings and some careful handling by the owner. I have built 4 with this wood, retopped one due to it having been dropped and will be retopping the one in the picture due to previous owner abuse. As a personal use instrument, it will be fine, but if you want to go out and gig with it, given all the potential hazards of that endeavor, the flamed redwood would not be the top wood I would recommend.
The pictured guitar will get a new top from the Craig and Alicia Carter redwood I now possess...the Fine Arts top wood that has much of the dark, wine vat-like colorations, but none of the flame. The instrument will be used by a very nice lady to perform Praise and Worship music at her church and to complete a cd she has written/recorded over the past several years. Most of the songs feature the flamed redwood top; what's left will be on the retopped version.HankMauel38450.5409953704

Hank--simply beautiful. The back is just stunning. Where do you get such glorious Walnut?

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Thanks Hank...no, it was a total guess based on lance's clue. You and John are the only CA luthiers left that I know. And you both seem to favor the parlor-type.

Good explanation on the top issues. What does it tap like compared to QS RW? It just looks so beautiful, but I can understand the issues.

Another question...I know it's traditional to use a slothead (although not required) on a 12 fret guitar. Any reason, i.e. aesthetics, tone, etc. why you choose the paddle type?

BTW, one of these months when it's finished, I'd like to haul my Walnut/RW parlor out to CA and have you and John critique if you wouldn't mind.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

The walnut was from the Davis, California area. A mutual friend of Lance McCollum and I had the stuff 7-8 years ago and was resawing it at the time. Lance still has a set or two...probably the next sets off the billet. I think I might have one set left, buried away somewhere.
A good source for this, and other, walnut choices is California Walnut designs, Michael Kimmes at http://www.ca-walnutdesigns.com/   He's just up the road from me and "harvests" walnut fulltime. He has some amazing stuff.

Tap tone...it's like most of the redwood I have. Nice ring and it does seem to have a bit more of the bass fundamental which is nice in a smaller bodied instrument, a OOO in this case.

Headstock. The (original) customer wanted a paddle style for ease of string change since the guitar was to be used for live performances...which most likely led to it's top problems. Slotheads are a neat looking feature, but for the often-changed string needs, not the most efficient. I'm doing several slotheads now per customer requests...a OO (to be named the Mokelumne), a deep bodied OM (McCloud model) and a Tuolumne...all on 14 fret necks, interestingly enough.

JJ...when you are done with your build, I'd be happy to review it for you.

I wasn't sure who it was till I saw the headstock then I was sure. I don't remember seeing it though when visiting.
Hank, is Michael Kimmes the guy in Grass Valley selling walnut? Goes by the handle, "woodnut"?John How38450.5955208333

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Hank, is Michael Kimmes the guy in Grass Valley selling walnut? Goes by the handle, "woodnut"?[/QUOTE]


Yup! Wolf Rd. off Highway 49 at Lake of the Pines.

Is that walnut crotch wood? I have some amazing crotch wood that we harvested when a guy I know got tired of the nuts falling on his house. I was just wondering tonight if it has enough structural integrity to be used in a guitar.