Official Luthiers Forum!

OM's are popular at this end of the planet at the moment.

This is the fourth in a run of six.

The backs and sides are Hard Rock Maple with an Englemann top and a Gidgee Bridge.

This is the second top that has been on this guitar. The first one got some bleed out from the CA around the rosette and ended up looking like the huskies had taken a leak on it .

That first top also had parabolic braces which we change to scalloped on the second to try and bring up the bottom end in an attempt the to tone down what we thought would be a bright little guitar.(given the Hard Rock Maple) The Engelmann top and Gidgee bridge were chosen for the same reasons.

Seems like it all worked as it's sweet sounding instrument, nicely balanced, with good projection.

Cheers

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Bob Connor
Geelong, Australia

Bob, that’s a very, very nice looking guitar!

Love that neck, it’s got a lot of character! Can’t quite tell what the other woods are though?
The Pau, and the tortoise shell, are a great combo!

Also, I’d like to hear more about that hard rock maple back?

Robert

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Everything has beauty, But, not everyone see's it!

Gorgeous guitar Bob. Just beautiful.

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

Wow Bob,

Great looking package, just gotta love that neck how the inner lams are exposed and broad on the sweep of the heel, very cool Mr.

Cheers

Kim

Beautiful guitar Bob!

I am drawn to the laminated neck also. It is really pretty with all of the laminations showing like that.

Good job!

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Reguards,

Ken H

Nice job Bob.

Where did you get the pic guard?

Tim

I like that!!

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

What everyone else said!  Very nice.  Killer looking neck.   

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Nice

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

An absolutely beautiful guitar!

Maple is really growing on me, I'll have to try a guitar with some.

Outstanding

                          Red

Looks great!

I made a jumbo guitar with a flat sawn maple back before I read that maple likes to move a bit with humidity, especially when it is flat sawn... Well, I gave the guitar to a friend who has dragged it around everywhere in a gig bag since; gigs, parties, camping, you name it. Lots of dings, the finish is mostly gone around the sound hole, on parts of the neck and so on, but no cracks anywhere. I think it must be pretty strong...

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Thanks for the kind comments everyone.

Robert the neck lams are Maple,fibre,Maple,fibre, Blackwood.

We bought the Hard Rock Maple for neck laminations but there were a few boards in the yard that were wide enough for back sets, and it wasn't expensive.

It indeed lives up to it's name and is difficult to resaw, is hard on bandsaw blades and is a bear to sand.
But it finishes beautifully and no need for grain filler, so it's worth the effort.

Tim, the pick guard is Tortis from LMI.

Arnt, it didn't exhibit any stability problems during construction so I guess time will tell.

I must say that we have an increasing respect for Englemann Spruce after building a few guitars from it.

The Rosewood/Englemann OM's we built a few months back are opening up nicely and are louder than my 1980 D18 (which is a LOUD beast) but the top end is much fatter while still retaining crispness and clarity.

We were testing tops a few weeks ago for the Tas Myrtle OM that's nearing completion and the Englemann was just as stiff across the grain as one of Shanes Lutz tops that we got from Tim Spittle and much stiffer than some Adi that we have.

I was reading a post from Rick Turner on another forum and he was also extolling it's virtues. We also don't have any problem with the reported lack of overhead that Englemann is renowned for.

We are also taking them thinner with the perimeters of the tops around 2.1/2.2mm - about 2.4/2.5mm around the bridge plate.

Cheers

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Bob Connor
Geelong, Australia

[QUOTE=bob_connor]

We were testing tops a few weeks ago for the Tas Myrtle OM that's nearing completion and the Englemann was just as stiff across the grain as one of Shanes Lutz tops that we got from Tim Spittle and much stiffer than some Adi that we have.

I was reading a post from Rick Turner on another forum and he was also extolling it's virtues. We also don't have any problem with the reported lack of overhead that Englemann is renowned for.

[/QUOTE]

Really? I have a few Englemann tops myself... one of which I am working on now...I was having a few doubts about the stuff a while back (just working with as many different tonewoods as possible), but you have restored my faith in them.

I've worked with Sitka and Euro too- Euro is a nice topwood, tonally and otherwise. I hope the Englemann won't let me down.

What shocked me was how *light* the wood is....

Bob, Fine looking guitar, mate. (I love maple.) Cool neck/heel treatment, too.
I always find your work inspiring.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Bob , Great work!
Like the others, Love your neck heel!

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Great looking guitar. I applaud the use of rock maple compared to some of its softer siblings.

John

Very nice work! I really like the neck lams! What's the "MC" stand for?

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

[QUOTE=Billy T]What's the "MC" stand for?[/QUOTE]

Mainwaring and Connor Guitars (Dave and Bob)
We were orignally going to call them after our first initials, DB, and have Dog's Bollox Guitars.
But we decided to err on the conservative path.

Cheers

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Bob Connor
Geelong, Australia

Love the bridge and the headstock, but the whole guitar's a beaut! Very elegant!

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http://www.presnallguitars.com