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Hi Hesh, It's African Blackwood, I got it from the OLF sponsor LMII
I was a little worried about using it for a couple reasons.
1) it's expensive and if I break it, I gotta buy it.
2) I've heard rumors about it being hard to bend
3) it's tough on tools

I talked to Gerald Sheppard before bending it because I knew he had used it. It's quite dense and fairly heavy if left thick so I thinned the sides to around .070" and soaked them in hot water before bending. They bent kinda like plastic at that thickness so my worries were needless. It is a very close (not closed) pore wood so what pore's there are are few and small. It really is great stuff but hard so sanding requires a little more effort. My back is about .075" thick in order to reduce the weight some and get it pumping with the top. I braced the sides a little more than I would have with other wood that I would have left a little thicker (just my paranoid personality). I went down to LMII and picked this peice out myself (a perk of living in northern Cal) but at that time they had quite a bit, I'm not sure that's true anymore but give'm a call.

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

Absolutely Fantastic!! - I really love seeing those finished instrument pics, but this one is especially gratifying - WOW
Cheers
Charliewood

Way classy. Congratulations!

Can we see a closer shot of the rear of the headstock?

What did you use for the side purflings and headstock veneer underlayers?

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

First word that came to mind was: SPECTACULAR!

I love that guitar and what a nice combo, gorgeous!

John, I give up--just insert your own superlatives here ____________

John, Beautiful guitar. Can I offer one suggestion? The string spacing at the nut looks a little bit off. When I started using the Stew-Mac string spacing guide, I started getting better results.

Beauuuuutiful!

Mike

That is a stunner!!!
Love the sapwood
What was the finish??azimmer139036.7420717593

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

John How? who's that?

Dude, that guitar rocks!! I think thats a real winner!!

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

WOW! That is exactly how I want my first one to come out!

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Brad
Avon, OH

Beautiful!

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

WOW... When I grow up I want to build guitars as good as John How...

Exquisite guitar John! Thanks for sharing.

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Peter

Yeah, John, what everyone one else said.
I will add this--I really like the color match between the sap wood and the top. Could be the photography, could be the Behlen's, but whatever--it's nice.
Oh yes, that little inlay below the rosette is very clever.

Bravo.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Man, that's nice.     I really like the brown neck meeting the black body. Everything on that baby is beautiful.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

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

That's really nice John. Jim_W39036.9887847222

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Wow John what a beaut! Keep 'em coming!

Gorgeous John,

I like the sapwood, simply stunning!
Unique body design.
So has your customer had the chance to see it yet?
I would think that is where the true gratification lies.

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Christopher C. Cordle
North Muskegon, MI

http://www.yardsaleunderwear.com
http://www.facebook.com/christopher.cordle

Don't really care for sap wood much, but that in the sides going up into the top is very impressive! Very nice carry through!

Top quality work John! You got any more pix? Please?

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

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