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Wenge/Sitka
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Author:  James Ringelspaugh [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 12:29 am ]
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Here's my first post-Somogyi class effort, a wenge/Sitka steel string guitar. The top bracing is fairly symmetric and extremely light compared to efforts of old. Wenge really rings like a bell when tapped, to take advantage of this the back is x-braced and tuned to really move.

This was a bit of a budget guitar. Having spent a small fortune for Somogyi's class I really had to reign in costs on this one. I used a AA sitka top from LMI which had great longitudinal and cross-grain stiffness and a very nice piece of vertically grained wenge from the local lumber yard. The bridge is wenge and weighs in at 26 grams. The fingerboard and headplate are macassar ebony, also from the local lumber yard. I bound it in cherry. The tuners are from gotoh with grover-style ebony buttons. The total cost was just under $200, a nice reminder that building a fine guitar for yourself does not have to cost a fortune.

The sound to my ear is far superior to any of my pre-class efforts. What stands out to me the most is a great clarity and separation of notes that apparently comes from building light. This should be an excellent instrument for counterpoint type songs. It is not a particularly loud instrument... the volume is in line with previous efforts; however, there is no muddiness or brashness anywhere up and down the fretboard. I re-topped a baritone after the class which I still favor over this one as far as sound goes, but really that's not an apples to apples comparison. Also this one has only been strung for a few days so I guess I should let it settle in a bit before making any final judgement. For those interested here's a couple of quick and dirty recordings: Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring and Raj

I feel like I still have a lot of room for improvement with some of the finer points of building (not to mention recording!), but I'm really liking the direction this one has taken me in. If you have the construction techniques of guitarbuilding down pretty well and want to learn how to make an instrument sound like you want it to sound, I highly recommend Ervin's class.

Details:
Lower bout: 15"
Upper bout: 11"
Body height: 19"
Total length: 41"
Weight: 4.25 lbs
Scale length: 24.9"


















Thanks for looking,

-Ringo
Author:  Steve Saville [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 12:35 am ]
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Very nice Ringo!
I hope to have my first stringed up soon.
Did you get any splinters from the winge?
Author:  Sam Price [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 12:39 am ]
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VERY, very nice!!!
Author:  old man [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 12:55 am ]
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Fine loonking instrument. I really like the look of that top. What's the finish?

Ron
Author:  GregG [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 1:03 am ]
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That looks cool Ringo, I like the offset sap-line....I'll check out the sound-clips tonight.

Greg
Author:  WaddyThomson [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 1:10 am ]
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Woah!  That's a nice guitar.  That is not a budget guitar, it's a first class instrument, built with solid materials, producing excellent tone and clarity.  Beautiful! 
Author:  Matt Gage [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 2:32 am ]
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I love Wenge!   
Author:  Dave White [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 2:34 am ]
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Ringo,

I really like that guitar - Grand Concertish shape and a 15 fret body join too Is that your design? The off centre sapwood on the back draws my eye in an interesting way and the wood combinations work really. I like to feel the back move and X bracing works well for this.

That's some lovely playing too - particularly on "Jesu Joy of Mans Desire", and the balance and string separation sounds good to me. It sounds as though most of the playing is being done at the bottom end of the neck. I would be interested to hear how it sounds higher up. If you are not a "dusty end" player then "Jesu Joy of Man's Desire" played say Capo V would be interesting to hear.

Well done again
Author:  Dave White [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 2:36 am ]
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Duh - that shuld be "the wood combinations work really well".

What's the body depth?
Author:  Billy T [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 3:07 am ]
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Really hice looking guitar! I like the offset sap wood.
Author:  Barry Daniels [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 3:20 am ]
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Ringo,

Very nice guitar and glad to hear the tonal results.

Though not clear, your photos look like you cut string notches in the saddle. Disregard me if this is not correct. I discovered that cutting notches in a saddle can seriously affect the output. You could make a smooth topped saddle to see if that would help.
Author:  James Ringelspaugh [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 4:54 am ]
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Thanks for the kind words everyone; I do appreciate them.

Wenge is indeed quite splintery, I think it will fill you full of splinters if you so much as look at it funny. It also puts your pore-filling skills to the test. In the end it was well worth it though... I really like the way it looks and sounds and it's dirt cheap to boot.

Ron: I like the top too, it is a really nice shade of amber. The finish it is KTM-9. I was ready to use CrystalLac but heard many reports of it blue-ing so I trashed the idea.

Hesh: yes this guitar has laminated sides

Todd: thanks, I am really happy with the peghead shape... I think I spent more time tweaking it than I did on the design of the body!

Dave: Yes it is 15 frets to the body and it's my own design. If I get a chance today I'll try to record something with a little more fretboard coverage. Perhaps a Michael Hedges tune would sound nice...

Barry: it's good to hear from you... I think you may be seeing a reflection of the strings (?) as I haven't cut any slots in the saddle. Actually I haven't even touched the saddle yet... I'm waiting a week or so to let the top settle before setting the final action and intonation.

Author:  Blanchard [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 5:01 am ]
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It's cool to see a wenge guitar. They are not that common. I have built a couple of them, one steel string, one nylon string.

I think it is a great tonewood. It is a little more trouble to work with than some woods, but it is worth it.

Mark
Author:  Bob Long [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 5:23 am ]
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The guitar looks great, Ringo, and it already sounds like a great guitar should. I wasn't sold on the idea of the off-set sapwood on the back, but.... I agree that it looks kinda cool.   Yeah... it actually looks very cool!

Long
Author:  Pwoolson [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 5:23 am ]
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I really, really like it. Were some might scoff at the asymetrical sap line, to me, it is brilliant. So is it a 4 piece back?
The sound clips sound very nice as well. As you said very clear defined notes.
Great job!!!
Author:  Bill Greene [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 7:17 am ]
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LOVE, JUST LOVE the asymmetrical sap line on the back. Pure genius.
Author:  Kim [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:43 am ]
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Yes Ringo, very nice indeed, great looking guitar. Add another vote for the offset sap line, very clever and the headstock shape is cool to.

Cheers

Kim
Author:  Chansen [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:50 am ]
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I agree that it is kind of a cool highlight to have the sapline offset. Is it a four piece back (which the lighter area on the lower bout of the treble side make me think it is) or is it just a two piece back that was a wide board? The wenge boards at my local place are wide enough to do that, but I've never seen a sap line in it. Neat guitar by the way! I'll have to listen when I'm not at work. 
Author:  James Ringelspaugh [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:56 am ]
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I am having a lot of fun playing this guitar today. Here is a song that utilizes the rest of the fingerboard:

Bensusan

It is tuned to CGDGAC with a capo on the third fret.

Paul, it is a 3 piece back
Author:  Heath Blair [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 10:53 am ]
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ringo, that is a great sounding and looking guitar. i was so surprised by the offset sap line and instantly loved it. it was actually kinda inspiring. and you are a great guitar player on top of all of that.
Author:  Michael Lloyd [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 10:54 am ]
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Wow! Very nice indeed, I also like what you've done with the back. I'll be looking at the woodpile at my local lumber haunt from a different perspective from now on. Thanks for sharing.

Oh ye great sound.
Author:  KenH [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 2:22 pm ]
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I opened these *.mp3 files up with my trusty windows media player to see what kind of response it would record with the visual equalizer and was surprised to see the full range represented with almost every note. If you havent done it yet, I urge you to take a look at it.


The bass is strong, and the mids and highs fully heard with a wide range of harmonics in the full spectrum. Even when the songs were over there was a resonance that the equalizer heard and recorded that I could not hear by ear. The visual display was full from one side to the other with tones and harmonics, so it looks like your objective of a responsive guitar have come to pass on this one.


Overall, an excellent guitar and certainly most beautiful to the eye too. I can only wish that I could play like that... excellent job!


Thanks for sharing Ringo! Keep up the good work!
Author:  Dave White [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 7:58 pm ]
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Ringo,

Thanks for doing that - great guitar
Author:  John K [ Fri Jul 20, 2007 10:10 pm ]
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I like that guitar Ringo!   
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