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This one has been running a little long for me but it's finally ready for delivery.
African Blackwood back & sides, binding, headstock trim, Carpathian Spruce top.
Scale is 24.9" 12 fretter, A few customer designed inlays, My first ported guitar as well.
She sounds fantastic if I say so myself. Big round and crisp bass but very balanced, responsive, with lots of headroom and a mile of sustain. A very modern fingerstyle sound.
More pictures


John How39036.0809606481

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

WOW...man you build them nice!   

Man that is soooooooo nic John. I think I may have to sell all my tools and wood and have you build me one

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Oh, and that rosette is just spectacular John, sure puts mine to shame. I should have had you do mine.

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

John

That is Sweet! What is the finish?
Nice photo work, did you take them?
Your passion shows in your work.

Tom

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http://www.moriciguitar.com

Wow John,

That is so unique and beautifully styled, I like it very much. The African looks like a wonderful BRW set under a finish and the Gotoh's sit very well with the style.

Hesh made comment the other day that too much bling can date a guitar very quickly, no danger of that here, all timeless class and nicely tied in from tip to toe. Your client must be thrilled.

Cheers

Kim

John,

Gorgeous - lovely wood combination and fantastic workmanship. African blackwood has such a fabulous subtlety and shimmery sound and coupled with Euro (Carpathian) I bet it sounds fabulous. I get totally lost when I play mine and sometimes play it in the dark as I hear so much more of the subtleties - but then I'm just wierd

How do you like the soundport?

Some sound clips please!!

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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

I love this guitar John. I particularly like the inlay behind the rosette .
Beautiful instrument !

Craig LawrenceKiwiCraig39036.2931828704

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CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
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Nice work, John. Did you add toner to the top finish or is that just in the photos. I like that color.

I am wearing that T-shirt with pride.

James

Wow John, thats a beauty. I love the celtic rosette and inlay at the soundhole as well.

The Bar is raised yet again.... great job my friend

That's a good one John. Is that a new body style for you? It looks longer to my eye that your little bodies of the past.
Great work, you should be quite proud!

John, that is drop dead gorgeous!

I LOVE Blackwood... That sap-wood really puts it over the top!


That end-graft is MINT!!!

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

That's beautiful John, I love the look of the sapwood, that's cool!

Greg

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Gwaltney Guitars

WOW!

That came out great John!
Congrats!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

OMG, that is awesome by any standard. I'm blown away, really.

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

Wow, John! This is your best ever in so many ways:

1) The workmanship is impeccable
2) The design is well conceived
3) The photos look professionally done
4) Would love to hear the sound

There's so much I love about this guitar and would love to play it. The rosette is great...can you describe how you pulled it off?

No wonder you're busy building commisssions...it was only a matter of time. Congratulations to one of the best builders I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.

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

Super nice John! Everything about it is extraordinary.
I really like this one a lot !

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

John,
I would like to echo everyones comments so far and say "wonderful guitar!!!". I really dig the headstock with the way it looks framed with laminations on both sides. Thanks for posting.

Homeboy

Garsh thanks guys

Dave, when I'm playing it I don't even notice the sound port but cover it up and you realize it's gone. I hope to have a sound sample soon.

James, the finish is Behlins Rockhard varnish and it's naturally a little amber. My photo setup uses a couple halogen shop lights and a couple yellow (the only color I could find) umbrellas as reflectors and I need to get something a little more neutral in color but the finish is amber in color.

It seems to me that this Blackwood is like BRW on steroids in case anyone is interested. Expesive but I think, worth the money. The Carpathian is from Bobc's stash.

JJ, this one is bound for Saint John, Indiana if that's anywhere near you.

Thanks again for looking

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

Lots of nice detail but not overdone anywhere. Very refined look. Me likey!

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

That is a beauty John. Congrats!

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Great looking guitar John. Just as we've come to expect from you. Thanks for sharing.