Official Luthiers Forum!

Here is a recording of my most recently finished Ladder guitar. You've already seen the guitar but here is a recording done by the Atlanta based Bill Sheffield doing a Big Bill Broonzey tune. Bill's Big Bill
If you like this kind of music, go and check out Bill Sheffield Dot com and give his music a listen. His latest "Journal on a shelf" is great stuff and word has it that he will have a brand new CD out very shortly.

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

John, What can I say! That folks is what a guitar SHOULD sound like. I just got to build one of them! Err, got any drawings John?

That is seriously good, why ever did we start using those X braces, that Martin fellow has got a lot to answer for. Without a doubt that is the best sounding guitar we've had here. Now I have severe GAS!

John, not only are you a very wise man, you have officially enterred my luthiers hall of fame, which you share with only 4 other builders.

Did I tell you I like it?

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Wow, thank you Colin.

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

Very impressive, John. You've struck gold on this one. Sounds like you may be starting an OLF trend!

Congratulations and best of luck to one of the best!

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

Man ... that seriously has that "old timey" sound. That just rocks.

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

Sounds awesome John... Congrats!

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

Shame!!! SHAME!!! SHAME!!!

I said earlier that your little Parlor had to be one the prettiest guitars I've seen... and wished I could play that beauty. Now you've gone and posted what she sounds like. Guess I should just forget about building one and stop spending money on tools - so I can get one of those!

Shame! Shame on you John.

Real nice sound, John. For sure the est sound from ,CA.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

Dang John that sounds fantastic. I'm a big fan of Big Bill Broonzy. How about another pic of that guitar so I can look at it while I listen to the clip.   

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
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The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

John-
Very nice sounding guitar.
I went searching the archive and noticed that in March you offered some info on the Stella you used as inspiration for the ladder guitar.
Is there any chance you could share some pics or bracing info with us?
Also, how much of that sound do you attribute to the Red Spruce top, and how much to the ladder bracing and 'moustache' bridge? I'm just starting a parlour-size guitar in walnut or mahog with spruce (sitka or Engelmann)- any advice on wood choices?
Thanks
John

It just doesnt get much better than that! Awesome sound and love that tune Sheffield is playing

Mike

Wow. That really drills that bluesy sound, don't it. Man, you've got a winner there.

Great work. Like everyone else, I'm impressed.

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

Thanks all, I was very excited to get this tune in my email today and just had to share it with someone. Glad you liked it. I sure wish I could play like that.

[QUOTE=Bobc] Dang John that sounds fantastic. I'm a big fan of Big Bill Broonzy. How about another pic of that guitar so I can look at it while I listen to the clip.    [/QUOTE]

Bob, the all the pictures I have are on the front of my web site or linked from there. I have 6 more of these guys in production now so hopefully one of these days there will be more pictures. Got any more of that curly mahogany on the way Bob? Everybody seems to want that wood for this guitar and I'm about to run out!!!
I will try to get some drawings made of the particulars of this guitar and maybe give them to lance if he wants to include them in his library. I don't have the skills to make fancy computer generate stuff though.

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

Wow, John...thanks for the offer of the plans. Hopefully, one of our in-house CAD jockeys can render it to a drawing for sale.

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

Or perhaps for free, without enhancements?
Plans here are mighty pricey as it is.
John
[QUOTE=JJ Donohue] Wow, John...thanks for the offer of the plans. Hopefully, one of our in-house CAD jockeys can render it to a drawing for sale.

[/QUOTE]

Oh that's going in the daily rotation!

Sounds great, love that old-timey sound.
How about some slide played on it?

John, i am touched by the sound of your guitar and what a dicovery Mr Sheffield is for me, WOW! A great blues voice and presence from him and your awesome guitar, thanks for sharing that much excitement with us all!

Serge

Simply fantastic....the guitar and the picking!!!!

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

John,

That's fabulous!! All that's missing is the scratch,scratch, scratch on the old 78

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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

congrats John, that is really great.

Matt

Absolutely awesome John!!

You really need to get these plans added to the OLF library. I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd gladly buy a set!   

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

That is such a brilliant sound and not a trace of harshness in the treble.

Kudos, John!

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

Sweet sound! Fine playing, too. I've liked the sound of ladder-braced guitars since the first time I picked one up and strummed it. There's something about that intimate, woody tone that always draws me in.

I agree with Colin--everytime we gain something, like volume and durability with the "X" brace, we loose something, too. Baroque and many other pre-Torres guitars also have an appealing sound that was lost when fan bracing became the norm. Fan-braced guitars don't sound bad, by any means. They just don't have that hypnotic, gentle sound of earlier instruments.

The quest for tone continues...

Excellent John, really, really excellent great guitar, great pick'in.

Cheers

Kim