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Hi Guys,

Well, here are some pics of my first. I’d like to thank all of you who answered my questions over the past year as I’ve been plugging away.   Here are the details:

Eastern walnut back, sides, and neck. Logged and milled by my father, brothers, and I 25 years ago.
Sitka top.
Target 9000 finish.
Bindings are not ebony, but are made from the same material as the bindings on the highly regarded $3000 Martin I saw at the local music store I promise that my next will be wood.

Body shape was inspired by Paul Woolson’s SIG. I mocked it up in cardboard and trimmed a little here and there to make a comfy fit for my big gut.

And, of course, how’s it sound? It has a very warm and sweet sound that I attribute to the walnut. The bass is big with a slight lean to the muddy side. I refinished the top and think that when I sanded back to bare wood I thinned the top too much. Naturally I’ll need to play it for a few months before passing final judgment.

Anyway, thanks again to all for your help and inspiration.

BruceH

Very nice! I especially like the smooth, relaxed curves in the body shape, and that organic looking heel. You're off to a great start!

Carlton

Beautiful! That guitar is definitely going to someday be a family heirloom especially with that family history surrounding it's creation.

Wow, I can't believe this is your first! Great job! I like the body shape too, and can't believe you tried a sound port on your first. If I did a sound port on my first it would have been there to cover a flaw, but I wouldn't have had the guts to do that. Great job, and I love the finish. You have a bright future in finishing guitars! So what's next?
Tracy

Bruce,

Fantastic! A beautiful guitar. No one would guess it was your 1st, it looks so wonderful.

Jeff

Wow great looking guitar Bruce. The walnut is beautiful and the finish looks excellant. Nice boby shape too.

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Ditto...great job.

sound port on your first guitar...now that took guts.

Matt

Bruce - what a first effort! Excellent workmen ship! Please tell us how it sounds when shes broke in

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Very impressive!!!!

Very nice.   

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

Beautiful!! And that finish looks flawless.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

Amazing first guitar! That finish looks beautiful, but I’m curious does it ever look like it has a slight blue tint? Does it look glass clear in all lighting conditions? I’m curious because I’ve been using target USL and in some lighting conditions it looks bluish. I’m thinking about tinting my next or switching to the 9000.

Nice job. I love walnut guitars. Just keep playing it. It is amazing how the sound of a new guitar opens up as it is played. My experience with my and my friends guitars has been that they just sound better and better as they are played. It's like the wood is learning to be a guitar.

Ten times better than my first guitar....really!
Beautiful!

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

That's prettier than a 14 point buck in my shotgun crosshairs. And it's way better than my first guitar too.

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the compliments! I'm pleased with the way that it turned out, but I can assure you that I made plenty of small mistakes. Like many, I found the finish to be the biggest challenge. I'm also struggling with the intonation on the bass E string.

I didn't think the sound port was that big of a deal. Just grab a one inch forstner bit and drill away. I really like the way it sounds and will definitely put a port in any guitar I build for myself.

Colby - I've got mixed feelings about the 9000. Sometimes from some shallow angles I can see just a hint of whiteness, but you have to be looking for it. I'll post my full impressions about the 9000 in a new post. It is a bear to buff, though, and you need a good buffing setup.

Neil - Have you ever built an all walnut guitar? While building I noticed that this back is nearly as resonant as the spruce top. It has me wondering if walnut would make a good top?

Tracy - Next on the list is a lap dulcimer. I'm building it for a friend's wife and it needs to be finished by the middle of June. Most of the building is complete. I just need to cut the sound holes (hummingbirds), glue on the top, and apply the finish. Next also is to finish my son's guitar. It's a rosewood dred. I need to install the binding (flamed maple) and apply the finish. Should be done by the end of June. Then I'm going to build a couple of cedar/cuban dreds with a fully adjustable neck and try a couple of different bracing ideas that I've been kicking around.

Finkelstein - Please get me a price for a couple of your hand-hewn oak tops and bracewod billets. I want to go after the authentic handmade segment of the market.

BruceH    

Taylor makes a GC with walnut top. Sounds nice. Maybe just a tad woodier sound than spruce. I play for my self mostly these days, and love sound ports. Great looker for a first Bruce.

Great job on the pearl logo. Did you cut it?MichaelP38483.4467939815

Lookin good Bruce, far nicer than my 1st. I like your shape too.

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

I too will chime in with kudos to you Bruce. A very nice looking guitar!

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

Well done Bruce.    I too like the shape.

[QUOTE=MichaelP]
Great job on the pearl logo. Did you cut it?[/QUOTE]

Yes, I cut it, but I have to admit that it is one of my least favorite jobs. I see now why some of the big guys use decals or buy their logos.

BruceH

[QUOTE=BruceH] [QUOTE=MichaelP]
Great job on the pearl logo. Did you cut it?[/QUOTE]

Yes, I cut it, but I have to admit that it is one of my least favorite jobs. I see now why some of the big guys use decals or buy their logos.

BruceH[/QUOTE]
I am the opposite. I adore cutting pearl. I get off into a zone and nothing can get to me. unless I break the piece

Wow ... really nice job.

It looks great.

John O

Like everyone else, I'm stunned that's a first effort. Most newcomers to the craft take several attempts to get anywhere near that nice.... (And then some of us still keep trying )

Steve

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