Official Luthiers Forum!

Finally, my first is finished.

OM body
Top: Sitka
Back and sides: Brazilian (Laminated!)
Neck and FBL Mahogany with IRW
Head plate and bridge: IRW
Finish: French Polish over Z-poxy (not quite done with this part yet)

Many thanks to John Hall for much of the parts, Ray Lee and JJ for personal encouragement and to my friends here at the OLF for group encouragement and many, many invaluable help! It sounds really balanced all up the neck, a little bass shy, but the volume is improving nicely as it gets played. My neighbor, Justin Roberts, an upcoming recording artist played it and said it sounded much better than his Taylor, so I must have not screwed it up too bad. Thanks for your support and enjoy the pics. I love this!!!

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

Sweet! That is one great looking guitar!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Steve,

Great first effort. I'll bet you're stoked, at least you should be!!

Got #2 planned yet?

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

What a Beaut! Wow!

It just amazes me the quality of the FIRST guitars posted on this forum.
Very well done!!!
You stated the the BRW was laminated.   Are these the epoxied double
sides??? How did you laminate the BRW and to what did you laminate it.

Pesonally I am working on my first "laminated" sides so I am curious I did it
strictly to achieve very rigid sides. What was your reason.

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

Steve, that's an excellent first effort. Congratulation!

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Really nice!!!   You had a lot of nerve going with BRW on your first.


Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

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

Very nice, clean work.
Mighty impressive for your first!
Now you're hooked, I guess??


John

Congratulations Steve!!! It's a real beauty...clean and classy. Looking forward to playing it at the next Chicago Meeting. The FP looks great. Keep it moving...it'll open up in no time.

Welcome to our addiction! So what's next?

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

Fantastic first effort!

I showed your pics to Billie.
She is the "she" in SWMBO around here.
She is also the "she" in SWSBR.
("She Who Should Be Respected").
Anyway, I've come to value her opinion as it has been honed
over the years of guitar-watching.
"She" said: "I like that guitar...a LOT".
"What do you like about it?"
"I like that Brazilian; it looks just like a guitar ought to look."

So there you go. That's pretty high praise my friend.

I'll add to her comments that the execution looks fantastic.

Good job.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Very nice looking guitar Steve.

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

Andy: The back and sides are from John Hall. He gets them from Martin. They are 3-piece laminates with BRW on the front and back with a light colored wood in between. While I love how the Brazilian looks, I admit choosing this route partly from ignorance and partly because of the low cost of the laminate compared to solid rosewoods. So I cannot claim any advanced intent or particular skills on my part.

Ron: That is exactly what JJ said when we met at the Illinois Luthier gathering recently! If it was the expensive stuff, I would have to agree with you! I do feel lucky that I now have a lovely instrument, more than the sum of it's parts, made with my own hands. Pretty cool, and, Yes...I am so hooked.

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

Steve outstanding first guitar...it would be an outstanding 10th guitar.....probably a pretty good 20th. Congratulations it looks stunning -- I love the look of the back. The french polish finish looks terrific.

Lance/Brock - ban this bum would ya...we don't need this kinda 1st time guitar talent around here...... (It makes guys like me who thought they were good look real bad )

Steve - Just out of curiousity -- was the encouragement JJ provided poured out of a bottle of alcohol while you were french polishing?

That's a great accompolishment Steve -- I hope you enjoy playing it as much as I enjoyed the pictures.

WOW

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Michael Lloyd

“I was born to ignorance, yes, and lesser poverties ...
I was born to privilege that I did not see ... I didn’t know it, but my way was paved” – John Gorka

Super nice Steve. My first was no where near as nice but I was still stoked that I made it my self and it sounded like a guitar. You should be very proud. Nice work.

Larry

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Thank You and Best To All

Ditto!   Great lookin' guitar. How's she sound?

Steve that is a very nice looking guitar you've created there. Well done.

One question if you don't mind though. What is the saddle material and why didn't you match it at the nut? I guess that was two questions.

Again great job

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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

What a great job...Congratulations.


What are you planning for guitar number two?

cheers,
claire

Yet again, NICE JOB!

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Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

Isn't it a great feeling when someone says "Ooh. It sounds better than a (insert factory built guitar here)


Great effort. Looking forward to seeing number 2.

Cheers

Bob

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Bob Connor
Geelong, Australia

Really nice looking guitar Steve ,and neat workmanship. Ain't it a Buzz to finish it , and hear her sing .

Congrats mate




       Lawrence of Australia

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CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
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Steve,

That's really nice

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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

Steve, great job, shes' a beaut!

Hope my first looks that good too!

Robert

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Everything has beauty, But, not everyone see's it!

Great first effort Steve ! Your level of craftsmanship shows and I'm sure that you're now beginning to think of just what your second will be.

Keep up the good work.

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Peter

Steve, that looks positively stunning! Never mind that it's a first!

Very well done Sir! You should be very very proud. The finish and execution are bang on!

So that's the only one, right? Your building days are over...

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