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[QUOTE=Roy O] Thanks Hank. Now if I may be so bold as to follow up one loaded question with another loaded question.

I'm looking to build a guitar for myself next winter. I play fingerstyle dropped tuning with some light strumming on medium strings. In the past I've read posts by both you and Sylvan on how nice the 13 fret 00s are and so would like to try to build one myself. I was thinking 25.4" scale to accomodate the dropped tuning.

Any suggestions/recommendations? Which body type would you think would be best?


Well...the OOO I built with the 13 fret neck was the long bodied version , walnut with redwood top. It was a monster in dropped tuning. You have some of the same redwood sets so I'd say pair up a TB set with some nice black walnut, do the 13 fret with 25.4" scale, sit back under the coconut palm and pick you fingers raw!

Sylvan, That does throw a wrinkle into my thinking. I was under the impression that you wanted to move the soundhole up to open up more of the soundboard. Now after looking at the pictures on your website and the plans I have of an 00 I think I have a feel for what you're saying. Thanks for the insight.

[QUOTE=HankMauel] You have some of the same redwood sets so I'd say pair up a TB set with some nice black walnut, do the 13 fret with 25.4" scale, sit back under the coconut palm and pick you fingers raw! [/QUOTE]

Hank, thanks for the guidance. I think I will use some of that TB and I have some black walnut that may be good for this too. As for sitting under the coconut palm, I have about 20 more years to go before I can do that.

[QUOTE=HankMauel]
I REALLY prefer Saran Wrap! [/QUOTE]

Hank, I remember now that you have used Saran Wrap to great advantage. Tell us how you brace it?

Or better yet, tell us this: on that 13 fret 000--w/ the long body and long(er) scale-- did you scallop the braces or not?

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

[QUOTE=Steve Kinnaird] [QUOTE=HankMauel]
I REALLY prefer Saran Wrap! [/QUOTE]

Hank, I remember now that you have used Saran Wrap to great advantage. Tell us how you brace it?

     Used FlexStraws, after drinking my Ovaltine through them while wearing my Captain Midnight decoder ring.    Every one old enough to know what I'm talking about, raise your hand.

Or better yet, tell us this: on that 13 fret 000--w/ the long body and long(er) scale-- did you scallop the braces or not?


      Yes. The normal high peaked braces, about 5/8 to 3/4" tall, and about .300 wide at the base (on the redwood top). Hopefully, if I did the attach correctly, you can see a "typical" bracing on a redwood top...a McCloud model in this example.

Hank, my hand is raised. But it's getting harder and harder to hold it up.

Nice looking shot of the bracing... dare we ask how it sounds?

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

[QUOTE=Steve Kinnaird] Hank, my hand is raised. But it's getting harder and harder to hold it up.

    Yes, I know that feeling, too!

Nice looking shot of the bracing... dare we ask how it sounds?

     It was a flamed redwood top that went on a pau ferro body. It had all the redwood characteristics along with a nice sustain and a nice bottom end. The high end was a bit rounded and mellower than the sometimes "crystalline" trebles from redwood, but still crisp and ringing. It's used weekly by our P&W Pastor at church. We've beeen through a succession of pickups in it, most recently settling on the K & K Pure Western mini which really does do the best job of reproducing the guitars character.

Steve[/QUOTE]

i don't think flex straws had been invented yet when i was drinking ovaltine or quick.

[QUOTE=crazymanmichael] i don't think flex straws had been invented yet when i was drinking ovaltine or quick.[/QUOTE]

Back in the 1950's...the first ones I used were the pleated paper straw. Later came the plastic versions.
Do you remember the very short lived straw that had chocolate flavor lining the interior? It was supposed to make chocolate milk as you drank though the straw. NOT!

i must have had a culturally deprived late childhood. the first ones i recall were plastic, maybe late sixties.

I not only remember the paper straws, I remember the chocolate ones too! They smelled like chocolate but gave very little flavor, if any at all.

I even remember whan Cokes came in a glass 6oz bottle and cost .05.

I guess I really am old

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

Do you remember 29 cent gas?
Man, those were the days.

_________________
From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Okay, there must be somebody here who remembers when a OO was a BIG guitar!?

Carlton

Steve, I bought gas once at 14 cents a gallon. All I had back then was a motorcycle so I only got to take advantage of 2.5 to 3 gallons though.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

[QUOTE=Dave Rector] I not only remember the paper straws, I remember the chocolate ones too! They smelled like chocolate but gave very little flavor, if any at all.

I even remember whan Cokes came in a glass 6oz bottle and cost .05.

I guess I really am old [/QUOTE]

Yeah...me too! How about when they came out with the $.03 candy bars to run competition with the Milky Way/Snickers/3 Musketeer bars? Don't know what company it was but they tasted like cardboard.
Now...circa 1950...when you had to add the yellow dye to the margarine package and squeeze it to get the color. That was the butter producers fighting the "new kid on the block". That was my kithchen chore to do the squeezing.

i knew of the yellow dye thing but i thought that was only in wisconsin!

really didn't think much about gas costs till i was in high school. can remember that after football practice one evening three or four of us were in a friends old chevy   which needed gas and the local redhead station was the cheapest at 17.?/gal. we had to empty our pockest to amass the price of that gallon.

ah the good old days!!!!

Steve: I received the tracing and description today!
Many thanks! You are one of the many greats on this board; thanks for sharing! tom harbin

Flavor Straws

Tom--you are quite welcome. I was happy to do it.

_________________
From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Thank'yee Steve! Love'em!

Thanks for the detailed specs too -

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Lance--you bee welcome!
Now we need you guys to build a few and give us your impressions.

_________________
From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com