Official Luthiers Forum!

I just spent the day setting up this koa/adi dread, and I thought I'd post a few pics. I am still waiting for the Greven pickguard to arrive, so that's why there is no guard on it yet. I'd say the sound is somewhere between a mahogany and a Indian rosewood guitar...very warm, great bass and treble. It seems to me to have a very even tone which is a little "warmer" than my rosewood guitars. The customer designed the peghead shape. I've sent him pictures of the sides, but I told him he would have to wait to see the back! I am happy to say that everything went well on this build. I was afraid that the koa was going to either break or turn green during the bending, but it didn't. It looks like I'm about to send another one out of the nest and into the world. I always have mixed feelings about letting one go. They kind of become part of me, and me part of them. I'm sure some of you know what I'm talking about. Anyway, hope you enjoy the pics.

Brad

_________________
Brad Tucker

Nice looking dread Brad! Awesome koa too!

_________________
jw ( o)===:::

Thanks, Joe, I appreciate it. I'd also like to say thank you to all you guys who post on this forum. I have seen so many inspiring things here, and have gleaned quite a bit of great information from the OLF. This is really a great collection of talented people and the help and sharing of information here is refreshing. Although I don't post often, I find myself checking this place out every single day.

_________________
Brad Tucker

Great looking d*ead Brad buddy and I love the burst!!

Yeah! Great looking guitar. As Hesh said, I love the burst too! Nice color combo...it really works.

_________________
"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."

I would love to see a closeup of that eagle inlay. It looks very realistic.

WHOA! That is some HOT Koa!

Nice job Brad!

_________________
Support the OLF! Bookmark our STEWMAC link Today!
Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Really, really nice!

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Brad that really is some nice Koa. Where did you get such a set?
I know what you mean about hating to see them go.
Especially one as nice as this!

Steve

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

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Beautiful guitar Brad!

I like the white binding as well. I have a koa on the bench right now that I used tortise binding on and I can tell you that it was a toss up on the white or the tortise. now I know what the white would have looked like.

I especially love the sunburst top you put on it. Is this a hand rubbed burst or did you spray it like that?

Excellent looking guitar!

_________________
Reguards,

Ken H

Gorgeous Koa Brad!

_________________
Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Thanks, guys. The koa came from LMI, hand picked by Dan. When I got it, I was kind of dissapointed. Then, after running it through the sander, I wiped it down with some naptha. As I stared at it, I suddenly heard angels singing. I thought I had found a treasure chest!

The burst was sprayed with a jamb gun, base color was hand mixed vintage amber with a touch of brown to give it a gold color, then the outside was sprayed tobacco brown. Learned the burst technique from my Father.

Ken, I know what you mean about the binding. This was a toss up between ivoroid and tortise, so I took a couple of pics and sent it to the soon to be owner. He chose the ivoroid. I was split 50 50 on which one to use. Had the koa been a lighter color, he would have went with the tortise. I took the tortise binding and put it on a sapele guitar I may have finished this weekend! I've got GBS: guitar building syndrome

_________________
Brad Tucker

Barry,

Sorry about the delay in posting the peghead inlay. It came from a place called Dominic Fine Art. Never heard of the place until the new owner of this guitar told me about it.

_________________
Brad Tucker

Oh Brad, that is one niice guitar. I love that inlay too.

Thanks for sharing these photos!

_________________
"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins