Official Luthiers Forum!

Well, at least for me.
I thought I'd try my hand at a classical instrument instead of my usual steel string type. As I try to build most of my steel strings for finger style playing, an occasional dred slips in now and then, but I thought it might help me in my steel string building as well.
The run down:
EIR back and sides
Western red cedar top
built following the Fleta plan pretty doggone close
EIR binding with a white and green side purfling. The green looks nice when you can see it but the dark rosewood hides it pretty well in the pictures.
The sound is very even with a strong bass and good clear sustaining trebels.




Jim_W38677.0356481482

_________________
Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

That is a gorgeous guitar Jim. And that was your 1st attempt at a classical? Very well done. I really like the lines in the binding.

So, are you going to deliver it or can I just pick it up?

It's beautiful!

Steve Brown

Very nice! I really like the headstock shape.

Very impressive!

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

Nice!!!!!!!!

Sweeeet!

_________________
Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

VERY NICE WORK JIM!!! I wish I could hear it.Robbie O'Brien38677.4017592593

They don't call 'em "classic" for nothing, do they?
That's just beautiful.
Say, I notice the 3rd string looks different. What's up there?

Steve

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

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Beautifully executed.

_________________
"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."

Nice work, Jim. I like the headstock. Is that Fleta's design or yours?

_________________
Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

Thanks for the complements.

Steve, the G string is from a set of D'Addario Pro Arte. They come with a G string made of some other polymer than nylon (looks like PEEK to me), they also give you a standard G string if you don't like it. I like it, it does pick up finger noise a little easier than the orther strings however.

Doug, This was my first classical, however not my first guitar.

Ken, this is very close to Fleta's head stock, he had 2 extra cuts on each side. It didn't seem right exactly copying his head stock so I left out a little detail that would make it much nicer actually.

_________________
Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

You're kidding us, Jim.
You didn't really build that yourself, did you?
Nelson

Gorgeous Jim, just Gorgeous!!

I too really like the headstock lines.

ShaneShane Neifer38677.7068287037

_________________
Canada

MMMMMMM MMMMMMMM MMMMMMMM!!! Like it!

Very nicely done...having now built a classical how would you compare the experience compared to steel string fingerstyle that you have built?

Is there anything that surprised you either in the differences in construction or process that you learned?

Did you build it with a spanish foot or mortise and tenon?

If you were to make recommendations to a steel string builder that wanted to tackle a classical guitar, what would you as a steel string builder tell them?

I ask this as a classical builder who at one point built steel strings but once I focused on classicals I havent looked back...but then I was always a fingerstyle player so it is an easy jump.

Great looking guitar Jim! You know, as one of the few classically trained musicians on this forum, I think you're gonna need to send it my way so I can give you a true evaluation!      Great execution, and I'm glad you went with the cedar top.

Cheers!

John

BTW, when you string it up, if you wind the string in the direction of the tuners instead toward the middle of your slots, there will be less chance of damaging the finish from your strings rubbing the inside of the headstock slots. Don't ask me how I know that.