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Here are some shots of the BRW classical I recently mentioned I was finishing up. Top is WRC and finish is French Polish. Back and sides are BRW. Neck and interior braces are Cedro Rosa from Brazil. Bracing pattern is my version of a nine fan Fleta design. ENJOY!

Robbie, that's just awful, you should be ashamed of yourself

Wait, that's just my jelousy speaking, who let you do the typing.

That is truly a masterful piece of art Robbie, the book match on the sides and back are amazing. The side port is wonderful, nice design, I will have to try that sometime.

Can you give us a frontal picture please, the rosette looks very nice as well.

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Whoo. that is sooo pretty. Very tastefully done.

John

I love it! Beautiful work, Robbie. Nice shamrock...go Irish!

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JJ
Napa, CA
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Looks great! I think I may have to buy your classical DVD and learn how to make these things (classical guitars that is).

josh

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Very nice guitar Robbie. I love the detail on the binding...nice touch. That BRW is very nice too. I have a back set almost identical to that but, unfortunately it;s riddled with worm holes. Looks like it's been shot with a scatter gun. And the question I'm always asked..got any papers on that BRW. Just kidding but, had to throw that in there.Brazilwood38685.5947800926

Robbie, looks really good! The classical I recently finished was also the Fleta 9 fan with a thin WRC top. I really like it. Any comments on the sound?

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Jim Watts
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Robbie,
What can I say....Fantastic quality all the way around.
What craftsmanship!!
Congrat's!!

Walter

Beautiful work Robbie! It gives me an idea too; since my cherry turned green in the bender, maybe shamrocks would be just the ticket. Hmmmmm.

Ron

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Ron Wisdom

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

Every time I wonder why classical players keep wanting the same old tired "traditional" shape and design, I'm brought back to reality by someone like Robbie. They want it that way because it looks beautiful!

Here's a frontal shot and one of the rosette. No, I didn't make it. It is a custom design that I bought from a luthier going out of business in Rio years ago. He got them from Japan. I liked the green, being Irish

[QUOTE=Brazilwood] And the question I'm always asked..got any papers on that BRW. Just kidding but, had to throw that in there.[/QUOTE]

papers? Essa madeira e caviuna.

    

The reason I started going with the Fleta design is because he worked almost exclusively in cedar and I heard he was allergic to it. I found that interesting. I too like the cedar sound and over the last few years have slowly been modifying the Fleta design to make it "my own". One of the problems I encountered was going too thin on the top. I thought the nine fan braces would take care of that but the guitar ended up being too "loose" for my tastes. I started going a bit thicker and on this particular guitar I made the first three braces on the treble side a millimeter taller than the others. The result was screaming trebles and big loud basses to match. This one is a keeper!      

Resposta excelente. O Caviuna que e.

Pretty Zoot for a classical! It has a nice clean, modern look. The shamrock port is a nice touch. Is it just the light in the photos or is there a radius on the binding? If so what radius?

I have heard you mention Cedro Rosa...compare it to other Cedros...is it stiffer, harder...

Is the neck a spanish foot, Dovetail like Fleta or bolt on?

Well done.

[QUOTE=Shawn] Pretty Zoot for a classical! It has a nice clean, modern look. The shamrock port is a nice touch. Is it just the light in the photos or is there a radius on the binding? If so what radius?

I have heard you mention Cedro Rosa...compare it to other Cedros...is it stiffer, harder...

Is the neck a spanish foot, Dovetail like Fleta or bolt on?

Well done.[/QUOTE]

Shawn, it really is some nice zoot. That is what the client wanted and for the price paid, she gets it.
There is a radius on the binding, if you can call it that. I just rounded it over using a scraper and finished it off by hand. A small roundover bit would do the same thing.
Cedro Rosa compares to Spanish cedar but it looks more like mahogany in color in my opinion. It is really red if you get the high quality stuff and it smells really good. It stinks up the whole shop, guitar and case. It is much easier to carve than mahogany and just as stable IMHO. I use it for all my classical guitar necks, kerfing and braces. I recently heard of a guy in Brazil who says he is selling it to LMI. The last LMI kits I used for my building classes had some brace wood that sure looked and smelled like it.    
The neck is a traditional spanish heel.

Nice work, Robbie. I really like the color/streaks in the top.

Not bad Robbie, Thats the best lookin' classical I've seen in a long time! Just beautiful.

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Robbie,
That is absolutly stunning work. A beautiful guitar design and wonderful features. But I would check the inside very carefully. I think there is a So. American mouse in there eating away at your label.
Wonderful work!

Just what the others said Robbie, beautiful guitar but we would expect no different. Don't you just love the french polish finish, not overshowy just enough to let the wood sing in every meaning of the word. Classy.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Oh, that's just gorgeous! I have got to learn how to french polish.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Robbie that is one beautiful guitar. Awesome work my friend.

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[QUOTE=BlueSpirit] Robbie,
That is absolutly stunning work. A beautiful guitar design and wonderful features. But I would check the inside very carefully. I think there is a So. American mouse in there eating away at your label.
Wonderful work![/QUOTE]


hahaha, That is a wax seal with an "O" for O'Brien. I Have heard them all, like "Hey, someone stuck some chewing gum inside your guitar"

Thanks for all the compliments folks. The cliente allowed me to really do this one right. Too bad it has to leave the shop now. I may have seperation anxiety over this one.

Hey Robbie, nice work.

Care to share the general brace dimensions and top thickness? I ask because the few measurements I have seen have been all over the map. I have the LMI Fleta plan, so if you are using that then there is no need to duplicate the info. I do know that I have read that Fleta left his tops thicks despite the 9 fan braces.

If I remember correctly you took Marshall Brune's FP class. Did you play that sweet, sweet Fleta they have in the shop? Not the good one, but the great one. I was playing Bach's 4th Lute suite on it and for the first time in my life effortlessly got the singing trebles that Williams got in the prelude above the 12th fret. I was so shocked I stopped playing and just stared at the guitar, then replayed the phrase. Same sound again, just like the Williams CD. I suggested to Marshall that the guitar should be included in the course fee, but oddly, he was having none of it. :)

Robbie,
don't you ever come out of the shop? My first love is classicals and when I
see a beauty like this I fall in love all over again. Elligant.
Craig