Official Luthiers Forum!

Been experimenting with a new shape (actually built one similar a few years ago) and bracing scheme and have been pretty pleased with the results.

I have no idea how you get such nice pictures up on the forum so here's a few poor ones for your review.

Cedar top
Sapele B & S.
Rosewood FB
Spruce w/thin CA flood bridge plate.
Rosewood Bridge
V Braced (at least a version of V braced)
Long Scale
Enduro Var finish
True Oil neck finish

I'm going to deliver it to a friend today so he can play it and critique it a bit and perhaps he can get a recording as my playing and recording skills are poor at best.

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Thank You and Best To All

Surprisingly comfortable with the arm rest, but even without it still plays small but sounds much larger than it is. The double waisted guitar above is the same shape, same wood, and plays very nice but you hear the added fullness with the added volume and top area - as would be expected.

The sound hole and sound port seem redundant but it adds a presence and I believe the large top area and internal volume can handle the large areas of the hole and sound port.

I'm trying different bracing patterns with this one narrow at the bottom flairing towards the top and the current build flaired at the bottom narrowed towards the top. Like the second idea as it should open up the sound board a bit towards the heel.

Lots of experimenting to do but excited about the possibilities. Have an Engleman EIR up next and will work on larger bodies in the future...

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Whoa...that is certainly different. Not sure it's my cup of tea but really appreciate different. How does it play/sound?

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Hey thanks for asking...

It plays surprisingly small as it's based on my size 'B' which is similar in dimensions to a 00, but sounds much larger, which is no surprise. Lots of sustain and 'maybe' clarity? Hard to use those words accurately. Very different and sweet tone - hard to put down while noodling on the couch.

I took it over to a musician friend's house as he was, "smitten" by the volume and tone. He has a Taylor 800 Series jumbo (?) and it is louder and much, much 'warmer' which is no surprise either.

He's going to do some recording as we're both curious as to how to how it might behave. He'll have some sound clips that I hope I can post...

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Very interesting Larry. One might say a one sided guitar with a two sided conversation. Quite inventive that guitar is. My only 'not so sure about' is the way the D and G strings wrap the preceding post. Overall very well done. Can't wait to hear some sound clips

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Yeah the head stock was/is a crap shoot and may abandon for the reasons you state, or slightly relocate if possible. I like different...

I did a similar, smaller, build abut 5 years ago in RedWood/Walnut - plays so sweet. It was more 'X braced than 'V' braced and I like the possibilities the 'V' presents and will continue to experiment.

http://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopi ... lit=walnut

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Larry, That is a cool guitar also. I really love the use of abalone. Very creative work!!!

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Good to see experimental builds gracing these pages, shape reminds me of the Giannini Craviola.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Whoa, that thing is cool...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfQncNNuj14

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That's a cool idea. The Craviola was the first thing I thought of when I saw yours although there are some distinct differences. I had the chance to play one of those some years ago at used instrument shop and it was pretty nice sounding. It looks like your take on v-bracing works well with the offset sound hole.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

The interesting thing to me is how many possibilities open up with the 'V' configuration. Open at the bottom, closed at the bottom, steep angle, shallow angle, symmetrical, asymmetrical, heights and scalloping. Doing a couple different designs and hopefully something will jump out as to what brace design begets what tone, sustain etc.

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Very interesting and different, almost like a kidney bean shape. I have to say, your yard and pond or stream area is beautiful.

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jw ( o)===:::

Thx Joe, yeah the stream and ponds create a great front yard atmosphere....

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Here's another take on the 'V' with the opening at the bottom which I think I like the idea of as it might open the lower bout a bit more than closed at the bottom. The 'V' is ridiculously stiff along the grain and ends up almost flat across the bridge as the radius tends to disappear across the bridge area. Funny, I can see a hundred possible options just in that one picture.

This one has a BRW bridge plate but the same Cedar Sapele (last set) combo. Pretty sure I ruined this top however as it went pretty dead at the end of my messing around. I decided to build with it anyway to see for myself how it will play/sound.

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Thank You and Best To All