Official Luthiers Forum!

I do wish you had a better camera but perhaps it's my screen showing pixelation but I love that top purfling scheme. I like to rope wood bindings in the traditional manor too unless I am doing ivoroid and then I just use tape and CA. I'm curious to know what glue you use for binding. And for myself I've noticed I can damage the spruce with the rope on the opposite side so while I only glue one side at a time I place the other binding in place so as to take the edge of the rope. Curious to know if you have had similar experience?

Titebond I, and yes I protect the other side with a dummy piece.

I actually have a very good camera , better than my skill as a photographer. The limitation is that I post to forums at 72 dpi to keep file size down. That takes a 20 mb file and turns it into 50k.

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Bruce Sexauer, luthier
http://mojoluthier.com

Since there has been some interest, I am happy to post a brief, and quite impromptu video of Bruce in the shop gluing the sides and top of a flamenco guitar with peones - enjoy!

https://youtu.be/SKEnPAV1FFM

Looks really nice. Love the aesthetics! Can you give some details to the rosette? Looks like alot of pieces - what did you use?

Thanks!

Glenn

This should answer those questions, Glenn:

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Bruce Sexauer, luthier
http://mojoluthier.com

I have made several headstock over the years with negative space in them. They have in common that each time I think I went too far, yet when I see any of them unexpectedly, they look fine and even please me. I hope this one is no exception.

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Bruce Sexauer, luthier
http://mojoluthier.com

Well there is a hole in the side of the guitar so why not the headstock too?

I think it looks cool. It's different that's for sure.

I like it. It's a nice, clean contemporary look without overdoing it which happens so often.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I like it.

Is the headstock veneer snakewood as well?

A hole in the headstock. I dig it.

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George :-)

Basically, I am too lazy to make a truss rod cover.

This guitar can be hung on the wall with a single nail.

Aesthetically, the tuners are required for the visual balance I imagine.

The bend in the back plate was a bit more than the Snakewood could handle. Oh well.

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Bruce Sexauer, luthier
http://mojoluthier.com

Nail -a NAiL!
Heresy!

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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.

Bending the snakewood on the back of the headstock, the ONLY piece I had that could fit, was the single most challenging part of the whole process, in that I scorched it too deeply to clean it up and then chose to use it anyway. I COULD scorch the rest of the piece with a propane torch to make it match . . . a bit too contrived for my taste, and I don’t plan to do so.

I carved the head-hole (nail-slot) from behind to better reflect the shapes around it, and faired it into the front which already reflected the slightly different shapes there.

And I chose a piece of scrap from the head plates for the heel cap.

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Bruce Sexauer, luthier
http://mojoluthier.com

You could "shade" the heel and chin of the neck as often done on guitars and banjos and make the scorch mark "disappear".

I am SO reticent to put color on this guitar, and since the customer accepted the scorch I have gone ahead and started the varnish process. I ought to be able to take a couple of shots of the New Found Glory in the morning when it can be handled.

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Bruce Sexauer, luthier
http://mojoluthier.com

A few people have wondered how the Snakewood will look under finish. Also, the color towards the center of the top is from UV exposure while it waited for me to get around to using it.

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Bruce Sexauer, luthier
http://mojoluthier.com

It's coming along very nicely.

I have your varnish schedule for a couple years ago. Are you still starting with Zinnser sanding sealer & using the Ace varnish, spraying with a Harbor Freight (disposable) gun? As soon as I finish this gallon of lacquer, I want to give varnish a try.

Snakewood is like a mythical wood - crazy expensive, hard, dense & very prone cracking. Is it like anything else you've worked with? I've only handled a few pieces (because I'm too cheap to buy any) but the only thing it seemed remotely similar to is Camatillo - Mexican Kingwood, Dalbergia Congestiflora.

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

Very nice indeed... wow!

So from one of your earlier comments, "Basically, I am too lazy to make a truss rod cover."... Is the truss rod accessible through the head stock cut?

Yes, the truss rod (LMI TRST) is right there at the base of the nail slot.

I have built with D. camatillo, and it is not similar to Snakewood IMO. I have also trimmed perhaps 10 of my 24 Pernambuco guitars with it.I like it better as trim.

Snakewood w/o cracks is pretty much an oxymoron, and this stuff was no exception. I am hoping to never see them again, but I wasn't born yesterday. I have bought several 4" x 40+/-" logs over the years and dealing with the stuff is not for sissies.

Here the second coat on the head:





I have processed my insecurity re the slot and am increasingly pleased with it. I have some fresh ideas about the next interation.

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Bruce Sexauer, luthier
http://mojoluthier.com

I’m liking this thinking on negative space headstock and the truss rod. This may be the way I go on an archtop.
I love the great ideas I get here. Thanks!

B

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My memory is so good, sometimes I remember things that never happened.

The log that I cut that set from was almost 8 inches in diameter - one of the biggest ones I’ve ever seen...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My guess is that it's harder to pulling something off like that then it looks. The eye is very good at detecting flaws in symmetry and balance so one tiny mistake would ruin the whole thing. The nail slot I'm talking about.

Nice looking guitar,
What type of tuners are you putting on it?

Unless the buyer has other ideas, I plan to use GrandTune Vintage Copper w/Snakewood buttons.

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Bruce Sexauer, luthier
http://mojoluthier.com

Bruce, years ago I saw a post of yours where you described being influenced by Mandelbrot's fractal theory. If you have the time and inclination, I'd be keen to learn more about how and why you apply this to your lutherie. I suspect many amongst this group would be equally interested. Again, only if you feel like diving that deep.

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George :-)