Official Luthiers Forum!

Welp, sitting around on a Saturday night, bored with TV, so I wander out into the shop to glue up another neck. Looking at all the stunning photos you guys have been posting reminded me that I'm getting close to the finish line with a couple of my own, so I thought I'd share.

These two guitars are the fourth and fifth 10-string classicals I've built. I've posted a couple of photos of them before, but with little, if any, data regarding the builds.

The first one was commissioned by Perf De Castro. I call it the PDC Special. You'll note the raised fingerboard and extension beyond the nut for the 7th and 8th strings (Perf tunes those two strings lower than the 9th and 10th strings).

When completed, all of the bottom four strings will have Shubb 5th-string banjo capos, so that the pitch of each can be altered quickly. In order to accomplish this feat with the 9th and 10th strings, I had to fabricate a special capo arm for the 9th string that will reach over the 10th. Both capos will share the same rail.

Both sides have been ported with 7/8" holes. I backed each hole with alternating layers of maple and black dyed veneers to give the ports a bit of visual interest.

The top is Canadian Lutz, the back/sides are cocobolo (from the Zootman), and the neck is Spanish cedar. The 20-hole bridge has been fabricated. I used padauk. The binding is bloodwood, back and side purfling is curly maple, top purfling is bwbw I obtained from LMI, and the rosette was also bought from LMI. A set of twin K&K passive transducers is installed, but I haven't drilled the hole for the input jack yet. Gilbert tuners will be installed.





The next 10-string is also a commission. The client wanted mahogany everything. Originally, he wanted even a mahogany top, but I talked him out of it. He agreed to go with a Canadian Lutz top. Glad he did. Mahogany tops may work well for steel string acoustics, but I'd be afraid that they would require more energy than a classical can produce with nylon strings.

I posted a pic of this guitar about a week or so ago, asking for comments about adding tint to shellac. Y'all convinced me (and my client) to leave it au naturale. After quite a few applications of garnet shellac, as you can see, it has started to darken nicely.

I obtained the mahogany locally from one of the exotic hardwood suppliers here in Houston. I found a couple of nicely q-sawn 4/4 boards which I was able to use for the back, sides, and neck. The binding is bloodwood, back and side purfling is curly maple, top purfling is bwbw I obtained from LMI, and the rosette was also bought from LMI. I will be cutting two sets of Schaller tuners for this guitar. I haven't fabricated the bridge yet, but it will be made from an EIR blank. This guitar also has a transducer, a passive model made by Schatten.






That's it for now. I'll post more pics when I've finished them.

Best,

Michael

Michael McBroom38872.0345717593

_________________
Live to Play, Play to Live

Dang, I can't get over the size of that neck! I'd sure like to see someone play that thing. Very nice work.

Ron

_________________
OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

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

Hey Ron,

If you go here, you can watch quicktime videos of Stephen Bright and myself playing two 10-strings I built, along with the Ramirez 10-string I used to own. The QT vids take a while to load, though, so you gotta be patient.

Best,

Michael

_________________
Live to Play, Play to Live

Wow, amazing guitars! I'd love to try one!

_________________
I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Same here Michael, your wood combinations are very tasteful and impressively elegant, i'm tempted to ask you how many years you have been building guitars but i already suspect that it's been longer than i have...

Excellent work!

Michael, very nice and interesting guitars. With the fingerboard extension you are almost entering the world of the Archlute and Theobro. I'd love to play them and compare to them to my lutes. Post some sopund clips if possible when they are finished.

Colin

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

Michael,

Impressive work! Have you put a soundport on any of your other 10 strings? What are your thoughts on the difference it makes?

Hey, what are all those dollar bills on the wall? Are those tips for exotic dancing you do inbetween builds?!

Jeff

Very Impressive Michael. I also would love to Attempt to play one of these awesome instruments some time. Just gorgeous work! Congrats

_________________
Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Serge, I bought Cumpiano's book in 1999, Hiscock's book (on building electrics) about the same time, and also Erlewine's book on guitar repair about then too. I began dabbling in guitar repair then. In Dec, 2003, I decided to try my hand at building, spent 10 days with Brian Burns, a classical and flamenco builder up in Ft. Bragg, CA, and learned a fair amount from him. Burns' building method is . . . well, let's say highly idiosyncratic. But still, while I employ almost none of his methods now, it was enough to get me started.

Guys, as for playing one of my 10-strings, well if you're ever in the Houston area -- be sure to drop on by. I will be at the 2nd International 10-String Guitar Festival, held in Fairfield, CT, next month, and I plan to bring a couple of them with me, so if you're in the neighborhood, I would encourage you to come by.

Jeff, I have ported only one other guitar so far -- a 6-string classical. Personally, I like the way the sound is opened up for the player. I drilled a single port and positioned it higher on the bout than where they are on Perf's guitar. For the positioning and size of the ports on his, I followed Robert Ruck's way of doing them, although mine are 1/16" larger in diameter than his.

About the $ bills, actually it's a feng shui thing. My wife (who's Chinese) and my mom (who isn't) are into that stuff. So I humor them. Can't hurt. Considering I have seven 10-strings and one 11-string on order, I reckon it just might be working, eh?

Best,

Michael

_________________
Live to Play, Play to Live

Wow, Michael, thanks. That was beautiful and very impressive.

Ron

_________________
OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

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

[QUOTE=Michael McBroom]

About the $ bills, actually it's a feng shui thing. My wife (who's Chinese) and my mom (who isn't) are into that stuff. So I humor them. Can't hurt. Considering I have seven 10-strings and one 11-string on order, I reckon it just might be working, eh?

Best,

Michael[/QUOTE]

Ok, that's it! I am plastering my garage with $ bills pronto. I am an avid believer in anything that works! (Hmmm....that even confuses me! )

Thanks for the links, good info.

Jeff