The past month has been busy with work on the current batch of four guitars, the most I've begun at once since 2008. Two of the four are now assembled and will be brought to the French polishing stage before I brace the soundboards and assemble the other two.
For the past several years I've been building mostly in batches of two, but I find that changing modes often - like from making rosettes to bracing backs for example - interrupts focus and is somewhat mentally draining. A larger batch of instruments, at least in the beginning stages up to assembly, allows more time to get into the zone at each phase of construction since it's repeated four times, resulting in a more harmonious, gratifying experience.... But if I had to final sand four guitars back to back I think I'd lose it!
Two Will Be Available At The GFA Convention In Oklahoma City This June 23rd - 28th
GFA guitar #1:
- European spruce soundboard
- Wenge back and sides
- 648mm scale
- Manuel Velazquez tribute rosette
- Black ebony head stock veneer and bindings
- Stripey Macassar ebony fingerboard
- Eelevated fingerboard
- Alessi tuners
GFA guitar #2:
- Western red cedar soundboard
- Indian rosewood back and sides
- 648mm scale
- Torres inspired rosette design
- Sound port with movable magnetic cover
- Eelevated fingerboard
- Alessi tuners
- Perhaps an arm rest too?
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| GFA rosettes | GFA head stocks | Spruce / wenge guitar being assembled |
... And Two Orders
Order #1:
- Left handed guitar
- European haselfichte soundboard
- Indian rosewood back and sides
- 660mm scale
- Manuel Velazquez tribute rosette
- Amazon rosewood head veneer and bindings
- Gilbert tuners
Order #2: Being made for the dealer Grand Salon de Guitare in Montreal. Will be available in the summer.
- Western red cedar soundboard
- Madagascar rosewood back and sides
- 650mm scale
- Manuel Velazquez tribute rosette
- Elevated fingerboard
- Sound port with movable cover
- Alessi tuners
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| The head stocks - Amazon rosewood on top (for the spruce lefty), Brazilian rosewood on the bottom (for the cedar / Madagascar rosewood) | the rosettes |
Making The Flat String Ramps
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| First the holes are drilled and slots routed |
Bottoms of the slots are squared with a rasp and files |
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| Sides of the ramps are defined with a saw |
Ramps cut with a chisel and finished with files |
More about these instruments will be posted as they progress...