#18 The Transgression
Tradition often has a near inescapable gravity in most spheres. In luthiery, maybe more so. There are so many unspoken rules that one must not transgress in order to be accepted as “normal” and decent. There are some principles established by tradition that guide us away from making catastrophic mistakes. All well and good. There are other voices of tradition that say, “You should not do that because it hasn’t been done before,” or something along those lines. In those areas, it seems to me that rebellion and transgression propose the best course of action…
After building electrics all Summer long, I really got attached to those glorious flame maple fretboards. Then I had a wicked and profane idea: Why not put a flame maple board on an acoustic? Not many have done such things. You might see a plain maple board ever so often, but flamed? What debauchery is this?
I got to build #18 for me, so I get to break any of the rules I choose. All my recent acoustic builds that have gone to other homes. Each has been some experiment in expanding my design and craft. This time last year, I built a larger body guitar for Stephen Johnson. I liked what that style accomplished and have wanted to build one for me ever since. Also I have been perfecting my adjustable action neck joint over the past several builds. With this build I think I have finally settled on a design that accomplishes all I want.
The back and sides on this one are Granadillo - one of my favorite woods. The top is traditional Sitka Spruce. The binding and accents are all maple.
The rosette on this one is a cut-off left over from #12 - a tasty piece of flame Spanish Cedar.
I have also been fine tuning my radial bracing design. Still have some work to do, but really digging how quickly I can voice the top with this scheme. The guitars that I have built this way feel more responsive to me, are louder, and have more overtones.
In the next pic, you can see some of the guts of the neck joint.
Perfecting the Finish is a never-ending tumble down the rabbit hole for woodworkers. We are all looking for that magical finish that is easy to apply with superior results. I am getting closer. For me, one of the major factors for a finish is “feel.” I don’t want the guitar to look like or feel like plastic. I have been fine tuning an oil, shellac, and wax finish that came out pretty close to what I have been envisioning. Buttery smooth. Especially the neck.
The “key hole” in the back is for the adjustable neck. When people ask what it is for, I tell them it is to wind it up to play.
There you go; that’s all I know to say about that. A few more pics …
And finally, a little sample of some sloppy playing. The strings are .012 Elixir Phosphor Bronze which I think are too bright for this guitar. Will have to do a little testing to get it dialed in.