What is your opinion?

[kencierp]

James Taylor plays and Olson as well -- its just about impossible to kit custom guitars like Olson's played by a particular performer -- to kit it, I actual need to have it in my hands, since its not just the shape that is of interest -- its what's inside that counts too.

[deadedith]

Understood.

[kencierp]

Your proposed guitar would certainly look great with quilted Maple like this Lowden -- I sat five rows back from Alex when he played one like this at Hillsdale College -- no pick-up miked through the PA, he is a master and made his Lowden magical.

http://www.redwoodacoustics.com/lowden- ... lted-maple

[deadedith]

Sweet!

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I remember seeing a Tacoma guitar years back for the first time and thinking it looked pretty neat. I however never played it.
Somehow this offset soundhole idea just has not grown on me. I like the look of the traditional soundhole placement because that is what I have always had, I guess. But if it spins your wheel, then you should build one.

Kevin

[deadedith]

Well I can't say I like the looks of the offset any better than the standard soundhole; I am struck with the idea that the large amount of top exposed by moving the soundhole should be a benefit. I do not have even a SWAG on the reason why, but I like exploring that sort of thing.

[Herman]

Cannot say it looks bad of stunning either. It does look modern though. You know I do like an experiment, so why not built one. I'm about to end the Somogyi book you sent me and I'm thinking what he would say about it.
I think his comment would be that the tight A-bracing is almost a longitudinal bacing throughout the guitar. And that would inhibit the forward/backward motion in which the top wants to be driven by the bridge. My Ovation has some kind of lengthwise bracing and it sound still great (many haters of Ovations around here I guess. But it is a 1980 all american Balladeer and I love it, whatever anyone says). My Somogyi-guess is: don't overbuilt the braces. 2ct

Herman

[Darryl Young]

It's interesting. I'm not crazy about the pinless bridge design as it places a lot of stress on the bridge glue to the top. The traditional pin bridge compresses the bridge against the top. It looks nice though.

[deadedith]

Herman - I bought an Ovation when they first came out - when they had the tilted-back headstock, almost lute-like? I loved that guitar.

Darryl - I know what you're saying about the pinless bridge. When I build this, I will probably go with a pinned bridge, maybe a different shape but pinned nonetheless. Though some pretty good luthiers do use pinless.

[kencierp]

Ovations have always had pin-less bridges (Walnut). Its simple, a pin-less bridge weighs less than a bridge with all those pins -- acoustically a good thing. Lowdens also have pin-less bridges. I can just about guarantee if you get a chance to play one ( or better own one) of those high end Lowden's you won't much care about the stress equation. I hesitate to offer a pin-less model kit only because the gluing and clamping process is so critical.