A new OM about to be born

[Kevin Sjostrand]

This one I'll start in a week or two.
An OM of East Indian Rosewood one of the sets I brought back from India in 2014.
AA Sitka spruce top.
Abalone rosette
Super curly Koa ( thank you Bob) with abalone top purfling and BWB back purfling.
Saplele neck with bolt down fretboard extension support
Indian rosewood fretboard and bridge, also blanks I brought back from India
Black African ebony headplate
Curly Koa backstrap and end wedge.
Gold frets and gold Taylor tuners.
There will be a pickup but the owner is going to pick that and send it to me.
This one will be going to India next summer!
He wants a cutaway but don't want to do it with Curly Koa bindings. I just know they'll break on the iron....
So builders peragative....it will probably not be a cutaway.

[Diane Kauffmds]

Beautiful wood Kevin. Can't wait to see it come together. I think you're right about that cutaway.

[jread]

I don’t like making cutaways and I don’t like the way they look. But the ones I made came out nicely and the owner/players sure spend a lot of time up in those frets and love theirs.

I may be lucky but I’ve not broken any wood or bindings even figured ones on the bender. I’ve not used koa though. I have snapped several bindings by mistake after bending though by accidentally bumping them half way through install.

Good luck. That’s a nice set!

[Diane Kauffmds]

Koa is very brittle. It's the only wood I've ever cracked while bending.

[Morecowbell]

Looks great Kevin, looking forward to the progress pics!

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I've made only one cutaway, an Dred Cutaway for the same person. Hence he likes them and wants this OM to also have a cutaway. The Dred had bloodwood bindings that gave me fits. At the time it was my 4th guitar and all my bending was on my homemade bending iron.

I also hand bent curly koa bindings successfully on the iron but they were for an OM with no cutaway.
So now I use my fox bender with blanket and controller for my bending with good success for regular bends, but I made adapter to do a cutaway bend and have ZERO success on Santos Mahogany, Cherry and Sapele.
So if I do a cutaway I'll bend that side by hand.
But I'm afraid of ruining the Curly Koa binding, even hand bending it. I'm trying use the binding that I have, purchased from Pegasus Guitars a few years ago and not have to buy more. I have 5 strips so there is not much room for a mistake and I was planning on using the 5th strip for a backstrip with purfling.
Anyway. I'm nearly convinced that I will not do the cutaway unless I can use regular maple binding of which I have a gazzilion strips that I cut myself.
So more to continue later. But it will probably be a standard OM :)

[Stray Feathers]

Kevin, I have not tried a cutaway, so you're a braver man than I. But if you're concerned about the bending, could you do a Florentine cutaway? Bruce W.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Bruce my son in law does not like the florentine shapes that is out. I've already told him he will probably get a standard.....he will be happy enough.

He just played my last one, the Walnut OM and loved it.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I realized on my last build, an OM that I've been using a 25.4 scale length on them.....all 5 so far. That is what I also used on all the Dreds I've made.
I looked at the plans I have for a Martin type OM and it calls for 24.9 scale.
Interesting that I started out using the Kincade book when I did....at least....my first OM and he uses the 25.4.
I did my top bracing based on HIS plans. At some point I started doing the brace layout according to the Martin style (Antes) plans but kept using the 25.4 scale length.
I have not had any negative issues that I've noticed thus far. I guess my X brace and bridge plate locations have worked out okay.

Anyone see any problems with what I've been doing?
I will lay out both sets of plans and compare. Maybe they are the same???

Just thought I'd share this. Mixing two sets of plans might not be a good idea.
I don't even remember which one I used to make my mold and bending form from. GOOD GRIEF!
I'll check it out and report back tomorrow. The shop is 102 degrees right now so I'm in the house in my chair drinking an ice coffee this afternoon. :)

[tippie53]

the plans that say martin OM is 24.9 are WRONG martin never made a short scale OM
where did you get those plans ?