Single O-12fret Cedar/Walnut First Build
Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2023 9:41 am
This is my first guitar build, and I wanted to take time and thank all the contributors of this forum. I spent countless hours reading pretty much the entire forum and can attest to the greatness of the information provided here.
Over 5 years ago, I contacted John Hall and he sent me the kit for this one. The pieces sat around for way too long, then finally a few months ago I had the time to start building it. Does this count for the record longest time spent building a guitar by anyone on this forum ?
This is a Single O, 12 fret, cedar top, walnut back and sides.
These traditional wood combinations were inspired by research on what might enhance fingerstyle playing. Maple was substituted everywhere for the provided ivoroid, and I chose the extra challenge of binding the provided unbound fretboard in maple.
I live at 9000 feet elevation in DRY Creede, Colorado. My goal was to intentionally build in this low humidity , with the idea that if the guitar ever lived somewhere more humid, the adverse changes would be negligible (rather than building it in a wet environment and then having it live somewhere dry). I know most want their guitars to be humidified to 35-45% (and likely build them in that humidity). This one was built at 20-25% humidity, and I’m hoping it can live out in a living room almost anywhere without problems.
Prior to this build, I had zero woodworking experience. This meant many hours practicing with a router, sand paper (ha ha), chisels, etc. Way too much time super analyzing, re-analyzing, and dry running every little step! I did benefit enormously from the use of Orascoptic illuminated magnification (4.5x) loupes. These would be a huge splurge for most hobby builders , but luckily I had a couple pairs left over from my dentistry days. Search for them if you really want to treat yourself!
The finish is “oil and wax”, Osmo PolyX satin with no pore filler. I chose this to obtain a unique handcrafted appearance. My hope was also to gain an “open pore” positive impact on tone. For a guitar its size, it has nice volume. It has a very clear rich sound with overtones and sustain that are impressive. The intonation is surprisingly right on. I could not be happier with its look, sound, and playability.
I just wanted to acknowledge the impact that everyone on this forum has had on this project. Thank you to everyone that contributes!
Mike Martin
Over 5 years ago, I contacted John Hall and he sent me the kit for this one. The pieces sat around for way too long, then finally a few months ago I had the time to start building it. Does this count for the record longest time spent building a guitar by anyone on this forum ?
This is a Single O, 12 fret, cedar top, walnut back and sides.
These traditional wood combinations were inspired by research on what might enhance fingerstyle playing. Maple was substituted everywhere for the provided ivoroid, and I chose the extra challenge of binding the provided unbound fretboard in maple.
I live at 9000 feet elevation in DRY Creede, Colorado. My goal was to intentionally build in this low humidity , with the idea that if the guitar ever lived somewhere more humid, the adverse changes would be negligible (rather than building it in a wet environment and then having it live somewhere dry). I know most want their guitars to be humidified to 35-45% (and likely build them in that humidity). This one was built at 20-25% humidity, and I’m hoping it can live out in a living room almost anywhere without problems.
Prior to this build, I had zero woodworking experience. This meant many hours practicing with a router, sand paper (ha ha), chisels, etc. Way too much time super analyzing, re-analyzing, and dry running every little step! I did benefit enormously from the use of Orascoptic illuminated magnification (4.5x) loupes. These would be a huge splurge for most hobby builders , but luckily I had a couple pairs left over from my dentistry days. Search for them if you really want to treat yourself!
The finish is “oil and wax”, Osmo PolyX satin with no pore filler. I chose this to obtain a unique handcrafted appearance. My hope was also to gain an “open pore” positive impact on tone. For a guitar its size, it has nice volume. It has a very clear rich sound with overtones and sustain that are impressive. The intonation is surprisingly right on. I could not be happier with its look, sound, and playability.
I just wanted to acknowledge the impact that everyone on this forum has had on this project. Thank you to everyone that contributes!
Mike Martin