All cedar guitar

[Tony_in_NYC]

Well it has been talked about, pros and cons have been weighed, but nobody stepped up to build one, so I am going to do it.
Ervin Somogyi and another experienced luthier will be building their all cedar guitars first and then I will be following along with the benefit of their combined experience to guide me and prevent some mistakes. It will be taught like a lutherie class, which is cool, but at my own pace and I will have a year to finish my "class" and I can send the guitar off to be critiqued if I want. This will be my first completely from scratch build as well. I will be starting in late September if all goes well and I will be posting my personal progress here sans comments from Somogyi since I don't gave his permission to do so yet. But I will ask him if I can repost his comments.
The whole guitar, top, back, sides, neck, will be cedar. Old growth alpine cedar actually.40 to 50 grain lines per inch. Samples are being sent to Brian Burns for testing but previous cedar boards from this area, BC, tested as stiff as spruce. Anyway, I thought you guys might be interested in reading along so stay tuned! The neck will have carbon fiber reinforcing rods by the way. I am going to build an OM since I am tooled up for it already.
I also have to build a commissioned guitar to deliver next summer so I will have my hands full. Looks like the sweet ziricote set I was going to use will have to wait!
Wish me luck and feel free to post your comments and thoughts here. I would not have considered this kind of build if Somogyi were not involved and building one from the same tree. I am pretty excited to get going on this.
So?

[kencierp]

http://www.mandolinluthier.com/Wood_tonewood_cedar.htm

[kencierp]

I bet it will sound OK, I've seen all Spruce and all Spanish Cedar guitars Also all Koa, all Mahogany, all Walnut -- interestingly the idea is a contridiction to ES's earlier thinking:

http://www.esomogyi.com/tonewoods.html

[johnnparchem]

I have been using western red cedar for the top of the last two of my guitars. It spits really easily. I would be worried about keeping the the sides intact until the box is closed. I am happy with my red cedar top and spanish cedar back and sides guitar. But I have been told that spanish cedar is offically a hardwood, and neither spanish nor cedar.

[SKBarbour]

I am curious to see how this goes. Looking forward to seeing your progress.

[Tony_in_NYC]

Anyone care to join me in this endeavor? PM me for details and such.

[David L]

Ervin Symoygi is wrong and an idiot and doesn't understand the most basic principles and I'm surprised he is even allowed around power tools. He will never build a successful instrument or become anything in life at all. I would feel sorry for him if I did not find him to be loathesome, worse in morals than Jack the Ripper, and deserving of everlasting humiliation! Oh, wait a minute, I think that was a quote about me, my bad, sorry Ervin.

David L

[johnnparchem]

Ervin Symoygi is wrong and an idiot and doesn't understand the most basic principles and I'm surprised he is even allowed around power tools. He will never build a successful instrument or become anything in life at all. I would feel sorry for him if I did not find him to be loathesome, worse in morals than Jack the Ripper, and deserving of everlasting humiliation! Oh, wait a minute, I think that was a quote about me, my bad, sorry Ervin.

David L

David, were you wearing a good mask when you were spraying the nitro on your guitar??? :)

[David L]

No John, the brain damage that you are refering to did not come from simply not wearing a mask while spraying nitro, it's a bit more complicated than that, I think most of it came from, like, the "chemistry" degree I earned back in the 70's man!!!

David L

[johnnparchem]

No John, the brain damage that you are refering to did not come from simply not wearing a mask while spraying nitro, it's a bit more complicated than that, I think most of it came from, like, the "chemistry" degree I earned back in the 70's man!!!

David L

I think I had the same chemistry class!