#7 Is finally done!

[Kevin Sjostrand]

I did a final polishing today and put this one in the case....yes I forgot to make a sound file so I'll try and do that in the next couple of days and post. I give this one away in two weeks.

Here is the low down.
I started this build in the middle of January of this year, finished it last weekend.

Indian Rosewood Back & Sides
Sitka Spruce top
Curly Maple binding
Abalone top and back purflings
Abalone rosette
One piece Honduras Mahogany neck
Madagascar Rosewood Headplate, Fretboard, and Bridge
Curly Koa "S" headstock inlay, end wedge, and heel cap.
Standard Martin style bracing, scalloped on the lower X braces and tone bars.
Timbermate pore filler, black on the rosewood and rosewood color on the neck
Mohawk Nitrocellulose Lacquer finish
End is drilled to 1/2" for an end pin jack for a pickup to be installed by the guitar owners technician.

I always learn new things with each build; things not to do again, ways to do things better, techniques that make more sense, etc, etc, etc. This is a wonderful aspect of building guitars, and I can't wait to start building the next one so I can try and hone my skills. I still have a long way to go!!!!!!!

I really liked working with the EIR, my first one using this wood. I learned how to install abalone purfling on this guitar and I loved doing it, there will be many more guitars with this feature. I have some fuzzy areas on my BWB rosette purflings that I want to not let happen again...no reason that these should not be very sharp and clean, so I will strive to do this better on the next one. I was pretty pleased with the shape of the neck on this one, but my heels are still a little bit clunky. I tried the rounded heel on a couple of guitars, but I think I do like the pyramid shape better, just not the skinny narrow one like you see on a Martin. The Madagascar rosewood is really pretty, but it is a bit more porous at the surface then I like, so after I use what I have on the next build, I will probably go back to some type of ebony.....I like the Macasar Ebony I've used in the past. I got a much better pore fill and build up of the finish on this one, and it leveled pretty well and polished up pretty well, however, I still end up seeing the little flaws "after the fact" when I think the polishing I done. It may be my eye sight and it may be I don't have adequate light, and I may just not be inspecting it close enough after wet sanding, but I still wound up with a few little pin point sinkers that I'm sure would have sanded out. So I will strive to do better the next time. I am seriously considering putting up a couple of buffing wheels if I can figure out the "where" to put it in my already too crowded shop. I have a buffer for my knife making but it is a direct drive 3600 RPM, too fast. I have plugged it into a router speed control and it does work to slow it down so I may try and use it for the guitar buffing.

Well thanks for looking at the pics of this one.

Kevin

[Kevin Sjostrand]

a few more pics.....

[Kevin Sjostrand]

and just 3 more.....

[johnnparchem]

Congratulation! The guitar look great. The finish and the purflings looks amazing.

[Legolas]

Nice job Kevin! Quality work there....

[tippie53]

Purdieeee

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Here are some sound samples of this guitar. It is just done sitting in front of the computer through the mic on the video cam, so the quality is not great, but it gives some idea of how this guitar sounds, strummed and then finger picked. Sorry, I don't do blue grass! I hope you like the sound it makes though.

Kevin

[Darryl Young]

Kevin, it's beautiful !

Unfortunately, I can't get the soundclips to play but it lloks great. Job wll done.

[JEmory]

This is beautiful and inspires me to no end!

[Chris-]

The description alone makes me smile. This guitar is definitely going to sound as scrumptious as it looks. Enjoy the music.