1st SS Build Florentine Cutaway

[Deems Davis]

Recently finished: This is my 1st build, I've learned a lot and also learned that I've got a lot more to learn:

632mm Scale Length
Engleman Spruce Top
EIR Back / Sides
Ebony bindings
Conical fretboard
Falcate CF Bracing
Compensated Nut & Saddle
CNC carved Neck

[seeaxe]

Hi Deems (assume that's your first name??)

Looks pretty decent for first build. More pictures please! Show us your butt, if you dare!
I'm double impressed you have gone the full monty Gore design on your first build, plus Florentine cutaway, that must have been quite a learning curve.

Happy with the sound?

Thanks for posting

[Deems Davis]

IT was (Still IS) quite a learning curve. I made a few mistakes along the way (don't look too closely at the rosette inlay). The soundhole is too large. This is the 2nd neck and I really need to put together another (Thank goodness for the BOBO design) as I had to be pretty aggressive with the fret dressing to accommodate a less than flat fret board glue up caused by a home made truss rod that bulged in the wrong places. The Bridge is too wide in order to get the saddle in the correct location and there fore also too heavy (I had pre-drilled the pin holes and they were a couple mm off). This is the 3rd finish, the 1st was nitro cellulose and had some 'blooms' that I attributed to a lack of filter in the air line during spraying to keep water out. The 2nd was French Polish with a crappy pore fill, and this last if French Polish again after sanding and re filling pores. I likely needs to be buffed now that it's had time for the 'hard shellac' to harden. I just need to get the buffer set up and order the buffing compound/s.
So that' about as much butt as I can think to show. I think it sounds great, but my comparison sample data base is pretty limited and so is my playing ability! I've had a few accomplished players play it and they were complementary about it's play-ability and tone. My ears tell me that the bass is over powering and needs to be toned down. Here's a few more pics.

Deems Davis

[kiwigeo]

Nice work Deems....that's a classy looking guitar. Nice fine and simple lines and everything fits together well. If this is what you can achieve as a first build then all i can say is you're a better builder than I am.

Looks like that rosette might have been influenced by Jason Kostal.....??

Did you do any tap/Chladni testing during the build? Some tap testing might give you a few clues as to why the instrument sounds "bassy".

[Deems Davis]

Thank you Martin. #2 is in the mold now and I plan to do more tap testing as it is boxed. (beyond the initial testing to determine panel thickness). I haven't invested in the gear for Chladni tests yet, but after browsing this forum, I've been online to research where I can get the parts. I posted the FRC on Trevor's page in this Forum looking for some feedback. It looks to me like the coupled response freq has ' double peaks) and I don't know what to attribute them to or how to remedy. You are correct the rosette is a take off from Jason Kostal. I fell in love with his design when I 1st saw them. I've been working on my own adaptation of the stained glass rosette concept and will put one of them on #2. It will look somewhat like this:

[Dave M]

It is indeed a nice clean design.

You are not alone with the necks - my first build had to have a new neck as I couldn't get the geometry right. Build 2 I managed to blow the headstock apart trying to pattern rout the outline. Fingers crossed for the current one!

But what fun to be able to play a guitar that you have actually built from scratch!

Dave

[Deems Davis]

It is indeed a nice clean design.

But what fun to be able to play a guitar that you have actually built from scratch!

Dave

Fun indeed!

[Woodsy23]

That's a great looking guitar. Congratulations. I'm really impressed with what you took on as a first build. What's that saying? "bite off more than you can chew and chew like hell".

the 1st was nitro cellulose and had some 'blooms' that I attributed to a lack of filter in the air line during spraying to keep water out

I read somewhere a tip for dealing with bloom - spray it with pure retarder. I tried this with my first nitrocellulose finish. I foolishly sprayed in slightly rainy, cold weather and got some bloom patches. A quick, light spray of the cloudy areas with pure retarder and the bloom disappeared like magic.

[Mark McLean]

You really did add some features with a high level of difficulty for a first build - cutaway (and a florentine at that), compensated nut, falcate bracing and a fancy rosette. The backstrap on the headstock looks very swish! All very impressive, and well executed. A big part of the skill of luthery is recovering from mistakes, and you have done some of that as well. All the more to your credit.

Just curious - I have seen some guitars with fret position markers at the 10th before (and they are always there on banjos, mandos and bouzoukis), but never at the 13th. Was that intentional, or a whoops? No drama - you have a great instrument that is probably nicer to play than any factory instrument you could find. You obviously have started a long-term habit if you are into number 2 already. Your life is never going to be the same again.
cheers
Mark

[Deems Davis]

Just curious - I have seen some guitars with fret position markers at the 10th before (and they are always there on banjos, mandos and bouzoukis), but never at the 13th. Was that intentional, or a whoops?
cheers
Mark

I'm as new to playing as I am to building, so when time for fret markers. I browswed Google for some pics and the one I copied was set up that way. I later noticed that others used a different convention. I was wondering how long it would take for someone to notice.

Mark you get the prize!

Deems