I'm not sure if I should consider this my second or my first (I did all the work on my first build but I did have an experienced luthier instructing me and watching over things) but I have given it a label with serial number 001 on it! (Ever the optimist!
I suppose I could have gone for 0001 )It is a gift for my father so the neck measurements are taken from his favourite, a 50 year old Framus that is sorely in need of a neck reset. I based the body on the Grellier L-00 plans but with a "Cumpiano style" bolt on mortise and tenon neck.
I'll get a better guitarist than I to record a sample for anyone who wants to hear. I've put it up against a few mid-priced guitars so far and it is comparing very favourably (a friend is going to bring over his 000-28 soon). Brighter and clearer than all so far with fairly decent volume for the size, it is capable of a raw bluesy bark when required but also a very sweet mid-rangy, smooth-as-butter type of sound (excuse my poor terminology). The intonation is about spot on so I'm enjoying moving around the fret board more than usual! I still need to do a few finishing touches here and there, mainly a bit of fretwork.
I built it freeform, bent the sides on a scaffold pole with a torch, and cut the binding channels with a KMG style jig I made. Ebony fretboard and bridge (27 grams), European Spruce top (quite nice silking and a bit of bearclaw 2.8mm), "Parabolic" bracing, Khaya back and sides (2.5 and 2.2mm), Khaya neck (medium offset D), finished with Liberon Finishing Oil.
I'm as proud of it now as I was disappointed in myself for making various errors along the way. I guess I just have to accept the fact that there is a learning curve, and that I have to strive to keep making progress. This is definitely a smarter, more precise guitar than my first effort.
All in all, my dad is pleased to have a new guitar that he can play for more than ten minutes at a time, and I'm pleased that I've managed to build a guitar on my own (and that I know what I must focus on next time to improve).
EDIT: A short audio sample (that I had to record myself in the end so apologies for the basic, fumbling style!):
http://picosong.com/qt8b/
PS: The black mark on the top is a dent
In a moment of clumsiness I dropped the bridge on it (when the bridge was still a big lump of ebony) from about 4 foot! My dad and I decided that it didn't matter if the mark didn't disappear during final sanding. It's a beauty spot lol. And another visible reminder to be more careful in the workshop (garage).Now, it's time to prepare for #3 (or is it #2?)
) went into this build so it's such a relief to be able to play it (her? Always awkard when you start calling a guitar, "her" to revert back to, "it", isn't it? 
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