Official Luthiers Forum!

[QUOTE=Brock Poling]
$100 says someone will ask you if you painted those "designs" on there...    [/QUOTE]
Get used to answering the question "what kind of wood is that" if you take it to a show of any sort.
Brock helped me at Healdsburg and between the two of us we must have answered "quilted sapele" 1000 times.
I really like the ambrosia with the exception of the holes. It's one of those quirky things with me that I just can't get pasted. Did you fill them with epoxy or CA/dust?

[QUOTE=Hesh1956] [QUOTE=Colin S] [QUOTE=Steve Kinnaird]

Thanks for the kudos, guys. Of course, this guitar is a gamble, and will not appeal to a huge lot of people.
For example, I can think of three strikes against it already (at least as far as our British friends are concerned):
1) It isn't a dread
2) It doesn't use Sitka
3) It isn't sunbursted
Perhaps I should apologize?

I just hope the buyer doesn't come to his senses before we close the deal!

Steve

[/QUOTE]

Truthfully, there have been a number of guitars posted on the forum that I would dearly covet, Russell's London plane, Joshua's cypress, Dave's Cedar/Maple, John's #34 etc, that ambrosia maple guitar of yours gets added to the list.

Colin[/QUOTE]

Colin are you sure there is not one more guitar that you recently viewed that would be on your "must have" list..... [/QUOTE]

Funny you should say that Hesh, but I do need something to block up the hole in my Chicken shed!

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Steve, Very cool guitar! I really like your rosette.

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

[QUOTE=Brock Poling]
$100 says someone will ask you if you painted those "designs" on there...    [/QUOTE]

... or asks how long it takes to train the Ambrosia beetles

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

I routinely get the question (even from decent guitar players), "how did you find wood with the same pattern on each side like that?"   

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I get asked all the time how I "painted" that curly grain on a back and side
set.

Also the most question asked by people who come into my shop and see
a body with no neck on it is "Ohhh.. what are you going to do about that
gap in the rosette?"   Like I missed it or something :)

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Steve -- that Ambrosia maple and top look really great together.

[QUOTE=John Mayes] I get asked all the time how I "painted" that curly grain on a back and side
set.

Also the most question asked by people who come into my shop and see
a body with no neck on it is "Ohhh.. what are you going to do about that
gap in the rosette?"   Like I missed it or something :)[/QUOTE]

John that's one of the downsides of showing an unfinished guitar to a client who doesn't understand instrument construction (ask me how I know).Anthony Z38854.4513310185

Steve, That's a great looking guitar...but what are you going to do about the gap in the rosette?

I've got a sister set of that wood and was also wondering how you filled them.

Hey, thanks guys! Your kind words mean a lot to a guy who just built an ugly, holey guitar.

Brock--I'm this (.) close to taking your bet. However, I've been asked too many times questions that silly or sillier!

Russ, thanks for the upgrade! But actually my Adi is Engelmann. (Is that what you were referring to?)

Paul, the holes were filled with charcoal and CA. And I really deliberated about this, just how to handle them. They were cleated on the inside with matching wood, and "disguising" the holes on the outside was an option given due weight. In the end, I began to think of this a bit like Taylor's "Pallet Guitar", whose nail holes were filled with something silver-ish. I obviously had to fill 'em with something, but decided to advertise the flaws as essential to the design. And, those beetles had left black margins around those holes that would have showed up anyway. So... we have here a pre-distressed guitar. No worries about the first ding, or scratch or dent!

Thanks again,

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

[QUOTE=Roy O] Steve, what are you going to do about the gap in the rosette?

[/QUOTE]

Ho, ho. I guess I'll have to go back and put a gap IN the rosette!

Roy, you'll like working with this stuff.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Steve, that guitar really looks fantastic. I don't think you will have any trouble finding a buyer. I was lucky enough to get a set of this wood from the zootman as well. After all..... bugs, wood, and guitars.....just right for me

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

Hey Steve, did you paint those designs on there or are they stained?

Groovy guitar. I love the way everything works together, from the maple back and sides with the (painted?) designs to the top with the nice color in it, to the rosette and bindings. It's a great effort all around. Very well thought out.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

That's the strangest looking wood I've ever seen...I like it!

Rich

Fantastic, Steve. Love it.

What's the finish on the body?

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Hey that turned out great!!! I like it,, I want some too.

WOW! Great looking guitar. I love that color scheme. The client will have a one of kind for sure. Clinton

[QUOTE=RichB] That's the strangest looking wood I've ever seen...I like it!

Rich[/QUOTE]

Rich, that's almost an exact quote from my wife when she first saw this wood. She had the same sentiments, except for the "I like it" part. Her words, I'm pretty sure, were "You'll never sell that". Ahhh, there's nothing like a supportive wife.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

[QUOTE=Don Williams] Hey Steve, did you paint those designs on there or are they stained?[/QUOTE]

Don, the back / sides are au natural.
It's the TOP that has all the painted grain.   

[QUOTE=Don Williams]Groovy guitar. I love the way everything works together, from the maple back and sides with the (painted?) designs to the top with the nice color in it, to the rosette and bindings. It's a great effort all around. Very well thought out.[/QUOTE]

Wow, thanks Don! It's a compliment that another builder (even the retired kind) applaud one's thought. The only area that concerns me is the tail wedge. (No pictures of that yet.) I used an off-cut from the rosette piece--which looks good--but the Bloodwood binding right next to it looks a bit busy.
We'll see. Maybe Tony will work some magic in that area, too. He's really good.


Thanks again, guys--

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com