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The Brazilian is Done (PICS)
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Author:  rich altieri [ Sat Dec 30, 2006 3:22 pm ]
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Well I finished up this weekend. I think this is my best effort so far. I guess when I look at completed guitars that are being used by friends and family, and hanging on my walls, this would be officially #16

Sound is still evolving but very happy with results and looking forward to sound improving over time. Pretty well balanced with decent sustain, satisfactory volume and good base.

Back/Sides are Brazilian thicknessed to around .10 and sides at .08. Soundboard is Adi and thicknessed to around .095 with light bracing. The bindings were cut offs from the sides (heartwood) with some dark color blending into the heartwood.

The neck was a rough blank Guild bought on ebay and I shaved the headstock down eliminating the Guild crown. Fretboard and headplate veneer are also brazilian with MOP diamonds inlayed.

I made a Brazilian bridge copying Taylor's design but the color match wasn't as good as an EI bridge I had on hand and had used for my specs so I ended up using the EI rosewood Taylor style bridge. Bought a few of these bridges on eBay from a fellow in Australia. Very nice quality and think they ran about $8 ea.

I have my apprentice modeling the guitar. Her name is Miana and she is my grand daughter. We tuned it up tonight and had her singing Erie Canal
















Some day I have to read the instructions on this camera to improve my picture taking. Flash always messing up the pictures.

Author:  rich altieri [ Sat Dec 30, 2006 3:26 pm ]
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One question. Where the neck meets the body, there is a very slight gap at the top of one side of the neck. Thought I had it perfect when I fit her up but now I have a slight gap. Someone mentioned to me at one time they would use Crayons and fill in a gap like this with no need to finish. Anyone ever try this?? Wondering if I should soften up with heat and then force the crayon wax onto the gap or use something else, or just leave it alone.
Author:  crich [ Sat Dec 30, 2006 4:02 pm ]
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She is beautiful! The guitar is pretty also. I really like the rosette. Is that your body shape, I like that. Nice clean lines, everything flows. What kind of finish do you use? Clinton
Author:  Serge Poirier [ Sat Dec 30, 2006 4:03 pm ]
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Congrats on a very beautiful guitar Rich, that BRW is just fantastic looking, great craftmanship, must sound heavenly too eh bro?



YourGrand daughter looks adorable, a real sweetheart!

I gotta go and see how you work up close one day my friend! Serge Poirier39082.0030787037
Author:  Homeboy [ Sat Dec 30, 2006 6:21 pm ]
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Beautiful Buddy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I could not be more impressed! Great Job.

Homeboy
Author:  Don Williams [ Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:27 am ]
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Looks nice! Love that BRW!
Author:  Kim [ Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:41 am ]
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Dag Nababit Rich.

Hesh went and stole every word from my typing finger Beautiful Mate, both the guitar and Miana.

You have every right to be proud.

Happy New Year to you and yours.

Cheers

Kim

Author:  Andy Zimmerman [ Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:59 am ]
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Beautiful Guitar. Love that back!!!!
Nice Model too
Author:  Dave Anderson [ Sun Dec 31, 2006 2:10 am ]
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Nice job Rich! Very beautiful Braz
Very cute model you've got there Rich!


Author:  old man [ Sun Dec 31, 2006 2:46 am ]
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Fine looking instrument!!! I love the rosette.





Ron
Author:  Anthony Z [ Sun Dec 31, 2006 2:53 am ]
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Well done Rich! Congrats and a very happy new year to you and family.
Author:  WalterK [ Sun Dec 31, 2006 4:55 am ]
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A REAL BEAUTIFUL GUITAR
YOUR GRAND-DAUGHTER IS JUST PRECIOUS.
I AM EXPECTING MY FIRST GRANDCHILD THIS YEAR, AND I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
I MISS TALKING TO YOU AND I HOPE ALL IS WELL WITH YOU.
HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR AND BE SAFE.

YOUR FRIEND,
WALTER
Author:  K.O. [ Sun Dec 31, 2006 5:48 am ]
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You are kidding about the crayon? I have heard of using stick shellac or burn in lacquer to fill small gaps if that is what you mean (mainly the ends of fret slots on unbound necks).

Beautiful work on the guitar.

Your model has a positively heartwarming smile.
Author:  Dave Rector [ Sun Dec 31, 2006 6:59 am ]
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Great job on this one Rich! That BRW is a real killer. Oh yeah, that's one cute model you have there too!
Author:  Cocephus [ Sun Dec 31, 2006 11:22 am ]
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WOW!
Coe
Author:  gozierdt [ Sun Dec 31, 2006 12:26 pm ]
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I've never used it on guitars yet (only built 2 ), but it's common in furniture work to fill small cracks/splits/holes with wax. You can buy special colored wax "crayons" in most good hardware stores, or online at any of the woodworking vendors. They come in many different colors in order to match the wood you are fixing. If you do this, go darker than the wood around the crack. Light lines show up against the darker background, darker lines fade away. You don't want to call attention to the area...
Author:  gozierdt [ Sun Dec 31, 2006 12:28 pm ]
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PS- almost forgot, that's a GORGEOUS guitar. Fabulous work!!
Author:  Steve Kinnaird [ Sun Dec 31, 2006 2:41 pm ]
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Looks great, Rich.
I like the b/w/b purf under the maple f/b binding. Nice touch.
1 question, which I hope doesn't sound too stupid-
what are those bridge pins? They nearly look like amber horn pins from John Mickelson. But maybe not?

Steve
Author:  Alain Desforges [ Mon Jan 01, 2007 2:25 am ]
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Rich, that looks fantastic! I just love that Brazillion! Great rosette and I really dig the matching back seem... Very nice!

Keep up the great work!
Author:  SteveCourtright [ Mon Jan 01, 2007 4:11 am ]
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That is some amazing wood and workmanship. Very very nice.
Author:  Chris Cordle [ Mon Jan 01, 2007 4:18 am ]
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Beautiful work there. Very classy and elegant looking.
Author:  rich altieri [ Mon Jan 01, 2007 8:47 am ]
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[QUOTE=Steve Kinnaird] Looks great, Rich.
I like the b/w/b purf under the maple f/b binding. Nice touch.
1 question, which I hope doesn't sound too stupid-
what are those bridge pins? They nearly look like amber horn pins from John Mickelson. But maybe not?

Steve[/QUOTE]

The pins are just some rosewood pins with pearl dots I picked up on ebay along the way.
Author:  rich altieri [ Mon Jan 01, 2007 9:04 am ]
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Thanks to all for your encouragement. This has really proven to be my best effort all around.

Hesh - that creative touch of reversing the end graft - pretty clever heh?? Now for the truth - you probably remember I did this once before by accident and was kicking myself. Guess what - I did it again !!!!! I kind of liked it in the end but I always seem to have that prblem of forgetting to check which end is up!! Boy did I feel stupid when I realized I had made this same mistake.   

I am proud of this one for sure and got a chance to play it up on stage New Years Eve playing at my sister's honkey tonk. Great fun. Stuck a sound hole pickup in it and played for about 3 hours. Sound is good but I think still evolving. Action was really sweet - almost electric.

Someone asked about the finish - just lacquer. My finish process included a couple coats of shellac followed by paste filler from LMI followed by another coat of shellac, followed by 5 coats of lacquer, level with 320, additional 5 coats, scuff and buff.

Still lots of opportunity for improvement. Here are some of the things that I consider defects. Most were cause of simply getting impatient.

The end graft inlaid upside down from my original design plan and one result is the base of the inlay does not align perfectly with the heartood on the back.

Slight gap at the neck joint which still needs to be filled. Thanks for the tip on going darker with special wax crayons. Will look into that

Couple minor defects on the finish. Needs a little more drop filling and thinking I will take all the hardware off in a couple of weeks and do another scuff with 600 grit and apply maybe 2 more coats of clear, blending into the bridge area to avoid build up around the bridge.

Also planning to inlay the head with a newly designed "A" as my logo, and installing soundboard pickup (K&K)

Walter - hope you are feeling better these days. Have followed your posts. This is a crazy time of year for me with my day job. Will be in California nearly 3 full weeks in January so not much building during the month.



Author:  rich altieri [ Mon Jan 01, 2007 9:13 am ]
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Walter - just scanned the posts again. Your first grandchild on the way - congratulations. Miana (my grand daughter in the picture is one of 5 - man I am getting old!!). She has a twin brother and then I have 3 other boys (grand kids).

BTW - someone else asked about the body style - this is a Martin 000 body style - not my own design. So far, I have made dread, 000, model 5 and a jumbo with multiples of each. Not sure what I am doing for my next project but thinking of something along the lines of a 000 size guitar but perhaps a cutaway which I have never built.

Thanks to all of you for all your help, advise and encouragement over the past year. Happy new year to all of you and wishing you health, happiness and prosperity.
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