Welp, sitting around on a Saturday night, bored with TV, so I wander out into the shop to glue up another neck. Looking at all the stunning photos you guys have been posting reminded me that I'm getting close to the finish line with a couple of my own, so I thought I'd share.
These two guitars are the fourth and fifth 10-string classicals I've built. I've posted a couple of photos of them before, but with little, if any, data regarding the builds.
The first one was commissioned by Perf De Castro. I call it the PDC Special. You'll note the raised fingerboard and extension beyond the nut for the 7th and 8th strings (Perf tunes those two strings lower than the 9th and 10th strings).
When completed, all of the bottom four strings will have Shubb 5th-string banjo capos, so that the pitch of each can be altered quickly. In order to accomplish this feat with the 9th and 10th strings, I had to fabricate a special capo arm for the 9th string that will reach over the 10th. Both capos will share the same rail.
Both sides have been ported with 7/8" holes. I backed each hole with alternating layers of maple and black dyed veneers to give the ports a bit of visual interest.
The top is Canadian Lutz, the back/sides are cocobolo (from the Zootman), and the neck is Spanish cedar. The 20-hole bridge has been fabricated. I used padauk. The binding is bloodwood, back and side purfling is curly maple, top purfling is bwbw I obtained from LMI, and the rosette was also bought from LMI. A set of twin K&K passive transducers is installed, but I haven't drilled the hole for the input jack yet. Gilbert tuners will be installed.
The next 10-string is also a commission. The client wanted mahogany everything. Originally, he wanted even a mahogany top, but I talked him out of it. He agreed to go with a Canadian Lutz top. Glad he did. Mahogany tops may work well for steel string acoustics, but I'd be afraid that they would require more energy than a classical can produce with nylon strings.
I posted a pic of this guitar about a week or so ago, asking for comments about adding tint to shellac. Y'all convinced me (and my client) to leave it au naturale. After quite a few applications of garnet shellac, as you can see, it has started to darken nicely.
I obtained the mahogany locally from one of the exotic hardwood suppliers here in Houston. I found a couple of nicely q-sawn 4/4 boards which I was able to use for the back, sides, and neck. The binding is bloodwood, back and side purfling is curly maple, top purfling is bwbw I obtained from LMI, and the rosette was also bought from LMI. I will be cutting two sets of Schaller tuners for this guitar. I haven't fabricated the bridge yet, but it will be made from an EIR blank. This guitar also has a transducer, a passive model made by Schatten.
That's it for now. I'll post more pics when I've finished them.
Best,
Michael
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