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Guys,

Thought I'd share a couple of pics of my latest.





This is a 10-string classical. 660mm scale, 85mm nut width, 100mm width at the 12th fret, 8.5mm string spacing at the nut, and 11.5mm string spacing at the saddle.

Materials: Euro spruce top, Brazilian rw back/sides, mahogany neck, ebony fb, ebony reinforcement strip running the length of the neck, Indian rw bridge, custom Alessi tuners, way too much purfling.

This is my second 10-string build, and I have commissions for two more. Hope I don't forget how to build 6-strings.

Best,

Michael

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Live to Play, Play to Live

Beejeebers! (I hope that's not a bad word )...that's beautiful work Michael...I hate that all that nylon gave it's life to a single guitar!! One doesn't see the wild Nylon herds roaming the way one used to...all the luthiers have thinned them out with their hunting...anyway, how are the strings tuned? Are the standard 6 tuned EADGBE?

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

Spectacular Michael!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

WOW!!

That is cool. I bet you need big hands to play a beast like that. How do you barr chord something like that.   

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

Thanks, guys.

As for tuning, from low to high, this one is tuned ABCDEADGBE. The low A is an octave below the open 5th string. There is a fair amount of variety when it comes to 10-string tunings, but this one is probably the most popular, and is quite useful for playing lute or keyboard transcriptions.

Yup, good thing them nylon herds aren't on the endangered species list yet.

Brock, actually it isn't all that difficult playing a 10-string. With classical technique, the player does not hook his thumb. It is possible to finger notes all the way down, and one can do partial bars as well. I have medium sized hands and I can actually bar all 10 strings, but it isn't easy to do. About 8 is at my comfort limit.

Best,

Michael

_________________
Live to Play, Play to Live

Awesome Michael!
It’s great to see something unusual here.
I take it you have played this one.
How does it compare to your first?

Wade

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Wade
Nashua, NH
http://www.wadefx.com

Michael,

I'm not sure what the demand for 10-strings is like, but I think you have found a niche. Beautiful work!

Dennis

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Dennis Leahy
Duluth, MN, USA
7th Sense Multimedia

Pretty instrument, how does it sound? KUTGW!

Superb Michael, I just know I'm going to have to build one of those eventually. What's the balance like?

Have you tried tuning it in the standard 10-course lute tuning in G? C,D,Eb,F,G,C,F,A,D,G. OK traditionally they were in F but most seem to play in G now. A bit like classical "DADGAD". Maybe try some gut strings?

I think your creating you own niche market.

Colin

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

Thanks for the kind words, y'all. Pretty high praise, I feel, considering the company and all.

Wade, this guitar sounds quite a bit different from my first. The first one has been strung up for a couple months now, and has opened up nicely. But this one is also opening up very fast.

Last night I did a comparison between the two. My first (build #8) was noticeably louder. This one (#9), however, was more resonant in the bass.

8 has a 650mm scale, a "Kermodie" spruce top, and Pau Ferro back/sides. It also has a bracing pattern of my own design.

9 has the scale and woods I mention above, plus I used a Contreras bracing pattern, Contreras top contour, and I more-or-less followed the Contreras plans when it came to side depth. So, it is a bigger guitar all the way around. And it sounds like it.

Just a few minutes ago, I decided to A-B numbers 8 and 9 again, and the difference is surprising. 9 has opened up a lot and is now almost as loud as 8, but is developing this powerful Spanish character -- one that I associate with the Ramirez 1a 10-string I owned for many years. Incidentally, the current owner of my old Ramirez is my client for 9, and he will be bringing the Ramirez with him to compare the two when he picks up the new guitar. That should happen tomorrow. Comparing all three guitars will be very interesting.

Colin, when I first strung it up the balance was a bit off. Some strings were louder than others -- especially the A and (oddly enough) the G. It quickly began to settle in, though, and now I'd have to say that the balance has improved greatly. Despite the depth of the box (4" at the heel and 4.2" at the tail), the basses are clear and not at all muddy. I attribute the clarity to the 660mm string length.

Best,

Michael

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Live to Play, Play to Live

Nice work, Michael, and congrats on the two commisions. Did you french polish this one?

Bruce,

Yes, I french polished this guitar. Dunno if I want to get into what kind of fits I had doing it. I decided to try the method that the Milburns use in their tutorial. On previous builds I'd used a method that was basically a modification of the way Brian Burns taught me how to fp. Brian's method is quick and easy, but I was less than pleased with the depth of the shine I was getting (most likely my fault, not his). So I tried the Milburn's way of doing things. It drove me nuts. I finally went back to my old method and the problems went away.

Live and learn. Actually, I did pick up a few useful pointers from the Milburn tutorial, so despite all the frustration, it was worth it in the end.

Best,

Michael

_________________
Live to Play, Play to Live

Very Nice Michael, I love the neck it looks very elegant for such a wide neck.

I found you comments on the second guitar very interesting, I think it is the top I use european on most of my guitars, I often find when first strung they are quite meek in sound, but given a week or so they grow in presence.

Russell

Wow
All those strings ganging up on that pretty little top. Doesn't seem fair.

Great looking guitar with an exotic look

John

Michael, could you do me a favour? Before that beauty goes, could you take a high resolution picture of it against a plain background and post it here? I'd really like to have a copy of that on my computer (with your permisssion) to take it's place in my 'drool' gallery. There the guitars I look at for inspiration (and to make me feel really depressed) live.

I bet the new owner, will be overjoyed with it, but won't you feel sad abut parting with it?

Colin

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

Colin,

My client picked up the guitar today. Sheesh, the strings had barely seated themselves, and I already had to say 'bye-bye' to it. I'm a little *sniff* broke up about it, to be honest. *honk!*

But before he left, I shot a bunch of photos of it. Film, oddly enough. I used to be a freelance photographer, and it's been so long since I've shot with film, I've almost forgotten how! Anyway, I'll be getting the photos developed directly, and I'll scan them in at hi-rez, and send you a link when they're available.

Best,

Michael

_________________
Live to Play, Play to Live

Thanks Michael, I look forward to it. It's just one of those beautiful instruments that I would love to have a permanent record of.

I'm going to have to revise my build programme or give up the day job now!

Colin

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