Official Luthiers Forum!

Am I early, or late? The new issue of Acoustic Guitar Magazine has a really nice feature on Alan Carruth! Alan, could you tell us about that interesting instrument you're playing in the photo?

I'm still waiting on my first issue since we all became subscribers in the package deal. Not complaining, just waiting.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Can't wait to get mine!

I don't have that issue, so I don't know which photo they used. THat's the Feb. issue, right?

Al, It's that round hole arch top classical that morphed into a slide style blues-man.
Article

Thanks Mike!

That was the #1 archtop Classical I built: Sitka spruce top and Padauk back and sides, with ebony and maple trim and a mahogany neck. The end of the fingerboard 'floats' off the top. I took it to the GAL convention in '98, iirc, and had it in the 'shootout'. It certainly is loud, and sounds better in a large hall: in a small room it's too 'tight' and 'forward'. I think I know why, but tere's not much I can do about that particular instrument now. That one is still around: the airlines thoughtfully 'modified' the back on the way to the convention, and I had to do a quickie fix with CA so it would be playable. Cosmetically it's not perfect, and ayway I just don't trust it....

One interesting point: the tailpiece is a laminated ring of ebony. I thought it would work better with a light taipiece, but it turns out to like more weight back there. It was something of a problem adding weight to that ring, and I ended up making a couple more before I got it right. The joys of R&D.....

Alan,

Thanks for the information. It's a very appealing instrument. Are the top and back carved, or brace-arched? The reflections in the photo seem to suggest a cylindrical arch. In any case, it's a nice bit of artistic engineering!

The arches are carved. Hey, it works for fiddles, right?