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I'll be making an OM mod. with materials from the family farm just north of Calgary. The only non-local woods will be the top bracing (Sitka) but is found in the neighbouring province of BC and the purfling. This will be a surprise birthday present for my wife's sister who lives on the farm and loves to play the guitar. This is a unofficial entry as a winner of the 2013 Challenge but I wish to post the build progress nonetheless in this most interesting challenge theme.

The colour of wood in this part of the world is quite light and uniform so I will be creative and ebonize some of the elements for needed contrast using the vinegar & steel wool method.

-top: salvaged cedar from a beam in the 80 year old barn...6 piece top. Btw, looking at the pic can anyone specifically identify the species?
-b/s: birch
-neck: birch
-fretboard: ebonized mountain ash
-bridge: crab apple
-head plate: crab apple
-end graft: lilac
-linings: mountain ash
-back braces: birch
-binding...mountain ash

Coincidently, not knowing of the theme for the current Challenge, I began scavenging materials for this a year ago and began work on it a few weeks ago.

Below- cedar top source on left

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Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

looks great, doug. niece choice of woods. Don't know why you can't enter the voting?

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

Looking good! I love the idea of using those very personal reclaimed woods. It's not obvious to when looking at the pictures that this has a 6-piece top. I'd love to see your process and results for ebonizing the wood if you feel like documenting it!

Ebonized mountain ash fretboard. Darkened with a vinager/steel wool stew that brewed for a month. Tung oil on top.

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Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

How many applications did you do to get that colour, Doug? It really pops under the tung oil!

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Maybe three coats. I stopped when it stopped getting darker but is really relative to the sanding grit used. I first went to 320 but could not get it dark enough so I backed off to 220. My test boards sanded to 80 grit through the drum sander went a chocolate brown without using any oil!

I have also tested on apple, which I may use for the bridge, and I hope to achieve a deep charcoal colour...but we'll wait to see.

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Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

Another question, Doug - did you use food grade white vinegar, or cleaning vinegar? I think the cleaning grade is about 2% more acetic, and might speed the process.
One thing for sure, you wouldn't want to put a water based finish over this stain!

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Food grade vinegar.

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Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

I'll bet you had the urge to go to a chip truck for french fries after staining!

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

That colored beautifully. I don't understand the reference to sanding and how that affects the color. It sounded like you were sanding from higher to lower grits instead of the other way around?!

Lower grits exposes more micro-surface area where the solution can take effect...at least that is my theory.

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Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

So a few updates...the very soft b/s were causing a lot of cracking, etc. let's just say nightmare. I also didn't like the very light colour with the darker cedar top. So I dyed the b/s a deep brown/black along with the ash bindings but did so in a 'distressed' manner. This is a farm guitar after all...rough and tumble.

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Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

Getting close...

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Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

Doug I'm amazed at the quality of your instruments and how far you've come in the short time you have been building. This guitar is amazing. Keep up the good work. When are you going pro? Lol

Finished. She is a warm sounding guitar but does not have as much sustain as my other builds...likely due to the soft materials used in the neck, back and sides. Nice tone though, with lots of tonal range, shimmer, and response. I gave it to my sister-in-law today after the farm was hit hard with hail and tons of damage. She cried. She didn't know it was coming. My 14 year old joked afterwards, "Auntie Michelle cried because when she saw the guitar she realized that it sucked so badly...." Glad to have him poke fun.

Specs:

Top: Red cedar salvaged from cedar post on farm. The darker streaks are likely from mineralization over the decades
Back & sides: salvaged from dead birch tree felled in 2010.
Back bracing: birch
Neck: birch
Fretboard: dyed mountain ash
Body binding: mountain ash
Interior lining: mountain ash
Body end graft: lilac
Headstock veneer: crab-apple
Bridge: crab-apple
Heel cap: crab-apple
Nut & saddle: Whitetail deer antler found on the farm. No, I didn't shoot this one.
Tuners: Grover
Scale: 25.4"

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Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

It looks great Doug!
I really like the look of the Crabapple.
The top has some really nice color too.
Great job!
Dan

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

Pretty amazing, Doug! You are really talented

Wow. Nice job. Thanks for sharing its journey.

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Why save the best for last when you can give it today.
Love. Reach. Teach
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Not much for cedar, but that top went together VERY well!
I like the looks of it and good to see you are experimenting with the woods of the future.
That you gave it to your sister-in-law is outstanding!!!

Nice outcome, Doug! In particular, I like the shape of this guitar very much, but all the little details look very nicely brought together. Congrats.
Patrick

+1

It's lovely, Doug!

That's a killer looking guitar, Doug! You worked some guitar alchemy with those woods, turning lead into gold!

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Doug, I keep coming back to your build as a sort of inspiration. Any word on how these materials are weathering? I'm especially curious about the bracing and the neck.

Outstanding Doug - very well done!

I love the shape and it reminds me of the Jetsons. Cool shape for a contemporary guitar!

I have been ebonizing various wood for awhile and the site that I learned it from was very clear apple cider vinegar. Also it is not a stain the wood itself changed colors from a chemical process. I found the change has enough depth that I can finish sand the raised grain from the water in the vinegar no problem. Also no problem with water based finishes.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com