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Bill just finished this custom build for me. It is 16", 25-1/4" scale, but has a ladder braced, flat back that tapers from 3-1/8" at the neck to 4-1/8" at the end block. The body and neck are fiddleback Honduras Mahogany and the top is Carpathian Spruce. The fingerboard and pickguard are Cocobolo and Ebony. I am going to audition it next week.
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05-21-2016 04:31 PM
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WOW!! That is stunning! Absolutely gorgeous! I love the design, and the wood is amazing! Congrats!
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so... You couldnt choose between a rosewood or an ebony board ?
Just kiddin that is a beautiful instrument congrats
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Bill is the best - congrats
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Congratulations with this fine guitar. I love how you know what you want. That is really cool.
Enjoy your new guitar.
Joe D
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Thanks, it is a stunner. I look foward to auditioning it next week...
Originally Posted by Mark M.
Thanks...Actually, this concept of a two wood fingerboard, albeit a bit different was originally done by luthier Steve Andersen a bunch of years ago. Originally Posted by fws6
so... You couldnt choose between a rosewood or an ebony board ?
Just kiddin that is a beautiful instrument congrats
incredibly talented luthier... Originally Posted by drbhrb
Actually Joe, Bill was given a very free reign on this project... Originally Posted by Joe DeNisco
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Alright, But you sure know how to pick the right people to get the job done!
Great guitar. JD
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Absolutely incredible! I love the choice of woods and the execution is ridiculous. I feel like calling Bill to say "I'll have what iim7v7im7 is having. You are a very lucky guy.
Did he make the tailpiece?
This looks like a "cold dead hands guitar", but since it has not yet been said....DIBS! Seriously though, DIBS!
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I am indeed lucky...
Yes Bill made the tailpiece with a bit of an homage to Jimmy D. It is Ebony with a brass string insert (like yours).
Bill engineered a way to adjust the down pressure of the tailpiece angle and the side-to-side angle.
Here's the end bock bracket...
Originally Posted by kid335
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Gorgeous guitar ! Very tasteful design - executed brilliantly. I love it !!!
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That arc that starts near a peghead, draws the coco-ebo border across the fretboard, and swoops to finish in the pickguard--that just totally raises the design to another level. imho, etc. Brilliantly executed indeed!
I'm looking forward to hearing more about this after the audition. I'm a big Comins fan.
Congratulations!
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Is Bill going to be making a clip before he ships out your guitar? I really want to hear this one.
I really like the sound of a mahogany neck and body. I actually just made a middle of the night impulse buy of a solid body guitar with that combo just yesterday.
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I'm not going to even ask you how much that costs...it looks like one million dollars.
Over the top luthiery. Pardon my French, Incroyable.
I do wish to ask you for your rationale for the choice of a 25.25" scsle length.
That flamed Honduran Mahogany looks like Hawaiian Koa but better.
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Congratulations. Bill is very talented. I know.
Cincy
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I am visiting Bill this week to audition it. The guitar will likely stay with him for a few more weeks while he arranges both photography and a video by one of the myriad of pros who he has relationships with. Later this year in October, he will be showing the guitar at the Woodstock Luthiers Showcase. So any of you attending can audition it as well. Originally Posted by kid335
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Actually, while certainly not cheap, it was not an astronomically crazy expensive build, particularly when you consider the quality of what it is (unique design, premium woods, master luthier, Rodgers tuners, EVO frets etc.). It cost in the range of the list price a famous historic factory archtops that people like to discuss for pages and pages around here (:-)).
We chose a 25-1/4" scale as a compromise between my preference for playing shorter 25" scale and Bill's desire to get a bit more down pressure on the bridge through string tension. You can see how much flatter thd contour of the top and recurve is in these shots. The top is also braced quite differently than a typical x-braced archtop. It was truly an experiment. Many decisions were prospective SWAGs (scientific wild *ss guesses).
I actually found that fiddleback mahogany neck and body set about 2-years ago at Jerry Hibdon's. It was harvested in Belize in 2011; kiln dried by Jerry and seasoned by Bill for nearly 2-years.
Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
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Wow, stunning, modern and beautiful! There is something amazingly satisfying in having your vision of a special instrument executed by the most skilled luthiers. I hope it will be everything you wanted from it!
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How and why did you decide to use a flat back? The wood is lovely, btw.
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We were looking to marry the clarity, balance and crispness of an archtop with some of the enhanced bass response and increased overtones of a flat top. Bill felt by flattening the arch & recurve profile of the top (and its bracing) and adding tapered rims and a ladder braced back of a flat top, he would achieve the desired effect. This is likely best as a solo instrument and not as much for an ensemble. Originally Posted by Klatu
Bill actually added a maple bridge plate after this shot was taken in response to stringing it up before it was even finished. It truly is a unique, hybrid instrument...
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Absolutely stunning - enjoy!
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great looking guitar.
John Zeidler used to make something similar w/a flat back and carved top, though he braced it like an archtop.
usually w/f-holes too.
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Yes, and Steve Grimes still makes his Jazz Nouveau model (flat back, f-hole but it also has constant depth rims). Originally Posted by wintermoon
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Zeidler's sides were tapered as well and deeper than his archtops.
Bill knew John, maybe that's part of where he got the idea.
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Functional art for sure.
Query: Why did you choose EVO frets over Stainless? Also, what strings will be used on this beauty?
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I will ask him on Wednesday when I see him...😎
Originally Posted by wintermoon
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