The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Incoming in 2 months. A year will have been the time. Well worth it. An acoustic archtop with 8 strings, fanned frets, a cello end pin, a Barbera contact pickup. It’s going to be special. I’m going to call it La Sierra, in honor of al the wonderful places I intend to play it.

    Builder is Erich Solomon. A pleasure to deal with it. He’s pretty excited by this project, too.
    Attached Images Attached Images New Guitar Build (2 more months) Erich Solomon 8 string acoustic-32bbecb7-572c-4a09-8348-a015b15061ac-jpg New Guitar Build (2 more months) Erich Solomon 8 string acoustic-d81a44a2-797e-4aa1-a4fc-d33f723798a2-jpg 

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Side view
    Attached Images Attached Images New Guitar Build (2 more months) Erich Solomon 8 string acoustic-e3597401-97eb-4d7d-90eb-9bdc357e4e24-jpg 

  4. #3

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    Erich on the specs

    The top is heat treated (torrified) European spruce from Switzerland (Welcome to Tonewood Switzerland - We live where the spruce trees grow...), the back and sides are curly Claro walnut from Oregon, the neck is quartersawn hard maple from the Northeast, ebony board from Africa. Adirondack spruce x-brace.


    It is an 8 string 16” non-cutaway acoustic archtop guitar with fanned frets. 28” baritone scale on bass, 24.75” Gibson scale on treble side, w 8th fret perpendicular. Compound conical fretboard radius of 10” at nut and 16” at bottom of fretboard and flattening out to about a 21” radius at the bridge.


    Hollow carbon fiber tube “spike” that screws off.”

  5. #4

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    The guitar has small installed magnets to hold the truss rod cover
    Attached Images Attached Images New Guitar Build (2 more months) Erich Solomon 8 string acoustic-d1f6da7a-dbf9-482b-8352-35f90e3c10a9-jpg 

  6. #5

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    What is this you may ask? Erich explains: “It is a guide for carving your neck tomorrow. I plotted out the math to determine the correct neck cross section profiles for the first, third, fifth, seventh, and tenth fret. So when I am carving the neck, I can use this to visually check the profile as I round over the neck.”
    Attached Images Attached Images New Guitar Build (2 more months) Erich Solomon 8 string acoustic-a2d87c8a-c0f1-472a-9477-eb3b8799c4f3-jpg New Guitar Build (2 more months) Erich Solomon 8 string acoustic-b8dc5c97-44ca-49fe-80ce-0a68bcaf7c42-jpg 

  7. #6

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    Past Pics of the fingerboard in process
    Attached Images Attached Images New Guitar Build (2 more months) Erich Solomon 8 string acoustic-d3c3a043-1753-4324-8086-16f0e00e23fb-jpg New Guitar Build (2 more months) Erich Solomon 8 string acoustic-c5a373ab-5544-4d56-bee4-05c4c64328e7-jpg New Guitar Build (2 more months) Erich Solomon 8 string acoustic-3211a5b3-5d55-4619-921a-99a993dda9f6-jpg 

  8. #7

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    Prior pic of the body getting a coat of shellac
    Attached Images Attached Images New Guitar Build (2 more months) Erich Solomon 8 string acoustic-45b2b6d5-0f39-479e-9f2c-61e65a55886c-jpg 

  9. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by NSJ
    …… the back and sides are curly Claro walnut …..”
    NSJ,

    The Claro Walnut you’ve spec’d for the back and sides is lovely. Did you select it for aesthetics or is there also a sonic quality you’re seeking?

    AKA

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by AKA
    NSJ,

    The Claro Walnut you’ve spec’d for the back and sides is lovely. Did you select it for aesthetics or is there also a sonic quality you’re seeking?

    AKA
    I left it to Erich to decide, given what I wanted as a guitar: a pianistic guitar that can deliver on the low end as well as the high, with clarity: (i.e, the Low A and the High A string). I left it all for him to decide as to best materials and so forth. I just told him what I wanted it to sound like. it seems like Walnut is a good wood for bass clarity (Ribbekke is building an acoustic bass guitar with walnut sides and back, currently, nearby in Sonoma County).

    Some info on the headstock, from Erich:

    ”Had to make a wider jig to accommodate cutting the rabbet for the neck extension. Headstock has double overlap “ears” glued on for additional peghead strength and stability. It is hard to tell, but the headstock is pitched about 8 degrees unsquare to the fretboard to account for the slanted nut. The geometry was challenging to figure out, and in the end, I had to just trust and joint what I believed the correct angles were and hope that I left enough thickness at the headstock and neck junction, as I did not originally plan to slant the headstock. I think that I just barely made it, and only because I left a little extra material when I cut the blank. Everything from here should be straight forward, I am gluing the neck extension on now and will put the truss rod in today as well. Then it really will start looking like a neck pretty quickly!:”

  11. #10

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    This will be a truly custom instrument. A one of a kind. I hope she proves to be an inspiration to your playing.

  12. #11

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    Carbon fiber tube for the end pin
    Attached Images Attached Images New Guitar Build (2 more months) Erich Solomon 8 string acoustic-f4a336f9-7704-4abd-bf2d-cc99fc6dd3d4-jpg 

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Stringswinger
    This will be a truly custom instrument. A one of a kind. I hope she proves to be an inspiration to your playing.
    For sure. Life is short, nobody is getting any younger. There are only a select few activities that are so truly meaningful, and one of them is playing music.

  14. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by NSJ

    It is an 8 string 16” non-cutaway acoustic archtop guitar with fanned frets. 28” baritone scale on bass, 24.75” Gibson scale on treble side, w 8th fret perpendicular. Compound conical fretboard radius of 10” at nut and 16” at bottom of fretboard and flattening out to about a 21” radius at the bridge.”
    I would be concerned about achieving a high-A on this scale. I have four high-A (7-string) guitars, one with fanned frets, and have found the longest workable scale on the treble side to be approx 23.5” using a .0095 string. That’s been my experience, anyway, and I was advised by Ron Cid and Kirk Sand (who built Lenny Breau’s high-A guitar). Perhaps Erich has a trick up his sleeve — he is certainly a master builder. I look forward to learning more!

  15. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by pcjazz
    I would be concerned about achieving a high-A on this scale. I have four high-A (7-string) guitars, one with fanned frets, and have found the longest workable scale on the treble side to be approx 23.5” using a .0095 string. That’s been my experience, anyway, and I was advised by Ron Cid and Kirk Sand (who built Lenny Breau’s high-A guitar). Perhaps Erich has a trick up his sleeve — he is certainly a master builder. I look forward to learning more!
    I’m thinking it’s in the same scale ball park as my 8 string electric archtop made by VB. Once I found the right string and size, I had no more problems with the high A string snapping. I think it’s a “9”.

  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by NSJ
    I’m thinking it’s in the same scale ball park as my 8 string electric archtop made by VB. Once I found the right string and size, I had no more problems with the high A string snapping. I think it’s a “9”.
    I played with a high A# or Bb string on a 25.5inch scale 7 string for more than 12 years. It mostly worked, but was temperamental, especially when initially installing the string.

    There shouldn't be a problem with a 9 gauge string tuned to A4 on a smaller 24.75” Gibson scale.

    A very nice looking and unusual guitar.

  17. #16

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    Update-Guitar getting French polished next week will cure for 2 mote weeks thereafter . Final work being done on tailpiece, bridge and other bits . Will have a special Barbera pickup made up of two pickups added . This instrument will be special -there will literally be nothing else like it in the world in terms of uniqueness.,one of a kind.

    from Erich-

    “I had a friend of mine custom machine the “fingers” of the tailpiece. Each string has its own finger. The fingers are different lengths to mirror the slant of the bridge and will connect to the tailpiece at the butt of the guitar. It is a staight line string path from the tailpiece to the tuners. The strings feed directly into the bottom of the fingers.“
    Attached Images Attached Images New Guitar Build (2 more months) Erich Solomon 8 string acoustic-7a1cdfa7-3e11-4a5b-878b-ba74c0510186-jpg New Guitar Build (2 more months) Erich Solomon 8 string acoustic-3e240bda-41a4-4c30-8e89-dce80de941e5-jpg New Guitar Build (2 more months) Erich Solomon 8 string acoustic-e15ffd64-adcc-4bc7-b257-d2bbfa07addc-jpg 

  18. #17

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    So guitar should be ready to ship soon in a couple of weeks. Here’s the tailpiece, pretty much one of a kind, ain’t no tailpiece I’ve seen quite like this one: designed for a multi-scale fanned fret guitar. You can also see the carbon fiber cello endpin attached to the guitar.

    I think this is gonna be a special guitar. Gotta thank Roger P (who used to post here, regularly) for the impetus for this guitar. He sold me his Solomon a few years back, to help finance his 1927 L5. He regretted selling it, in hindsight, and tried to buy it back from the person I sold it too, I think. That didn’t work, so he got Erich to build him a new guitar.

    This is gonna be a great guitar, a one-of-a-kind.
    Attached Images Attached Images New Guitar Build (2 more months) Erich Solomon 8 string acoustic-70640266616__fae023ad-f509-470b-b8aa-01b73f9cb40a-jpg New Guitar Build (2 more months) Erich Solomon 8 string acoustic-70640270121__67ffd98e-2ccd-459d-b6b0-10fc1f80930c-jpg 

  19. #18

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    Wow.

  20. #19

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    A very special instrument, inspiring just to look at.

  21. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by NSJ
    ...Gotta thank Roger P (who used to post here, regularly) for the impetus for this guitar. He sold me his Solomon a few years back, to help finance his 1927 L5. He regretted selling it, in hindsight, and tried to buy it back from the person I sold it too, I think. That didn’t work, so he got Erich to build him a new guitar. ...
    From my cold, dead, hands, baybee.



    Yeah, and this one, too, completely different sound:

    Last edited by Hammertone; 05-24-2023 at 03:57 PM.

  22. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hammertone
    From my cold, dead, hands, baybee.



    That guitar, along with the fact that it’s got a lot really nice bling (quilted wood, headstock upgrade, leaf design) barely weighs anything at all. When I had it, I didn’t have the right technique or approach to play it.

    It’s a very special guitar, for sure. Hell, Roger got his dream guitar that everyone wants (1927 L5) and STILL lamented that loss. Thankfully, I’m not as sentimental about guitars (I have two very special ones for sale right now), especially 6 string guitars.

    I know you have a great appreciation for Erich and his work. He’s apparently going to be moving back to Alaska at some point. He makes archtops that can emulate flat tops and still be arch tops. Pretty rare.

  23. #22

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    We are in the STRETCH RUN NOW!!!!
    From Erich:

    ”It is not finished yet...sounds very nice overall for just getting strung up, very promising! They always sound young and brash for the first couple of days...”

    As to work still to be done:
    ”No voicing, just dialing in the action. I don’t sand and polish the top until that is done. I have a dummy saddle in the bridge for now while I do a basic set up. It will get replaced by the Barbera transducer at the end. The guitar has loads of sustain and seems well balanced. Intonation is great even with the dummy bridge. Very pleased with it at this point, will only get better! ”
    Attached Images Attached Images New Guitar Build (2 more months) Erich Solomon 8 string acoustic-70656703346__76fa0170-3815-439c-a455-e82f46924db8-jpg New Guitar Build (2 more months) Erich Solomon 8 string acoustic-70656709352__cc7a35ca-44d5-4297-9833-dde086a0727d-jpg New Guitar Build (2 more months) Erich Solomon 8 string acoustic-70656710953__4aed6737-7766-4fd6-bdf1-c82ccaecc2e0-jpg 

  24. #23

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    Are you going to use a resonator box a la Paul Galbraith, et al?

  25. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cunamara
    Are you going to use a resonator box a la Paul Galbraith, et al?
    I have a custom built one already, for my Brahms guitar. So, yes.
    Basically my guitar collection will eventually be only 8 string guitars played with cello end pins:

    Victor Baker electric archtop
    Brahms classical guitar made by Martin Woodhouse (he made Galbraith’s new guitar and inherited David Rubio’s equipment)
    Victor Baker fanned fretless telecaster
    Erich Solomon acoustic arch top

    I’m not sure what else I would need.

  26. #25

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    I know nothing about fanned fret guitars, so this question comes out of that place of ignorance. Your post says that the radius of the fanning is centered around the eighth fret; why there and not the 12th fret? I would expect, perhaps erroneously, that intonation would be better if the 12th fret was the midline of the radius being used to lay out the fanning, so that it's symmetrical across the length of the fingerboard.. Erich Solomon went along with this idea and he's a master, so your thinking must be more correct than mine.

    Galbraith's playing is some of the most astonishing classical guitar I have ever heard. His "Allamande" recording is just stunningly beautiful, both in terms of the playing and the quality of the recording.