Serial Number 004

Second Orchestra Model Build

Started on November 11, 2022: completed on December 15, 2022

*edited on April 09, 2025

Here is the second attempt on building a cutaway Orchestra Model: S/N 004 is made with an Engelmann Spruce soundboard and Bitter Cherry for the back and sides. Engelmann is a wood for players with a softer touch and this was the first time to try it out on a guitar build. My target was to try to get a pale coloured guitar but it got more colour than I was hoping for.

The neck is made out of White Ash and Purple Heart for centre lamination and head plate veneer. Purple Heart was also used for binding around the guitar and on the butt end of the fingerboard. If you can get the deep Purple out of Purple Heart, it’s very eye catching I managed to get the wood to its colour with the help of a heat gun but had to be careful as to not burn the wood as well.

Cherry was used for the bridge and fingerboard.

I was hoping to implement a custom head stock and bridge shape to this guitar. I realized that there was not enough material width-wise on the head plate so I dropped the idea of those altogether.

*update: the neck has been taken off the guitar to try to adjust the neck angle. The neck has been reshaped to thin it down. The fingerboard was not previously finished so it was sanded down and finished with Tru-Oil.

SPECS

Body 000/Orchestra Model

Scale 25.34″

Top Engelmann Spruce

Back Bitter Cherry

Sides Bitter Cherry

Neck White Ash/Purple Heart centre

Fingerboard Cherry

Bridge Cherry

Tuning Machines Gotoh 381

Strings D’Addario EJ26