Serial Number 036

1st One On One Build

Started on November 05, 2024; completed on December 06, 2024

This is the first one on one build that I will be going through. I have had a few other people that had expressed interest in a one on one build but time hasn’t worked out for those projects (yet).

This customer, Mike had actually messaged me through Kijiji on Sunday November 3, 2024 with interest to try out some of my guitars. He sat down and tried out all three left handed guitars I have and only the Grand Concert really connected with him. However, Mike wanted something with a cutaway which I offer only in the Orchestra Model at this moment. We talked for a bit about woods and the process of building and in the end, Mike wanted something custom and also had the time to come and do the build together.

After doing some research on the web with what tonewoods I had in stock, a few were chosen for a final chat and showing how they are in person. Pictures can never really bring out the woods – especially figured wood.

Mike decided on the Quilted Maple 3A+ set after narrowing it down to a few sets and taking a really good look at the grains. The last set of bear claw Engelmann was his first choice for a soundboard set and White Limba with a Purple Heart strip was discussed the day before.

I won’t deny having concerns of somebody in here for a one on one build. I always worry about experience with machinery experience (not that I am very experienced in it myself) but Mike had quickly showed that he knows what he was doing and wanted to be more involved than just watching me do the work while I explain what we are doing.

I usually build the body and then move onto the neck when I am French polishing the body but we have been moving towards working the neck when we are gluing something on the body.

We put a couple of coats of shellac on the inside of the back and sides to seal it. Also, it makes the figure really stand out when you look at it.

We threw some ideas back and forth for pattern and tonewoods for the endflash and head plate. Ebony and Purple Heart were chosen to keep the consistency of the tonewoods used on the guitar.

SPECS

Body Orchestra Model, left handed

Scale 25.34″

Top bear claw Engelmann 2A

Back Quilted Maple

Sides Quilted Maple

Neck White Limba/Purple Heart strip

Fingerboard Ebony

Bridge Ebony 3A

Tuing Machines Gotoh 510 Cosmo Black

Strings Elixir Nanowebs phosphor bronze 16052