Serial Number 011

2nd Sponsor Guitar

started on May 28, 2023: completed on June 10, 2023

*edited on January 17, 2025

This sponsor guitar is for Jess Horricks of Phineas Gauge.

Interestingly enough, Jess decided on a classical instead of a steel string guitar. We both wanted this guitar to be unique as possible which is something I would encourage to anybody.

We talked about putting an F hole on the guitar and I prefer to test out new things on “practice guitars”. I was supposed to try it out on the Parlor guitar (S/N 009) but forgot to do it. As I was laying out the bracing on the soundboard, I decided to just go ahead and try it out. I wasn’t sure if only putting one was good enough. Visually, I would preferred one on each side but felt that the upper F hole would be blocked a lot from the strumming arm.

With saying we wanted this guitar to be unique, right away, I threw out the idea of a double cutaway. I know the one cutaway is common for access to the higher frets. The double cutaway would a lot more unique – the guitar almost looks like a SG guitar.

The second F hole and double cutaway would be cool in a visual sense, but I don’t know how it would affect the guitar in a tonal sense. I would imagine doing a double cutaway would take some of the volume out of the guitar.

After some discussion about Jess’ playing styles, I felt that a Sitka Spruce soundboard would have been a good and safe choice. A set of highly figured 4A Mango back and sides was eventually chosen for its aesthetics and tonal qualities. The Mango is very cool looking: I almost didn’t even want to cut the body shape out of the boards because the full boards had a lot patterns and colours going through it.

Khaya African Mahogany was chosen after some thought for the neck. Usually for classical, Spanish Cedar would be used, but because the guitar will be 24 frets and joined at the 14th fret instead of the 12th, I felt something stronger would be better and installing a truss rod was already in the books but having some more strength in the wood doesn’t hurt either.

After deciding on a set of tuning machines with steel posts as opposed to the typical plastic posts, I was messaging with Jess and was discussing about trying to make the guitar compatible for both nylon and steel string setups. In theory, I would just need to make a second nut and saddle when he wants to switch string setups.

Eventually an L.R. Baggs Active Element System was added to the guitar. This allows Jess to do recording with Mango Licorice.

In mid-January of 2025, S/N 011 has come back for a check up and some touch up work. There were two cracks near the F hole that were minor. The heel has been reworked a little to make it thinner than before and a sound port has been added to the guitar.

When the guitar was being reassembled, I had noticed that the soundboard was caving in. My assumption is that this is a result of adding the F hole which compromised the structural integrity a little. In the future, I will put on a new soundboard onto this guitar.

SPECS

Body Classical Ramirez with double cutaway

Scale 24.5″

Top Sitka Spruce

Back figured 4A Mango

Sides figured 4A Mango

Neck Khaya African Mahogany

Fingerboard Ebony

Bridge Ebony

Tuning Machines Gotoh P450

Strings D’Addario Pro-Arte hard tension