Serial Number 012

4th Customer Guitar

started on June 13, 2023: completed on July 7, 2023

*edited on July 18, 2023

This guitar will actually be for one of my uncles. I believe that he has started to try playing guitar again now that he is retired. I do remember seeing a guitar of his probably about 30 years ago.

The specs on this guitar took a bit to figure out between us but I am happy that the decision on the kind of guitar and almost all the materials and options was decided on his side.

There was some explaining of the different woods and tonal qualities before decisions were made. I don’t like to be in a situation of choosing everything for the customer because it simply doesn’t make it a custom guitar. It would also be very awkward to have done things to my own taste and the customer doesn’t like it.

This left handed guitar will be an Orchestra Model with bear claw Sitka Spruce for the soundboard. I suggested the bear claw to give him a little more visual from what he would normally see. I pushed the Sitka Spruce just because it is very versatile for different playing styles. Better to have something that is versatile unless I know the style that the customer plays.

Pau Ferro was decided upon after some explanation of some of the wood characteristics. It would have been easier to just gone with Indian Rosewood but the tonal qualities are similar enough which is why I brought up Pau Ferro as a choice.

The Pau Ferro set on this guitar does have good colour. It actually looks a lot more paler without finish on it.

White Ash was used for the neck and stained black as I did for S/N 008. Visually, it looks neat but I worried about the guitar being too dark. Because of this concern, I did Bitter Cherry for the end flash and head plate veneer. I think I should have done Pau Ferro for the head plate veneer though.

Marblewood for the fingerboard and bridge. This is the first time I am trying Marblewood and the results are great. I have gotten a lot of compliments on how it looks.

SPECS

Body Orchestra Model, left handed

Scale 25.34″

Top bear claw Sitka Spruce

Back Pau Ferro

Sides Pau Ferro

Neck stained White Ash

Fingerboard Marblewood

Bridge Marblewood

Tunings Machines Gotoh 381

Strings Ernie Ball phosphor bronze 2146