Serial Number 023

Orchestra Model

Started on February 16, 2024: completed on March 12, 2024

*updated on June 03, 2025

I am trying to get back into building guitars now that some of those other projects are done. I felt that S/N 021 isn’t as good as it should have been and that I need to get back in building more guitars to keep my skils up.

This guitar actually took a couple of days to think about the materials for the build and even the size. Generally, I just look up my spread sheet to see what bodies I have built, how many there are in total and then how many I have physically available. The most I have built are actually Classical guitars – three of them have shipped to customers though.

I was really leaning towards a Grand Concert for this build but the last guitar build was a Grand Concert size.

I had somebody try some of my guitars recently and said they liked the size of the Grand Concert but wanted a cutaway for it. I actually don’t have a cutaway mold for that size but was supposed to try to incorporate a scoop style cutaway on S/N 021. The idea was to add extra material on that shoulder and carved away at it after it was altogether.

On S/N 023, I decided to try a different cutaway – one of those sharp ones. I personally like how they look and it could be an option I can offer to customers in the future. Just need to have one to show and make the mold for the cutaway.

The easiest thing to pick out for this build was the soundboard: I went with torrefied Sitka Spruce – maybe I am just trying to use up my stock of them.

The back and sides set actually took me two days to decide on. I always want something new to try without going into the more expensive back and sides set that I have – at least not yet. I was initially leaning towards the recent Machiche or T’Zalam sets but ended up going with American Cherry.

The neck – I tried some of the White Limba I got in the borked purchase. The wood grade on these two pieces I laminated together are pretty poor – I am by no means a wood expert but I think I know enough to say these are more like scrap pieces. I don’t even think it is good enough to be B grade. The Bloodwood I laminated in the middle should give the neck some added strength. I am not sure of the Janka hardness of the White Limba but I know the Bloodwood is a pretty hard wood.

A custom head stock shape has been used for this guitar because of the White Limba pieces. This is the first time that I get to try out my custom head stock shape. It is similar to the Ernie Ball Music Man head stock shape but I need to try to make some changes to make it unique.

It was only when I was trying to install the tuning machines that I realized the design was off. The two top tuning machines are actually in the way of each other – the idea was to keep the strings coming straight out from the nut to the tuning machine. It was measured before but obviously from the picture, the positions need to be moved a little.

I went with Robinia for the fingerboard with the intent of staining it. I had given it a little colour – almost like a brandy colour just give it a little. For some reason, I had initially wanted to dye it a grey colour.

Rosewood was used for bridge material. I did a reverse install on it – I had seen it on a customer’s Gibson and decided to try it to have something different but I think I saddle slot and peg holes should have been further back on the bridge.

At some point, I felt that I should have NOT serialized this guitar as I was building it more for experimenting on some things. Most likely, at some point, I will come back to this guitar and do some adjustments.

*UPDATE September 15, 2024

Because of the attempt of the resin rosette, the soundboard on this guitar was sanded down too thin – 0.0613″. I normally target for about 0.090″ to 0.100″. I was informed a few ago about some belly bulge on the soundboard – just happened to be somebody looking at it – right time and the right place. The bulges themselves weren’t of the normal belly bulge but more of bulging at the x bracing just behind the bridge. On the one side, it started to crack.

I was actually thinking of just scrapping this guitar but it would be a waste of the wood already used for it – more especially the back and sides. Any kind of practice to fix something is always good.

It took a few days on and off to take the soundboard off. The binding around the soundboard really did not want to come off with any ease. Complete night and day compared to the Art & Lutherie guitar I had replaced the soundboard on.

I will use a set of Engelmann Spruce boards to replace the current torrefied Sitka Spruce boards. New bracing had to be made for the soundboard.

*UPDATE June 03, 2025

The guitar looked like it had some high action and upon inspection, it apparently had a ski jump at the end of the fingerboard. This made the neck look like it had a lot of relief. The headstock on the guitar was cut off and replaced with a PRS style headstock shape.

SPECS

Body Orchestra Model

Scale 25.34″

Top torrefied Sitka Spruce – replaced with Engelmann Spruce

Back American Cherry

Sides American Cherry

Neck White Limba/Blood Wood centre

Fingerboard Robinia

Bridge Rosewood

Tuning Machines Gotoh 381

Strings D’Addario EJ26