Pictures of a guitar repair. or augmentation added to a romantic era guitar - a fingerboard extension to be exact by Max Sipe
These are some pics of the tops I'm currently working on...
Three different clients means three different designs. I really try to spend the time to figure out what each person is looking for. I know my guitars have a certain sound in general but playing with elements can shift it in different directions.
First, and probably most important in the final sound is choosing the top. Density and stiffness are what we're talking about. I've got two spruce tops in these photos but they are completely different. One is 40% denser while still basically the same stiffness.
Changing the fan splay ( the angle in which the fans line up with the grain direction of the top) is a big way to shape sound. What seems like a subtle shift really can change a guitar from what some think of as a "hauser" feel to something more "granada school".
Everything gets weighed, flexed, and tapped until completion; always keeping in mind what I think the customer is looking for. Carving three tops makes tons of shavings... I should have got a wood stove to heat the shop or a maybe a pet hamster.
This guitar is truly made to fit for this customer. We chose larger dimensions for neck thickness, neck width, string spacing and scale length all in an effort to create better ergonomics.
I'm excited to finish up this guitar just in time for the holidays. This is a 640 scale Brazilian rosewood and European spruce guitar with an elevated fingerboard and sound port.
These two classical guitars that are underway are for nice dudes I met at this past year's Guitar Foundation of America Convention.
I was really excited to work on a different style of guitar (for me anyways) and I think it sounds awesome!!! The multi-scale fretboard is a joy to play.
I'm getting ready for the 2015 Guitar Foundation of America Convention and here are some pics of one of the guitars I will be bringing.