Almost backyard build!

Times are tough, the world's economy is takin' a beating; What should conscientious luthiers do in response?! How about some scrounge builds! Nothin' fancy, nothin' from far away, and lots of imagination...
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DannyV
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Location: Powell River BC Canada

Almost backyard build!

Post by DannyV » Mon Mar 30, 2009 12:08 am

Hello There, New guy here and this looks like a pretty fun place. You've been found thanks to a Padma post on another site. I just finished my second guitar. First was a nylon string and this one is a parlour in Sitka, Big Leaf Maple and Cherry. The thing is, I wish I had know about the Backyard Build gig a little sooner. I'm pretty close but had I known it wouldn't have taken much to make it full on local. Maybe I can get a boobie (can I say that word) prize. The Maple came from this forestry museum trail 2 or 3 KM from my house. My buddy maintains it and calls me when there's some nice blow downs. The top, well at the one end of the same trail there's a bit of a logging road. Driving down it one day there's this 40 or so inch 20' Sitka log just sitting there. I made a few phone calls but couldn't link up with the owner. After driving past it a few more times over the course of about a month I finally got up one morning and cut a round off it. It's not spectacular looking but it seems to make a pretty great sounding guitar. The bindings, wedge and backstrap are from a cherry out of my yard. It produced some real pretty wood. Sadly I used some wenge for headplate and purfs. I bought the board locally though but I'm pretty sure it didn't grow around here. But the FB and bridge came from LMI and it's a very long way from my house.

Hopefully this Photo Bucket link works. I ran out of patients trying to post a photo. It's probably really easy. I'm not the most computer savvy person.

http://s150.photobucket.com/albums/s96/ ... 20Parlour/

Cheers,
Danny
Life is too short to use bad wood!

Powell River, BC

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Rod True
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Location: Abbotsford BC, Canada

Re: Almost backyard build!

Post by Rod True » Mon Mar 30, 2009 12:19 am

Hey Danny, welcome here my friend!

That's a great second guitar! Sure it's not your 20th?

Oh and to post pictures, just copy the 'img code' link from your photobucket account (when you scroll over a picture, it gives you a bunch of details about the image) and insert it under a line of text, like this

'Image
__________________________________________________________________________________________

Here's my shop

Tassie Blackwood/Lutz OSJ build

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Joe Sustaire
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Re: Almost backyard build!

Post by Joe Sustaire » Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:13 am

That is mighty pretty Danny!
I just had to post one of your photos also.

Image

Thanks for sharing with us,
Joe

p.s. --- Where is your backyard? Some pretty spectacular wood showing up there! :D
"I tell you we are here on earth to fart around, and don't let anyone tell you any different!"
Kurt Vonnegut

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Eben
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Re: Almost backyard build!

Post by Eben » Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:15 am

Welcome, Lad!

Here's my fave - GREAT axe! If THAT"s a blow down top, you done real good; I think it looks great!

Image

P.S. - Here's the secret on pics! Just copy the IMG code from Photobucket and paste that right into your thread, and the chosen pic will appear; give me a shout if you have any problems.

E
‘I love America - I just dont know how to get there anymore.’

John Prine

UrbanMonique Food Blog

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Dennis Leahy
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Re: Almost backyard build!

Post by Dennis Leahy » Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:23 am

Welcome, Danny!

Beautiful guitar! I look forward to some sound clips!

Your backyard must be in Western Canada (no, I didn't cheat and look up your computer's IP address.) I eliminated the northwest US when you expressed distance in KM, something that still hasn't caught on in the US.

That is really wonderful looking wood for a blow down treasure. You really did a nice job matching a bit of more rift wood down the center, and let it flare out to flatsawn with the big quilt bubbles on the rest of the back. Besides looking awesome, you also gave yourself some insurance against shrinkage problems, as your back now falls between the shrinkage values of flatsawn and quartersawn wood. Selecting a parlor/parlour size increased your insurance. This may be your second guitar, but I'll bet a Molson that your fine woodworking skills have been honed over time.

Very, very nice!

Dennis
Dennis Leahy

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DaveAnderson
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Re: Almost backyard build!

Post by DaveAnderson » Mon Mar 30, 2009 10:02 am

Nice job Danny and welcome here! That big leaf is awesome.
Very nice lookin guitar. I'll bet she sounds sweet, eh?
Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl.

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DannyV
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Location: Powell River BC Canada

Re: Almost backyard build!

Post by DannyV » Mon Mar 30, 2009 10:37 am

Wow! Familiar faces and a Grand Poobah. This must be the place. Also a section dedicated to my new favourite, parlours. Thanks for the very kind words and help on the pic upload.

Good power of deduction Dennis. And Joe, if you head NW you should hit the coast and a boarder. Cross the border, say hi to Rod True, catch the first ferry heading north. Get off and drive a bit. Catch another ferry, get off and drive a bit. You are there. Powell River. The jewel of the Sunshine (bit of a misnomer in the winter)Coast BC.

Eban, the top wasn't a blow down. It literally fell off a logging truck right by my house. After about a month of it just lying there taunting me I could stand it no longer and went and helped myself to a hunk. I'm pretty sure it belonged to some out of country logging company anyway. :) I guess I should thank you guys north of our border.

Got to get on with the day.

Cheerio,
Danny
Life is too short to use bad wood!

Powell River, BC

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Lefty
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Re: Almost backyard build!

Post by Lefty » Mon Mar 30, 2009 10:48 am

Danny,

Welcome. That is a beautiful guitar. Like Dennis said, this isn't your first or second trip to the shop. Tell us about yourself.

Looking forward to seeing more of your work,

Lefty
No money Nathan. No money Marty. Just a roof over my head and a rockin chair by the fire.
(Mose Harper)

Steve "Lefty" Leff

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