Ladder Braced Grand Concert, Build #7

[Nehemiah C]

Nice work Joe!
This guitar looks beautiful, you did such a nice job bringing the whole thing together, and your sound board and bracing is so clean. Love the rosette and tail-piece.
I just wanna know ...Who got Joe in the build swap??

[Dean Kumbalek]

Wow- good work Joe. You pulled off another one!

Everything works together on this one, all the different elements coming together. Nice work.

How does the Permalyn Sealer and Finish smell? ...like turpentine or industrial varnish? It sure looks right.

Why did you use the tailpiece on this one? and how do you think it affects the sound?

I am happy you got a new 90 for your stove too I love those wood stoves!

Nice work Joe

Dean

[Joe Sustaire]

Thanks Ron, Dennis, and Joe!
And yes Dave the sound is really opening up already, seems really loud, I just may have a growler here.

Thanks Nehemiah, Dean/Freegift and I are going to do a build swap once we get some things cleared off the bench. How did your guitar with this similar bracing turn out? Remember your the one that advised me to add some lengthwise bracing on my parlor ladder braced that was under braced. I really think I'm going to like this one.

Dean, I had to go back thru my thread to see what the new 90 reference was about. I see now the new elbow with the sticker still on it in one of my shop photos. Proves you're looking! I would guess the Permalyn smells like varnish, I don't have any varnish to compare with, but it's definitely different than the turp smell. The Permalyn worked well on the sapelle, spruce, and mahogany neck. It didn't seem to want to harden right on the padouk headplates and heelcap. Still wants to hold fingerprint impressions. I had the same problem with it on my uke build, it did fine on the spruce but stayed tacky on the ebony mun and the african blackwood binding. Stripped it once and tried it again, same results, had to strip it back and switch to french polish on it. Really need to do that on the padouk here.

Now the tailpiece question. I've always been drawn to the tailpiece flattops from the 20's and early 30's. One because they make adjusting intonation so easy with the floating bridge. The intonation is always way off on these old guitars, at least the ones I can afford to buy, and moving the pin bridge is much more hassel. And this one, the top is thin and the bracing is so light that it just hit me that this would probably be a perfect candidate for a tailpiece. And it's looking like my instincts were right, it's very loud and responsive. I adjusted the neck to give me 5/8" between the top and the strings in front of the bridge so I have a stronger break angle to power the top. Since you just have the downward pressure of the string tension on the bridge I think that's helpful. I don't know, I'm just flying by the seat of my pants here, but it's feeling and sounding good so far.

Thanks again guys,
Joe

[Dennis Mitchell]

Holy smokes Joe!!!! This baby has Mojo written all over it! Ok...sound files, we all wanna hear it [insert favorite terminology here].

[Colin S]

Joe, I just love the whole mojo of this little guitar, (the neck save was classic), it looks one of those guitars you have to keep picking up and playing. A true 'vintage' guitar. Love it.

Colin

[WaddyT]

Truly a vintage "Home Run"! Congratulations Joe!

[Haans]

Joe, good work! I was looking back through this build and wondering if the ladder/longitudinal bracing is half lap, or is the longitudinal set between the ladders?

[Joe Sustaire]

Thanks Dennis, Colin, Waddy and Hanns! It's nice to have builders you respect giving you the thumbs up.

Hanns the longitudinal braces were laid down first and then I notched the ladders over them. The ladders we're pretty tall on the first go around so there was plenty of material I didn't think I needed to half-lap them but they got carved down quite a bit. I will half-lap them next time or do the tunnels like you did.

Thanks guys,
Joe