bram99 Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 I hope you all don't mind me posting these non-Gibson pics here too much.....I am not on any other forums so when I talk guitars it's generally a couple of buddy's or you folks that are stuck with me. Part of my New Years resolution was to get all my guitar affairs in order, including all unfinished projects. I began building this guitar about ten years ago before my son was born. It's been sitting in the garage/shop all this time waiting to have its voice be heard. It is European spruce top, Alaskan Yellow cedar back and sides, ebony fretboard, Spanish cedar neck. Homemade rosette and entire guitar made with no premade parts (except violin pegs) and all without any power tools. Took advantage of slow work over the holidays to pull it all together...Spent the better part of yesterday fitting the ebony pegs and the nut and saddle...final setup today, but I can already tell this thing sings. Surprised myself with this one actually...almost scraped it about five years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Nice job! Absolutely unique. I admire anyone who can take on a project like this and get it done, even when it takes years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 That looks like an absolute work of art and love. It is so simply elegant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainpicker Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Man that thing is gorgeous! I love the simply stated beauty of it. With the friction pegs it's like an elemental guitar. I'm surprised that you waited so long to finish it. Many congrats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 brill did you start with a kit ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bram99 Posted January 3, 2015 Author Share Posted January 3, 2015 brill did you start with a kit ? Nope...no kit. All rough wood blanks... Hand joined, hand carved, hand planed and scraped... ...I built a side bending machine heated by lightbulbs and all the jigs needed to complete the guitar...everything from scratch. I did use power tools to build some of the jigs, but no power tool ever touched the guitar. This is my third effort all by hand...no kits. Even the inlay...Popsicle stick and exacto to cut rosette channel, gramil to hand cut binding and purfling channels etc...I have too many guitars already...it's all about the build. I have a rosewood classical and a 12 fret mahogany steel string also in progress...hope to finish those this year too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bram99 Posted January 3, 2015 Author Share Posted January 3, 2015 Here is the rosette... Hand made mosaic tiles by gluing up colored wood sticks (from LMI)...red, green and yellow for my Portuguese ancestry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe M Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Beautiful! I'm sure it'll sound as good as it looks.... What is that "thing" on the second fret in the first pic? Capo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bram99 Posted January 3, 2015 Author Share Posted January 3, 2015 Beautiful! I'm sure it'll sound as good as it looks.... What is that "thing" on the second fret in the first pic? Capo? Capo or more properly in this case a cejilla. It's a right proper "capo" for a flamenco IMHO. I made it from Brazilian rosewood, leather, some fishing line and an ebony violin peg. These below are not mine but similar.... http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/ngiorgio/m.html?item=191404003756&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 You're not going to clutter that beautiful top up with a big ol' golpeador, are you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 For cool Bram - I admire your talents and drive. Cedar B&S with European Spruce top - I'll bet this box sounds terrific. Jigs, lightbulbs, homemade stick-to-it-nes - amazing to hear about. This really is "for-cool". [thumbup] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Nope...no kit. All rough wood blanks... Hand joined, hand carved, hand planed and scraped... ...I built a side bending machine heated by lightbulbs and all the jigs needed to complete the guitar...everything from scratch. I did use power tools to build some of the jigs, but no power tool ever touched the guitar. This is my third effort all by hand...no kits. Even the inlay...Popsicle stick and exacto to cut rosette channel, gramil to hand cut binding and purfling channels etc...I have too many guitars already...it's all about the build. I have a rosewood classical and a 12 fret mahogany steel string also in progress...hope to finish those this year too. Wow. I salute you, my friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 . Impressive build - a very nice and unique look. Love the violin pegs and your rosette work. I really enjoyed the story and pics. Thanks. . . B) . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 I am so, so, so jealous of this I want to puke. Amazing work. I think I'll just go die now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bram99 Posted January 4, 2015 Author Share Posted January 4, 2015 Thanks for the compliments folks....i mostly just see the flaws. These are iphone photos of some old snapshots I found...this is kinda giving me the bug to start a new project. Here (top neck in photo) is the neck of the guitar at the beginning of its life. The other two necks have a different headstock profile...they are for classical guitars...but I can find the middle one. I like the simple profile for the flamenco, seen in the next photo.... It is the neck on the left in this pic, after headstock profile carved and heal block glued up. Middle neck mahogany classical, right neck Spanish cedar flamenco not yet carved. Second round of glueing braces...fan braces already glued and carved. Ready to trim the sides and put the back on....I signed the back of the top 26 feb 04...the box was probably closed up that day and it only took 11 more years to get strings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 An heirloom for your son. Very impressive ! I can't even glue two popsicle sticks together without also gluing my fingers to my workbench! Yeah - and leave the scratchplate off ! No gopeador ... or however you spell it ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Did you research the bracing pattern choice? very interesting. Amazing work. The rosette blows me away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bram99 Posted January 5, 2015 Author Share Posted January 5, 2015 Did you research the bracing pattern choice? very interesting. Amazing work. The rosette blows me away. The guitar is based on a 1951 Marcelo Barbera, which was used by arguably the best flamenco guitarist, ever Sabicus. Barbero made some of the finest flamenco guitars and I based this one on plans publish by the Guild of American Luthiers several years ago. Mine is close to the same shape, uses his bracing pattern, but all the cosmetics are my design aesthetic. I like them simple... I spent many hours this weekend playing the guitar....and while my flamenco skills are pretty rusty (having gone towards Gibson steel strings several years ago), we made some music together. This is my third build, but this is the best sounding of the lot...the guitar already has a nice attack and good sustain. Those two dimension often work at odds of each other on nylon string guitars. It was very gratifying to fully get sucked into this guitars tone....never experienced that with a home build before. I have 3-5 guitars with of material around and think I will get on the 12 fret slotted head mahogany and Sitka steel string as the next project. The plan originally was to make a set of triplets.... 1 flamenco 1 rosewood classical 1 mahogany steel All with same shape and design aesthetics....I am not sure where I will end up though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR GIBS Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Stunning instrument it is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustystrings Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 That is a beautiful, beautiful guitar - thank you for sharing it! I am so very happy you did not scrap it! When do we get a sound file? I would be very interested in hearing this guitar played in different styles - I've been discovering how well a lot of my songs work on a classical guitar after years of being purely a steel string guy, and I wonder what sorts of interesting things would come from this guitar .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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