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Ren Ferguson’s New Project.


bayoubengal1954

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Definitely prefer the dread, which actually sound very promising for a new guitar. Are they torrefied, did they tell. . 
Would be so interested in hearing Ren's own words for the sonic vision behind the various models. He and his son must have talked it over again and again, setting goal, dos and don'ts. 

But CONGRATS from here. A good start is half gettin' there. 

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7 hours ago, E-minor7 said:

Definitely prefer the dread, which actually sound very promising for a new guitar. Are they torrefied, did they tell. 
 

There is no mention anywhere in the two videos of torrefication, which leads me to believe the answer is no, but it will interesting to see the detailed specs when they are released by Music Villa.  👍

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1 hour ago, bayoubengal1954 said:

There is no mention anywhere in the two videos of torrefication, which leads me to believe the answer is no, but it will interesting to see the detailed specs when they are released by Music Villa.  👍

They probably aren't - guess. 

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On 2/21/2021 at 9:02 PM, Sgt. Pepper said:

The guy builds killer guitars  and works of art but he puts Co. on the headstock and what its too close to a Martin. Get real.

 

I have never played one of Ren's guitars so do not have a clue as to sound.  His reputation though will convince folks to part with the scratch these guitars will most likely bring without ever holding one in their hands.  But the art has always been there on display.  The problem is I cannot play bling.   And it is lost on me anyway.   

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2 hours ago, bayoubengal1954 said:

There is no mention anywhere in the two videos of torrefication, which leads me to believe the answer is no, but it will interesting to see the detailed specs when they are released by Music Villa.  👍

I think if there using seasoned Red Adirondack Spruce.  It may not require a speedy  aging process.    

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1 hour ago, slimt said:

I think if there using seasoned Red Adirondack Spruce.  It may not require a speedy  aging process.    

The Ferguson's stock of woods should be something special. Wouldn't be surprising if the old master chose to avoid frying the best of them.                                                                                                                                                     Maybe he's against the trick - we'll see.

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2 hours ago, zombywoof said:

 

I have never played one of Ren's guitars so do not have a clue as to sound.  His reputation though will convince folks to part with the scratch these guitars will most likely bring without ever holding one in their hands.  But the art has always been there on display.  The problem is I cannot play bling.   And it is lost on me anyway.   

I'm sure if his guitars sounded like a-ss it would certainly be mentioned on the net somewhere.

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1 hour ago, E-minor7 said:

The Ferguson's stock of woods should be something special. Wouldn't be surprising if the old master chose to avoid frying the best of them.                                                                                                                                                     Maybe he's against the trick - we'll see.

About the only way to get your hands on domestic old growth red spruce after WWII was to buy government surplus wood.  Martin apparently  managed to get a hold of a good stash twice in the 1950s as well as some Englemann spruce.   It probably would have been easier for Ren going back to the early-1970s to have acquired Braz rosewood than red spruce harvested from a 200 year old tree.  I want to say farm grown red spruce did not start being used regularly until the later-1990s or early-2000s.  If I recall there was also initially a pretty hefty upcharge for it.

Edited by zombywoof
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1 hour ago, zombywoof said:

About the only way to get your hands on domestic old growth red spruce after WWII was to buy government surplus wood.  Martin apparently  managed to get a hold of a good stash twice in the 1950s as well as some Englemann spruce.   It probably would have been easier for Ren going back to the early-1970s to have acquired Braz rosewood than red spruce harvested from a 200 year old tree.  I want to say farm grown red spruce did not start being used regularly until the later-1990s or early-2000s.  If I recall there was also initially a pretty hefty upcharge for it.

John Walker in the Gibson custom shop in 94 did a SJ200 for me with the old growth Adirondack Red Spruce.  Signed under the top with the materials used.    

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1 hour ago, slimt said:

John Walker in the Gibson custom shop in 94 did a SJ200 for me with the old growth Adirondack Red Spruce.  Signed under the top with the materials used.    

Cool.  It might also have been harvested from the old growth Italian red spruce which can be found in the Alps.   A while back I saw a story about a piano maker who will only use this Alpine red spruce for his soundboards with his instruments selling in the $200K range.   In the 1990s though Martin found just enough old growth Englemann to make four guitar tops.  

Edited by zombywoof
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  • 8 months later...

How instrumental Ren was in reviving classic Gibson acoustic models for a modern age, with modern production-line techniques for production economy and consistency for a new age of acoustic guitar making at Gibson, is probably clear to everyone. To see his son, who is no stranger to the business of guitar making either, and him making boutique guitars is heartwarming. The Brazilian rosewood was apparently cut in the 1970s before any agreements on restricting such exotic woods was in use. The finish looks satin to semi-glossy; whether it is nitrocellulose lacquer is anyone's guess (there is no spec sheet yet). In any case, even if you could cough up the cash the waiting list is already so long that you probably won't see the end of it.

50538411808_cd3a02ff46_h.jpg

Edited by Leonard McCoy
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I recently told Ren I was coming up his way next spring....I asked him if he's sign my three Bozeman guitars, (DIF, 'Bird Koa and 'Bird 12-String).   I told him I'd take off the strings so he could sign the inside...he said his paws were too big....but he's sign the back to the hearstock with a Sharpie....I said "DEAL!".

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  • 1 month later...
3 hours ago, duluthdan said:

https://imgur.com/a/PTgH4Sv
got to play Ren’s first dread this summer . Really interesting neck profile - big and full, with a bit of a V favoring the thumb side just a teeny bit - best neck I’ve ever played. Sound? Well, pretty flipping spectacular. 

Did it put you in mind of a Martin or Gibson? Or something else?

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 11/9/2021 at 9:52 AM, DanvillRob said:

I recently told Ren I was coming up his way next spring....I asked him if he's sign my three Bozeman guitars, (DIF, 'Bird Koa and 'Bird 12-String).   I told him I'd take off the strings so he could sign the inside...he said his paws were too big....but he's sign the back to the hearstock with a Sharpie....I said "DEAL!".

I was really humbled when I finally got my J-45 Rosewood Custom I ordered to see that Ren had signed it for me. It's a treasure for sure...

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Just now, JudgeGarry said:

I was really humbled when I finally got my J-45 Rosewood Custom I ordered to see that Ren had signed it for me. It's a treasure for sure...

That is a treasure!    In the future, I'll be like having a "Gibson Loar F-Style Mandolin" signed by Lloyd himself!

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