New Guitar nearly ready

Costs are rising and times are tough.
Please consider a donation to keep this
place going.

Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.

This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.

We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.

You are logged in as Guest

Users viewing this topic: none

Printable Version

All Forums >>Discussions >>General >>

Page: [1]

Message

<< Newer Topic Older Topic >>

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

New Guitar nearly ready

Im getting really excited now because my new negra is nearly finished being built. Its being made by master luthier and Foromember Stephen Hill just down the road from me in la Herradura. This is one of the 25th anniversary guitars that he took orders for last year and its exciting for me for many reasons. Firstly because I have known stephen for ages and he is the only guy I now trust to do my setups. I have wanted one of Stephens guitars for a long time now and when the 25th anniversary model was being planned I couldnt resist. Secondly because although I have had several negras, I never had one in Brazilian rosewood. Thirdly because this is the first time I have had the opportunity to have a guitar custom built for me where I have a large say in the spec and i can choose the actual pieces of wood for the instrument. The special edition came with some cool features starting with a new rosette ( all hand inlay, i wouldnt have the patience for this!)

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

Attachment (1)

_____________________________

Follow my blog http://pimientito.wordpress.com/

"Ceremonial" by Mark Shurey "Pimientito". CD and digital download vailable on Amazon and
CDbaby. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/markshurey

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 5 2011 10:21:04

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to Pimientito)

Here are the sides and back. The rosewood is Brazilian but it comes from old stock. I dont think there will be any more Brazilian models after this one. The sides have a beautiful colour gradient into the top and the back has a swirl which I liked very much.

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 5 2011 10:23:11

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to Pimientito)

Here are the braces being put into position. I have gone for the 7 fan brace under the top. I think this photo is very cool.

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 5 2011 10:26:09

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to Pimientito)

Stephen is also a master at S+M. Some people think this black rubber technique is to hold everything together while the glue sets....not true, its just for fun!

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 5 2011 10:28:27

rombsix

Posts: 7808
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to Pimientito)

quote:

I have had several negras

Care to spare one?

_____________________________

Ramzi

http://www.youtube.com/rombsix

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 5 2011 10:30:56

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to Pimientito)

Here is Stephen himself routing the binding channels. He looks a bit scary with the powertools and facemask.....but not as scary as when he takes them off

You can see the headstock has been routed for the machines. I was not going for pegs on this one.

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 5 2011 10:35:34

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to Pimientito)

Now the fingerboard is going on. I think there are going to be some nice inlay features on the bridge and I like the bindings very much. Notice how the light grain on the rosewood mtches the top perfectly. Im not sure when it will be ready to play but hopefully should be in a few weeks.

I have a recording project later this year and Im really wanting to use this guitar for it.

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 5 2011 10:37:29

Ailsa

Posts: 2277
Joined: Apr. 17 2007
From: South East England

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to Pimientito)

Great pics! I'm sure you'll have many happy hours with this. Though actually you have some pretty fine guitars already I think!

_____________________________

http://www.flamencojourney.com
http://www.myspace.com/flamencojourney

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 5 2011 12:00:52

aarongreen

Posts: 367
Joined: Jan. 16 2004

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to Pimientito)

Looks beautiful, congratulations. Also looks like a cedar top, no?

Love the tile work in the window frame next the bench in Stephen's shop. That would make a great rosette, in fact I am pretty sure I've seen that in a rosette.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 5 2011 14:08:57

Sean

Posts: 672
Joined: Jan. 20 2011
From: Canada

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to Pimientito)

I can see why you're so excited, such clean sharp craftsmanship, she is gonna be a thing of beauty when done

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 5 2011 14:24:56

Kate

Posts: 1827
Joined: Jul. 8 2003
From: Living in Granada, Andalucía

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to Pimientito)

Yay looking good, cant wait to hear her

Maybe she can even feature on the front cover of your next album

_____________________________

Emilio Maya Temple
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000CA6OBC
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/emiliomaya

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 5 2011 15:55:13

at_leo_87

Posts: 3055
Joined: Aug. 30 2008
From: Boston, MA, U.S.A

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to Pimientito)

yeah, you look like you're going to have a lot of cool things coming to you in your future! congrats!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 5 2011 16:28:59

mrMagenta

Posts: 942
Joined: Oct. 25 2006
From: Sweden

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to Pimientito)

Looking nice! Exciting times eh? :-)

Stephens work always looks very tasteful. Beautiful details are already apparent. I love that rosette, and the bindings / purflings are well thought of to accent the very cool wood figuring on the sides. Heaps of character with wood like that!

Hope to see and hear it in action soon.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 5 2011 17:22:38

HolyEvil

Posts: 1240
Joined: Nov. 6 2008
From: Sydney, Australia

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to Pimientito)

congrats mate!! when it is done.. do a side by side comparison with your other guitars.. especially the conde that you got about 1-2 years back... the gravina one i think =)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 6 2011 8:39:41

Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to Pimientito)

That looks really nice. A cedar top braz babe....a real brownie

I like the thin pale parts of the sides. It gives the guitar character and the rosette is very beautifull in all its simplicity. Do you have any ideas on when it´ll have strings on?

So Stephen wont be building more Braz? As things are now, I wont be building more braz guitars either. To much cheating and very expensive. Way to risky

_____________________________

Blog: http://news-from-the-workshop.blogspot.com/

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 6 2011 9:20:45

Arash

Posts: 4495
Joined: Aug. 9 2006
From: Iran (living in Germany)

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to Pimientito)

what is the penalty and punishment for going to brasil and cutting off a whole rosewood tree and bring it to huelva.

maybe after a calculation, its still worth it.lol

Pim, i can't wait to see and HEAR the finished guitar.
looks good!

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 6 2011 12:01:06

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to Anders Eliasson)

Im not sure when it will have strings. Its got to have a polymer type finish which I think takes several coats. Im not having it french polished because I find it very impractical and I will scuff to guitar to shreds in the first week.

The brazilian rosewood is now very difficult to obtain. I know some makers who have private stocks but they are not selling any. Stephen said that there are people buying old houses in Brazil that have rosewood timbers for the beams etc and are tearing them down to sell the wood. However its so valuable that there are many con men selling wood from anywhere.

I think we will see the end of Brazilian rosewood guitars once some of these private stocks are used up and thats why I really wanted to get one while I could.

_____________________________

Follow my blog http://pimientito.wordpress.com/

"Ceremonial" by Mark Shurey "Pimientito". CD and digital download vailable on Amazon and
CDbaby. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/markshurey

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 6 2011 14:52:05

Anders Eliasson

Posts: 5780
Joined: Oct. 18 2006

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to Pimientito)

I know builders (and wood sellers, wood cutters, etc) who build guitars out of whatever brownish wood from south America and call them Brazilian rosewood guitars.

What kind of polymer finish are you going to have on the thing. Polymer sounds plastic to me. If you dont want FP, I would advice you to have it finished in Nitrocellulose.

_____________________________

Blog: http://news-from-the-workshop.blogspot.com/

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 6 2011 15:53:42

sean65

Posts: 414
Joined: Jan. 4 2010
From: London

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to Pimientito)

You must be excited about your guitar Pim.

I think knowing you're getting some genuine Brazilian Rosewood must be an added bonus.

This video of Jim Opfer playing one of Stephens Negra's sounds amazing.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 6 2011 16:06:36

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to sean65)

I saw my guitar again on the weekend. Its close to being laquered now. Here is the bridge. Its mother of pearl and bloodwood on the block.

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 22 2011 10:33:31

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to Pimientito)

...and now the frets are being put on. The finish will be a type of Nitro cellulose I think and applied in a half dozen very fine layers over 3 weeks. This is the first time I have seen the guitar all put together. The rosette is a one off unique piece specially designed for me. You can see it more clearly now. Its the only one like it.

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Feb. 22 2011 10:39:53

sean65

Posts: 414
Joined: Jan. 4 2010
From: London

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to Pimientito)

Any news on your guitar yet?

It would be great if you could post some sound bites or a video.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 27 2011 19:19:39

Pimientito

Posts: 2481
Joined: Jul. 30 2007
From: Marbella

RE: New Guitar nearly ready (in reply to sean65)

Its nearly finished. I havent seen it since I posted the last photos a month ago but Stephen says he is putting the final coats of laquer on it now. Jingle saw it last week and was really impressed. He phoned me and said it looked beautiful. I guess strings will be going on in the next week or so.

_____________________________

Follow my blog http://pimientito.wordpress.com/

"Ceremonial" by Mark Shurey "Pimientito". CD and digital download vailable on Amazon and
CDbaby. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/markshurey

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 28 2011 14:04:42