Home * Works in progress * For Sale * History * NBN Retrospective series * Technobabble
May 2011: After the success of #215 I determined to build a few more Nootka Cypress guitars. #218 is the second of these. The above photo shows the completed instrument. For this series I prefer a sparse, almost shaker aesthetic with an occasional surprise. The surprises in this case are a Black and White ebony bridge, a flamed Spanish Cedar back and a remarkably colored Englemann spruce top. Spanish cedar is just a bit lighter weight than Nootka Cypress. The top features a bracing pattern that I developed to more fully incorporate the waist area into the functional soundboard area of the top, which is confined to the lower bout in traditional patterns.
June 2011: #218 is finished and ready to go. It's remarkably responsive on the treble strings with a noticeable response on the G string, which lessens the usual strong tonal break between wound and plain strings. This has is a very strong and solid balanced sound. For strong melody lines with a solid bottom, this is a great choice.
Soundboard - Englemann Spruce
Sides - Nootka Cypress
Back - Curly Spanish Cedar
Neck - Gently flamed Spanish Cedar
Fretboard - Gabon Ebony
Bridge - Black and White Ebony
Binding - Yellowheart
Scale - 650mm
Weight - 1264 grams
Top Mobility Factor: 33.2