Hogtop Charlotte/bluesman67's Green Mountain build w/ pics

[bluesman67]

Hello y'all!

I'm starting this thread because a guitar I commissioned summer of 2009 is finally underway and I'm very excited.  I've never had a guitar built before and it's safe to say I won't do it again.

As a left handed guitarist, I wanted certain qualities and characteristics in a guitar that I simply couldn't find with production guitar manufacturers.  My wife doesn't really get why I need more than 1 guitar and I would love to share this experience with folks here who appreciate the nuances that each guitar offers to the player.  

If you have ever considered commissioning a guitar, following this thread is a great way to learn exactly what to expect from Green Mountain Guitars luthier Glen DeRusha.  If you follow this thread, I encourage you to share feedback comments and suggestions.  

Basic specs are a sloped dread with a wedge and a sound port, 12-fret, 1 3/4" nut, Italian spruce, black walnut b/s.  Tonal Characteristics are specified to be; some low end boom, lots of headroom to drive real hard but also very responsive to the lightest touch, mahogany-like tone with more overtones than you would typically hear from mahogany but less than rosewood.

UPDATED SPECS
Neck wood   Mahogany  12-Fret
Head cap   Ebony
Head cap binding   Maple binding, b/w purfling
Tuning machines   Grover Sta-tites 18:1 open back
Nut   Bone left handed
Finger board   Ebony
Finger board binding   Maple, b/w purfling
Heel cap   Maple ebony maple ebony
Back stripe   Ebony maple ebony maple ebony
Vertical strips   mahogany
Kerfing   mahogany
Neck and tail block   mahogany
Butt wedge   Ebony maple ebony
Body binding   maple
Top purfling   b/w/b
Back purfling   ebony
Rosette       Custom Walnut ebony/flamed maple/walnut/flamed maple/ebony
Bridge      Ebony, left handed
Sound Port   Helix, left handed
Wedge   Left Hand
Bevel    Maple, Left Hand
Scale Length    Multi-Scale 24 3/4" - 25 3/4"
Nut Size   1 3/4"

Pics are starting to roll in so I'm going to post here as I get them.

[frankhond]

Aha, so when building a guitar you start with the rosette, and work your way outward? I didn't know that.... 

[bluesman67]

This is Green Mountain's first left handed build



Mahogany Neck Block

[bluesman67]

Black Walnut Sides


Wet sides, Nice!



Time to shape up!



Setting up for the wedge


Bracing pattern

[Blue in VT]

 

Nice looking walnut....she's going to be a stunner!

Blue

[bluesman67]

[bluesman67]

[bluesman67]

I've got a few pics to add today.  It looks like this guitar is coming together nicely.  Cross my fingers, maybe June is the month I'll get this gem in my mitts.

back bracing looking good


looking real good!


...and a little vertical bracing


...and the neck and tail blocks, reinforced side for sound port

[pennerblue]

SWEETNESS!

That IS looking good...

[BluesMan1]

   Nice looking guitar. Can't wait until she's done. As Penner said, "SWEETNESS"!

[bhika]

Joseph,

How are things coming along with this build? Is it finished? How's it look? How's it sound? How is it?

Inquiring minds wish to know?????????

As much as I would like to A/B our forum guitars when you visit later this summer, if this beauty is all finished up you have to bring it along.

[bluesman67]

Finally the Italian Spruce top is coming together!  The rosette will be lined with ebony strips, a center ring of walnut, and flamed maple surrounding the walnut.




Here is the ebony fret board.  It should look a little strange because this is going to be a multi-scale guitar!  I'm very excited about this.  I didn't originally care for the option because I didn't really understand it and it looked odd.  Then I played one from Green Mountain and oh my, it's quite special.  The multi-scale (fanned fret) balances the strings similar to a piano, each with a different length.  The high E is a short-scale 23 3/4" and the low E is 24 3/4".  I love what it does to the tone.  With the frets fanned, I find it's a bit easier to play at the top and bottom of the neck because there's less torque on my wrist.  The 7th fret is perpendicular and the G string is standard length.

[Dotneck]

Looking good Joseph...whats are you expecting for an ETA? Can you tell yet?

[bluesman67]

Gary,

I really don't have a completion date.  I still have his SD walnut on loan and that's been keeping me pretty happy 

[Danny]

  Thanks for the update. How about a pic of the "loaner" walnut SD. Does it look like what yours will be when finished?
   Man that multi scale stuff is something else.

[Danny]

                                                               

    I found a sound clip online for a walnut/spruce Jumbo. They sound very clean flat picked.

[kwakatak]

Oh man, but I LOVE build threads! It's looking good so far. How's the neck coming along?

[bluesman67]

Rosette with Walnut center ring, maple, then ebony

[bluesman67]

[bhika]

that's a beautiful and tastefully done Rosette