Reader Poll: Article Improvement
By terence | July 3, 2009
Dear readers,
As part of our upgrading process, we would like a moment of your time on how we can improve our articles.
Your help and understanding is much appreciated.
Topics: Administration | 1 Comment »
1986 Martin HD-28 Brazil. SN 466131. Guitar Database.
By terence | July 2, 2009
Martin | HD-28 Brazil | 1986 | SN:466131
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We aim to keep each entry as complete as possible & your help is appreciated!
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Luthier Facts :
Name: Martin
Location: Nazereth, PA
Wait list: Sockists Worldwide
Taking Orders?: Yes, standard & customs
RIYL: Martin have set the benchmark for a lot of builders and manufacturers.
Note: (RIYL) Recommended If You Like
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- Model: HD-28 Brazil
- Serial no: 466131
- Year: 1986
- Top: Sitka Spruce
- Bracing: Scalloped
- Back and sides: Brazilian Rosewood
- Neck: Mahogany
- Purfling: Herringbone
- Fingerboard: Ebony
- Bridge: Ebony spac
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This is a Brazilian rosewood herringbone D28 style which Martin put out in the 80’s as a limited edition. This series was intended as a reproduction of the earlier prewar D28 model.
The prior owner had this to say:”I have played several 1986 hd28 models, and they have all been superb quality and sound. (Most flat picker’s eyes will light up at the mention of a 1986 hd28 model)!!
It is made of “book- matched slab cut Brazilian”- top notch tonewood!!! This guitar is almost 23 years old. It is broken in with thundering lows, booming mids, and sweet melodic highs. Here is a brief description of this guitar along with any issues it has: It has the usual finish checking cracks in the top from previous dummies that don’t humidify properly.
The checking has added personality, and has not affected the playing or sound of this instrument in any way. There are a couple of noticeable dings on the top-just above the sound hole and to the right, and also on the top -bottom right if looking down on the guitar-see pictures! It appears to look like 2 small “b-b” size dings, but both are through the finish and not the wood. This has not affected playing, volume or tone in any way.
The frets are all good and the set-neck is adjusted perfectly for flat picking. The fretboard is smooth with little or no wear and the v neck is strong as an ox and shows little wear on the back. The “Martin” Tuners are original and stay in tune. The bridge has a modified bone saddle -see picture, and this has improved the tone and volume. The bridge and saddle appears to be original- or possibly special order modification.. The belly is normal with no swelling or sinking, and the bridge is sitting tightly in place.
The guitar conforms to the typical specifications of the model for the period with a full dreadnought size body, Sitka spruce top with scalloped bracing and herringbone trim, Brazilian rosewood back, sides, and headstock veneer, mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard with dot inlays, ebony bridge, and clear lacquer finish. This model was made as a limited edition instrument.
Brazilian rosewood was not routinely used by Martin after late 1969 at which time Indian rosewood was substituted for Brazilian and only very small numbers of limited edition Brazilian rosewood guitars were produced. Brazilian rosewood is now on Appendix I of the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) treaty. Importation of this wood is no longer legal and guitars made with this material are greatly sought by collectors as well as musicians.”
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References: Martin Guitars, a History by Mike Longworth.
Pictures kind courtesy of bestpicker12
©2008
Errors are unintentional although we try very hard not to make them- corrections or feedback are always welcome! Guitars are property of individual owners.
Any infringement of copyright is entirely unintentional. Any copyright issues should be address to: writers@guitarbench.com. We will attempt to resolve these issues quickly. Guitars remain property of respective owners.
Topics: Instrument Database | No Comments »
Kevin Muiderman. Luthier Interview
By terence | July 1, 2009
Kevin Muiderman | 2009 | Luthier Interview
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Video Feature
John Doyle:
False Lady
Full size: Here
TT - Thanks for taking the time to speak to us, Kevin. I know your work from the double top guitars- would you mind letting us in on how you became a luthier and how you began to focus on double tops?
KM - Thanks, Terence. It is always fun to talk about guitars. Growing up, I loved building things from wood (furniture, sculpture, (nun-chucks)) and loved playing acoustic guitar. As a teenager, I moved to Holland Michigan where Del Langejans still makes guitars. I admired his instruments, and wished to understand why the guitars he made by hand sounded so much better than the factory made instruments of the same shape and same woods. After watching Del make guitars, I felt that guitar making might be the perfect blend of my two loves–woodworking and guitar music.
But soon schooling and work took me away from thoughts of guitar making. Fast forward 15 years later, busy with work and family but never having lost the dream of luthiery, I decided to go to Leeds Guitar Makers School in Northampton, MA to learn to make steel string and classical guitars. That was 13 years ago, and I’ve been pretty much building every day since. After making my first guitar, however, I had a moment of disillusionment that led me to the exploration of alternative building techniques.
I realized that I could easily work all my life but never come up with a guitar that would hold a candle to all of the great guitars being made in the world by all of the amazing traditional builders. So I looked the world over to see if anybody was doing anything different and if they were having success.
Those explorations led me to the use of composite materials. Especially in the classical world, it seemed as though folks like Smallman and Humphrey were making extraordinary instruments using stuff like graphite and Kevlar. I thought I’d dive in and give some of those materials a try and see if I could make my guitars sound better.
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MP3 feature: Michael Chapdelaine Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Michael Chapdelaine performs on his Muiderman guitar
TT - So Kevin, how much more work goes into producing a double top vs. traditionally braced top?
KM - In my hands, a double top is about 10 times more work than a traditional top. All of the layers have to be built seperately and dimensioned to the thousandth of an inch. The regions where the top will meet the sides bridge and fingerboard all have to be reinforced in tedious and time consuming ways. And once the layers are assembled the top has to be thicknessed without sanding through the outer skins, which I still do every now and again–after which I whip the ruined top against the wall where it makes a satisfying crunch. It takes many days of work.
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Video Feature
Michael Chapdelaine:
More than Words
Full size: Here
TT - What would you say the advantages of your system is over traditional designs?
KM - I guess there are three main advantages that make it worth my while to make double top and composite lattice braced guitars. The first is consistency. By measuring the dimensions and deflections of each component to the thousandth of an inch and the 10th of a gram, I can pretty much make, say, 10 guitars of the same materials sound just the same. By corollary, I’ve also learned how to alter tonal ranges which allows me to customize per the request of a given player. I could never quite get that level of control with traditional tops and carved bracing. I know there are those builders who can. But I could not.
Second, the ultra light tops have massive dynamic range. With a top and bracing system 50% lighter than with traditional construction, the energy of a stroked string has less mass to move. The result is more movement of the top and thus more volume for a given energy. A player then has more musical range and can produce the desired sound with greater ease. Again, I am not able to reproduce this sort of volume with traditional construction methods.
The third advantage for me is consistency along and across the fingerboard. If a composite top is built correctly, the player finds that all ranges are equally represented from the first to the 6th string and from the first fret to the 20th. When I build with traditional designs I find I have to some degree sacrifice one range for the another.
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TT - And with the double tops, are you obliged to use the same material or have you done some experimenting?
KM - I have done lots of experimenting, and experimentation is on going. The designs I am using today are different than they were 5 years ago, and I suspect they will be different 5 years from now.
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TT - So have you tried something like a spruce/cedar combination?
KM - Yes, I’ve done a few spruce/cedar combos. It seems to me that there is a subtle coloration of sound when various woods are used. As you might imagine, the sound is somewhere between a typical warm cedar sound and a typical bright spruce sound. Overall, however, type of top wood seems to matter less with a double top than with a solid wood top as might be expected as the skins on a double top really make up only a fraction of the top’s structure
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TT - Which are your preferred top woods?
KM - I have no real preference, actually. The guitars I make are all, these days, built for a particular player with particular tonal requests. Therefore the top wood is usually determined by the needs of the player. In the end I’ve not used a wood or wood combination that simply didn’t sound good. Double tops are mercifully versitile.
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TT - What’s your take on back and sides woods? Do they play a greater role in colouring in sound in double topped guitars?
KM - Back and side woods seem to have slightly less influence in my double tops than they do in my standard topped guitars. That is, there is certainly subtle coloration of the sound, but it seems the structure of the ultra dynamic tops largely determines the tonal qualities of the double top guitar. That said, for a given player, I still use all the tools I have to push the tone toward the one best befitting that player including using wood like Brazilian to try to get the most sparkle in the overtones for a particular fingerstylist or woods like mahogany for, say, a more traditional flatpicker.
The Wave..
TT - Are there any other unusual aspects of your builds you would like to let us in on? Like the “wave”?
KM - Ah yes. The Wave. The great thing about these tops is that they can be molded during their lamination to any shape. So when I was making the guitar for the great Martin Simpson, he requested a little more comfort where his right arm crossed the body of the guitar.
To keep the same tonal qualities, I knew I had to keep exactly the same internal volume of the body of the guitar, so I wanted to avoid the Ryan sort of solution which slightly decreases the surface of the top and the internal volume of the guitar. Cumpiano and Manzer had both tipped the top of guitars to make the guitar essentially wedge shaped. In fact Manzer copyrighted the term “Wedge” I believe.
So to increase player comfort for the right arm, I increased the height of the down side of the body while decreasing the height of the side of the body where the arm rests. Eventually, taking advantage of the aforementioned flexibility of the top, I ended up contouring the lower bout end of the guitar only while leaving the rest the same. The result is a very comfortable, very cool but unconventional contour. Thus the “Wave.”
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TT - And how does classical construction differ from steel string in your instruments?
KM - I am building them similarly, actually. Except that all of the structural elements in the classical are lighter to accommodate the lighter tensions of nylon strings. My building with composite materials actually started by studying and working to reproduce Smallman’s classical guitar work.
I then took what I learned from his composite lattice principles and transposed them to steel string construction. I continued experimenting (the tests for the first year and a half didn’t sound so good), adapted the bracing pattern, and finally added the double top. I am finally now taking what I learned from developing the double top, composite, wood/graphite, lattice braced steel string and transposing it back to classical construction with satisfying results.
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TT - So do you use a Spanish heel for both classical and acoustics?
KM - Actually I usually use a Spanish heel for classical and a standard block with dove tail for steel string. No particular reason or preference except that I try not to change too many things in a design so that my variables don’t get out of control. I tend to change just one thing at a time, and I’ve not yet gotten around to testing different shaped or differently weighted blocks or even different materials.
Having said that, I just finished putting together a classical with a dovetail neck joint. I was impatient to get the guitar started, and my neck wood order was delayed. So I went ahead and assembled the body and built the neck once the wood arrived. Seems fine to me.
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TT - So really there’s not much difference between the spanish heel and the dove tail?
KM - Speaking with the vast experience of 1 classical made with a dovetail, I don’t hear any acoustic difference, and structurally the dovetail is certainly sound. And my classical prototypes all have bolt on necks for easy disassembly, and they sound just like the final spanish heel product as well. My sense is that the spanish heel is part of the tradition of classical guitar making but isn’t necessary for making a good one. But again, I’ve not yet taken the time to test it.
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TT - Any interesting projects coming up you’d like to share with us?
KM - I am working on lots of new things right now including a double top mandolin and a little “O” guitar. I’m also in the prototype stages of a “crossover” guitar. The crossover is a request from a fingerstyle player for a heavy strung, slightly larger body nylon string guitar.
She wants a bolder nylon string sound with more punch and sustain than a traditional classical. The light weight, versatile double top seems to me a logical place to begin. It will likely have a fairly long scale, perhaps 655 or 660 to increase the string tension, and will likely be built around composite strings. I’m mighty interested to see where it will land.
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Resources: 1. Kevin Muiderman website: here.
2. Michael Chapdelaine website:
here.
3. John Doyle website:
here.
4. Muiderman guitar for sale: here.
5. Double top luthier:
Alan Dunwell.
TT - Would you have any words of advice for aspiring luthiers?
KM - Take the time to build dis-assemble-able prototypes, and by changing one variable at a time, figure out for yourself what really makes a difference in the sound and structure of a guitar. It will lead you in surprising and exciting directions
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TT - Thanks for your time Kevin!
KM - Thank you, Terence. It was great fun!
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©2008 Terence Tan.
Pictures courtesy of Kevin Muiderman ©2009
Check out Kevin’s great website: link
Any infringement of copyright or errors is entirely unintentional- although we try very hard not to make them. Any guitars represented remain property of their current owners. Any issues should be address to: writers@guitarbench.com. We will attempt to resolve these issues quickly.
Topics: Luthier interview | No Comments »
Guest Article | Jim Magill | “Can you trust what you hear?”
By terence | July 1, 2009
Even though I rarely post, I check in with this forum and four others at least once a day, and even a casual visitor would notice how many topics continually return to aspects of guitar lore and the interminable wrangling over such venerable subjects as the superiority of this or that tonewood or brand or body size, new vs. vintage, the search for a ‘cannon,’ ‘holy grail,’ or ‘banjokiller’ whose sustain is so great that ‘it’s still ringing when I take it out of the case!’ Apparently, we guitarists just love shootin’ the bull about this stuff, even though it seems that most of us feel enough like experts that our opinions on such matters, grounded in the reality of what our ears tell us, are unassailable, and though we’ll allow that everyone else is entitled to their own opinion, we’re not convinced, because they just can’t hear what we hear. What we hear rules, and nobody’s argument is going to trump what we can experience with our own ears. I’m no different: others are entitled to their opinion, but all that really matters TO ME is what I hear. Only we ourselves can call into question what we hear, and I’d like to suggest that all of us do a little more of that, for the following reasons.
For the sake of argument, let’s consider just one of many perennial forum topics: the phenomenon of guitars ‘opening up’ as they get more age and playing time on them. For the record, I believe that ‘opening up’ is real, not only because I think I hear it, but because, objectively, it seems to make sense. As wood cells age, lose moisture and resins crystallize, there would be less damping, and vibrations would pass through them quicker and easier. Finish and glue joints cure, increasing the effect, and it seems reasonable that hours, months and years spent coaxing the wood to produce the 12 specific tones of the western scale of music might ‘train’ the wood to produce those tones more easily. But can this process actually be experienced as it happens? Although a new instrument’s sound does change noticeably in the first few days after it is initially strung up, it stabilizes fairly quickly, and most would agree that what we usually mean by ‘opening up’ takes months or years, so experiencing any change in sound requires comparing it to our memory of much earlier states, and this is where the slope first begins to get slippery.
We say we can hear a guitar opening up because it sounds different (usually better, whatever that means) now than when it was new. But we can’t compare by going back to hear it again when it was new, so how can we really know? To compare the sound now to the sound then, we have to rely on our memory of what it used to sound like, and problems arise immediately. First is the obvious fact that our ears now are not the same as our ears then. It’s well-documented that we tend to lose some perception of higher frequencies as we age. Also, our guitar tastes may have changed over the years, making it sound more (or less) appealing to us now than it did then. Then there is the phenomenon of ‘psycho-acoustics’, where we tend to hear what we want, expect or are predisposed to hear. From my reading of the posts here and on other guitar forums, I believe we guitarists are particularly prone to this condition. And of course, some of us may simply not remember things as well as we used to.
I’ve also found that some of my own memories tend do be more situational than I realized. For example, the best beer I ever tasted was a Dutch brand called Oranjeboom I had when I was 18. I think I remember it as ‘the best’ because I was in a rathskeller in Frankfurt, my first time in Germany, and I was able to successfully order my meal of wienerschnitzel and a beer, in German, without being asked my age. In that exotic setting I felt mature, capable, independent and exhilarated by the moment. Everything about the dinner made it a peak experience, and there is no beer I’ve had since (including another Oranjeboom) that I enjoyed more than that one.
Similarly, the “Best Guitar I Ever Played” was an early ’30’s Martin 00-28 or 00-21 at Gruhn Guitars around 1982, which sold for the fabulous sum (at the time) of $4000. It was just the brand, body size and woods I coveted at the time, it sounded better to me than all the other great guitars there in the store, and the price put it well beyond the reach of a struggling road musician like myself, making it all the more desirable, and all the more mythical in my imagination. I’ve played quite a few 00’s of similar vintage since then, but none of them jazzed me in the same way, and none of the great, better-sounding guitars I’ve played since have matched that experience, either. A memory of our guitars when new may similarly be flavored by the excitement of acquiring them, what they cost and what we may have had to do to pay for them, how long we had to wait for them, how they compared to other guitars we own, etc. I know I’ve remembered that amazing little 00 at Gruhn Guitars many times, and here’s where another problem arises.
Evidence from neuroscience suggests that once a memory is created, each time it is recalled it changes slightly, and since we always recall the most recent (changed) version of it, the more we recall it, the more it changes. To learn more about this phenomenon, listen to the RadioLab episode on “Memory and Forgetting” at http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/, or check out the work of Dr. Yadin Dudai at http://www.weizmann.ac.il/neurobiology/labs/dudai/dudai.html and Dr. Elizabeth Loftus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Loftus. Memories, it turns out, are quite malleable. As Dr. Karim Nader says, “When a memory is retrieved, it is transformed into a vulnerable state in which it can be lost, changed or strengthened.” The memory of a guitar’s sound when new changes based on a number of factors including our perception of how it sounds now, whether we believe the ‘opening up’ process has occurred, whether we like the change or not (Norman Blake told of a guitar he had to ‘rest’ a few years because the sound had become ‘too loose’) and whatever other nuggets of guitar lore we happen to subscribe to.
So, when we’re trying to discern subtle qualitative differences in a guitar’s sound over time, what can we really say with certainty?
Well, subjectively, if I hear it, then it’s real – for me. What we know can be objectively tested, duplicated and verified by others; all the rest is simply what we believe, so even though I believe ‘opening up’ to be true, as an objective phenomenon, there’s too much uncertainty in the methodology for me to say that I know ‘opening up’ to be true. It’s precisely because there is no definitive, objective proof that might resolve the issue, that debate about ‘opening up’ and other aspects of guitar lore rages on. Personally, I think it’s this ambiguity, permitting us all to spout off with relative impunity, that we most enjoy, and keeps forums like this one chuggin’ along.
So, the next time any of us feels the urge to climb up on the old guitar soapbox and lay down the law on some issue of sound quality, or set matters straight on someone else’s preposterous declaration, based on our own considerable experience and finely-tuned ears, before we type anything, let me gently suggest we should give pause, because there’s enough factual evidence to indicate we should all take what our ears and memory tell us with a very big grain of salt. As a popular bumpersticker has it: “Don’t Believe Everything You Think.”
Originally posted on the 13thfret forum, reproduced with permission.
Original post: link
©2009 J.Magil. Jim is a director, The Swannanoa Gatherin: link
Errors are unintentional although we try very hard not to make them- corrections or feedback are always welcome! Guitars are property of individual owners. The views expressed in this article are entirely the author’s. Any infringement of copyright is entirely unintentional. Any copyright issues should be address to: writers@guitarbench.com. We will attempt to resolve these issues quickly. Guitars remain property of respective owners.
Topics: Administration | 3 Comments »
Guitar Photography: Guitar Tuner by alienatedbuddha
By terence | June 29, 2009
Guest Photo | alienatedbuddha | “Guitar Tuner”
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This image is easily formatted to fit any resolution- Left Click for a larger view, right click to save!
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Here’s a shot taken by alienated buddha- The black and white photo with a great composition and macro technique makes for a great effect.
Photo ©2009 alienated buddha. Used with permission.
See more http://alienatedbuddha.deviantart.com/
Errors are unintentional although we try very hard not to make them- corrections or feedback are always welcome! Guitars are property of individual owners.
Any infringement of copyright is entirely unintentional. Any copyright issues should be address to: writers@guitarbench.com. We will attempt to resolve these issues quickly. Guitars remain property of respective owners.
Topics: Photography | No Comments »
2003 Beardsell Model9B. SN unknown. Guitar Database.
By terence | June 26, 2009
Beardsell | 9b | 2003 |
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Please email with any corrections/ additional info
We aim to keep each entry as complete as possible & your help is appreciated!
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Luthier Facts :
Name: Allan Beardsell
Location: Canada
Status?: Taking Orders
RIYL: Unique modern guitars
Note: (RIYL) Recommended If You Like
- Model: 9b Classical
- Year: 2003
- Top: Englemann spruce
- Back and sides: English Sycamore
- Neck: Mahogany
- Sound ports- bound
- Conformed cutaway
- Nut width: 2″
- Allan writes: “The first thing you’ll notice is the radically raised fingerboard, obliquely angling the strings toward the top and bridge at a pronounced negative neck angle. This changes the mechanical action of the top from the twisting/torqueing of the standard guitar bridge to a push/pull of the concert harp—the only plucked-string instrument that regularly competes with orchestral instruments. the top is typicallly 7-strutt fan braced, with the 1st an 7 th struts running through a graphite-reenforced open tonebar—the lower soundhole transverse brace.”
This is an early Bearsell 9b. Allan Beardsell is building some of the most tonally and aesthetically unique guitars out of his Canadian workshop. Inspired by classical and gypsy Jazz designs, Allan has combined modern techniques and construction into a guitar which can only be described as wonderful!
The prior owner Steve has this to say about this guitar “Allan Beardsell Model 9B Oval Hole 14-Fret Classical Guitar made by one of Canadas finest builders! Year is 2003. Conformed cutaway style guitar with English Sycamore back and sides, Engleman spruce top, and a 2 inch wide Mahogany neck. This guitar has a lower bout Laskin armrest and bound sideports which allow the player to hear all of the subtle tonal nuances as well as get a sense of the power of this guitar.”
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Pictures kind courtesy of parizo123
©2009
Errors are unintentional although we try very hard not to make them- corrections or feedback are always welcome! Guitars are property of individual owners.
Any infringement of copyright is entirely unintentional. Any copyright issues should be address to: writers@guitarbench.com. We will attempt to resolve these issues quickly. Guitars remain property of respective owners.
Topics: Instrument Database | No Comments »
Tony Klassen. Luthier Interview
By terence | June 24, 2009
Tony Klassen | 2009 | Luthier Interview
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TT - Thanks for taking the time to do this interview with us! I understand your interest in the Larson bros. guitars triggered your lutherie career, could you tell us a little about that?
TK - Thanks for the interview! It all began back in the summer of 1985. Prior I had only been collecting for a bout 5 years, and most of those, if not all, were Martins and Gibson’s. Pretty plentiful then. My dream guitar was a pearly Martin. 12 fret or 14 fret, it really didn’t matter. By that summer, I’d finally saved up enough dough. With cash in hand and my 1929 000-28 in trade, I headed off to Gruhn Guitars in Nashville. George had a pearly 00-45 for sale, and I decided that was the one I would get. I was really excited. My first time in Nashville, and a chance to hang in one of the worlds premier vintage shops. That trip changed me forever…..
New Era:
Prairie State Super Jumbo
(click for fullsize)
Larsons’ Prairie State Jumbo was one of the largest guitars produced being 3” larger than the standard sized dreadnought. Tony has captured the look and feel of this great Larson Brothers Classic with ais well balanced, powerful and punchy baritone voice. Laminated X-bracing of Spruce/rosewood/spruce. The tops are built under tension to create a slight arch resulting in a stronger top.
Prairie State 18″ Jumbo Style 6
Prairie State Super Jumbo Style 8 Custom Sunburst
Prairie state 17″Jumbo
(click for fullsize)
This is the most famous Larson model thanks to the spectacular playing of Stefan Grossman and the reproductions by Franklin & Greven guitars. The New Era take is more authentic aesthetically and retains the feel of this great Larson Brothers Classic. The tonal response is well balanced and powerful.
A 17″ jumbo Style 8 with Brazilian rosewood back and sides
I got to George’s shop shortly before closing, and his hospitality was amazing. He locked the doors. He called his wife (“I’ll be home later”), and he let me spend the next two hours playing guitar after guitar. I played Martins, Gibsons, and Washburns, and I admired them all. What stuck in my mind was something called a Euphonon. What is this!? Who made it? I wasn’t quite sure…
My immediate impression was the look. It hung among many guitars, but stood out and seemed to call to me. Very different then anything I was use to at that time. The pearl stars in the bridge, the wide band of abalone around the top, and the vine headstock inlay were stunning. The craftsmanship was equal to the best. The Brazilian was figured, and even had tiny knots in it. Something I think most builders at that time would pass on. One of the most visible characteristics was the guitars back was larger then the top! What was their intention! Nobody knew, but I couldn’t help but think these guys where not afraid to experiment, and push the limits.
George placed a mirror in side to show me the laminated braces. WOW! I just grew more and more intrigued. The fact that this came from a 2 man shop, and not a factory was very impressing to me. It truly felt like a hand made instrument. Something up until then I had never encountered. George was totally excited about it. I wasn’t quite sure… odd shape….. George had to leave and we would hook up the next morning, so I had some thinking to do.
That next day I spent 4 or more hours playing that Martin 00-45 I wanted, and the Euphonon that was getting more and more enchanting every time I picked it up. I was hidden away in a quite little listening room playing both for sound comparisons. Every time I picked up the Euphonon George would knock on the door, poke his head in and say “ I can here when your playing that one, right through the walls!” He was referring to of course, the Euphonon. So we talked more about the guitar, and it’s makers. George gave me the book Bob Hartman put together.
The book was full of interesting instruments. The Brothers made everything from mandolins to mandocellos, and guitars up to 21” wide! This Euphonon just had a vibe I didn’t feel in the others. As for the sound, it too was very different, and ultimately what helped make the sale. Bright, lively, loud and very well balanced. It was much more suited to my style of playing compared to the more delicate Martin. This was a true steel string guitar! The deal got better. George offered me more for the 000-28 then he originally quoted, so now had a pretty easy decision. I left the shop with the Euphonon, George said spread the word!
That was by far my best and most memorable guitar buying experience ever. It set in motion a quest to learn more about, and collect as many Larson made instruments I could find.
New Era:
Dreadnought
(click for fullsize)
Carl and August Larson adapted this classic model and incorporated some of their own unique and highly innovative techniques. The Larson bracing, and subtle arched tops, produces a tone unlike the rest...
Dreadnought style 4
Dreadnought - Maple back with custom sunburst
My background and education was in Graphic Design. I have always had strong interest in woodworking. I grew up around tools in my grandfather’s shop, so learning how to use them came pretty easy. In Fall of 1987, after about 4 years in the Design field, an opportunity to relocate to Northwestern Connecticut and work in a small high end furniture shop presented itself. Man how romantic! I could pass this up! So I quit my job, packed up everything I owned in a tiny U-Haul (including my most prized possession, the Euphonon ), and headed east not really knowing what would happen. It was a very exciting time. Northwestern Connecticut in the Fall was breathtaking. I totally felt at home in the shop. Woodworking seemed to be my calling. It came pretty naturally.
It was the shop and the access to all those woodworking tools that inspired me to make my first guitar. I didn’t really know where to start. I had an article from Fine Woodworking on how to bend sides, and I owned a book a friend have given me years ago on guitarmaking by David Russell Young. ( everything you need, Right??)
I found a guitarmaker’s supplier in New Hampshire, and of all things called The Euphonon Co.! I never did ask them why the name, and it hasn’t really sunk in until now as I write this!! Anyway, got my supplies and dove right in headfirst! I spent many after hours and weekends in the shop. Always my trusty Euphonon at my side. I used it as my model. Although the body on mine was kind of OM shape, internally, it was ALL Larson! After 21 years I still remember what it felt to string it up for the first time. Magical!
Now with this first guitar, I wondered why there weren’t more Larson inspired guitarmakers out there. At this time I knew of Franklin Guitars who made something very close. It was Stephan Grossman that brought those to light. Very cool and I want to persue the same! As fate would have it, It was time to leave CT. It was a great year and I learned something I knew would last me a lifetime. So back on that road to discovery!
New Era:
Euphonon
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The New Era Euphonon was inspired by a one of the most unique, and one of a kind instruments in the Larson line. Known among collectors as a “pinched waist dreadnought”. The shorter body length and 4.5” depth, makes it a versatile instrument for flat picking and fingerpicking alike. Strong projection, even balance, and lively tone.
Euphonon Style 7 Tobacco Sunburst & Fancy Marquetry
Round Shoulder Euphonon
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This model was inspired by another unique instrument in the Larson line. Strong projection, even balance, and lively tone.
A pair of fancy custom Round Shouldered Euphonons
It was now 1989 and I wound up in Chicago. Not in furniture making or guitars, but back to using that degree I earned, and still owed on! It ended up being a great move, and a great job. I found my self in an award winning Design firm where one of the strangest tools entered the field.
A Macintosh computer! I really hated it at first, but as time passed, it became my friend. In 1993 I set out on my own, computer in hand, and moved to my present location 1 hr form Chicago. All this time still never letting go of my dream of someday becoming a Guitarmaker!! I persued Computer Illustration, and it became very lucrative. So I started collecting tools and putting together a shop, which at one time was the 2-car garage. The one thing I persued more than tools was anything built by the Larson Brothers. These guitars are rare and few, but seems like many presented themselves.
I met Bob Hartman for the first time in 1997. We did some trading and dealing, and I supplied him with photos of my collections which are in a few of his books. Many Larsons passed through my hands over the years. Mostly the smaller parlors which are much more plentiful than the larger 14 fret models. I was fortunate to have meet a another fellow collector and have access to his collection for measurements and comparisons.
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TT - What’s your philosophy to building the Larson-style guitars?
TK - The Larson Brothers production stopped in the Early 1940’s. There was no family to carry on and keep the business going. So no one exactly knows how they did what they did. How many instruments they produced or even how the shop was set up. With every Larson instrument I have owned and/or examined, I think of myself as an archaeologist, and as I build them I try to put myself in their shoes. “How shall I approach this” , and “did they do it like this!? “ It is a challenge that I look forward to every day I spend in my shop! I respect them highly as Artisans and inventors. Their work has been the fuel and inspiration that has taken me to this point. I am very excited to be carrying on this fine tradition the Larson Brother’s left behind.
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TT - So do you build entirely authentic replicas or are there modifications?
TK - I build very close to the originals utilizing modern materials and techniques. I build my necks with an adjustable truss rod which I feel is very important. It also depends on what a customer wants. If they prefer a lighter weight feel I will add carbon fiber rods for that extra stiffness. For the most part everyone wants to be able to tweak there action, and what better way the an adjustable rod. I’m sure if the Larson’s had them at there disposal they would have used them too ( I think Gibson had the patent at that time). The Larson’s were not opposed to using metal for support.
They incorporated metal rods in the bodies of their Prairie State guitars, and sometimes even large wood screws hidden in the heels of their necks! My other modification is the use of adhesives. I really prefer modern glue, but I am now experimenting with hide glue. Just to take it one step further to the originals. Another, and very slight modification, would be the bracing pattern I have chosen. I have examined many originals and have found many variations on the bracing patterns used by the Brothers. I have settled on one specific pattern for each model thus adding an overall consistent sound to my reproductions. I am very happy to have come as close as one can to emulating the Larson sound, and vibe. I truly believe no matter what materials you use the overall sound depends on the hands of the maker, and how much passion the one puts into their craft.
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TT - And how about tonewoods? Which do you favor?
TK - I believe the top is the most crucial component in the guitar. The back and sides ad to color the sound. So my favorite wood of all is Adirondack. I really like the wide grain stuff. It sounds more open and the bass seems stronger. I also use Adi for top bracing no matter what the top wood is ( Sitka, Engelmann, etc…). As for back and sides, I like to stay with tradition woods. The Larson Brother’s used Brazilian Rosewood extensively. It has always been the favorite. Since it’s getting pretty hard to get, a good replacement is Honduran, Cocobolo, and Madagascar. I have used all of these and like them very much. Mahogany is another favorite and maple. Both of these woods you’ll find on vintage Larson guitars.
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New Era:
Maurer
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Maurer guitars are some of the earliest guitar models Carl & August Larson built. This New Era Maurer is based on the larger 15″ 12 fret models. The wide fingerboard and long scale make it an excellent fingerstyle instrument. Well balanced and powerful.
A Maurer Style 7
TT - Thanks for that, how do you think Honduran, Cocobolo and Madagascar compare to Brazilian rosewood?
TK - Density and weight are key. These three woods are as close as you can get. I have found Brazilian to be a very easy wood to work with where as Cocobolo can be difficult. It’s oily and brittle, but sure makes a great looking and sounding guitar. I have just recently gave Honduran a go on one of my 17” models. The tap tone is excellent and I’m pretty positive the tone will be too. Madagascar is a super tonewood, and probably looks the closest to Brazilian. It’s nice to know we have some great alternatives out there.
spcae
TT - How about those laminated braces and stiffening rods?
TK - The bracing is what sets the Larson’s apart form all the rest. This is where the innovations of the Larson Brothers really shine. There guitars where certainly meant for steel strings! On the top, ( the X, and first upper transverse brace ) are laminated spruce/rosewood/spruce. I prefer Adirondack, and have tried different rosewoods for the center strips. Cocobolo, Brazilian, Ebony, and Padauk. All producing the same result. A very stiff brace! I feel this bracing technique is the main ingredient for the Larson tone. The other great innovation is the rod system. Only seen on the Prairie State’s.
The rod system acts to reinforce the body against the tension of the strings. The idea here is for the top to vibrate more freely. Most of the original guitars had two rods. A main rod about a 5/16” in diameter, and running close to the top from neck block to heel block, and is fixed into place. The second rod is about a 1/8” in diameter, runs slightly lower then the top bar. This one is adjustable. It passes through the neck block and wraps around the heel of the neck. Then passes through the end block where it acts as the end pin and can be adjusted, tightened or loosened!?
If this idea works or not is a mystery to me. I know that the Prairie States do have a distinctive tone all their own. The rods produce a sympathetic vibration when the guitar is played. Very, very unique! I have only incorporated this system in a couple of my replicas, and only one rod, the non-adjustable fixed. I working on developing it a little further. I want both rods to be removable, but more on that as it develops…..
spcae
New Era:
OM
(click for fullsize)
This is the Larson take on Martin’s famous Orchestra model. Laminated X-bracing of and tops built under tension create an arch resulting in a stronger top. The tone is bright, loud and well balanced.
An OM Style 6
TT - Other than the Larson repros, I know you’ve also working on a Bacon & Day…
TK - Oh yes! The Bacon & Day Senorita S-6. One of my all time favorite guitars. An exceptionally rare instrument as well. The Larson Brothers are my main interest and inspiration, but I am also wanting to reproduce other guitars that I find to be rare and desirable. The B&D is a great example. No one really knows how many were produced, and in my 25 years of collecting I know of two.
The guitar fingerstyle guitarist John Fahey played in the mid to late 1960’s, and the one I was very fortunate to have found about two years ago. A very inspiring guitar. Bacon & Day, a banjo manufacture, got in to guitars after the banjo boom of the late 1920’s. The guitar was made by Regal in Chicago, and B&D did the fancy stuff. The pearloid and rhinestones! I just love this combination! I’m also really excited because I am collaborating with Bob Flesher, a banjo maker! Bob is a master engraver as well.
He hand engraves pearl and metal. Now he says he has developed a technique just for the plastic pearloid. It is currently in production, and I’m really excited about it’s development. I think this is going be be a total winner!
Another guitar I’ve owned and admired is the Gibson made Recording King Ray Whitley. This is another very rare and seldom seen instrument on the market. Made for only one year 1939-40. A classic dreadnought Cowboy guitar! One of Gibson’s greatest achievements. I often have wondered why they didn’t make more. Anyway a great guitar to reproduce!
So I’m always thinking what would be next??? I haven’t owned an Epiphone Recording yet. If I could get my hands on one of those you might be seeing one pop up on my website. They have one of the coolest body designs, their very rare, and another plus for me, engraved pearloid!!!.
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©2008 Terence Tan.
Pictures courtesy of Tony Klassen ©2009
Check out Tony’s great website: link
Any infringement of copyright or errors is entirely unintentional- although we try very hard not to make them. Any guitars represented remain property of their current owners. Any issues should be address to: writers@guitarbench.com. We will attempt to resolve these issues quickly.
Topics: Luthier interview | 5 Comments »
1984 Franklin 0M. SN 391. Guitar Database.
By terence | June 23, 2009
Franklin| 0M | 1983 | SN:391
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Luthier Facts :
Name: Franklin
Location: Various
Status?: Currently unknown
RIYL: Reproduction of vintage Martins and Larsons
Note: (RIYL) Recommended If You Like
- Model: OM
- Year: 1983
- Top: Adirondack Red spruce
- Back and sides: Koa
- Neck: Mahogany
- Body Length: 19 3/16″
- Upper Bout: 11 1/2″
- Lower Bout: 15″
- Body Depth @Neck Heel: 3 1/4″
- Body Depth @Tail Block: 3 3/4″
- Scale Length: 25.5″
- Bridge: Ebony
- Binding: Ivoroid
- Rosette: Line Purfling
- Backstrip: Marquetry
- Purfling: HerringbonehHersapce
This is an early Franklin OM which has been retopped more recently my Nick Kukick. Before going solo, Franklin guitars were built by a group of luthiers including Nick Kukick and Steve Anderson.
At a later date in the 90’s Franklin guitars were built by entirely Nick Kukich in Portland, OR with a wait list of 2 1/2 years. Unfortunately, sometime the 90’s Nick met with unforeseen circumstances had stopped building altogether.
He built OMs, Jumbos and a replica of the old Stella 12-string and could list Stephan Grossman and John Renborn amongst his customers. His best known models were an OM and a Larson brothers inspired 17″ Jumbo. More recently, Kukich has returned and is building again under the Franklin name.
The prior owner Steve has this to say about this guitar “This guitar was originally built by Nick Kukich, one of the very first luthiers to bring back the early 30’s OMs, in 1984 (number 391). His guitars are extraordinary and quite rare since each guitar is hand built by Nick.
The guitar’s back and sides are a spectacular old growth koa. When I acquired the guitar it had a cedar top (there were several cracks in the top) and a strange, skinny electric guitar-style neck which had obviously been a custom order.
Mr. Kukich just finished re-topping it with a lovely set of red spruce (Adirondack) and gave it a new neck, 1 ¾” at the nut and 2 5/16″ at the bridge. It plays wonderfully and sounds fantastic right now. It will only improve as it is played “space.
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Pictures kind courtesy of Steve
©2009
Errors are unintentional although we try very hard not to make them- corrections or feedback are always welcome! Guitars are property of individual owners.
Any infringement of copyright is entirely unintentional. Any copyright issues should be address to: writers@guitarbench.com. We will attempt to resolve these issues quickly. Guitars remain property of respective owners.
Topics: Instrument Database | No Comments »
Guitar Photography: The Guitar by jbogas
By terence | June 22, 2009
Guest Photo | jbogas | “The Guitar”
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This image is easily formatted to fit any resolution- Left Click for a larger view, right click to save!
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Here’s a photo manipulation taken by jbogas- every aspect of the final image is well thought out and executed- from the flames to the clouds. I enjoyed this one and hope you do too!
Photo ©2009 jbogas. Used with permission.
See more http://jbogas.deviantart.com/
Errors are unintentional although we try very hard not to make them- corrections or feedback are always welcome! Guitars are property of individual owners.
Any infringement of copyright is entirely unintentional. Any copyright issues should be address to: writers@guitarbench.com. We will attempt to resolve these issues quickly. Guitars remain property of respective owners.
Topics: Photography | 1 Comment »
1999 Brook Tavy. Guitar Database.
By terence | June 22, 2009
Brook | Tavy | 1999 |
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We aim to keep each entry as complete as possible & your help is appreciated!
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Luthier Facts :
Name: Brook
Location: Devon, UK
Wait list: Sockists Worldwide
Taking Orders?: Yes, standard & customs
RIYL: Brook have set the standard for a small UK based manufacturer.
Note: (RIYL) Recommended If You Like
s
- Make: Brook
- Model: Tavy
- Year: 199
- Top: Sitka spruce
- Back and sides: Brazilian rosewood
- Neck: Mahogany
- Bridge:Ebony
- Upper bout:30cm
- Lower bout:41cm
- Scale: 25.5
- Nut width: 1 3/4
This is an great example of a Brook Tavy with the Spruce/Brazilian rosewood tonewoods. Brook guitars have built a reputation especially in the UK for producing high quality guitars. In fact one of my first handmade guitars was a Brook and I have had the pleasure of playing many more. I have always thought their neck profile is particularly comfortable and every guitars has a signature sweetness to the tone.
The prior owner Paul has this to say about the guitar: “It’s time to thin the herd a bit. I’ve got a handful of interesting, remarkable and one-of-a-kind finds. Over the last few years I’ve bought more guitars than my wife can stand. I tried big names and small shops, known and unknown. I’ve got more than I can play at the moment and I think that I have a handle on which ones are best for me; Since I think that guitars should be played not just looked at I’m putting up a handful of great guitars.
Here is an absolute game changer…Up for your consideration is a Brook Guitar Tavy (Small Jumbo) in Brazilian Rosewood. If you know of Brook Guitars you know exactly what you’re looking at. If not, do a quick google search to check them out. This is a no holds barred, world class guitar that will hold it’s own with anything made by anyone anywhere.
My own completely subjective observation is that European guitars have a unique and different voice than classic American guitars. Lowden, Lakewood, etc. are each unique in their own way but sound different than Taylor, Martin, etc. For what it’s worth Brook, to my ear, falls very much in that European tradition. It excels in alternate tunings…it just sings The guitar sounds fantastic and plays like a dream.
It is not perfect but it definitely lives in that neighborhood. The neck is straight and the action is medium-low. There is no substantial fret or fingerboard wear. The wood is outstanding: Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, spruce top. Check the photo of the back.
You will quite likely never have another opportunity for such a unique example of Brook’s work. The cost and availability of Brazilian rosewood are making new guitars almost impossible to find. Those that can be found tend to be three and even four piece backs as stock dwindles. I am not a jumbo size guitar player or this would never leave my possession.”
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Pictures kind courtesy of Paul.
©2009
Errors are unintentional although we try very hard not to make them- corrections or feedback are always welcome! Guitars are property of individual owners.
Any infringement of copyright is entirely unintentional. Any copyright issues should be address to: writers@guitarbench.com. We will attempt to resolve these issues quickly. Guitars remain property of respective owners.
Topics: Instrument Database | No Comments »