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I am ready to start cleanup and finish prep on this Bocote\Lutz spruce 8 string crossover commision. The 2 extra strings will be bass strings. I will have to play to see how low to go. The player would like to go down in fourths from the low E. I know I can make the 7th string a D and the 8 string an A and have it sound good with still useful strings. I started with the Gore medium size guitar and adjusted it for 8 nylon strings. The guitar has a 14 fret join, so I made the scale 660 mm to push the saddle down a bit. The neck has close to steel string spacing on a 55 mm nut and typical classical spacing on the bridge. The guitar will be played more like a lead guitar (thus the 14 fret join) than a classical. The player wanted the nylon string sound. It certainly is a somewhat unique instrument. I am interested to hear what it sounds like. I will install a K&K pure pickup, as it will be used in performances.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Very , very cool!

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

Yeah, that looks great. I love Bocote, even the smell.


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That looks like a fun one

Nice John, I like the softer cutaway shaping for that body shape, and of course, the woods.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

For your extra base strings you can use harp guitar nylon sub bases. You can buy singles at Harpguitarmusic.com. They show them as thick as .080 inches.

Very nice looking! I like the straight grain ribs too.
Is that a classical rosette?

Thanks all for the kind words and thank you Clay for the information on harp guitar strings, I never thought of them.

Hans thank you, My rosette is walnut surrounded with rope binding.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Hi John,
Where did you find the rope binding?
In the past I have made it by slicing herringbone down the middle and adding a couple lines to the edge.

I think out of a reject pile at Gurian Instruments' barge. They host a lot of Seattle Luthier Group meetings.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Clay - LMI sells this (which may come from Gurian): http://www.lmii.com/products/mostly-woo ... y-purfling
SKU# PFMQ4

LMI calls it diagonal check instead of rope but it looks to be the same design. I used it around the top of my last guitar and I like how it looks.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

Congratulations on your build. I had a potential client ask for an eight string guitar a few months ago, but I refused. You are more adventurous than I.


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It has been awhile but she is all strung up. I still need a proper set up but she sounds good. Currently I am using .050" and .060" Nylon core silver wound strings for the sub base. They sound good tuned to a D and a B. I have ordered .054" and .064" strings to try and see if I could go down in 4ths from the E to B and F#.

The finish on the body is post cat Royal Lac on system 3 silvertip epoxy pore fill and seal lac. The neck has a gluboost fit and finish CA pore fill -> seal lac - wiped on Royal Lac.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Gorgeous guitar, John! I love the way the black binding works with the bocote. Really makes the wood stand out.

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Julie Moriarty
http://JulimorCreations.com

Very nice! very nice!
All the elements look very harmonious. The shape of the peghead goes very well with the shape of the upper bout.
I glued up a set of lauro preto a couple of years ago. I think it's a cousin to bocote. Your guitar may inspire me to finally build with it.

NIce!

I love Bacote too, first guitar I ever built I used it. Looks great.

I used Royal Lac on one of my last guitars and it seems promising. Did you brush or pad it on?

Very nice, John!

Hopefully I'll be able to stop by your place and give it a go before you hand it off to its new owner.

Cheers, M