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Just strung up No. 5 & took some photos.

1937 Hauser (Brune plan)
Oregon Myrtle B/S (RC Tonewoods)
Englemann spruce top
Spanish cedar neck
IRW bindings, bridge, headplate
Maple/bloodwood/maple/black purflings on top
French polish - super blond

I am gratified to see my craftsmanship improve with each build. Can't believe that I was satisfied as "good enough" with the work on No. 1.

Working with the myrtle was a pleasure & a learning experience - had some tearout issues with planing & scraping that did not really effect the final product. I really enjoy the look of the figured woods & hope that their use becomes more accepted for classical guitars. I also appreciate the traditional look of IRW, but, if the sound is good, why not other woods? Perhaps, that's a topic for another thread.

I'm pleased with the sound & eager to get some playing time on this one.

-Steve

That looks like a wonderfull build Steve, nice job!

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

A really lovely instrument! I love Myrtle and it looks great here. I am intrigued by the purling line in the middle of the back - very unusual choice, which I like. I'm curious, why not a regular strip/inlay in the back or none at all?

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

Steve- The B/W/B fineline back strip was an experiment. (I got the strip from LMI.) I thought that a regular 1/4" back strip might compete for attention with the figure on the back, and to have no back strip, the guitar might somehow seem "unfinished." I have another myrtle B/S set that is a good match with this one. I think I'll try a regular strip with that set to compare.

-Steve T.

I think the thin back line looks great! But I'd be tempted to have it just be a solid black line.

Very nice looking guitar. I agree that it would be nice if the classical community were more accepting of a variety of wood. The market for this may be in the flamenco community though?

Jim

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Very nice looking guitar. I really like the back strip you did.
Chuck

Nice Steve!
I love Myrtle also.
The workmanship looks great!
I like the top purfs.!

I'm doing a sinker Redwood & Ebony Hauser classical right now.
I'll post pics soon.
Mike

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Mike Collins

The photos look great - I'll be over tomorrow to try it out - can't wait. Bill

Great looking guitar, Steve. I love the look of the Myrtle and the appointments you have selected. Very tasteful in every respect. I am making a flamenco with Myrtle back and sides right now. Hope it comes out looking as great as yours.

Congrats',
Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

Nice job!

I think having similar edge and back strip treatments can help to bring the aesthetic together, In this case perhaps something similar to your end piece scheme. You are right to consider the figure of the wood as being an important factor and plainer is better in those cases I think...........along with consistancy.

Give this a try next time around and I think you'll like it.

Congrats!

Nice choice of woods, fit and finish look great!
I bet it sounds as good as it looks...

Mike:

Here is sinker Redwood and EIR on a hybrid. Hauser body shape but with steel string sized 47mm neck width at nut. It is a nylon string fingerstyle guitar for my use that will probably get me hooted out of the local classical guitar society when I take it there. It should be stung up in a few days then we will see. This is my first try for sinker Redwood.

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GEO
perpetual beginner

NICE! Geo!
How about a close up of that rose?
DOTS! OH MY!
Nice job on the arm rest also.
The top I ended up using was stiff as all heck !
I'll post pics soon.
mc

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Mike Collins

Steve:

Nice job and I will be interested in how the think the Myrtle sounds and how it compares to other woods you have used.


Mike:

Here is the rosette - pretty simple - red abalone and something brown.

G

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GEO
perpetual beginner

I like it George!

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Mike Collins

Excellent Steve! And Myrtle is such a great wood.

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

Love the rosette. Did you make that yourself? I think the Rosette is one of the most understated, but important things about setting a guitar apart.

Steve

Steve E- The rosette is LMI's R-9. I chose it for its simple elegance, after having used some flamboyant (garish?) ones on some earlier builds. There is a spot of red in the design which is a nice complement to the bloodwood purfling line on the top.

Thanks to everyone for their kind words & encouragement!

Steve

Seven years later, I now have a sound clip/video of this guitar:
Villa Lobos Prelude #4 - https://youtu.be/ot2WXlg8CnA
The guitarist is Matthew Wherley. Matt is a recent high-school graduate & has only been studying classical guitar for a year. He had some experience with steel-string acoustics & electrics before going all in with the classical.