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Here is my latested. I need to do the final prep for finishing. I am getting excited. This is a falcate braced classical. It has Western Red Cedar Top, three piece pernambuco back and sides, BRW headstock veneer and bridge, cocobolo fretboard and binding.

















It is tapping about where I want the guitar. The air is lower than I thought at 90, I might grow the sound hole 4 mm or so. I thought it might be high because of the sound port combined with my standard soundhole opening.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

That's looking good and very promising John, looking forward to seeing it finished.

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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.

Are those Waverly tuners with ebony pegs? I saw them looking for stuff for the one I'm building. Not with slots though. Thought they might fit the look I'm going for. And they are light. And a bit on the pricey side.
I know NOTHING about tuners, and truss rods, and all the banding and edge work.
They look cool though.

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Why be normal?

That looks great John, I'd like to hear what you impression is after you play it with the 90Hz box.
Nice job

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Looks like the schertler tuners? Looking good, last build I really struggled with the string path and the slots, intersting tosee how others tackle this.

B

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My memory is so good, sometimes I remember things that never happened.

John Will you post a sound clip of the pernam . I/dlike to hear it ?/ I have lots of it, Tnx

Nice!!

I’m looking forward to hearing what that Brazil wood sounds like!

FYI michael brazilwood is different species ts not pernam, its dark brown, and pernam is dark orange

Thanks all, I will post a video and a properly recorded sound clip when finished. The tuners are schertler tuners, I probably will go with gold and ebony. The pernambuco lumber was purchased from Cook Woods, it was just thick enough to resaw to get the 3 piece back and the 2 sides. My client bought the wood and had it resawed as I could not have done it cleanly enough to get the five slices. It was the first time I agreed to bend a venetian cutaway using client purchased wood. It took some talking into and only a promise to do my best. The outside of wood was a lot oranger than what you see in the pictures, it has been darkening as time has passed after it was resawed and thicknessed.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

All of my research said it was the same. https://www.wood-database.com/brazilwood/

I guess I stand corrected.

My spouse is a horticulturalist, she will not let me mention any plants or wood without the Latin name. I still use common names.So this is Paubrasilia echinata? I would not really know for sure as Cook Woods called it Pernambuco.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

FWIW michael and john I spent quite a bit of time early 90/s studying with notable bowmakers in thousand oaks , oberlin and a few other teachers, Brazilwood is a generic term for a dark brown coloured wood . coming from s. america. Back in the day ( 50/s) to 90 s almost all the trade bows e. g. factory bows were coming from germany and sold to the general public . These were mostly entry level bows. Pernambuco is much more expensive . I do not know the latin name for brazilwood.

Thanks Ernie, you illustrate the problem my wife has with common names. One name, lots of sometimes unrelated species. I am pretty sure this is Pernambuco used in bow making. Although the cook woods website did not list the latin. It is very stiff and it is dense. It really colors burnt orange on exposure.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

There is another wood from c , america that is a dead ringer for pernam , it is bright yellow , and turns orange . but not the dark orange of braz pernam it is called chakte viga , and hibdon back in the mid 90/s gave me some . it is not quite as hard as braz pernam, but is an exc sub, and probably way cheaper. ?? Yes pernam is the king of bow woods.. But some bowmakers are switching to alternates, due to embargos . price gouging cites treaties etc.

From the Cook Woods website about the wood in this guitar: Brazil wood or Pernambuco is a rare exotic hardwood that is a burnt reddish-orange color. It is noteworthy that Brazil was named after this wood due to the fact that the vivid orange and burnt red colors of the wood closely resemble the soil of Brazil. Uses include but are not limited to orange dye, stringed instrument bows, and fine boxes. This is a very stiff wood that is the wood of choice for instrument bows. A glass like finish can be obtained for stunning articles! Scientific name, Caesalpinia echinata, this hardwood can also be called Ibirapitanga, Tupi, or Chakte Viga and has been laboratory tested with the University of Wisconsin USDA to confirm that it is the same genetic species as Pernambuco.

https://www.cites.org/sites/default/files/ndf_material/WG1-CS5.pdf

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

I have used those same Schertler tuners on a modern nylon string and I think they are great. Look good and work really well

Thanks John, also another problem for bowmakers is the relative density of pernam which from all my tests,is all over the map. As mentioned a lot of these woods are very similiar , and hence much confusion abounds. Your wife is correct, Until you nail down the right latin name for these woods. its pretty much a guessing game . Those in the know use scientific data , cell structure, slide samples etc to determine the species within a species . On a side note some bowmakers who make double bass bows have switched to massaranduba , A hard tough dark brazilian wood readily available through flooring suppliers. Could possibly be used in guitarmaking.