lauantai 24. tammikuuta 2015

My deluxe H-13 model finished!

I finally finished my latest build that has been under way since 2012 or so. A few instruments have become reality before I got this one on the bench, but that was on purpose: Intention was to build myself "my last guitar" and to put in it the things I've been practicing with the previous builds. I'm happy with the results. Have a look! Feast your eyes!

Pay attention to the headstock decal with Kenoosis written in Greek alphabet. The decal was made by Olavi "Olli" Ikonen of CIDecals in Finlad. Very good customer service, highly recommended! Check him out HERE







I made this one for my own use. But you know how it goes. If somebody is willing to hit 5000€ on the counter, I will sell it with just a hint of regret.

Here's two videos with the guitar in action.




Kenoosis #12# in detail

Model: 000/H size deep body guitar, 13 frets-to-the-body neck.
Top: Lutz Spruce with partial bear claw and tight grain.
Top bracing: Adirondack spruce.
Back and sides: Figured Ovankol. Back is double x-braced with European spruce.
Binding & bevel: Flamed Maple with black-white trim.
Top inlay & Rosette: ZipFlex Paua Abalone 1.6 mm with black-white trim.
Neck material: 7 piece sandwich with Spanish Cedar, white and black Maple veneer and Walnut. 
Headstock veneer: Madagascar Rosewood & Koa with black-white sandwich.
Back of headstock: Bookmatched Koa.
Heel cap: Koa with black-white sandwich.
Neck reinforcement: 2-way truss rod and carbon fibre bars.
Fretboard: Ebony bound in maple with 4mm abalone dots. Brass mosaic pin with Spectrolite eye (a true Finnish gem) at the 12th fret.
Fretwire: Ewo Gold medium.
Bridge: Pyramid style ebony.
Bridge pins: black bone with brass/abalone inlay.
Nut and saddle: bone.
Scale length: 645mm.
Nut width: 45mm.
Pickup: BGM Electronics Elevation System.
Tuning machines: Engraved brass Waverly 3-on-a-plate with Snakewood buttons.
Pickguard: black OM style
Strings: Martin Vintage light
Finish: French polishing (Hard Shellac), Tru Oil on the neck.
Comfort & Ergonomy: Manzer wedge, armrest bevel, toneport

Very comfortable to play ear&eye candy.
When I get the time, I'll shave the bridge a few mm lower.
I like the black buffalo horn pins on ebony!
X-bracing of the back




The tone port adds nice dimension to the sound - especially
for the guitarist. Black and white trimming shows through
the hole for a careful beholder.
The thicker treble side. Manzer wedge 
keeps the internal volume of the soundbox
 about the same. It's just easier to hold.
Volume and tone of the Elevation System can be adjusted through the
sound hole. The hot glue bed is not very pretty. Luckily nobody sees it but
very short elves in the audience, standing right next to player's feet.

Spectrolite is pretty black, but flashes magic blue
when light hits in a right angle.
Nice silking on the top grain.

Walnut centre brings stiffness, mass and looks
to the extremely light Spanish Cedar neck.

000 13th fretter. Player and keeper.
My fist ever pearl inlayed top. Martin's 42-style.
ZipFlex is very handy and easy to use material.
4mm abalone dots as usual.
Ebony fingerboard is bound with flamed maple
 and black-white purfling.
13-fret architecture brings the bridge nearer to the ideal
spot on top (compared to 14th fret model), yet giving a bit better
access to the upper frets (compared to 12th fret).
I doesn't hurt the eyes either, does it?

The body depth is closer to Gibson Nick
 Lucas model than a Martin 000 or OM
This angle shows the comfort features
nicely. My right hand shoulder joint is
singing praises.
Back and sides set was a cheapish (40-50€)
add-in to cut the shipping cost of a previous build.
 Aaron Hix provided me with both this set and
a stunning Cocobolo I used for Jouni's guitar.
I prefer my neck natural with no tints.
 Let the wood show it's beauty! Nice satin finish
comes from the combination of
Tru Oil and 0000 steel wool.
Compact package, balanced sound.

In the headstock veneer I combined
Madagascar Rosewood and Koa.
Just to see how it turns out.
Turned out it turned out nicely...
A sheet of black and white veneer
were sandwiched in between.
Well, just because I wanted... 
I just love the shape of the good old
slotted headstock....

...which the Waverly 3-on-a-plate-expensive-like-h***
tuning machines compliment nicely

Flashlight brings up the "wet" figure. Tonewise Ovankol
is relatively close to Indian Rosewood.
But as non-porous wood, much faster to finish!

I had a bookmached Koa headplate lying around so I decided
to use it here. As a Martin-inspired traditionalist,
it's very hard for me to imagine this light colored headstock front veneer.
 In the backside it brings nice texture to the whole.
Had to bend the neck end of the veneer a bit to match the curve.

The heel stack.

Heel cap is Koa-black-white-flamed Sapele.

Ei kommentteja: