Guitar #5

[Eric Knapp]

Hi, all.

I have finished my fifth guitar. I feel like I'm making some progress and this one might be getting closer. This is a left-handed guitar and it's my first that will be heading to another home. Fortunately, the new owner is my brother-in-law so I can keep track of it over time. It's weird making a left-hander, I can't play it at all. I tried to finger some chords and I have new empathy for beginners now. That was really hard.

The back and sides are Koa. It's not top grade but any Koa seems wonderful. This was a piece given to me by a friend from a board he couldn't use on furniture.

The top is Sitka spruce from a board I got around 1982. It was a reject from a boat builder, 10" wide and 10' long. I smiled and said I'd take it off his hands.

The binding is maple.

The headstock veneer, fretboard, and bridge are rosewood from the same board.

I'm still enjoying this and I'm on to #6.

-Eric

[Christ Kacoyannakis]

Wow, beautiful guitar! I see a lot of really custom features, side port, elevated fretboard, beautiful binding. Really nice work, congratulations! Are you happy with the sound? Does the elevated fretboard make a big sound difference?

[Eric Knapp]

Wow, beautiful guitar! I see a lot of really custom features, side port, elevated fretboard, beautiful binding. Really nice work, congratulations! Are you happy with the sound? Does the elevated fretboard make a big sound difference?

Thanks, Christ. I think the sound is very good but I don't have any references from other makers to compare with. I had a maker/repair person comment that the elevated fretboard makes the guitar sound a little more like an archtop. I see what he meant but it still mostly sounds like a normal acoustic flattop to me.

-Eric

[Jim McConkey]

That turned out fantastic, Eric! Love the look of the koa. Congratulations!

[Bob Francis]

Nice Eric!

[Mike Conner]

Very cool! I like the way you are putting your own touches in the design.

My first flat top build was also a left-handed, an Englemann and Walnut dreadnought. It is disorienting to work to a left handed configuration, and I found myself double checking saddle orientation, nut slots, etc. because it just looked 'off'. My bracing design is a version of v-bracing, so it's symmetrical and I didn't have to make any adjustments. What bracing did you use, and did you have to work in a mirror to get it right?

[Eric Knapp]

Very cool! I like the way you are putting your own touches in the design.

My first flat top build was also a left-handed, an Englemann and Walnut dreadnought. It is disorienting to work to a left handed configuration, and I found myself double checking saddle orientation, nut slots, etc. because it just looked 'off'. My bracing design is a version of v-bracing, so it's symmetrical and I didn't have to make any adjustments. What bracing did you use, and did you have to work in a mirror to get it right?

Thank you, Mike. It was confusing to make. I also had to keep checking everything multiple times. I did make one nut backwards and had to start over. My bracing is a double X style which is also symmetrical so that was not an issue. I didn't work in a mirror but that's an idea, eh?

Oh, btw, the nut and saddle are from a moose antler. A local pet store had some that were cut up and not whole. That let me see the ones that were solid with no pithy sections.