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Check out the satiny wave in the sitka spruce top. The fingerboard and bridge are East Indian rosewood. The bridge tie block is ivory bound and repeats the heart marquetry around the soundhole. The Tru Oil (gun stock varnish) finish continues to display the natural beauty of the woods after 30 years.
Some other links at the Hollow Road Guitar Shop, Chuck's Instrument Website:
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| I designed the heart image for the marquetry in the rosette (below right) and tie block (below left) with millimeter graphing paper. The rosewood bridge features an ivory saddle and ivory bound tie block. Check out the density and vertical grain of the growth rings in the quartersawn sitka spruce. To make a rosette, imagine stacking veneers of different colors in different vertical stacks. Cut and thickness smooth (1mm thick) the slices from the stacks. Complete the horizontal pattern by gluing them into a long block. Then, cut slices (2mm thick) like a salami. Taper and arc each slice to match the circle and fit the space between the purfling rings (walnut and maple veneers). The mortise is about 1mm deep into a 2mm top. Extreme care is taken to plane the rosette flush to the surface of the top. The end grain of the veneers plus the glue holding them together is much harder than the surrounding spruce top. On the inside, a 2mm ring of spruce reinforces the mortice, with grain running perpendicular to the grain in the top. The rigid soundhole helps your sound come out like "flat smoke rings" instead of "wobbling smoke rings." |
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| The sides and backs are crafted from Madagascaran rosewood purchased about 25 years before it was included as an endangered species. The cocobolo bindings with maple purflings help to show off this beautiful wood. The heel is a Spanish footer, i.e., the sides fit into slots cut into a solid block of wood. The heel is especially fun to carve before gluing in the sides (below left). The tail is below, right. |
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| Next two pictures: Full image of the heart guitar. Note the curly maple faceplate and traditional "crown." Back view of the guitar shows the two-piece bookmatched mahogany neck and custom carving at the scarf joint (where the head is bonded to the neck) is rounded for comfort. |
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