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pastorharry
Aloha
USA
14 Posts |
 Posted - 08/17/2005 : 07:43:36 AM
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| 3 Martins OM-16,D-15,and a D-28, and Guild JF4-12 NT 12stringer,plus various banjos,one of which is a fretless gourd banjo made in Canada for me out of a gourd I picked in Ukemehame valley..Aloha,PH |
Isaiah 38:20 |
Edited by - pastorharry on 09/05/2005 9:41:12 PM |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2005 : 3:50:35 PM
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| I've added photos of Puna's guitar to his original post. Wow! I am very impressed. |
Andy |
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Puna
Lokahi
USA
227 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2005 : 5:53:39 PM
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Mahalo, Andy!
Soundboard is bearclaw Sitka spruce. Back and ribs are quilted maple. Neck is flamed maple. Accents and headstock are curly koa. Fingerboard/bridge/pins are ebony. Sound hole inlay is paua. Honu is a golden mother of pearl inlay. (There's also a 'secret' inlay on the back at the very top of the neck, of a sunrise between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa). All interior braces are Sitka spruce.
With a few exceptions, everything was hand done. For example, the neck was carved using chisels from what was essentially a 2 by 4.
The neck in the photo was during construction - I'd just finished the inlay and installed the frets. Next step was bringing the frets back flush with the sides of the neck. The other photos were taken just before I left for the airport to go to Aloha Music Camp. I wanted a photographic record of the guitar in the case.
Funny thing was, the guitar made it ok. Island air lost (temporarily) the suitcase with the camera.
Oh, in case you wonder...the guitar sounds MUCH better than it looks :-) |
Puna |
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Reid
Ha`aha`a
Andorra
1526 Posts |
Posted - 08/18/2005 : 03:08:47 AM
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E Puna e,
Let me get this straight. You are the luthier who made this beauty? It is as fine a piece of work as I have ever seen, and others, like Andy, will confirm that I have seen a lot (like at Healdsburg and in lots of luthiers' workshops).
There is another guy I know, Coop Harris in California (posts sometimes on rmmga), who, as an amateur hobbyist, learned how to be a fine luthier and he told me all the hard work it took to learn to do it. It ain't easy. Congratulations Big Time!
...Reid
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Puna
Lokahi
USA
227 Posts |
Posted - 08/18/2005 : 06:15:51 AM
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Mahalo nui, Reid
Ae, I'm the luthier. I had the great fortune to take classes from a master luthier, Ken Savage (www.savageguitars.com). He provided the knowledge and tools, but I did everything - he was very hands off.
The class was a Christmas present from my wife, who had previously given me the first trip to Aloha Music Camp as a Christmas present - I think she's a keeper ;-)
I started on the guitar in mid-January, doing about 11 hours a week. Due to a few scheduling delays, I completed it just one week before AMC (and was pretty frantic, too!)
It's thanks to Ken's patience and knowledge that I was able to create such an incredible guitar, instead of (as he puts it) a "guitar-shaped object". |
Puna |
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DaSlacker
Aloha
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2005 : 10:08:33 PM
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2 Jumbo's and 1 Grand Concert. All three are Goodall Royal Hawaiians.
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Aloha,
Joe |
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Mutantmoose
Aloha
USA
12 Posts |
Posted - 08/27/2005 : 05:22:17 AM
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Well, I have a Gruhn model Hohner, a Seagull 12 string, and some random other guitars, including a $70 used Jasmine at work for noodling around on.
The Gruhn cost me $50 at an antique mall. It was a faith based buy - I was sure there was a good guitar under the dust and the very slightly twisted neck. And there was - it's a sweet playing solid-top with a great tone and a cannon-like volume. The bass is particularly solid sounding on this guitar, and it handles slack-key like a champ. But it was a gamble - so many of these things turn out to be just junk. And the slight twist in the neck is still there, but it still plays very wellm with a nice low action.
A couple years ago, I went to Lark-In-The-Morning in Seattle, and found a Mexican-made classical guitar for $100. It was beautiful, but the fretwork was beyond belief. Really bad. I bought it, brought it home, and spent a couple days filing the frets down and crowning them. It's now a phenominal guitar, great great tone, really easy playing, all the family loves to play it. I knew the tone was there in the store, but it was unplayable. (It ended up as a Christmas gift for my wife, who thankfully married me so that I can keep playing it.)
What I am saying here is that a good instrument is where you find it. I don't own a Taylor or Martin, because there is NO way I can justify spending that kind of money. However, the Hohner I have is equal to every Taylor I've ever played. Which means that I have a very special guitar, and that I haven't played enough Taylors to hear a superb one.
A good guitar has to be found. It is not a good guitar because of the label on the headstock, or the heritage of the luthier, or the location that the tree was grown, or the price that you pay. It is a good guitar because you went and searched for the one that fit you, rather than the one that you could contort yourself to fit. I have the Gruhn now, but I've gotten rid of an Ariel, a wonderful solid-top Harmony, and several other acoustic guitars on the way to finding that special one. And I'll keep looking and poking around in case there is an even better one out there.
You wouldn't wear someone else's clothing size because it looks good on them, would you? Then don't wear somebody else's guitar. All suggestions are good starting places, but you have to find your own guitar.
All IMO, of course, your mileage will vary. |
Mark
"In the business of enriching lives for 15 years." |
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 08/27/2005 : 2:12:00 PM
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Mark,
I want to support your words there. Although I now have a wonderful guitar made just for me, I still often play the first guitar I bought -- one I bought second hand for cheap -- and the luthier who works on my equipment agrees that my cheapo soounds better than very many medium priced (around $1,500)guitars. |
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Mainkaukau
Lokahi
USA
245 Posts |
Posted - 08/27/2005 : 3:23:27 PM
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I've only owned 3 guitars in my lifetime although I do have one on order. Two 6 string Takamines and a 6 string Ibanez. My first guitar I traded for payment after I helped a friend of mine in the construction business tear down an old building across the Varsity theater, Honolulu , Hawaii back in the 1970's. He had payed $200 for that(Takamine) guitar. I still have this guitar and consider it my beach guitar. It still has great action, no feedback, and stays in tune but if this guitar could talk, man ,the stories it could tell. I really sympathize with Makana when I read about his old guitar being stolen. Because of this incident, I look at my old guitar a little differently today. From the deep grooves worn in the fretboard that can hold small amounts of water to the scratches on the lower front face where "Bozo" Caz once threw me a tuning fork and I missed. I'm going to put a little polish on it now and maybe some new strings. Thanks for reading, alohas...
PS: I once let Gabby play this guitar at a party in Waimanalo park. After he returned it to me the whole fretboard smelled like fish. He had just finished eating some dried aku sticks. I was pissed! No matter how hard I tried to clean it the fishy smell lingered for months. I smiled when I thought of that today. What a memory! |
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catheglass
Lokahi
USA
312 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2005 : 7:46:07 PM
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My old guitar is a Yamaha classical nylon string, Model # 48, bought in Yokohama in 1965, when I needed something to do while sailing back to the U.S. By now, it's been pretty much around the world with me, and has the bruises to prove it. But really nice sounding, good sustain, sounds great in Maunaloa C. Was my only guitar until 2001.
My next guitar was a Baby Taylor, found in a barter shop in Eugene Oregon, but that's another story. Such a good sound for a little thang, especially with medium strings. It's my travel guitar, and is very easy to play, smaller size for my smaller hands.
My last guitar, for I'll never need another, I just received after waiting a year or so in grand anticipation. It's an all koa guitar made by Dennis Lake of Po Mahina in Na'alehu, Hawai'i. Bound with koa, ebony fretboard, Grover tuners, three honu (like the ones in my glasswork) swimming up the neck, incredible sound from a slightly deeper body. Amazing sustain. Most nahenahe guitar you'll ever hear, and beautiful to see: I'm in love. Although I've only had it three weeks, it's been played and lusted after by Uncle Cyril Pahinui, Fran Guidry, Ross R., Doug Wong and several others. Can't say enough! dennis is da man. |
cathe |
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Papamonty
Aloha
USA
37 Posts |
Posted - 01/01/2006 : 03:51:15 AM
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I learned through painful trial and error what I like and don't like. Here are the guitars I own currently from best to least in preference:
a) Martin OM28 Marquis: my favorite guitar. It has an Adirondack top and EI Rosewood back and sides. When coupled with Elixir PB Lights, this baby sings.
b) Martin SWOMGT: interesting tone this Cherry wood guitar but it does sound nice. It puts out a lot of bass. Very full and bright.
b) Martin D28 Marquis: tied for second. Rich, balanced, and warm sounding with that Adirondack zing. I hope to pass this specific guitar to my son someday when he is old enough.
c) Martin 000X1: my "beater" guitar (sort of). Tone is above average and I don't have to worry about dings and scratches.
d) Martin LX1: great tone for a travel guitar. Solid spruce top. I take this almost everywhere I go. More warmth and soul than a Baby Taylor.
Here are the guitars I gave up to get to what I own currently own (no particular order):
1) Taylor 810-L7: warm, mellow, balanced cocobolo tone uncommon to the normal bright Taylor tone. I didn't feel "oneness" with this guitar.
2) Taylor 714-L30: had the bright Taylor tone. This was hard to give up. Excellent craftsmanship. After a while, the romance was over.
3) Takamine TNV360S: excellent craftsmanship. Heavy on the bass side. Got tired of the ornateness and stretch mark looking top.
4) Takamine F370SS: I fought so hard to purchase this and give up. Solid koa back and sides. String spacing too narrow.
5) Takamine EAN46C: a rare guitar. Has somewhat of a compressed tone but fits nice to the body. String spacing too narrow for fingerstyle.
6) Takamine EG544SC: my first laminated koa guitar. Sounded boxy after a while. String spacing too narrow.
7) Alvarez MC80: classical guitar with excellent balance. Hardly every played classical and got tired of the 2" neck width.
8) Cort Earth 900 Parlor: beautiful guitar but tone was boxy. I'd like to get this size in a Martin.
9) Washburn D200SW: Solid rosewood back and sides. I traded this to get the Taylor 810. Nice sound but I wanted more.
10 Washburn WD52SW: Sapele back and sides. Above average tone but I wanted a guitar that I could bond with.
Jon M
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DobroDoug
Aloha
USA
1 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2006 : 04:49:28 AM
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Hi Everybody
I was wondering if any of you had some opinions on the Koa acoustic guitars made by Mickey Sussman over at the Anahola Stringed Instrument Co. on Kauai?
Any thoughts on Koa acoustics and their sound qualities would be appreciated too.
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