Guitars

OldStrummer · Aug 6, 2018

OldStrummer said:
Dang, but I've got nice friends! My friend Nick gave me this guitar, that has been sitting in its case in his basement for nearly 40 years. It seems his sister, when she was in college, knew this guy who made guitars. She apparently bought one, thinking she'd learn to play. She never did. So it sat, until Nick's wife said, "Why not just give it to Goodwill?"

"I've got a better idea," he said. And he gave it to me.

Made by James D. Fellows, April 15, 1977. The neck is straight as an arrow, and all it needed was a new set of strings!

Here's an update for the ages! Just today I received an email from the guitar maker, James D. Fellows! He saw the post here and sent me an email with some history of the instrument and some follow up. How cool is that???

OldStrummer · Aug 30, 2018

I had an eBay search that was more for curiosity than anything else, but the other day I got a hit that caught my attention.

The very first guitar I bought new (I still have it, too!) was an acoustic 12-string. That was 47 years ago, and it was my only guitar for years. I played it both as a 12-string and as a 6-string. But it was acoustic, and didn't have the electronics today's acoustics do, so it had to be mic'd if you wanted it heard.

So, I've been looking at used electric 12-string guitars. Most of them are pricey, and of unknown quality. But then came this notice: Brand new Fender Special Run Stratocaster XII's, made in Japan. For a lower price than the older models. I couldn't resist.

Cooperson · Feb 5, 2019

Having recently retired, I’ve decided to refit my old workshop and get back into acoustic guitar building - a man can’t have too many hobbies

It’s been over 17 years since my last guitar build and I’m having to relearn all the processes involved. Latest project just underway: Martin 000 sized finger picker. Indian rosewood back and sides, European spruce top, abalone soundhole inlay and herringbone purfling, mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard. Just deciding on ebony or rosewood for the bridge.

Hurricane Jack · Feb 5, 2019

Cooperson said:
Having recently retired, I’ve decided to refit my old workshop and get back into acoustic guitar building - a man can’t have too many hobbies

View attachment 155187

It’s been over 17 years since my last guitar build and I’m having to relearn all the processes involved. Latest project just underway: Martin 000 sized finger picker. Indian rosewood back and sides, European spruce top, abalone soundhole inlay and herringbone purfling, mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard. Just deciding on ebony or rosewood for the bridge.

View attachment 155188

Congratulations on both your retirement & on your decision & commitment. I hope you have many yrs of success & enjoyment!

Cooperson · Feb 5, 2019

Thank you Mr Jack, most kind. It was a big decision stopping work, as I was self employed, but at 63 I decided I’d done enough. Don’t know how many guitars left in me but I’m just going to enjoy the ride

Hurricane Jack · Feb 5, 2019

Cooperson said:
Thank you Mr Jack, most kind. It was a big decision stopping work, as I was self employed, but at 63 I decided I’d done enough. Don’t know how many guitars left in me but I’m just going to enjoy the ride

There are several guitar mechanics in my area doing clad repairs & resetting frets & necks, but no luthiers building guitars that I know of. Not sure how hard it would be to source the spruce or mahogany needed.

Cooperson · Feb 5, 2019

^ There are many luthiers suppliers out there selling tone woods and they earn a good living from it. Spruce isn’t an issue but sourcing rosewood is now getting very difficult, due to the import and export restrictions. All luthiers are having to consider native species for their future instruments. Fortunately, I bought a quite a bit 30 years ago and have had it in storage since then - enough to keep me going for a few years anyway.

Edward · Feb 7, 2019

Cooperson said:
Having recently retired, I’ve decided to refit my old workshop and get back into acoustic guitar building - a man can’t have too many hobbies

View attachment 155187

It’s been over 17 years since my last guitar build and I’m having to relearn all the processes involved. Latest project just underway: Martin 000 sized finger picker. Indian rosewood back and sides, European spruce top, abalone soundhole inlay and herringbone purfling, mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard. Just deciding on ebony or rosewood for the bridge.

View attachment 155188

Beautiful guitar - if it plays as well as it looks, that will be a stunning instrument. Are you building just for yourself, or are you considering selling?

The impact of these newer environmental regulations on the guitar industry has been interesting; it's even gotten harder for some seasoned musicians to take treasured older instruments on international tours as a result. Still, the environment is important, and I'm hoping that it will also lead to some great, new discoveries for the guitar. It's funny how, as an industry, especially electric guitars have been dominated by such a conservative market for so long: obsession with "tonewoods" that Leo Fender only used because they were cheap and plentiful: in that regard, Fender's recent switch from rosewood to pau ferro for many fingerboards is very much in keeping with Leo's approach. Myself, I've always quite fancied the idea of maple fingerboard and neck on an acoustic guitar.

Enjoy the builds - it must be a very satisfying hobby. One of my senior colleagues took up building as well as playing his own ukeleles a few years ago, and the joy he finds in performing with instruments he built himself is really infectious.

Cooperson · Feb 7, 2019

^ Thank you Edward, I can hardly wait to string it up and hear it sing, but it’s always an anxious moment. My all time favourite tonewood for an acoustic back and sides was Brazilian Rosewood, the colours and grain patterns were simply stunning, sadly no longer available and I could never afford it when it was. It is interesting to see instruments now being made in woods that would have never have been considered in the past, I’d love to get my hands on a few and see how they compare.

As for selling them, it’s really just a hobby for me, I’ve never taken on a commission. This current build is my 6th guitar, I did sell one to a friend, three went to relatives and I held on to one to play myself. Like your colleague, I find the fine detailed work very relaxing and it’s always a thrill to make music from a stack of rough sawn tonewood. For me, it’s similar to my search for a ‘grail’ leatherjacket, than one jacket that would end the hunt. As a luthier, it’s the constant search for perfection, to build that one flawless instrument that rings like a bell and sustains forever. Who knows, it might be this one!

A couple of my earlier Indian Rosewood & Spruce instruments.

Edward · Feb 8, 2019

Cooperson said:
^ Thank you Edward, I can hardly wait to string it up and hear it sing, but it’s always an anxious moment. My all time favourite tonewood for an acoustic back and sides was Brazilian Rosewood, the colours and grain patterns were simply stunning, sadly no longer available and I could never afford it when it was. It is interesting to see instruments now being made in woods that would have never have been considered in the past, I’d love to get my hands on a few and see how they compare.

As for selling them, it’s really just a hobby for me, I’ve never taken on a commission. This current build is my 6th guitar, I did sell one to a friend, three went to relatives and I held on to one to play myself. Like your colleague, I find the fine detailed work very relaxing and it’s always a thrill to make music from a stack of rough sawn tonewood. For me, it’s similar to my search for a ‘grail’ leatherjacket, than one jacket that would end the hunt. As a luthier, it’s the constant search for perfection, to build that one flawless instrument that rings like a bell and sustains forever. Who knows, it might be this one!

A couple of my earlier Indian Rosewood & Spruce instruments.

View attachment 155354

Absolutely beautiful. If you ever do go into business, let me know.

One of the most interesting builds I've seen in terms of materials was the limited edition series Taylor made from packing crates in order to prove that the build-skills mattered as much, or more, than the specific materials.

Cooperson · Apr 18, 2019

My latest build, the strings went on today. Indian rosewood back & sides, European spruce top, mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard and bridge.

Kahuna · Apr 20, 2019

Gorgeous looking instrument! Hard to believe you only do this for therapy and fun. I'm sure you could make a business out of it if you wanted.

Cooperson · Apr 20, 2019

Kahuna - Many thanks for the kind words. Unfortunately, with the influx of cheap Chinese guitars I don’t think people prepared to pay for a hand built instruments these days.

JohnnyGringo · Jul 22, 2019

I’ve been “Guitar Obsessed” for 49 years, and I don’t see my obsession subsiding one bit!

Randall Renshaw · Mar 21, 2020

A Luthier built flattop by a talented fellow named Ronnie Griffin in Waycross, Georgia. He made relatively few, with this one being his crowning jewel.
It’s aesthetically made in the likeness of a 1937 D-28 Herringbone Martin with similar, yet “improved” interior bracing, among many other secret minuscule tweaks.
Ivoriod white binding and tight weaved herringbone separates center cut aged Brazilian rosewood back and sides from the aged and select German red spruce top featuring super tight growth rings, Waverly Open back tuners, abalone fret diamond inlays in an ebony wood fret board, matching ebony overlayed head stock bearing the makers indecipherable signature done in abalone, as well.
All this and a unique neck block of his own design makes this box a certified cannon with a voluminous, now 25 year old vintage tone that defies being drowned out by any Gibson Mastertone five string!
There’s a great and wonderful story to go along with how I ended up with this box a year after its birth, but it’s a long tale, so I won’t type it all out. Suffice it to say that a gracious God had His big and mighty hand in it.

The luthier allowed me to build a guitar in his shop and along with his hands off tutorials I was able to craft a decent guitar that I eventually gave to my nephew as a gift.
During the time of his ownership he has been offered $1500 and later $3500 for the silly thing. I told the then young teenaged and talented lad that he shoulda took that cash and run!

This is my nephew and his new bride holding the giddar I was lucky to build.

Rmccamey · Mar 22, 2020

A man of many talents, Randall. Both boxes look fantastic.

Randall Renshaw said:
View attachment 221655 A Luthier built flattop by a talented fellow named Ronnie Griffin in Waycross, Georgia. He made relatively few, with this one being his crowning jewel.
It’s aesthetically made in the likeness of a 1937 D-28 Herringbone Martin with similar, yet “improved” interior bracing, among many other secret minuscule tweaks.
Ivoriod white binding and tight weaved herringbone separates center cut aged Brazilian rosewood back and sides from the aged and select German red spruce top featuring super tight growth rings, Waverly Open back tuners, abalone fret diamond inlays in an ebony wood fret board, matching ebony overlayed head stock bearing the makers indecipherable signature done in abalone, as well.
All this and a unique neck block of his own design makes this box a certified cannon with a voluminous, now 25 year old vintage tone that defies being drowned out by any Gibson Mastertone five string!
There’s a great and wonderful story to go along with how I ended up with this box a year after its birth, but it’s a long tale, so I won’t type it all out. Suffice it to say that a gracious God had His big and mighty hand in it. View attachment 221654
View attachment 221656 View attachment 221658
The luthier allowed me to build a guitar in his shop and along with his hands off tutorials I was able to craft a decent guitar that I eventually gave to my nephew as a gift.
During the time of his ownership he has been offered $1500 and later $3500 for the silly thing. I told the then young teenaged and talented lad that he shoulda took that cash and run! View attachment 221657
This is my nephew and his new bride holding the giddar I was lucky to build.

Randall Renshaw · Mar 22, 2020

Rmccamey said:
A man of many talents, Randall. Both boxes look fantastic.

Thanks, Randy. “The Bone” , as the luthier dubbed this model(short for herringbone)is a joy to drive! The exclusive tone this axe offers is dry and woody. Love it.

aidanunited · Sep 29, 2020

Hi Guys,
recently i was given this guitar for helping a family move home, it had no strings and was covered in dirt so i gave it some tlc, but still cant nail the model down exacly.
pretty sure it is a Cromwell archtop a budget guitar by Gibson made in the thirties. it has a Gibson paper sticker inside .

Musher · Oct 26, 2020

Very cool. How does it play and sound? I have a 90s Alvarez Bluesman (MIK) which is a copy.

Robert Heyer · Apr 23, 2022

My Fender 50s American Original & 60s American Original Precision Basses

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