davewhite
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Post by davewhite on Mar 20, 2016 12:18:21 GMT
The fourth guitar I made back in 2004 was my take on a travel guitar loosely based on a Tacoma Papoose I have. I named it “Suzanna” after my youngest daughter and it had a 605mm scale length with 16 frets clear of the body. The back and sides were Brazilian Rosewood and the top Sycamore and it was designed as a travel sized guitar for standard E-E tuning: The Tacoma Papoose has a 484mm scale length and is a Requinto guitar – like a standard guitar capoed on the fifth fret and tuned A-A instead of E-E. I am fascinated by the key of Bb in modal tunings and my baritone guitars and 12 string long scale instruments go down to C-C which enables these tunings – I have formed the “Bb Earth Society” . I decided to re-make the Suzanna guitar into a Piccolo guitar and tuned C-C instead of E-E. This makes the Piccolo guitar a high octave Baritone guitar, or if you were using the mandolin/octave mandolin analogy, and baritone guitar would be an octave Piccolo guitar. I re-used the Brazilian Rosewood back and sides and put on a Port Orford Cedar top from “The Tree” that grew in my front garden together with a Birdseye Maple neck and bindings, Macassar Ebony fretboard and headstock veneers, a Brazilian Rosewood bridge and custom Rubner tuners. The scale length is 440mm. The Brazilian Rosewood was a find in a local woodworking store and was a small block so the back was four pieces. Here’s the re-born “Suzanna”: So here’s a recording of me playing Mark Thomson’s arrangement of “Roslin Castle” and my tune “Daithi’s Shed” in Bb F Bb Eb F Bb tuning – strings are 13, 17, 22, 29, 35, 53. This was recorded straight into my Zoom H4n with flat EQ and no added effects: "Roslin Castle/Daithi’s Shed"
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Post by earwighoney on Mar 20, 2016 12:21:53 GMT
Lovely stuff.
I noticed you're approaching the 100 guitar mark. Do you have anything in mind for the landmark instrument?
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R the F
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My main instrument is: bandsaw
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Post by R the F on Mar 20, 2016 12:26:52 GMT
A dinky delight! (and that guitarist's not bad, either)
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missclarktree
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Post by missclarktree on Mar 20, 2016 12:36:00 GMT
Lovely sound. The neck looks wider than on the original Suzanna (?) and I imagine that the 12th fret being in the familiar place would make it easier to play. A successful rebirth
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leoroberts
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My main instrument is: probably needing new strings
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Post by leoroberts on Mar 20, 2016 13:51:31 GMT
Look, and sounds, excellent, davewhite. Not that I'd expect owt different, mind...
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Post by gekko on Mar 20, 2016 19:53:12 GMT
Wow - that's stunning Dave, but the wide neck looks terrifying to my small hands :-o.
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davewhite
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Post by davewhite on Mar 21, 2016 11:25:08 GMT
Shubs - thanks. A little way to go yet but I have some ideas.
Rob, Alison, Leo - thanks.
Mel - Good to see you back here. The nut width is 46mm which is less than a guitar capoed 8th fret. I think it just looks big on such a short scale length.
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Post by grayn on Mar 21, 2016 11:47:51 GMT
Stunning, little guitar, with a sweet tone.
Congrats Dave.
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davewhite
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Post by davewhite on Mar 21, 2016 12:12:19 GMT
Thanks Grayn.
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Mar 21, 2016 12:59:45 GMT
What a great idea - and a great result - just lovely, Dave! Hope you'll bring her to Halifax.
Keith
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David Hutton
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Post by David Hutton on Mar 21, 2016 13:19:35 GMT
Love the look of “Suzanna” reborn. She is a beauty and sound wonderful (in your hands) as well!
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Post by vikingblues on Mar 22, 2016 8:25:54 GMT
A very fine example of a Piccolo guitar there. For both looks and for sounds too. You've managed to get those really high notes to ring so very well. A major success on all fronts. Mark
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davewhite
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Post by davewhite on Mar 23, 2016 8:22:26 GMT
David and Mark - thanks. Keith - thanks. Interestingly "Suzanna" fits snugly into the Papoose gig bag so she may well appear in Halifax
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