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The WRC top was from Acoustic Wood in Canada. Their website was gone for a while. I didn't laminated the sides like Friederich does but this guitar already weighs 1615 gram. I might get to shoot a video in a few days.

CWLiu this is a great looking guitar and 3.5 pounds is nice and light too - great job!!!

Nice, nice, nice.

Tell us what you've learned from your Friedrich inspired guitar. I'd love to know!

And one of these days I need to work with some top notch materials. That wood looks really nice.

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

Really a beautiful result. Nice work. Is it the best guitar you've ever heard?

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Waddy

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Sound Clips of most of my guitars

That is really clean looking, and very well done Chih-Wei ... feels good when its all done and turns out this nice !!!!

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Thanks for the comments. You guys are very kind.


A player who has been dreaming of a genuine Daniel Friederich for a long time, complained about the weight of this guitar(my #38) right after picking her up. Huh...


This guitar opens up slowly. Unlike my Torres copy, which is already a pleasure to play at the first night, I started to enjoy playing her after being strung for about ten days. At the begining, the higher trebles of 1st string were cold and harsh, lacking of sining quality.


Nah... That would be my last one, a Torres copy, hahaha. Seriously, one must define what best is first. My #38 has her weaknesses and strengths.

Another beautiful guitar Chih-Wei, I always enjoy seeing your work.
Is the bracing in the upper bout WRC? What kind of finish?

This guitar looks really great, Chih-Wei, congrats, it's a very nice job.
As mark asked, I'm interested by your very nice finish : what did you use ?

Interesting bracing, looks like it was inspired by a Hauser guitar, not directly from Torres. Is it a thick or thin plate?
Did you get the info from a book, perhaps Courtnalls? I never read any detail about Friederich on the internet otherwise.

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Build log

She looks immaculate to me! Lovely.

Marc and Cyril,
The finish is french polished shellac. The upper transverse bar and the lower harmonic bar are Douglas Fir, and the tallest one is Sitka spruce. I found the soundboard of this bracing system behaves a little like X-bracing, i.e., the area aside the soundhole is still quite active/responsive. I'll use Euro spruce for the lower harmonic bar next time because Doug. Fir is probably too heavy.


I think Bouchet's design inspired DF significantly. Yeah the Courtnall's book is all I have. I have to figure something out, which are not clear in his book, like the height of the back braces and the dome. I made my top a bit thicker(about 2.3~2.4mm) than the book(2.0~2.2 at the lower bout).

Cyril, I was told by a friend who has studied with Tania Chagnot, that most players in France play cedar-topped guitars. Is that true?

Absolutely beautiful work & guitar!
Is she a powerful guitar like the Friederichs are?

Where can we get that rosewood??

Mike

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Mike Collins

Thank you Mike. This guitar shares some similarities with three Friederich guitars I've gotten in touch with, say, good dynamic, long sustain, good eveness, and great seperation in notes. But she's not near as powerful as the most powerful of the three, which is not as alluring to play as the other two.

I bought my Indonesian RW(aka Sonokeling) sets and bridge blank from the only local guitar playwood factory. I don't know where you can get it in the US. Compare to lower grade EIR, the Sonokeling I've seen has wider growing rings and a deeper/darker color. It apperes to be more resonant than most the EIR I have.


Thanks Steve. The guitar looks better in the pics.

Chih-Wei, I think that cedar is really appreciated here in france (a lot of people here think that cedar is better for romantic music, soft playing ... I don't really agree with it). By the way, I can't really tell if "most" player play cedar-topped. But it's true, every classical guitar teachers I know have at least two guitars (one with a cedar top and another one with a spruce top) so maybe is it just more commonly-used here ...?

edit : Are people here interested by some "Bouchet's notebook" extracts ? I could transalte some interesting parts of this great book ...

I would love to read any parts of Bouchet's notebooks that are available.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Howard,

I have a copy of the book "Cahier d'atelier, la construction d'une guitare classique (édition en fac-similé) Robert Bouchet" edited by Cité De La Musique. It is in French, but is basically a facsimile of Bouchet's notebook on building. It's not very big, and it is a large paperback format. I'd be willing to lend it to you if you are really interested in reading it. It's not like I peruse it every day. I do enjoy looking at the drawings and trying to figure out what he wrote, but my French is non-existent. Let me know, if you'd like to have a look, and I'll send it to you.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Chih-Wei,
Lovely looking instrument! I'm a real Friederich fan. When I visited Paris a couple of years ago, I went to Friederich's shop. He wasn't in, but I stood outside his door, simply hoping (that by magic) some greatness would rub off on me!
Cyril,
I have a copy of the Bouchet Cahier d'atelier as well but don't speak French. I would be especially interested in reading your translation of any of Daniel Friederich's commentary beginning on page 101.

Wow, that would be great. I have the book, but read no French. I love perusing the drawings though and trying to figure out what he's writing. Anything you translate, post it in a thread on OLF. You'd be famous!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Cool, I'll be happy to do something for you guys

So I'll start by translating the Friederich's commentary and I'll post it here as soon as I will have finished. You know that my english is not fantastic, I hope it would be understandable

Let us be the judge of that! And judging from what I have seen so far, you are doing fine. I believe we'll all be able to understand, even if you don't think it is perfect.

Start a new thread with the translation. Then it will not end up at the end of an old one.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Chih-Wei Excellent work!
What a beauty!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Well, that's what my friend said, but you're probably right.

Your English is obvious better than mine. Can't wait to read your translation.

Thank you Cyril for the offer of translation.
I speak both French and English, if you need some help please let me know.

Chih-Wei,
Congratulations! Beautiful guitar....Love to hear the sound.
I have just start my #1. I Hope one day I can do something like you did

Thank you for the offer Antonio.

I'll start a new thread next week. Stay tuned ...

Here is a sound clip I just recorded. You might have to download it first.
http://f10.wretch.yimg.com/luthier/1/1652157101.mp3

http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=E73UVtqGo6s
A close friend played this guitar. He's really good but almost hasn't touched a guitar for a long time.