Official Luthiers Forum!

I only have a few minutes, but I wanted to share my latest commissioned instrument. This is a model I'm calling the "Da Vinci", and it features a lattice braced soundboard with the sound hole on the side. This guitar was requested by a client that wanted this specific design. I researched Batson Guitars for a good while, and just took the plunge in attempting to do something similar. This was also my first arm bevel attempt. Overall, Im very very happy with the result in both looks and sound. It has an amazing low end and sounds like you're sitting inside the guitar from the playing position. The fretboard in cantilevered above the top and is reenforced with two carbon fiber rods to prevent warping. The tailpiece is also raised above the soundboard as to not dampen the top. The string tension is entirely supported between the neck and tailpiece, allowing for a very lightly braces top. Ill post some more photos when I have some time later in the day. Thanks for looking everyone.

Top: Bearclaw Sitka
Back & Sides: Ziricote
Fretboard: Gabon Ebony
Bridge & Tailpiece: Gabon Ebony

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Chris Alvarado
www.ChrisAlvaradoLive.com
www.Driftwood-Guitars.com

A few more

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Chris Alvarado
www.ChrisAlvaradoLive.com
www.Driftwood-Guitars.com

A few from the build process.

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Chris Alvarado
www.ChrisAlvaradoLive.com
www.Driftwood-Guitars.com

Wow! Beautiful work.

Very inspiring.

Stunning work, Chris!

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Beautiful!

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Absolutely exquisite!
I have been thinking of doing something similar to your bridge/tailpiece combo.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Wow, just wow!!

Your guitars are always amazing but this one is tops IMO. I've never seen a bridge setup like that on a guitar equipped with a tailpiece. Having the strings run through the back edge of the bridge seems like a great idea. I imagine it probably causes the bridge to rock at least somewhat like a standard pinned bridge unlike a typical archtop bridge where the strings just run across the saddle on their way to the tailpiece.

I like the the caps on the brace joints and the linings, among other cool details.

I'm curious how the tailpiece is mounted since it doesn't appear to have a loop around the endpin or screws into the side of the body.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

All I can say is WOW!!!

Gee-wilikers, that is pretty!

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

Beautiful work!

That is a beautiful guitar! Extremely well done

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guitarsbygiltzow.com

Just beautiful

Gorgeous guitar, so it may seem silly that I'm focusing on something trivial; but can you tell me about the lining? I've never seen lining with so many kerf cuts so close together. How was that made? Can't have been one cut at a time with a bandsaw, can it?


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Jay, the tailpiece is held in using a violin tuning peg shaft that I drilled and installed in the end and into the bottom of the guitar. It's glued into the tailpiece, but only friction fit into the guitar. The tension of the strings holds it all in. And the tailpiece itself is just two pieces of ebony held together via a dovetail joint. I'm glad you like it and I'm glad you couldn't figure out the joinery I used. I spent a ton of sleepless nights tossing and turning to find an elegant and invisible solution.

As for the bridge design, I'm really surprised with how well it worked out. The overall sound of the guitar is almost identical to a well voices xpX braced traditional setup. If it was a blind test, I'd be hard pressed to hear the difference between this bridge and a pin bridge. The main advantage is the lack of tension on the bridge and soundboard using this method. The top sees almost no load other than the torque from the strings going through then bridge.

The neck is also only held on via two bolts and a pocket mortise and tenon joint. Therefor the neck just pops off in two seconds if it ever needs any adjustments. Two carbon rods run the length of the fretboard and thus far, everything seems rock solid.

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Chris Alvarado
www.ChrisAlvaradoLive.com
www.Driftwood-Guitars.com

rlrhett,

The kerfing is made by Advanced She'll Technology (Ryan Guitars). It's called A4 Keefing and is AMAZING! I switched to it about two guitars ago and it's a dream to use! I now use it exclusively on all of my guitars.

http://www.advancedshelltech.com/Produc ... rfing.html

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Chris Alvarado
www.ChrisAlvaradoLive.com
www.Driftwood-Guitars.com

I go to the local pub one night a week. You can probably glean from question which night that is. It can bend of 4 axis? X, y, z and time?

Hahaha I never noticed the mention of 4 axis bending! That is correct, it can bend space time!

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Chris Alvarado
www.ChrisAlvaradoLive.com
www.Driftwood-Guitars.com

I love the tailpiece and bridge... very nice

Very, very cool and eloquent as well. A beautiful guitar and outstanding effort!

I am so humbled looking at this piece of amazing artwork....
Very creative.
Very inspiring.
Well done!

The perfect AGF guitar!

WOW. Beautiful! If Leonardo were still around, even he'd be impressed.

Clean, elegant and inspiring! Any chance we can get a soundclip at some point?

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Bobby Masten