Official Luthiers Forum!

I get to see some really cool things come across my bench for repairs. This was one of the coolest.

I do not know anything about the maker of this instrument but he clearly had some skill with woodworking.

At the outset it looks like a classical with a trapeze bridge and a sort of ugly pickguard.



However the top is built akin to an old Martin or bowlback mandolin. He probably did this in order to get the proper string break angle on the archtop inspired bridge.



And the back is sort of "staved" in the same fashion as a bowlback mandolin.



The neck block is rather interesting as well.







The builder I assume



The bracing was the most interesting part to me. Again he obviously had some skill with woodworking I'm just not sure if he was trying to make something new or if he was copying a previous design as I have never seen bracing like this before in my experience (someone may have, I just haven't)





And the taper was fairly steep as well at the tailblock.



It was a fairly unique experience to hear it, I have a soundclip I took with my phone so I'll have to figure out how to post it. It had a tone VERY similar to an archtop, very cutting and midrangey but it had a sort of boxy sound to it that was not unpleasant, just odd.

Any thoughts on the design? It was pretty cool to me. It had steel strings on it which the owner insisted was what he intended. The builder is passed away now so we can't ask him what he was thinking originally with it. I just found it to be REALLY cool.

And a little soundclip shot with my phone.

https://youtu.be/Td_Nl8xk0RY

Very interesting. Thanks for posting!

It is as though he studied the complete history of the instrument and then designed one combining aspects from several periods.
Very creative and successful seeing how it is still working after 30 years.

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You just pick up a chord, go twang, and you're got music. -Sid Vicious

Yeah, looks like it's in good shape. Pretty cool to see something unique. Thanks for sharing.

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George :-)

I like it. Sounds good, too.

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

Yep...that is a truly ugly pick guard
Very cool design elements though. I really like the segmented binding. I wonder what else he built back then

chitarra battente

Unfortunately, I believe Mr. Borton passed away in 1993.

Brett Daniel Dailey Borton, 39, Iowa City, Iowa, formerly of Kahoka, Mo., died Thursday, Sept. 2, 1993, at University of Iowa Hospital, Iowa City, Iowa, following a brief illness.
He was an accomplished luthier, or craftsman, of string instruments.

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Guitar Building = Continuous Improvement Process

Yes I found that obit as well. Very sad, I would love to see if he made other similar instruments.

Thanks for posting that.
That's what I love about this forum.
I might use that design at the tailblock for a trapeze.
Nice design,
ugly pick guard.

Segmented binding? I like it! But how would you even do that? Bend each piece individualy?! And then it looks like the dividing purf goes all the way through the back?! Somebody tell me what's going on there......

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Pat