TotalRojo Guitars: April 2017

A couple months ago, I purchased a Pau Ferro (Bolivian Rosewood) acoustic guitar back and side set. The figuring of the wood grain was so dramatic that I envisioned it would become something different from anything I had previously created. And it did. It became my pony guitar named 'Santo Oro' after a palamino stallion I rode during the summers of my early years, while living on the northern Montana ranch with my aunt and uncle.

What top would be the perfect choice for this guitar? Spruce, the go-to choice for most builders? Cedar, which is a complimentary color, but boring, because of the non-descript grain? No! My choice was mahogany.

Don't be distracted by the artwork just yet, look at the special grain in the wood. The 'waterfall' effect along with the coloration was what tipped the decision scale. It is so dramatic, much more so than a photo reveals. Combined with the back and sides, this guitar body screamed 'leather', which stimulated the drawing of the horse and soundhole surround, which was then burned into the wood. To compliment, but no to distract from the overall appearance, I chose to add walnut binding on the sides. The East Indian rosewood fingerboard rides on a mahogany neck, and the rosewood bridge adds a little contrast to the top.