tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48104321345844681902024-03-13T10:02:53.097-04:00TotalRojo GuitarsWelcome to TotalRojo Guitars. The purpose of my blog is to acquaint you, from my perspective, with the exciting world of Cigar Box Guitars.
I hope you enjoy what you see and read . . . and please offer comments.Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.comBlogger342125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-50005968148790047882019-05-19T12:19:00.004-04:002019-05-19T12:19:55.247-04:00The end of a life, but the music goes onHi everyone. My name is Jay and I am one of Jess's two sons. This past April, Dad passed away after a long battle with cancer. He was an example of grace and good humor during every day of his eight months after the diagnosis.<br />
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His relationship with music and the craft of building guitars was critical to everything he did. You wouldn't think that a 78 year old would maintain his own blog, learn social media, and make friends with players and craftspeople around the globe, but he did.<br />
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We've decided to keep TotalRojo Guitars alive on the internet so that his how-to videos and postings might inspire others to learn something from scratch and to work with their hands.<br />
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All the best,<br />
JayJess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-86111141574541254422018-07-19T20:21:00.002-04:002018-07-19T20:21:37.162-04:00Thickness Sanding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I got busy today and thickness sanded three mahogany back and side sets; one jatoba (Brazilian) cherry set; and six cedar tops for future creations. It's time to start bending.Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-12531746873120793032018-07-17T17:17:00.000-04:002018-07-19T07:43:47.551-04:00'Ambrosia'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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'Ambrosia' is a fourteen-fret dreadnaught acoustic/electric guitar fresh off my bench with a variety of enhancements that make it very different from others I've created.<br />
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Standard design incorporates a mahogany neck with Indian rosewood headstock overlay; Grover enclosed gear tuners (this time gold); rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot position markers; Earnie Ball 10-50 strings; walnut back and sides; mahogany binding; Ambrosia Maple top; rosewood bridge; and bison bone nut and saddle. Enhanced features are on-board Guitar Fuel ToneMonster electronics; vintage Martin Guitar bone bridge pins; and a new design for internal support, which I call V-8 bracing.<br />
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The walnut back and sides and the ambrosia maple top started out like this.</div>
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When glued together, the body took on the shape of a real guitar, but there is a lot that went into the project before this stage. Notice the dovetail neck joint, which is the first for my construction.</div>
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Here are the individual pieces that came together to construct the 'V-8' internal bracing, which gives the guitar it's stability. </div>
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The long, dark, piece of Wenge is the back spine brace, and the four pieces immediately above it are the horizontal back braces (note the curved relief at the bottom center, which allows the brace to 'bridge' the spine, thus giving the spine more continuous strength). Usually, the back braces are recessed into the spine brace.</div>
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The bridge plate is the artsy piece above the back braces, and above that are the 'V-8' braces for the top, which is a design I started working on in January and finally completed a couple months ago. The ten smaller braces to the right are rib braces to support each side.</div>
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The holes in the braces don't do anything structurally, but I like to add a little flair to the inside of a guitar, which I think should look as good as the outside.</div>
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The spine is glued in place, and the rough cut horizontal back braces are sitting there ready to be hand finished and glued in place.</div>
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This is the top 'V-8' bracing structure with pieces glued in position. Why the V-8 name? Because, there are two long vertical braces which touch at the center of the tailpiece and extend forward to the outside of the sound hole, forming a 'V'. Two horizontal braces form support for the top around the sound hole. And, four tone bars extend out from the vertical braces. Eight braces in total with the core being a 'V' . . . It had to be 'V-8' bracing.</div>
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The ambrosia maple grain is so cool and it screamed acoustic top when I saw the raw wood at Keim Lumber at Charm, Ohio, down the road from me about an hour. If you look closely on the left side of the sound hole, you'll see a couple white protrusions, which are the volume and tone controls for the Guitar Fuel ToneMonster preamp, which my friend Ty Falato provided for this build. Hidden under the bridge saddle is a rod style piezo transducer pickup, which is connected to the output jack, the control dials, and to the 9-volt battery driving the preamp . . . all of this is hidden inside the cavity of the guitar. If you want a simple way to pound sound out of your box, give Guitar Fuel serious consideration.</div>
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Gold Grover tuning machines look great on this combination of wood.<br />
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Check out the volute on the neck near the headstock.<br />
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I like simple, so the ambrosia maple heel cap matches the headstock logo and the top.<br />
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The narrow maple-walnut-mahogany spine inlay is just enough to give the back a little style without detracting from the wood grain.<br />
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The finish on the guitar is satin, which I like, because it does not take away from the natural beauty of the wood, and the grain is not filled, again because that's how I like to build my instruments.<br />
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And, finally, the mahogany top/side binding is visible, and compliments the walnut quite well.<br />
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Yup, it's a homemade stand . . . gotta keep 'em off the furniture. š<br />
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It looks pretty good, but how's it sound.<br />
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Bluesman Jimi Vincent has been playing guitar for more than fifty years, so when I want a candid appraisal about each of my creations I go to Jimi. I guess he likes them, he asks if he can borrow one occasionally for a gig, and I'll always be there to say, "Hell Ya, Buddy!"<br />
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I shot this video with my phone, so it is not great, but it gives you an idea about how it sounds. Jimi's first thought was "This would be a helluva bluegrass rig", and then he launched into an improv.<br />
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The sound is coming from a cigar box amp I built several years ago ('Black Dog' featured in another post on this site), which is a simple 9-volt driven Guitar Fuel ToneMonster harness. On-board controls allow it to sound real clean or real nasty, and for this video, it is a little on the heavy metal side. It makes a great practice amp, so if you're intrigued by it, contact Ty Falato at Guitar Fuel . . . tell him I sent you . . . he'll take great care of you.<br />
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Stay tuned for the next adventure soon.<br />
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<br />Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-12524014095523218242017-11-17T12:00:00.000-05:002017-11-17T12:00:08.534-05:00Exotic Woods -- Favorites of Total Rojo GuitarsWhen choosing wood for my acoustic guitar creations, several considerations come into play.<br />
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I never build two guitars alike, which places an automatic constraint on every build.<br />
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However, there is one component that is constant . . . I like mahogany for neck stock, and beyond this things are variable. Some design elements are similar (headstock shape and overlay, bridge shape, fretboard position markers, and heel caps), but beyond this, I try to vary the design.<br />
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Rosewood and ebony seem to be the go-to fretboard and bridge stock in the industry, but I like ziricote and cocobolo for custom fretboards and bridge combinations simply because of the wild and unpredictable grain in the wood. It's dense hard wood and it requires a lot of elbow grease to contour shape, but it's also very stable and less flexible than other softer species.<br />
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I like Indian Rosewood and mahogany for body sides and backs, because of how easy it is to work, but there isn't enough variation in wood grain and color to get me excited, so I lean toward exotic wood for bodies, again because of the unusual grain running through the pieces.<br />
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Plastic binding material (usually white, black, or cream color) is another go-to element in the industry, but I think the sharp contrast and foreign substance (plastic) separating body parts takes away from the overall beauty of the guitar, so I choose to customize my binding with real wood choosing from mahogany, rosewood, walnut, cherry, and maple.<br />
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I use a lot of small exotic pieces to create sound hole rosettes, strap button end cap inlays, and other inlay designs that float around in my imagination.<br />
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The grain in a piece of exotic wood is so visually dramatic, I want it to stand out beyond any other element and to capture, hold, and please the eye, so I finish my guitars with a satin spray or a hand rubbed oil finish.<br />
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Pictured here are some of the exotic wood species I like.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ZIRICOTE is a wood from Mexico and Central America and is one of the most strikingly figured tonewoods. It is similar in figure to the best, now impossible to get Brazilian Rosewood, with beautiful black veining which is known as spiderwebbing. Ziricote is very heavy, hard, and has a loud, glassy tap tone. The colors can range from olive green to dark grey with black veins throughout. Incredibly difficult to source in guitar sized stock. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;">COCOBOLO grows in southern Mexico and Central America. Its tap tone is outstanding, very glassy, nice ringing sustain. Cocobolo when freshly cut exibits colors ranging from reds to oranges, yellows and purples. As cocobolo is exposed to air and sunlight, it darkens to a deep reddish color and sometimes exibits black streaks known as spiderwebbing.</span> </span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">BOCOTE grows in Mexico and Central South America and is </span>an extremely exotic tonewood that is in the same family as Ziricote (cordia), and shares many of the excellent tonal characteristics, but is much easier to work with. This wood is very similar in weight and density to Cocobolo Rosewood. Brilliant, ringing taptone. Beautiful wild figure.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Bends and finishes very nicely, it is almost non-porous.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">CHOCOLATE MANGO is a Hawaiian and Tropical Asia wood with a straight or interlocked grain with medium to course texture and great natural luster. Because of the spalting that is commonly present, the wood can be a kaleidoscope of colors. Under normal circumstances, heartwood is a golden brown, while other colors such as yellow and streaks of pink and/or black can also occur.Curly or mottled grain patterns are also common.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">GUANCASTE, also known as Parota, has a beautiful golden brown, Hawaiian Koa/Acacia-like figure. It comes primarily from Central America, but also from Mexico and Northern South America . Its unique appearance and texture, which is mostly large pores, reminds one of Monkey Pod.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zWWaHDVQjK0/WIekIITjKAI/AAAAAAAAGPE/CObU2eYxsOEFVenLyQLVAwRZlmKL6zB3wCLcB/s1600/Striped%2BOsage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zWWaHDVQjK0/WIekIITjKAI/AAAAAAAAGPE/CObU2eYxsOEFVenLyQLVAwRZlmKL6zB3wCLcB/s400/Striped%2BOsage.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">STRIPED OSAGE ORANGE , also known as Mora, and/or Guatemalan Tigerwood, is light to medium reddish brown, with streaks of lighter and darker material making it one of the most beautiful tonewoods on earth. The straight to interlocked grain has fine to medium texture. It is a dense, non-pourous, hard wood rarely found in instrument quality and size, and it bends and finishes easily.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">PAU FERRO (AKA: Bolivian Rosewood, Santos, Jaracanda, and Morado) is a very finely grained non-porous wood that is a dream to finish. It is heavier and more dense than the rare Brazilian Rosewood, but regarded by many instrument makers as a great alternative, because of its beauty under finish and its taptone. Its color includes choclates, creams, reds and deep browns.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">INDIAN ROSEWOOD -- </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The color of Indian Rosewood ranges from red to light brown with golden streaks, but more often runs to various shades of purple-brown (which eventually oxidizes to a rich brown color).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ZEBRAWOOD -- A more boldly colored alternative to Indian Rosewood with about the same density, workability and resonance as Indian Rosewood. It is evenly striped overall with small alternating bands of gold-tan and dark brown.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">CURLY AMBROSIA -- Ambrosia Maple comes from the regular soft maple and hard maple trees that have been infested with the ambrosia beetle. A fungus is responsible for the blue, gray and brown streaks and decorative patch work that accompany each beetle tunnel and adjacent wood. This wood is mostly found in the central part of the Eastern US.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">PADAUK is an excellent tonewood with beautiful deep red color, which darkens some over time, and fine, consistent, straight grain. This is a fairly heavy, dense wood, with strong well balanced tone. Loud ringing tap tone with nice sustain. It is heavier and harder than Indian Rosewood, but bends without much difficulty and finishes nicely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">HONDURAN MAHOGANY -- Instruments built from Honduran Mahogany exhibit a strong mid-range, excellent punch and good sustain. It is prized for its beauty and rich color ranging from pinkish brown to a dark reddish brown. The grain varies straight and tight, to flamed and wavy, to visually stunning and highly figured.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">LEOPARDWOOD -- This South American wood is occasionally confused with some of the lacewoods, but it's much harder, denser, and heavier (a little heavier than Indian Rosewood in weight), and darker. It is cinnamony, darker brown in color with a bold figure. It finishes nicely, but there's a rumor that it's a little tricky to bend. Rich, lots of depth, beautiful wood. Good tap tone with pronounced low-midtones, clear high-midtones, slightly dark, and warm. The sound warms as it ages and falls between Maple and Claro Walnut with a good treble.Long on sustain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">OVANGKOL -- This West African wood is similar in figure to Indian Rosewood, with dark gray straight lines over a golden-brown or olive-brown background. It comes from the same family as Bubinga and has an interlocking grain pattern. It is reasonably easy to bend and plane and it finishes well. It is not as dense as most Rosewoods.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">GONCALO ALVES (aka: Tigerwood) is from Mexico and southward to Brazil. It is typically a medium reddish brown with irregularly spaced streaks of dark brown to black, and the color tends to darken with age. Grain can be straight, but is usually wavy or interlocked with fine, silky, uniform texture with good natural luster. This wood finishes beautifully and makes outstanding sounding instruments. The tap tone is similar to Koa. It bends easily and is very stable.</span>Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-23409577746084133152017-10-29T14:42:00.001-04:002017-10-29T14:42:38.871-04:00'Dobie'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b91xwkTTCqk/WfYVKWe_7jI/AAAAAAAAGi8/kwkgP5V2JmgdQO-5w9hEVRPQI3QF6KbAACEwYBhgL/s1600/DSC_0149%2B%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b91xwkTTCqk/WfYVKWe_7jI/AAAAAAAAGi8/kwkgP5V2JmgdQO-5w9hEVRPQI3QF6KbAACEwYBhgL/s400/DSC_0149%2B%25281%2529.JPG" width="265" /></a></div>
I like to introduce 'Dobie' to you.<br />
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He's a 14-fret (this refers to the number of frets from the nut to the heel of the guitar) dreadnaught-size electro/acoustic resonator guitar.<br />
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The neck is mahogany with rosewood fingerboard and pearl position markers. The headstock overlay is ovangkol with my logo made of exotic chatekok (red heart) inlaid into the surface. Grover enclosed gear tuners draw Martin SP 12-54 gauge strings across a corian nut and saddle to the vintage stainless tailpiece.<br />
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The body of the guitar is quilted maple with ovangkol top and rosewood binding, heel cap and end piece. You'll notice that sound holes are a combination of stylized initials and yin-yang symbol.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3_GOmGzdocA/WfYVVoflHGI/AAAAAAAAGjQ/21XoEsE1c-gTUKk7kTHr6caeBE-4pCFWQCEwYBhgL/s1600/DSC_0156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3_GOmGzdocA/WfYVVoflHGI/AAAAAAAAGjQ/21XoEsE1c-gTUKk7kTHr6caeBE-4pCFWQCEwYBhgL/s400/DSC_0156.JPG" width="265" /></a>A spun aluminum cone is the sound resonator with wood biscuit and corian saddle perched on its top. And, the most fun part is the cone cover, which is a re-purposed vintage automobile hubcap.<br />
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This is the recessed cylindrical cavity where the cone resonator rests on the ring. Notice the small wood support shafts (tone bars) which are glued between the back braces and base of the cone ring.</div>
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The spun aluminum resonator cone, and the fabricated vintage hubcap salvaged from a local junkyard.</div>
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And, last, but certainly not the least, is my friend Jimi Vincent taking 'Dobie' for a test drive.</div>
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Jimi has been playing guitar for more than fifty years, so when he critiques my work, I listen.</div>
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Jimi said, "This is a wonderful instrument. I love it."</div>
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That's good enough for me.</div>
Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-58017079769468115382017-09-28T10:54:00.000-04:002017-09-28T10:54:20.237-04:00Sumpin New<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ASEDSDN50uM/Wcz9x8gN6wI/AAAAAAAAGgc/2ih0nIk_o0opgJ58Oda-Zr_H0y8FjSYywCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_0135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ASEDSDN50uM/Wcz9x8gN6wI/AAAAAAAAGgc/2ih0nIk_o0opgJ58Oda-Zr_H0y8FjSYywCLcBGAs/s400/DSC_0135.JPG" width="265" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oLUSgnhdZrU/Wcz91PI2x4I/AAAAAAAAGgg/JErCFmbQJtMWAVPj2W0t_y7sC6RAUI_5ACLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_0141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oLUSgnhdZrU/Wcz91PI2x4I/AAAAAAAAGgg/JErCFmbQJtMWAVPj2W0t_y7sC6RAUI_5ACLcBGAs/s400/DSC_0141.JPG" width="265" /></a><br />
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I didn't name this creation, because it is a commission build for a fellow from Cleveland, so I'll leave that to him. However, 'city scape' came to mind after I commenced with the process of making it<br />
different than others I've built, and looking at the shape of the headstock and the inlays.<br />
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Starting from the top working down and around, here's what makes up what has turned out to be a really cool guitar. It looks good. It feels good, lightweight and comfortable. It plays very well with a soft and close action. And, it sounds great with strong warm bass and bright treble with a ton of sustain.<br />
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The headstock overlay on the African mahogany neck is a combination of East Indian rosewood and elevated Goncolo Alves with tuning machine recesses on the Alves side. A hand-fabricated bison bone nut separates the headstock from the rosewood fingerboard, which has pearl position markers and medium/medium gauge hand set and polished frets. The soundhole rosette inlay is a combination of twenty-six individually cut pieces of exotic wood, which were glued together, cut and shaped to fit the center recess of the three part design. The outer circles are thinner black composite strips. The bridge is made of hand fabricated rosewood with a bison bone saddle and ebony pins with abalone inlay, which anchor the Ernie Ball 10-46 gauge strings. Further down the top is another grouping of wood pieces that carry out the 'city scape' design into the tailpiece, each being made up of eighteen individually assembled exotic wood pieces. The back and sides are mahogany as well, with narrow rosewood binding formed to separate and add strength to the joints, where the body pieces are glued together. A one-half-inch strip of ebony bordered herringbone walnut inlay runs along the spine of the back from the bottom of the tailpiece to the Wenge (<i>when-gay</i>) heel cap of the neck. You'll notice a carryover of the spine inlay into the other inlays, tying it all together. The small heel cap is a combination of rosewood, redheart, zebrawood and wenge. Moving up the neck and finishing off this description are the Grover closed back geared tuners. The last photo is to show how I sometimes customize the interior without sacrificing any structural quality, by perforating the ladder-style back braces, and all bracing is scalloped and individually fitted to each design.Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-51884537137933075252017-08-31T13:39:00.001-04:002017-08-31T13:39:44.851-04:00'The Chief'Several months ago, I purchased a raw Goncalo Alves acoustic guitar back and side set, which caught my eye because of the interesting highly figured grain in the wood. I wasn't sure how I'd use it in a design, but the pointed shape of the dark grain in the back led me on a journey in my mind that resulted in creation of 'The Chief', a tribute to one of my favorite Native Americans, Chief Joseph, the great Nez Perce leader.<br />
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Goncolo Alves is a hardwood sometimes referred to as tigerwood, a name that underscores the wood's often dramatic, contrasting color scheme, that some compare to rosewood. The wood's color deepens with exposure and age and even the plainer-looking wood has a natural luster. Brazil is the main exporter of this neotropical wood.<br />
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The primary construct of this guitar is slope-shoulder dreadnought design. The neck is mahogany with rosewood fingerboard and bridge, bison bone nut and saddle. ebony bridge pins and strap button, mahogany headstock overlay with arrowhead inlay created from scrap left over from profiling the back and sides. Grover black tuners draw Ernie Ball 10-50 strings across the frets. The top is cedar. Internally, spruce top bracing is like all guitars I create, which is based on the Martin Guitar pre-war (WWII) scalloped design, and typical ladder braces stabilize the back.<br />
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These closeup shots of the top and back demonstrate why it's named 'The Chief'. I drew the art on the top, which was then burned into the wood. The figure on the back carries the natural shape of an arrowhead.<br />
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The soundhole rosette is a combination of art, which in my mind forms a 'dreamncatcher'.<br />
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The broken cord on the deer antler is separated from the eagle feather on the lower bout, which represents the broken promises made to Chief Joseph by the federal government.<br />
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The circular birch branch bending around the sound hole opposite the antler signifies the great strength of the Nez Perce people.<br />
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The eagle feather is a symbol of strength and honor. It is of two parts light and dark, which represents daylight and darkness, summer and winter, peace and war, life and death. According to legend, the eagle feather tells the story of life,<br />
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I choose to believe the image of Chief Joseph on this guitar serves to express what I attempt to create in my guitars . . . strength, beauty, peacefulness, and a voice that will be heard, understood and appreciated.<br />
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I hope you enjoy it.<br />
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<br />Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-61506702497170710222017-07-04T13:16:00.002-04:002017-07-04T13:16:36.334-04:00'Funky Munky'The 'Funky Munky' sit-down bass is the result of a trade a couple years ago with my friend Carlton Gil Blythe, who lives in Ireland. Carl wanted one of my cigar box guitars and a couple hand-wound magnetic pickups, so we settled on trading for an old but nice wood drum, a really cool spun aluminum racing disc automobile hubcap the size of the drum, and a couple other doodads. I knew the drum would eventually become an instrument, but not sure quite how.<br />
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Well, here's the 'how'.<br />
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When I say sit-down bass, I mean on a tall stool, or if your a little on the height-challenged side of life, you may be able to stand to play it. It's a long-scale (34-inch) 4-string bass with John Pearce wound strings stretched from open-back gear tuners over a handmade rosewood bridge, from custom made rosewood/poplar combo tailpiece. From top to bottom, it's 57 inches tall.<br />
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It started with a 18-inch diameter wood drum, 4 inches thick, with calf skin stretched and pinned to the side.<br />
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The neck was an interesting pursuit. Much thought and doodling resulted in laminating five pieces of 4- x 36-inch poplar together in a sequence of 1/2" --1/4"--1/2"--1/4"--1/2", which provided for overall design. The scarf joint headstock is 2 inches wide by 9 inches long, and the neck is 25 inches long, tapering from 1-1/2" at the nut to 2-3/8" at the 22nd fret. Once I had determined the size and configuration that would accommodate hardware and be playable, I called on friend Art Richey at the local Carrousel Works factory to rough cut the wood to the pattern I wanted. I had pre-cut the center piece of poplar to allow for insertion of a 1/2" x 1/2" square steel truss rod, which worked out perfectly. The fretboard is a combination of 1/4" poplar and 1/4" Indian rosewood 30 inches long to allow for a 5-inch extension over the drum head, where the TotalRojo logo is inlayed. If you look carefully, you will see a threaded bar extending at an angle from the back of the neck. This 1/2" rod is used to attach the neck to the drum body, and to give strength to the overall build.<br />
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The headstock, which is 2 inches wide by 9 inches long is designed with two 1" x 3" openings for tuners. You'll notice the odd shape, which allows for the tuning machines to be properly aligned with the fretboard. Everything was done by hand from cut out to sloping the opening shoulders to allow for the strings to ride unobstructed over the handmade buffalo bone nut.<br />
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The horns and footrest were designed to add a little funk to the creation, otherwise it would have been a little boring for me. I hand shaped each piece from 2" basswood (another bit of help from my friend Art). The horns are for looks, but the footrest serves a couple important purposes -- it covers the end of the threaded support rod, and it carries a threaded insert, which can be used to hold a foot extension if someone wants to play it as a standup bass. Each piece is attached to the drum body with heavy duty screws.<br />
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Yes, each piece was cut from a solid piece of basswood.<br />
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Remember the threaded steel neck/body support rod? Well, it serves another important purpose, too.<br />
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Under the extreme pressure of the strings on the bridge, the skin top of the drum would collapse if it was not supported. I chose to create a 'shoe' that would slide on the support rod and fit snugly against the inside of the top. It is held in place by nuts and washers, in the same manner as how the neck and foot are attached to the body.<br />
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The 'shoe' serves another purpose, as well. <br />
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Recessed into the 'shoe' surface below the bridge are two piezo transducers, which serve as electronic pickups to amplify sound through an output jack on the body to an external amplifier.<br />
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The custom made bridge is crafted from a 1/4" x 1-1/2" x 3" piece of Indian Rosewood from the same piece as the fretboard. Buffalo bone serves as a string rest for the top of the bridge.<br />
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The 3" x 7" tailpiece is a combo of poplar and the same rosewood as the bridge. In order for the tailpiece to function properly, it must be able to move, so I fabricated a hinge that would attach to the body of the drum. I wanted something unique and different as the hinge, so I looked through odds and ends tucked in parts drawers and came up with a brass hinge from toilet seat. Yup, straight from the lid of a shitter. A 1/2" dowel fit perfectly into the hinge hole, and once it was attached to the bottom of the tailpiece, we were in business . . . monkey business you might say, but it works.<br />
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Random shots you may enjoy.<br />
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So, where did the 'Funky Munky' moniker come from? <br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CDHS2w0XFeI/WVuy_TUTd0I/AAAAAAAAGcM/vORzPCwYa_MfyIRmrfO1jJrsycGmVdwOQCEwYBhgL/s1600/DSC_0094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CDHS2w0XFeI/WVuy_TUTd0I/AAAAAAAAGcM/vORzPCwYa_MfyIRmrfO1jJrsycGmVdwOQCEwYBhgL/s320/DSC_0094.JPG" width="320" /></a>This entire instrument is a bit goofy, so anything less than unusual wouldn't work for a decoration for the headstock. I thought about a lot of things, but nothing rang my bell, until I was clawing through a bin of cabinet drawer pulls at the local craft store. Out popped this head of a gorilla. Who would ever want a drawer pull like this? No one, I suspect, because there were many in the bin. But, when I saw it, I knew it was perfect for my bass.<br />
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Voila, the Funky Munky'!</div>
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<br />Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-66994837826207100182017-05-24T13:24:00.001-04:002017-05-24T13:28:05.852-04:00'Angioletta' Is Making MusicI've been reluctant to take the step into the 'real' exotic wood field of guitar creation for a couple reasons; one, because the 'big boy' wood can be very expensive, and two, because I lack confidence . . . not in my ability as a builder necessarily, but because my experience quotient is not vast, and if I screwed this up it wouldn't be a good feeling. But, a few weeks ago, I took the plunge, and the swim has been great.<br />
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My adventure was to build the ideal guitar for ME, and one which would stay with me for my personal enjoyment, until it moves along to one of my sons, when that time comes.<br />
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The body had to be made of my favorite wood, Ziricote. The top had to be unusual, but complimentary to the body, and it had to deliver clear and abundant tone, so I chose a highly figured Spalted Maple for the top. The neck would be one-piece Mahogany. I chose Indian Rosewood for the binding around the top, back and tailpiece. <br />
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For months, I've been reading and hearing about the difficulty of working with Ziricote, because it is a very dense wood and according to the information available it is prone to cracking and splitting during the side bending process. Let's understand, I'm a skeptic, and I don't believe everything I hear, and only about one-half what I see, and I believe greatly in "trust, but verify'. I, and all the other builders I know, wet the wood before putting it in the bender, where under heat, it is formed into the desired shape. But, dense wood does not absorb water easily, which could be the problem. So, how to conquer this? I drifted in thought back to my high school chemistry classes and recalled how molecules contract when cold and expand when hot, so it seemed logical that when I wet the side pieces that I do it with hot water. Voila, twenty minutes submerged in hot water, set up in the bender, pressure applied steadily and smoothly, cooked for another twenty minutes at 200 degrees, left to cool overnight, and not a crack or split anywhere. Problem solved!<br />
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If everything came together as I hoped, the guitar would be named 'Angioletta' (the messenger, or little angel).'Angioletta' is a custom-design modified dreadnought style guitar and everything about it is unique, from the mahogany bracing to the custom hand-wound single coil magnetic sound hole pickup to blow sound around, when I want to rock the house.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">The raw ziricote (dark) and (spalted maple) wood in this photo has been profiled and cut in preparation for gluing the braces to the inside of each piece.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tgnc5MxKb74/WSJ1hbKE_bI/AAAAAAAAGYM/l5Y2PTVbhGUl7C-dDxmvYBhKSK3fhdCLACLcB/s1600/DSC_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tgnc5MxKb74/WSJ1hbKE_bI/AAAAAAAAGYM/l5Y2PTVbhGUl7C-dDxmvYBhKSK3fhdCLACLcB/s640/DSC_0020.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;">Hand formed scalloped mahogany braces, which were fashioned from a larger piece of African mahogany, are being glued to the inside of the top, using the 'go bar' rig that I built for the purpose. The holes in the braces are for cosmetic effect, but they also lighten the pieces, which lends for more flexibility and sound transfer.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;">The photo below shows the same brace treatment for the inside of the back.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D_Xh04EjaEM/WSJ1uKxXigI/AAAAAAAAGZA/A2esVv1OBYkcO0_xhPhrpY3nGkwfGEjfQCEw/s1600/DSC_0039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D_Xh04EjaEM/WSJ1uKxXigI/AAAAAAAAGZA/A2esVv1OBYkcO0_xhPhrpY3nGkwfGEjfQCEw/s320/DSC_0039.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B2vHyoQh2qc/WSJ1qyNT72I/AAAAAAAAGZA/NzLyJyYX8lo9cDxkurKzVzAx_pjnXeVpgCEw/s1600/DSC_0040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B2vHyoQh2qc/WSJ1qyNT72I/AAAAAAAAGZA/NzLyJyYX8lo9cDxkurKzVzAx_pjnXeVpgCEw/s320/DSC_0040.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;">And, this photo shows the top glued to the sides (ribs) with rib braces and liner in place, ready for gluing the back.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3qplaCPet8o/WSJ15_W8z6I/AAAAAAAAGZA/4z5exmu92GgdhGMA0J1o0vphpViPOT5BACEw/s1600/DSC_0024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3qplaCPet8o/WSJ15_W8z6I/AAAAAAAAGZA/4z5exmu92GgdhGMA0J1o0vphpViPOT5BACEw/s640/DSC_0024.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;">The fretboard is custom made from a piece of highly figured ziricote. A close look and a vivid imagination will lead you to believe this is a landscape complete with a house and trees perched on the hills in the background. This is why I like this particular wood, and pictures do not do it's beauty justice. The subtle round light-color dots are maple position markers set into the board.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y__vdmy2-ng/WSJ10CS56PI/AAAAAAAAGZA/lfhZej-0U-otyznI7ugi1cFrUNt6V-LDgCEw/s1600/DSC_0038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y__vdmy2-ng/WSJ10CS56PI/AAAAAAAAGZA/lfhZej-0U-otyznI7ugi1cFrUNt6V-LDgCEw/s400/DSC_0038.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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</span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OQis-CspkuQ/WSJ12xe0gcI/AAAAAAAAGZA/Vkg9YJKbqTYw8wFo_MpiFBurhPx3Vj74gCEw/s1600/DSC_0037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OQis-CspkuQ/WSJ12xe0gcI/AAAAAAAAGZA/Vkg9YJKbqTYw8wFo_MpiFBurhPx3Vj74gCEw/s400/DSC_0037.JPG" width="400" /></span></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IfFXMF_GC2c/WSJ1RxqEmwI/AAAAAAAAGZA/bhNpRcHMFB4OmGwwm-weVvgHZot-CTNHgCEw/s1600/DSC_0073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IfFXMF_GC2c/WSJ1RxqEmwI/AAAAAAAAGZA/bhNpRcHMFB4OmGwwm-weVvgHZot-CTNHgCEw/s320/DSC_0073.JPG" width="212" /></span></a><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;">The handmade bridge is fashioned from the same piece of wood as the fretboard.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;">The headstock overlay is ziricote created from bookmatching scrap pieces left over from profiling the back. The 'T' logo is a small piece of spalted maple inlayed into the overlay. And, the pickup surround is also from that scrap. I try not to waste a single piece of wood when I'm creating a guitar.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8NOT_LiB7qs/WSJ1aFMF9xI/AAAAAAAAGZA/SxkyRG51zfom-Ygg1SklC9BC3Gz9fg8vACEw/s1600/DSC_0081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8NOT_LiB7qs/WSJ1aFMF9xI/AAAAAAAAGZA/SxkyRG51zfom-Ygg1SklC9BC3Gz9fg8vACEw/s400/DSC_0081.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FI1OCcCqiKA/WSJ1Xz_y7UI/AAAAAAAAGZA/KIw0AStbxvkjOhhOVRKkLZsgEPhZVZxsgCEw/s1600/DSC_0076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FI1OCcCqiKA/WSJ1Xz_y7UI/AAAAAAAAGZA/KIw0AStbxvkjOhhOVRKkLZsgEPhZVZxsgCEw/s320/DSC_0076.JPG" width="212" /></a><br />
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To carry on the overall concept and continuity, the heel cap attached to the neck is a combination of spalted maple and ziricote. The end plate, which carries the output jack for the magnetic pickup is spalted maple. The only deviation in wood for the body is that I decided to use Indian Rosewood for top and back binding and to separate the end plate. The rosewood compliments the ziricote very well.<br />
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That's it for the preliminary stuff, so let's look at the finished product.<br />
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Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-35003636529275402622017-04-27T16:49:00.000-04:002017-04-27T16:49:21.622-04:00Guitar PonyA 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 <i>'Santo Oro'</i> 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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Finally the rosewood headstock is overlayed with a piece of custom cut Chocolate Mango, which incorporates black Grover tuning machines.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Berlin Sans FB Demi","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Pau Ferro Custom Acoustic Guitar</span><span style="font-family: "Berlin Sans FB Demi","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Body </span></b><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">14-fret dreadnought<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Mahogany top w/custom burned rosette and top art<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Pau Ferro (Bolivian Rosewood) back and sides<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Walnut binding<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> East Indian rosewood bridge
w/ bison bone saddle and ebony pins<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Hand-rubbed satin finish<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Custom scalloped
spruce āXā top bracing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Custom scalloped
spruce āladderā-style back bracing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Neck</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">One-piece mahogany, standard āCā profile<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Dual-action truss rod<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Custom chocolate mango/Indian
rosewood headstock overlay<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Rosewood 14-inch radius fingerboard w/pearl position
markers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Grover black
enclosed-gear tuners recessed into headstock overlay<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Hand-rubbed satin finish<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Extras</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Elixir extra light 010-.047 strings</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Mahogany/Indian rosewood
tailpiece w/ebony strap butto</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Combo Wenge, zebrawood, chatke kak heel cap<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> Handcrafted in
Mansfield, Ohio (USA) <i> TotalRojoGuitars.com</i></span></div>
Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-37779285419957424952017-03-24T16:38:00.001-04:002017-03-28T09:15:42.353-04:00RC Tonewoods Builder of the Month<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="407" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fjess.allred.5%2Fposts%2F1603224276354739&width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe></span></span>Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-21838346060710756952017-03-13T13:08:00.001-04:002017-03-28T09:16:17.318-04:00Neil Young -- 'Old Man'<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="318" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/An2a1_Do_fc" width="424"></iframe>Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-29693531089232567462017-01-23T13:28:00.000-05:002017-01-23T13:28:30.644-05:00Guitar String Action -- Direction or Dilemma <span style="font-size: large;">So, what is the ideal string action for an acoustic guitar?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">There are as many opinions about this controversial subject as there are about the meaning of life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The conventional recommendation is that string action (the distance from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string, when measured at the twelfth fret) fall within a range of 3/32" to 7/64" for the bass 'E' string, and 1/16" to 5/64" for the treble 'e' string. And, that the neck have 'relief' (a slight arc) of .004-.010 at the 6th fret when a capo is applied at the 1st fret, and the bass E string is fretted at the 12th fret.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">Sounds pretty simple, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">However, there are numerous variables which can and will affect this wisdom. For example, Humidity and/or dryness; wear and/or grooves at the nut and saddle; depth of nut grooves in relation to fingerboard; saddle contour; tension placed on the top, which may cause it to warp; other structural problems such as loose bracing, nut or bridge; something as simple as changing string gauge; neck relief (whew, this is a controversial subject); and unlevel frets, to name a few things that can keep the debate alive.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">Why is string action so important? Because it affects playability. If the action is too high, fretting the strings is uncomfortable, and if the action is too low, strings buzz.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">Although many experts offer specific recommendations for adjusting string action, it is really left to understanding an individual player's technique that dictates how a guitar should be set up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Well, Larry Cragg, a Northern California luthier, who has vast experience setting up guitars has a different view. He adjusts the guitar neck so that it is perfectly straight after he makes a few preliminary changes (if necessary) like replacing plastic bridge pins and saddles with bone and/or ebony. Some, who have studied guitar setup, may view this as wrong, but if asked, Cragg will smile and say, "You know, the book says that there's got to be neck relief. That's all bullshit!"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">Have you ever gone into a guitar store and taken a good look at the string action on the various models you've played? I have, and I'm continually mystified by how the string action setup varies so greatly, even with high-end brands. One can only assume that setup at the factory is un-precise so that the music store tech can adjust to the desire of the buyer. But, if the setup is un-precise, wouldn't that discourage a player when trying out the guitar? </span><span style="font-size: large;">While working at a local music store, I was constantly checking nut groove depth and adjusting saddle contour and height to make guitars more playable, while keeping them within the recommended action range.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">And, there is also the occasion when a player wants their acoustic guitar to play like an electric. Nice idea, but not very realistic. They are two separate and different instruments.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-11428681065591647152016-12-24T16:59:00.003-05:002016-12-25T21:12:00.050-05:00'Boneyard Boogie'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This old guitar, which I found at a thrift shop, was collecting dust in my shop, and it was useless for anything other than a fly swatter until I saw something created by another goofy guitar maker.<br />
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My Granddaughter Ellie loves anything rtelated to skeletons, so my creative juices started to flow, and as a result we now have 'Ellie's Boneyard Boogie'.<br />
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Thanks to leftover Halloween supplies at the local drug store, I was able to put some boogie action into the boneyard, but not without an abundant amount of thought and difficulty.<br />
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The project required ripping the guitar apart. It's shaped like a guitar, but that's about the extent of the original piece.<br />
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The top was carefully removed from the body so as not to damage it beyond further use. A Shire horse skeleton complete with a boney rider in armor astride the beast fills the soundhole. A makebelieve bridge serves as handles to open the doors to the sound chamber (note the hinges on the side).<br />
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The body required reinforcement throughout to stabilize it after removing the top, but that worked out well, for the hinged doors.<br />
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Nothing is ever easy during a project like this, but I opened a can of worms with this idea.<br />
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The legs, at the hips, were the only moveable parts on the seven-inch-tall skeletons, and I discovered soon that I had no glue in the shop that would attach severed pieces. I don't have a clue what in hell the Chinese used to mold these boney creatures, but the only way I could reattach the surgically altered arms and legs was to use my heat controlled woodburning tool.<br />
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I built a piano, upright bass, drum set, acoustic guitar, coffin, and the mic the singer is holding. Then I had to posture each of the skeletons to fit the instrument they were destined to 'play'. In short order, I got well skilled at rearranging heads, hands, arms, and legs and welding them together. After each piece was complete, it was glued into position inside the guitar body.<br />
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To finish off the process, I attached computer downloaded illustrations and Ellie's favorite band names to the doors.<br />
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Here's the cast of characters. The piano players hat is an old amp knob converted for effect.<br />
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Wrapping fingers around the necks and mic were a real fun experience, and uncomfortable as hell to boot, because of the heat from the iron.<br />
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This was a lot of fun to create, but once is enough. Hee, hee.<br />
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<br />Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-38522057518618198662016-12-24T16:15:00.000-05:002016-12-25T21:12:07.656-05:00Maggie's Bowlulele<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My Granddaughter Maggie has been pestering me for a long time to make her a ukulele, and I have been avoiding the project, but she got the best of me about a month ago.<br />
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I don't have a body mold or any of the necessary jigs to accommodate building a traditional uke, but I did manage to wrap my head around the project and I came up with what I think is a reasonable facsimile.<br />
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A 9-inch diameter black walnut nut bowl was gathering dust in my shop, so it became the body for the new venture. A through-body walnut neck with Indian rosewood headstock overlay and leopardwood fingerboard was adapted to the bowl. With the neck in place, the curly maple top was added to finish off the design.<br />
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I cut specially designed soundholes in the top to allow sound to escape the sound chamber (the bowl). But, to add a little oomph, two piezo transducer pickups were glued under the bridge and connected to an output jack, so Mag can play he 'uke' through an amp.<br />
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Open-gear tuning machines draw the strings from the exposed tailpiece over a custom made Corian saddle and nut.<br />
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<br />Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-64941577044040533592016-12-22T12:37:00.001-05:002016-12-22T12:37:26.055-05:00tracy chapman - give me one reason (lyrics)<iframe width="459" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ym1eDeOxq14" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe>Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-71372450651068605032016-12-22T12:36:00.001-05:002016-12-22T12:36:36.084-05:00Susan Tedeschi ~ Hurt So Bad<iframe width="459" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/88LNk-_Tfr8" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe>Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-7666667379735868382016-12-22T12:15:00.001-05:002016-12-22T12:15:49.488-05:00The Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Women - Live On Copacabana Beach<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DXqQh7Y30eg" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe>Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-68871156015000760202016-12-22T11:54:00.000-05:002016-12-22T11:54:58.406-05:00After Hours: Jimi Vincent<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hfz_zrLLGzg" width="480"></iframe>Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-55348337956095297292016-12-20T12:53:00.003-05:002016-12-20T12:54:35.263-05:00Making Of Martin Guitar's 2 Millionth Mark<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uNDiuwNhkMU" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe>Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-11606740711175085522016-11-25T13:02:00.002-05:002016-11-25T13:02:08.769-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-59237373977808829432016-11-20T13:06:00.001-05:002016-11-24T11:52:48.389-05:00Spare Time Stuff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There's always small pieces of exotic wood floating around my shop getting in the way during the guitar building process, so I decided to turn them into something useful . . . guitar picks. <br />
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Decorative hand painted duck decoys is another 35-year sidebar interest I've played with. It doesn't take much to keep me amused.<br />
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When I get really bored, I resort to working on 'Piano Man' creations for my friend Ken Arthur's elaborate art ehibit, which he shows at galleries, museums, and universities around the State of Ohio.<br />
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This particular creation is a representation of my blues music playing friend James 'Super Chikan' Johnson. All the pieces used in the construction of the figure are from the internal workings of a baby grand piano dismantled by Ken and given to various artists for their unique contribution to his exhibit.<br />
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These cool guys, Luigi and Gianni, who adorn the walls of our kitchen, are carved from chunks of poplar wood and hand painted with acrylic. Another 'honey-do' project to keep the cook happy.<br />
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I like all types of artwork, but abstract pieces seem to gravitate toward the front of my skull when I grab a brush and a tube of acrylic paint.<br />
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I don't have a discription for this painting, but funky balloons come to mind when I look at it.<br />
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A fireball racing through the night sky over a city is what I see in this acrylic.<br />
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Others viewing this may see a helluva mess of mis-applied paint, but, it doesn't really matter, because it keeps me sane in the process.<br />
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And, when I really get bored and distracted, I turn to painting rocks for our flower gardens.<br />
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If you look carefully at the butterfly, you will see a message of peace and love in the wings, which is being surveyed closely by the psychedelic frog.<br />
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I think it's time to go find something to do. More later.<br />
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<br />Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-32972983734792870702016-11-20T13:06:00.000-05:002016-11-20T13:09:52.506-05:00Delivery Rig<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I finally ran across an example of the perfect delivery rig for my guitar building gig. It'll be a Harley 1200 cc two-banger that's street legal with lights and horn, and with a guitar nestled safely in a gig bag strapped on my back, I can fire up this scoot for a helluva good time making a delivery. Yup, I'll wear a helmet, too, but it'll be a chrome military bonnet with flames painted on the sides.Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-54091591054453162832016-11-16T12:07:00.002-05:002016-11-20T13:11:16.106-05:00<img height="640" src="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14681687_1311742035505243_8954193029562272138_n.jpg?oh=0f2f5303561169b969565a12cd0c5b39&oe=588E0B71" width="640" />Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4810432134584468190.post-36305426354086159742016-11-16T12:01:00.005-05:002017-02-03T11:25:54.568-05:00'Bigfoot' on Journey to Hollywood <div class="_5pbx userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="js_ovr" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.38; overflow: hidden;">
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Hollywood calling...</div>
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'Bigfoot' is going to Hollywood to be a part of a Nickolodean promo shoot for a new Yeti episode. More later.</div>
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Geez, TotalRojo Guitars finally made show biz.</div>
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Jess Allredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04013636415234930114noreply@blogger.com0