- This topic has 62 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 3 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
-
All right Now…listen up.
On the last day of Jan. 2019 I will be 72…This from somebody whose generation said “never trust any one over 30”.
I do not know what the future may bring…but I do know that my favorite saying is “Don’t Ever Give Up”.So I have a proposal.I will put a deposit down and fully fund a 50th anniversary SCGC Custom FTC. It is up to the members of this forum to spec. it out.
We have one year from today to do so.
if the Gatekeeper will set up a separate page for this project that might be easier than keeping the thread here…or not…
I would like “US”to choose the woods while Otis B. Rodeo is the “Head Wrangler” of the “Ramuda” and he can select the best of his Reserve.
Once the woods are selected I will put down the deposit and we will have lots of time to discuss the other components.
Let me be clear..this is to be a very special project…however, The final decisions will be Richards and the Crew of SCGC.
I will be the owner of this guitar but I think it should “Travel” continuosly among the players of SCGC guitars…both pros and just plain pickers.
I am open to any and ALL input from the members (current, past and future) of this forum.
Should I sail “Over the Horizon” before the completion of the build (But after funding) then the surviving players of the ‘In The Park Players ” shall be in charge.
Who wishes to be shipmates on the Voyage ?
-
WELL GEE GOLLY WHIZ. AND A WHOLE LOTTA HOLY GUACAMOLE ZORRO!
tHIS SHOULD BE A VERY EXCITING VENTURE GAS AHOLIZM.
Seeings how you have a procured an amazing Brazilian 45 type D build Let me be the first to suggest Highly figuredKOA. OK Keep the ball rolling you all
-
-
-
I think my choice would be Port Orford Cedar. A very vanilla to cream colored cedar that has been characterized as possessing a more rigid and possibly less likely to be as sensitive to tactile abrasions as well as having that dynamic response of the more typical red cedar..
-
Permission to board, Cap’n?
Since the FTC is (to my mind) all about the warmth of a flattop and the clarity and cut-through-the-mix of an archtop, I’d go with spruce – probably sitka – for the top, and some really beautiful maple for the back and sides.
Deco inlays on an ebony board on a multi-piece maple neck (for structural stability) with some kind of light-colored binding and a clear finish would round it out. Not sure about purling and binding, but a 5- or 7-way multiply of ebony and figured maple would work.
Also, probably, a couple of tiny plates on either side of the inside of the soundhole (prob maple) to provide extra support for a magnetic pickup (I like the sound of Sunrise pickups in those instruments, but they’re kind of heavy).
That would be (IMHO) the perfect combination of aesthetics and function.
-
That sounds nice Matt. Sitka and Maple has very strong appeal!! Maybe some H13 type s29 purfling with just the lightest amount of a caramelized edge burst to set it all off?
-
I know that some ‘Highly Figured” Flame Maple has always looked great on the FTC.
I do think that KOA holds a lot of appeal if the “Right” set.
While I have never played a Cedar top guitar I have been led to believe that Cedar Sounds has good as it is going to be when new and does not “Open ” like Spruce overtime.
I like Matts descriptions of the Maple/Spruce Combo
Thought on Rosewoods?? NOT BRAZ….outside the budget and not able to travel across borders.
Should our project Bindings and inlays be simple or a bit on the wild side…. Palo, Paule ?
This will be an interesting build…..REMEMBER, We want this guitar to be a Primo example of the SCGC 50 years of craft. -
-
I think that’d be lovely – although using the paua everywhere might be too much of a good thing. I wonder whether SCGC could do the deco inlays in a combination of paua and white MOP? That’d be colorful and eye-catching.
Zorro, because of the CITES ban, it’s dangerous to carry *any* rosewood instrument across transnational borders. Since most customs inspectors really don’t have the training to tell braz from indian from coco from madrose, inappropriate seizures happen more than they should. I have an instrument I would like to deliver to its *real* owner but I’m afraid to get it there bc it has a braz head plate.
Though in terms of braz carved instruments, though, Kim Walker did one – it’s apparently quite an instrument:
Archtop Aesthetics: The birth of the Kim Walker Solo Novo guitar
-
-
Well, I wish everyone were a lot closer – I’d be very happy to let people try out my maple FTCs, one in sitka, and one in cedar. Both old ones, although I don’t think theres much changed with the new ones. I will say that the cut or “edge” one gets with a maple guitar can get a bit excessive with a cedar top – Extremely responsive to fingerstyle, but almost a distorted overdrive with a pick and some strumming. A flavor that would not appeal to many as an “only” guitar, but a very interesting voice if one can justify having a few guitars – no problems with that here – and I need to point out that SCGC had not had a lot of experience with cedar when they built this one. So at this point, they have much more experience with it, and could probably thickness and brace it to allow more of an aggressive strumming style. But I still wouldn’t recommend it.
The sitka top is a very nice combo – its got more balance, but still with the unique edge and voice of the FTC, and still very much a maple guitar. I very briefly tried a mahogany FTC, and I wish I could say I really remember it well, but it was very different from the maple, yet still had the presence of the FTC. I would be concerned with koa on a carved shape like that – at least highly figured koa – I just don’t know how it would be structurally, but I’m sure Richard has the expertise to do it if desired.
For myself, I am hoping for one in rosewood, with probably a Euro top – and I can only guess what it might be like. Hopes are high, but I just don’t know what its going to gain (or lose?) with rosewood instead of maple –
-
Of the spruce and cedar ones you’ve got, I prefer the spruce (and would be in the market for it if you ever let it go), but have to acknowledge that the cedar has a lot of cut and power – it works really well for Django-style jazz and pick-based comping. The spruce is a little rounder and mellower and maybe a tad quieter, but the range of timbres is wider (IMHO, YMMV, ADA).
-
-
Stand back cowboy…..here’s what I want…sorry it will be a total custom ftc for sure
Moon Spruce top, the blue stuff
100 year old mahogany from a table top found along the 1 freeway in Santa Cruz
tortoise binding
Pyramid bridge 1 3/4 neck 2 5/16’s bridge spacing
paddle head no pick guard snakehead waverly tuners
00 Skye body size 12 fret 24.9 scale ebony board and bridge
hide glue, advanced x braced, moon spruce braces
SCGC inlay at the 12 side dot markers ebony fingerboard
-
I will humbly suggest my favorite wishful combination (as if it were for me personally). I’d like the back and sides to be the 100-year-old mahogany and the top to be aged Adirondack. The fretboard would be Brazilian and the neck would be mahogany as well. Why? Because I think that combination would sound otherworldly.
Santa Cruz 00 — Goodall 000 — Martin 00-28
-
-
-
Having played several spruce/maple/ebony fittings, that combo is pretty magical despite its simple wood choices. It crosses the clarity and punch of an archtop with the warmth of the flattop. Tadol’s spruce FTC is a case in point – it’s got enormous power but also a huge dynamic range and great sensitivity to where along the string length it’s played.
…someday. 😉
-
-
-
-
After reflecting on the project that I have proposed, I have come to “The
Slap In The Face” reality that on the 50th birthday of SCGC that I will be Damn near 80 when this idea will come to fruition….80 !!!
So…I am changing the program to commission the build to be a 45th anniversary custom FTC.
I still would like to have the Members of our Forum continue to submit thoughts and Ideas as to what the details of the guitar might be….But I’m going to talk with “The Maestro” soon to get his thoughts on this guitar and see what “personal Stash” of wood he might have now or is thinking about having in the near future.
As it is going to be an FTC I am leaning toward Flamed Maple as it is the “Traditional” wood for archtop guitars but I have to admit that Koa has some strong eye candy appeal. Would you Koa lovers please comment on the Sonic/Voice difference between the two woods.
Fair Winds,
Hank -
-
Of the 3 Koa guitars I’ve had built ,by our dear Maestro n Crew. SCGC, all have been stunning! My favorite was an all Koa 000. Next was the OM Spruce n Koa. Finally the 00 Spruce n Koa. They all had the Magical open vintage tone that Santa Cruz is noted for. I am a fickled GAS CRAZED acoustic guitar guitar CRUSADER in chase of the will I ever find the GRAIL.. Koa is a great sounding ,looking tone wood and SCGC with out doubt knows how to bring it to life. Warm even balance with most notably a Mid frequency bias. I hope to someday in the near future to have Richard and crew build me an OM grand with Port Oxford Cedar and my personal stash of very old growth Koa.
For an FTC me thinks the Maple is the way to go. Have them do a reddish/golden Koa tint W@@W!
-
-
Bert check out the Tunnel 13 Guitar by SCGC. ,maybe its still at Sylvan Music Santa Cruz. A great history provenance about the redwood used for that guitar .Give Richard a shout. It is one of the best sounding SCGC i’VE PLAYED.
-
UPDATE…Spoke with Carolyn and I am Zorroing in on Maple B/S for the 45th build. She is setting up a time for me to speak with Mr. Hoover about his stash of Maple….. Nothing else decided yet.
I just have a “Gut” feeling that Maple is the right wood for an FTC.
Some of Y’All have been so very kind to offer your own caches of South American Braz and Old Hog for the build… Thank You. But somehow Maple seems to speak to me. -
-
-
Hey, sorry I’ve been inactive since the forum came back online. I actually just turned 30 in December and had my first child. I also got married last July!
First, Zorro that’s super cool and gracious of you to do such a thing! How fun!!
I applaud your choice of the FTC in many ways – which I’ll just gloss over.
In my mind the top could be some old growth adirondack… but Richard will probably have special woods he is saving for such a scenario as this. Have you heard the Tunnel 13 redwood? That blew my mind, I’m looking to have that done on my second santa cruz. I think sitka is nice but it never pleases me in any guitar I’ve played it, just lacking always compared to Italian or Adirondack to my ears. I think Italian would be too ‘singing’ or shimmery/bright for the FTC since it already has that voice. That’s why I’d have to say old growth adirondack if not Tunnel 13 or some very unusual thing that Richard comes up with.
I know maple is the most traditional choice for that guitar, but I think on the FTC it may pigeonhole it a bit in character. If going with maple, maybe a type of maple that is woodier and more pliable in the mids. I would seek to see mahogany on it as I think it would have a really cool punch overall with that body. If you’re wanting something more sparkly then you could get the Tree set on it. I also think Koa might be a very good option since you guys are talking about that since it’s similar to Mahogany.
I also agree that something West coast sourced would be cool… the way they found Tunnel 13. Hawaii isn’t too far away and since SC is all into the western swing thing a lot it’s culturally not too separate either. Didn’t a lot of slack key and slide stuff marinade in from the 40s and 50s into that kind of scene in the western US?
Definitely hide glue and adirondack bracing, I also agree that would be a really cool guitar to have a pickup in whoever said that thumbs up.
As far as the aesthetic I think a very sun glow goldish hue and pearl blocks all the way up and down fretboard would be cool… like a visit to a retrofuturism museum and the art deco period glorified in a warm amber hue. Would probably be really classy and look like the sun reflecting off the pearly gates haha.
Flamed neck
Maple binding
Abalone purfling and inlay all around
Some type of honeyed antique light amber tint top
Pearloid bridge pins with white wood
pearl blocks all the way up and down fretboard like the cowgirl one they did a few years back Clementine
Gold tuners with pearl buttons
White maple headstock overlay and Santa Cruz logo done in gold abalone or something purty… standard tuners look sweet though
Mildly yellowed bone nut and saddle
Matching rosette to inlay and purfle
Voiced to not just be delicate, but handle strumming, heavier picks, and being pushed
What do you guys think? Critique my dream 😀
-
-
-
Acoustic soul,
Wow, lot’s of life changes for you…Congrats and Fair Winds for the future.
Thanks for your input on the FTC.
I’ve had some preliminary discussions with Artisan Guitars and Carolyn regarding this.
I am leaning toward a Carribean/Blue Hole theme….maybe Maple maybe figured Koa.
The finish , I think will be a blue…..Which shade We have not decided….maybe a combo of shades, like the Carribean itself.
When I get ability to post pix back I’ll post a picture of a Blue Hole I dove in the Bahamas that would set the overall look.
The bling will be Paua and Coral and Pearl.
Still a few years away from building but I hope all will find interesting and wonderful sounding. -
-
-
That’s a really cool idea too! Maybe you could do an entire theme like a caribbean treasure from an old shipwreck 🙂
And thank you for the well wishes, I married the most incredible woman I met in my life and luckily she loves music and wants me to have all the guitars 😀 😀 😀 it doesn’t get any better!
-
-
-
-
A $17,000 replacement A/C system has slowed down the ‘Blue Hole”…….If I want to keep being married to the most wonderful lady in the world, I have to provide A/C in Southwest Florida in May, June, July .August .Sep and b part of Nov..
I can take the heat ALL year around….but women “Of a certain age “cannot.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Its granadillo – I had a large plank (very large!) that I had gotten about 40 years ago, and it was at least 80 years old then. I was saving it to do something incredibly special with – and realized that Mr Hoover was going to be able to achieve far more with it than I ever could, I asked him to consider making FTCs with it – I always thought that a little mor of the richer, more overtones, sound that seems to come from rosewood, as opposed to maple, might give an FTC a very interesting sound. Richard chose redwood for the top, and I chose a little bling in the headstock and neck, otherwise we kept it all pretty simple. Its been a non-priority for some time, well over a year actually, so I wasn’t really pushing anyone for it, but I got the call that it would be ready for pickup at the Xmas party.
Its pretty wild – very dry and forceful, a little mid-rangey, but still extremely new – my very first brand new Santa Cruz – and I’m just planning on playing it a fair bit more, getting it a bit more broken in and opened up, before I try to describe it. Although, at this point, it looks to me like the most beautiful guitar I’ve ever seen –
-
Is that the same as Ziricote?
That’s awesome you have that old of wood!
Cedar and rosewood is my favorite combination on the firefly, you sacrifice volume but you get everything else like a classical guitar…. and it even strums just as well as finger. Really the thing I notice with the cedar is you play lighter but with more dynamics… so I echo the ideal home and recording thing with it.
Mmmmmmmmm, dry forceful and mid-range are GOOD THINGS for Santa Cruz. In my opinion after getting to know them for ten years… You never have to ask for overtones, but if you want woody you do have to ask them to tone down the overtones. Dry and woody would be bad if you were talking about a gibson because it means it’s dead, but with Santa Cruz it means it’s got soul! And according to my handle you know I like guitars with Soul! 😀
I’m sure you know, but Santa Cruz guitars new can be brutally cold. I usually play mine hard for a year and use a ToneRite. It seems to take 2-3 months to wake them up, 2-3 more months for a decent break-in , and the rest of the year for them to become noticeably themselves. After 3-4 years I usually hit another looseness that I would consider being fully broken in. Past that we’re just talking about aging.
I’d really like to hear that guitar when it’s done…. dang , but I live in Texas
-
-
-
tad, that is outstanding.. a guitar to behold. I have never played a granadillo guitar (once knew a dog who chased armadillos). From what I understand of the wood, the redwood top should make a great combo. My pao rosewood/redwood 00 has a sweet tone like no other, makes the world go round.
Great imagination in design of that guitar. bert
-
-
I’d love to do a recording, and I’ll try to get something together over the holidays. I may have to get someone who can really play to do this thing justice –
I’m realizing, to a new degree, what kind of relationship one makes with a Santa Cruz guitar, or really, any well-made hand-built guitar. Even if you buy a new one when you’re 20, and you play the snot out of it for 50-y0 years, it will be going on to someone else, probably still in its prime. This is my first, truly “new” Santa Cruz guitar. I have some older ones, some almost 35 years old, and they are wonderful, mature voices. I may not play each alot, but I take care of them, and know that they’ll be capable of creating wonderful music long after I am gone. And it makes me realize how great it is when someone doesn’t have the patience to get to know a great instrument, selling cheaply to pursue something the internet says is the next great thing –
So, this is new – completely. Just off the set-up bench, still on its first set of strings, lacquer is probably still curing. How well can I judge this? I can compare myself at best to an inexperienced vintner trying to judge a wine you know can’t be at its best for a little while – how long? hmmmm –
It has so many really great qualities, but the tone, and the balance, have changed a pretty fair bit in just a few days – and I don’t think its done. It’s opening up – getting fuller, richer, just . . . Better. I feel like it’s gonna take some weeks – maybe months – before I will really start to know what its gonna be like most of its life. It’s pretty weird knowing I have something that will be at its best the longest, when I’m not around anymore to enjoy it. But while it brings me joy for the next decade, or two – I can’t hope for anything more –
I will try to get something up shortly, but I don’t think it’ll be really accurate – we’ll see –
In the meantime – Hank, I know you, if anyone, knows the joy of picking up a new, custom SCGC – a 50th anniversary FTC sounds like an outstanding idea! And still plenty of time to plan!
-
Tad….We would love to hear you on that FTC, not someone else. it’s your horse to ride. Besides I’ve heard you play and you need not make any apologies.
I think it is really special to receive a guitar personally from the shop and have Richard smile when he hands it to you.
Sort of like having Enzo Ferrari personally hand you the keys to one of his cars.
The 34 Zorro is now a bit over 2 years old and seems to have opened up quite a bit. But I remember The Maestro saying that with the woods in his inventory it won’t take forever for one of his instruments to achieve its full voice.
At my age I don’t have a couple of decades to wait……so I am happy that I have the voices around me now that make me content….both listening to Dee sing and playing my guitars.
Merry Christmas , Peace in the New Year and Fair Winds,
Hank
-
-
Tad, your comments above are insightful and agree with my experience. I’ve reached a point in my life where I can afford new custom guitars. It’s too bad I couldn’t afford them when I was younger because I would be playing well matured instruments at this point in my life. I’ve found that there are very few guitars that reach me from the bench that don’t need “time in the bottle.” The only 2 that came to me in a mellow, seemingly comfy state was a custom SCGC OMG I received a couple of years ago; and a Froggy Bottom H12 I got 5 years ago. There’s still time to enjoy the changes. If not, I guess it won’t matter. Enjoy the ride.
– Paul –
-
-
-
-
All right .Close your eyes. What about?
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.