Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Hmm. While you’re storing stuff for Tadol, I have a 12-fret 000 to get to you…..and it seems that the CITES rules are in the process of revision to make way for musical instruments, so they can cross transnational borders without fear. I’ll miss it, though…. 😉
Really, your pickup selection depends on what you play and the rig you’re playing into. Do you strum? Fingerpick? Slide? Do you go into a powered mixer or a passive mixer or an amp?
Different pickups will responds to these variables variously better and worse.
AGF is primarily a business, and the owner is protecting what he perceives as his interests. It’s readily apparent that one of his assumptions is that the forum business is a zero-sum game. It’s a misguided view, but his chunk of the market is large enough to allow him to get away with it….
I’ve got two.
When my old (1950s) Martin 0-18 finally went the way of the dodo – long story involving a former owner who’d essentially loved it to death – I started to look for something new. The 14-fret 0 had been nice, sounded good, and such, but it seemed like OMs or other slightly-larger-but-smaller-than-dread size guitars had more versatility, so I started checking them out wherever possible. In the process, I came in contact with instruments by a lot of builders. At Steve Swan’s, when he was still in Kensington, I tried one after the other including some fabulous new SCGCs, until he put a battered 7-year-old used instrument – an OM cutaway – in my lap.
That one got my attention. Despite lots of evidence of heavy play, it felt great and sounded sublime. After going back and playing it a couple more times, I bought it, and that was that. It’s been my go-to for a little over twenty years now. Sounds good every which way – acoustic, plugged in, miced, whatever.
When i turned 50, DW wanted to do something special, so she suggested I see what Richard could make from a piece of Cuban mahogany I’d had for thirty years that hadn’t been turned into furniture yet. That became a 00-29 with some custom features that’s a sweet short-scale instrument with a big voice.
Only regret is not diving deeper when I first encountered SCGC. And there are some custom ideas I may explore someday if SCGC is amenable….
Hmm. You want the GR-707? It’s set up and it plays beautifully, but honestly I’m not playing much electric anymore – it’s mostly here because of the novelty value.
Sitka is a fine top wood. SCGC does a masterful job with it and Indian – my 27-year-old OM attests to that.
It’s a beautiful instrument – enjoy it!
Congratulations to RH and crew. Fine instruments built by good people doing good things.
First one I ever saw was a tiny, exquisite instrument in Kent CT at a long-gone music store – I still don’t know what model it was, probably an H. It was $2000 or thereabouts and just a bit more than I could afford. Left me with a hunger for one that took another decade or more to sate.
Squeak is really more about technique than the string itself, at least IMO.
Personally I love the light tensions but chacon a son gout, as they say.
Welcome!
I’ll join others and suggest perhaps an OM – it’s close in dimensions to your 522, with a slightly larger and deeper upper bout (see link to dimension comparison below) and a 14-fret neck. Neck shapes, nut width, scale length, and string spacing are endlessly variable because so much of SCGC’s output is custom, so chances are good you can either find what you want or have SCGC make it.
The OM as realized by SCGC definitely does have nice rich bass and lots of sustain. It’s a reasonable size and extraordinarily versatile – mine has been my go-to instrument for (gulp) twenty years now, and it’s not slowing down. And the 14-fret neck does offer a bit more real estate free of the body.
Link to comparison of OM-and-similar small-body dimensions on Google Drive: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hyOlL73qKs7LB6vIvvhZk4zYMhFSQdU99RN319ZGnrY/edit?usp=sharing
(ps if anyone wants to add a set of dimensions to that list, send them and I’ll add them and add attribution).
That said, if you like the 12-fret, a 00 or 000 12-fret would work. I’m fond of the sound of the SCGC o0 more or less across the board, and have a custom 00-29 (all mahogany) that’s quite extraordinary.
Yup. Pics will be forthcoming soon.
Thinking about upgrading the mando….but I want to see if I can talk the powers that be into making a 14-fret long scale 00 cutaway first.
Probably couldn’t do the soundboards before being glued on – there’s sanding and fairing that takes place to get the binding and whatnot smoothed. But it could be done after a spit-coat base of vinyl sealer, maybe.
Color-wise, I’ll just take dyed purling lines and the colors of abalone etc….
Hello Richard – sorry for the late reply!
The board is ebony, of very nice quality, but I’ve used round wounds on it since I got the neck in the early eighties, and it’s been surfaced a couple of times since. It’s got the usual round wound divots, which can be sanded out, but the neck is at the point where it’s getting perilously thin front-to-back. And as much as I like it, the 5th-string A dead spot has gotten worse with use, so it could use some stiffening.
There’s still a fair amount of fingerboard, and it’s slab rather than veneer (e.g., flat bottomed). The process I have in mind – and I’m absolutely open to other options – is to do the following:
- Find someone with a Bridgeport to mill the face flat
- maybe mill in a couple of slots for carbon fiber reinforcement and epoxy ’em in nice and tight
- re-mill the face flat
- glue on a new ebony fingerboard blank with appropriate glue – not sure what to use
- re-radius fingerboard and (probably) put a finish on it (so it doesn’t wear out quite so fast).
I’ve thought about doing it myself, and honestly if I had more time on my hands I probably would. But I just don’t have the time, right now…..
