No, this is not Italian opera.
The next group of four, all tenors, is coming along. Two have a more ‘standard’ bracing, with a slight modification this time, and two use the Kasha style of bracing. They are all different combinations of woods, which is pretty exciting to see coming along. I love wood! The bodies, from left to right, are black walnut & redwood, sycamore & Port Orford cedar, ambrosia curly silver maple & redwood, curly ash & Pennsylvania red cedar. Then there are the interesting features, like my first use of 2000-4000 year old bog oak for black bindings.
All have side sound ports, and will have radiused fingerboards since I have had a number of requests for these features, and I need to learn how to make them. I made a jig to cut oval side sound ports, and figured out a process to add binding around the edge of the sound port, to make it look nice and trimmed. Things are to the point of the first coat of sealer on the tops, and the rough sanding of the bodes is done on two out of the four. (I get to take a break from sanding to write this blog.)
Just waiting are the other bites of wood. Fingerboards, bridges, headplates and heelplates
