A 1950's style arch top guitar I built

[george wilson]

This is a guitar I made with the great maker Stromberg in mind. He made big orchestral guitars until about 1954,when He died,IF I recall correctly. I need to get studied back up on guitars since I'm forgetting history,models,dates,etc..

I rebuilt a Stromberg Master 400 back about 1966. The owner had carelessly put his cigarettes under the strings and let them burn down. The Master 400 had a CELLULOID plate over the peghead about 1/8" thick,made of several black/white laminations. The maker beveled this celluloid at the edges,making it look multi layer bound. When the cigarettes burned down,they BLEW OUT cavities about the size of 1/2 of a dime. He's lucky that the whole peghead didn't blow up like black powder!!

He had had a pickup on the guitar,and now wanted it to look new again. I got it looking like new for him. I hope the slob took care of it,because today it is about a $200,000.00 guitar.

This guitar I made has a peghead shaped like the Master 400,which is large,and wider at the bottom than the top. They might have called it a"snake head" at Gibson. That style shape was introduced in the 30's by Gibson. It reflects the type of naivety found in guitars like Strombergs. They aren't spot on perfect (Strombergs were pretty crude close up!) but they have charm.

The cutaway's shape has to be gotten exactly right,or the whole guitar looks bad. You need that nice FAT look. The cutaway on the Gretsch is a particular shape,too,but different from this.

My peguead IS really bound,though,and has the type(not copies) of rather large pearl inlays of ribbons inlaid into it,with hand engraved letters cut into them,and blacked,the technique Stromberg used.

This guitar is 17" wide,compared to 16" for the Gretsch I posted. The Master 400 was over 18" wide,but big as I am,I find a guitar that large to be uncomfortable to play for long.Not to worry,Stromberg also made guitars in the 17" width,the Master 300.

These small hand makers like Stromberg and D'Angelico were always competing with the giant,Gibson. Everyone was. Their model's sizes,and designations,like "400" mimicked the Gibson "Super 400." In those days,Gibson quality was at a high point. Today,though,the smaller maker's guitars are worth fortunes,being more rare,and Strombergs were VERY loud. They had to cut through brass sections in orchestras without pickups.

The guitar is maple,with a reddish brown sunburst similar to Stromberg's sometimes used color. The Ebony fingerboard is inlaid with plain pearl blocks,which is really an elegant way to ornament a fingerboard.

The pickups are Gibson P-100's. They are actually P-90's with 2 big coils. The single coil P-90 can sound a little wild at times,but it gave Merle Travis that great tone he had. So,I decided to try P-100's,because of the feedback,and wildness of the p-90. They were huge,and I thought they wouldn't sound good because they went down into the body about 1" deep!! I was afraid the magnetic fields would not capture the vibrations of the strings too well,they were just so big. Well,I was pleasantly surprised when I heard them. They sound just great,like a P-90,but with the wildness curbed just enough!! They had that Merle Travis tone!!

I selected a chrome 1950's tailpiece,and vintage 1950's Grover Imperials for this guitar. Those old Grovers used to be VERY hard to get,and $$$$,but they have been reissued,though the re issues are the late 1960's style with sharper edges than these rounded early types. I didn't get the picture in focus,though. Too much neck pain today!

[David Weaver]

another nice one. I agree on the size. I can't remember which gibson the heritage golden eagle is a copy of , the L-5 maybe, but with solid wood. The one I had was 17". I liked that size. Unfortunately, by the time I got the guitar, heritage was sucking wind a little, either that or I got one that was left over after a dealer picked through inventory and took the strong figure guitars out. It still sounded great, but it made it harder to sell when I reconciled with the fact that I'd have to start from square one to play any jazz.

A lot of the same guys who built those high quality 50s/60s gibsons were still at gibson when I bought my heritage from them about 8-10 years ago. I have no idea how old they were, but they had to be pushing 80.

I love the tone of those guitars, especially upper register - they have a woody goodness that no solid body guitar can mimic. but they are not compatible with someone who plays blues, and the strings are far from the body on the right hand!

[george wilson]

Who USED to play a Gibson 17" ES-5??? Plays a Gibson Lucile now. Blues guy. Guess who?

Essentially the same as this guitar,but with 3 pickups(which get in my way!) No place to finger pick.

[george wilson]

I'm waiting!

[george wilson]

B.B. King! It must depend upon what kind of blues you are talking about. Who is it who played a Tele? I am not a blues guy,and Can't recall.

[David Weaver]

I wasn't paying attention. Lucille is a 335 with no f holes, right? Gibson call it a 355 or something?

There are lots of tele blues guys. Muddy Waters and Albert Collins come to mind.

[george wilson]

It is like a 335 without F holes. I never liked the double cutaways that became popular. They serve no purpose,as they do not allow you to more easily reach higher notes. The single is just as functional. And,the double cutaways aren't as strong as single cuts in the neck blocks,which had to be made much narrower. Gretsch,following Gibson,went to doubles,too. They aren't worth as much today. Chet stayed with his single cutaway pretty much. His Gibson models are single cutaways,reflecting his desires.

[Rick Markham]

Stevie Ray Vaughn and Eric Clapton both used teles :)

[Johnny Kleso]

The double is stronger than the single cut way as it has a solid support down the middle.. My last boss was the VP of Gibson Guitars.. While I lived in NJ I use to fish with Lester Polsfuss in his back yard on Mawah River and talk guitars..

[Harlan Coverdale]

Who is it who played a Tele? I am not a blues guy,and Can't recall.

Roy Buchanan?

Beautiful guitar, George. Very nicely done.

[Patrick Tipton]

Stevie Ray Vaughn and Eric Clapton both used teles :)

Not that it really matters, but SRV and Eric Clapton were Strat players. Fender has Artist Series Strats out for both of them. I spent my college years in Austin when SRV was just breaking and had the good fortune to see him play a lot at small venues. I had been a mostly acoustic player and he really turned me on to electric blues. Stevie Ray played Tele's a bit in his early career, but you really never saw him without a Strat once he recorded Texas Flood. I don't recall ever seeing EC with a Tele, but believe he mentions in his autobiography that he played them some.

Albert Collins is about the best known Tele blues player. Roy Buchanan was another great Tele player. I love and play Tele's, but to my ears they twang rather than growl. Albert Collins sounds great - he plays with a capo in most keys and picks with his fingers. I think those factors dampen the Tele twang and really contribute to his nice warm tone.

Great looking guitar George!

Regards, Patrick

[george wilson]

I'm referring to Gretsch construction,not Gibson in the double cutaway strength issue. Gretsch did not use the same internal construction as Gibson,and insisted in not having too much internal bracing.

[Joe Cunningham]

Very nice, I'd never heard of P100s, I guess they were stacked coils with two magnets? They still have the single pole pieces, so maybe it is just one magnet, with two coils wound in opposite directions.

My jazzmaster is going to have two P90s. They do well in solid bodies, and I hope it comes out half as nice as your guitars. It is a fun, labor of love.

[george wilson]

The P 100's have 2 coils with magnets in their middle. You would be better advised to use them,if possible. They really curb the wildness,and are hum bucking,so lighting systems or other electronic stuff doesn't make them hum. P 90's are still great pickups,though. When you play them,you may discover what I mean by "wild". Maybe you'll like it. All depends on style of playing and personal taste.

[Don C Peterson]

B.B. King! It must depend upon what kind of blues you are talking about. Who is it who played a Tele? I am not a blues guy,and Can't recall.

Albert Collins used to play a Tele.

I'm not a guitar guy, but I am a blues guy...

[Don C Peterson]

Not that it really matters, but SRV and Eric Clapton were Strat players. Fender has Artist Series Strats out for both of them. I spent my college years in Austin when SRV was just breaking and had the good fortune to see him play a lot at small venues. I had been a mostly acoustic player and he really turned me on to electric blues. Stevie Ray played Tele's a bit in his early career, but you really never saw him without a Strat once he recorded Texas Flood. I don't recall ever seeing EC with a Tele, but believe he mentions in his autobiography that he played them some.

Albert Collins is about the best known Tele blues player. Roy Buchanan was another great Tele player. I love and play Tele's, but to my ears they twang rather than growl. Albert Collins sounds great - he plays with a capo in most keys and picks with his fingers. I think those factors dampen the Tele twang and really contribute to his nice warm tone.

Great looking guitar George!

Regards, Patrick

Now I see you beat me to Albert Collins, but both SRV and EC played Teles once in a while even though they both primarily played strats.

[Don C Peterson]

Who USED to play a Gibson 17" ES-5??? Plays a Gibson Lucile now. Blues guy. Guess who?

Essentially the same as this guitar,but with 3 pickups(which get in my way!) No place to finger pick.

T-Bone Walker was closely associated with the Gibson ES-5 as well as the ES-335

[Pam Niedermayer]

George, great stuff, truly amazing. Do you recommend P 100/P 90 coils for most any build?

Thanks,
Pam

[george wilson]

It depends upon what you want,Pam. You should look at your favorite players and see what they are playing. A P-90 can't be told from a P-100 just from appearance, though. In case of doubt,I recommend the P-100.

[Ron Petley]

George:
Great build I wonder do you ever spend any time sleeping.
I would like to ask you about your finish. Did you use any stain on the maple, other than to produce the sunburst effect. Did you use anything to bring out the grain of the maple, it looks rather good in the photo of the neck.
I am working, slowly, on a banjo and it had some curly maple in the neck and rim and I want it to show but I am reluctant to put satin on it to enhance it. I have not really stained things and would hate at this point to put it on and regret it. I keep finding things on the net about giving maple a pop with stains BUT I am still not quite on board with it.
If you have any insights into this I would appreciate your opinion. I have invested a few hours into building this banjo and would just hate to put on some ugly stain that would be all I would ever see when I look at the thing after it is done. Cheers Ron.

[george wilson]

The sunburst stain is in the sprayed on nitrocellulose lacquer. The Gretsch was stained on the wood,because the originals were done that way. They don't look right if you stain the lacquer and spray it on.

You used to could buy shading lacquer readily. Today I make mine better than the old by using archival quality powdered dyes made in Germany,and arc light tested for longevity. The old colors could fade very badly in light. I was asked to fix a dark brown Epiphone guitar left in a store window. It turned a light lavender color!! This was in the late 50's.

Conservation Resources I THINK is where I got my colors. My small bottles have lasted forever. I could check if it's important. The conservation departments in Williamsburg used them. Not every one will dissolve in lacquer. Some go into water,some into alcohol,some into oil base,or lacquer. You may have to find out for yourself and spend a little money. They aren't real inexpensive colors.

My Binks spray gun got stolen. I have been using Asian made devillbis copies,and they work just fine in spite of all the hoo-haw. Not necessary to spend hundreds of dollars. These guns atomize sunbursts to an undetectably microscopic level to make them dead smooth in color graduation.

I seal my guitars with 5 minute epoxy thinned out with alcohol. Paint it on,and in 2 hours it is "leather hard". Sand it off. The epoxy makes little balls and rolls off. Wait overnight,and it's like sanding concrete!! I do this twice. By sealing this way,I can make 4 coats of lacquer look like 20. And,it is better for acoustics as it doesn't hurt the tone much like thick finishes do. AND,it doesn't craze as badly as the old Gibsons do,because it isn't thick,and just less prone to temperature changes.

[Joe Cunningham]

That is an interesting technique with the epoxy. What kind of consistency do you use? Something similar to a thinned varnish?

Finishing these instruments has proven the biggest challenge for me, followed by the fretting. Most of the ww'ing for solid body guitars is not that tough (acoustics and hollow body electrics are a whole different game).

Someday I'd love to do an arch top like you have here George. My skills are not there yet.

[george wilson]

The epoxy is thinned to about like varnish,and painted on with a cheap bristle brush that is thrown away.

The alcohol slows down the 5 minute epoxy to make it "leather hard" in about 2 hours. Do NOT ever wait overnight to sand it unless you are a glutton for punishment.

Do it again for porous woods like mahogany or rosewood,till all the pores are filled.

For dark woods like rosewood,you can first use a DARK walnut past wood filler. Then,epoxy over it. Filling the wood perfectly gives you a smooth surface to start with,and enables about 4 sprayed coats to look like a piano finish after being wet sanded with 600 wet or dry,and buffed. I used to hand buff with white automotive rubbing compound,but now have an 1100 rpm budder i made. Stewart Macdonald's has these large,loosely sewn buffing wheels,and the right compound. Never let the lacquer get too warm,or it will pile up. If you hand polish,I recommend the Megguair's polishes(sp?). Macdonalds sells them,too.

[Johnny Kleso]

George,
I seen David talking about a 335 and and was thinking Gibson..
You have great taste in guitars the Gretsch is my drean guitar but if I am going to wish I would wish for a Cowboy Guitar :) as I grew up listing to my Dad's favorites ...

Gretsch Cowboy
http://wizkidz.home.comcast.net/IMG.jpg

[george wilson]

Is that a guitar,or how I want my den to look?:) Those Melita bridges are cool. I bought several over the years,but very expensive. I think Gretsch is using some new ones now.

Chet posed with that model,but never played it.

[Johnny Kleso]

I was just looking at the new reissued Gretsch 6120s and they all have a swing a out bar like yours.. Most of the old CBs had the original replaced long ago and is very hard to find from what I hear..

[John Coloccia]

That is an interesting technique with the epoxy. What kind of consistency do you use? Something similar to a thinned varnish?

Finishing these instruments has proven the biggest challenge for me, followed by the fretting. Most of the ww'ing for solid body guitars is not that tough (acoustics and hollow body electrics are a whole different game).

Someday I'd love to do an arch top like you have here George. My skills are not there yet.

Check this out for fret work:

go to e-bay and search on "quartz sanding beam". I bought one from that gentleman, and he also sold me an 8" one (which isn't on e-bay yet, but maybe he'll sell you one of those too). A monkey could properly level frets with this thing. The weight and shape are just perfect.

I've no relationship with him other than I bought his product based on someone else's recommendation, and I'll never go back to doing it any other way.

[george wilson]

Johnny,are you talking about old Bigsbys with fixed aluminum handles? The swing out type came in the 50's. I'm not sure when. I have one of those old fixed bar Bigsbys.

Chet always stayed with his fixed bar. it was the way he learned to play. they get in my way,though. I have large hands,and need a bit more room.

Jon,I level frets with a 12" mill file. I cut off the tang,and drilled and countersunk a hole at each end with masonry drills run fast in the drill press. This is screwed to the bottom of a square section piece of maple a bit longer than the file. It is MUCH easier on the fingertips! For most of my life,I just filed them,holding onto the file by its edges! Luckily I have strong hands!

I have one f those real thick German made fret files that is 1" thick,and 2" wide,about 8" long. It has a slight curve from tempering,so it is only good on 1 side. I generally prefer my made up file on a block.

P.S. I checked out the quartz beam. It seems to be a piece of counter top engineered stone. Looks o.k.,but I don't think I need it.

[John Coloccia]

The key is this guy goes through, polishes, and checks each one on his granite table. They're good to something like .0005", and each one comes with a cal certificate. The guy is just a stone dealer who happens to have a luthier friend. One day they got to talking, and voila'.

I was using a file too, and it's fine, but I can't find a straight one. Nothing's straight anymore, George, and that just makes it harder for me. Despite all the wonderful chisels and planes that are available, getting some basic tools can be a real challenge sometimes.

Benedetto's favorite carving plane is one he made many years ago out of maple, and he used an old putty knife for the blade. He "stole" the putty knife from his dad, broke off the blade and sharpened it. In his own words, even putty knives were made with quality steal back then. Imagine the humorous results if you tried that today. LOL.

[george wilson]

You are right,straight files are very rare. What I do about it is screw the file with the CONCAVE side out down on the wooden platen. Then,I can slip paper under the back of the file,and tighten down the screws until I get it the way I want.

Of course,you know,there has to be a slight amount of concavity to the fingerboard in use,to help keep the strings from buzzing.

Expert violin makers also scrape a slight concavity in their fingerboards,and also scrape the bass side of the fingerboard a bit to allow more room for the bass string to vibrate when played loudly. Classical guitar makers plane away a triangular area near the soundhole end of the fingerboard to also allow clearance.

So,it isn't necessarily about being dead flat.