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Opinions needed for future build

Hopkins

Hopkins

Commercial User
Nov 17, 2010
13,967
7,059
44
Houston Tx
Disclosures
Owner/Builder @Hopkins Guitars
#1
Ole Hopkins is going to attempt his first ever acoustic guitar build. Just a typical dreadnought, nothing special built from a set of plans.

I plan to use a big, lovely but not too interesting cocobolo board for the back and sides, a western red cedar top, and a ziricote fret board.

I am drawing a total blank on what neck wood would look good with the given options. I am thinking maybe jatoba would be an option, but I am not so sure about the brownish color of the jatoba and the redish color of the cocobolo going together. I was also thinking Spanish cedar for the neck, but how stable is it, and how close of a color match would it be to the top?

Any ideas? Suggestions?
 
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#3
Scoops said:
Martin uses Spanish Cedar on some of their D series. I have heard of others as well. So it must be stable enough

Hey, I thought you had issues with cocobolo?
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I do, but I just installed a vacuum system in my shop and I have a full face respirator, so hopefully I won't have any issues. My brother gave me a pretty large board for Christmas a few years ago and I need to use it, I figured this would be a good project for it as my electric build style doesn't lend itself to exotic woods. Any idea how similar in color Spanish ceder is to to western red? I know Spanish cedar is actually a relative of mahogany.
 
#4
@Hopkins,
This is a quartersawn Honduran mahogany neck and a Spanish cedar body.

V1HOjQR.jpg
 
#7
HaMMerHeD said:
Oh, I totally misread your question, but I'm glad if the pic helped anyway. Hond. mahog would be my first choice for an acoustic neck.
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I was having a hard time coming up with a neck wood that would look right with the other woods in question. I am also thinking about maybe a ziricote bridge and head stock cap to tie in with the fretboard.
 
#9
PDX Rich said:
Paduak with Spanish cedar stringers?
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I went to the hardwood store today, I found a piece of 8/4 Spanish cedar as well as a 4/4 x 12" wide piece of western red cedar for the top. I have enough Spanish cedar to do the bracing and kerfing as well. Thanks for the suggestion, but I am not a big fan of multi piece necks in general, and using padauk and Spanish cedar would make for a guitar made of 5 different woods which I think is too much. Especially with the ziricote in the mix.
 
#12
charlie monroe said:
Hey buddy, did you ever get this off the ground?
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I did, actually, I meant to document the build, but every step was a learning process and I just didn't take many progress photos. Its strung up, and it sounds and plays great, it has actually taken the place of my beloved Breedlove acoustic. Its not perfect by any means though. I pulled the sides out of the form before gluing the top and back on, this caused the body to be not quite symmetrical, I spent hours getting the neck to sit perfectly flush and centered, but somehow I managed to not glue it on perfectly straight, so the bridge had be be mounted slightly offset, but for a first attempt I am pretty pleased with it. I still need to level sand the back and sides and spray another coat of finish, but I haven't been able to bring myself to tearing it back down. I also installed a JJB prestige-330 pickup system. Its a passive piezo system that is glued under the bridge plate, and I am completely impressed by it. It sounds much more natural than any under saddle element, and the $50 price point was unbeatable. prestige-330

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#13
I think it's strong for a first acoustic.
I'd bet it felt like a completely different discipline from building slabs.

I had to look hard to see the asymmetry. I like it.

I also dig the fact that you created a paper tag for the sound hole.

You never miss the small things, @Hopkins

The Spanish Cedar for the neck is a really great match. I think the interplay with the sapwood on the back is great.
 
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#14
charlie monroe said:
I think it's strong for a first acoustic.
I'd bet it felt like a completely different discipline from building slabs.

I had to look hard to see the asymmetry. I like it.

I also dig the fact that you created a paper tag for the sound hole.

You never miss the small things, @Hopkins

The Spanish Cedar for the neck is a really great match. I think the interplay with the sapwood on the back is great.
Click to expand...

That's not sap wood, its a Spanish Cedar strip because the cocobolo wasn't quite wide enough and the bookmatch wasn't perfect.
 
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#15
The funny thing about this guitar, is that every thing I read about western red ceder tops says they are very warm sounding, yet this guitar is brighter sounding than my Breedlove.
 
#17
Hopkins said:
The funny thing about this guitar, is that every thing I read about western red ceder tops says they are very warm sounding, yet this guitar is brighter sounding than my Breedlove.
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I'd bet it just needs some time to open up. You did just perform all out assault on it, with bookmatching, thicknessing and gluing the braces, etc. It will probably mellow in the coming months.
 
#18
charlie monroe said:
Lol. That must be why I think it matches so nicely :D

I'm really impressed. Nice rosette, the bridge is carved perfectly, binding is nice and tight. I think you should build another.
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Thanks very much. I definitely plan on building another one, it was a very enjoyable process. Maybe an easier wood to work with than cocobolo next time though.
 
#19
charlie monroe said:
I'd bet it just needs some time to open up. You did just perform all out assault on it, with bookmatching, thicknessing and gluing the braces, etc. It will probably mellow in the coming months.
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I hope not, it sounds exactly like I like an acoustic to sound right now. It full and balanced but has some serious sparkle on the top end.
 
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