NGD: Tom Sands Model M

[volman]

So...more like new guitar week since it arrived on Monday. If you follow Tom Sands on YouTube and Instagram, then you've seen this guitar. It's been used in two studio session videos, one demo video, and has been in the background of a few others. It's Suki...a Model M with a sitka top, River Red Gum back/sides, and black walnut neck with a light sunburst finish.

My previous guitar was a Taran Tirga Mhor (DS3 swiss/tas blackwood) and it was absolutely wonderful. However, I really wanted a little more bass and a slight increase in sustain and overtones. A shorter scale was also something my left hand really needed. It was tough to let it go, but I'm not quite to the point of having two guitars that are at this level, so off she went.

I got lucky that Tom had this guitar available. I was hesitant because I had never heard of river red gum, but a couple days of research plus the outstanding demos online helped me decide to make the leap. I also should credit some great demos of a Kinnaird with the same woods that I found on this forum. I also have been REALLY wanting to get my hands on a Sands guitar...so it was an easy decision. Tom was also willing to swap the tuners to his signature Schellers with orange dyed burl buttons and bridge pins.

It is everything I was looking for. I've been working through Will McNicol's version of The Girl Who Fell From The Sky and it has been a joy to play and definitely a big motivation to learn more songs. Very happy.

[volman]

Thought I would share the demo since it isn't public on YouTube. I need to figure out a decent recording set-up and try to do some recording of my own.

[Palladio]

Very interesting guitar, thanks for posting about it.

I too had never heard of River Red Gum, so I looked it up on the wood database. It has a similar density/weight to Brazilian Rosewood, though is not quite as stiff. It sure is beautiful!

https://www.wood-database.com/river-...oogle_vignette

https://www.wood-database.com/brazilian-rosewood/

As someone who played traditional vintage Mahogany/Brazilian/Adirondack guitars most of my life, I am intrigued by these single luthiers who are using all sorts of out-of-the-box woods these days. I own and have played a number of Bruce Sexauer’s guitars made from non-traditional woods and they have been spectacular.

I first came across Tom Sands’ work through his excellent YouTube videos on different tonewoods.

[volman]

Originally Posted by Palladio

Very interesting guitar, thanks for posting about it.

I too had never heard of River Red Gum, so I looked it up on the wood database. It has a similar density/weight to Brazilian Rosewood, though is not quite as stiff. It sure is beautiful!

https://www.wood-database.com/river-...oogle_vignette

https://www.wood-database.com/brazilian-rosewood/

As someone who played traditional vintage Mahogany/Brazilian/Adirondack guitars most of my life, I am intrigued by these single luthiers who are using all sorts of out-of-the-box woods these days. I own and have played a number of Bruce Sexauer’s guitars made from non-traditional woods and they have been spectacular.

Tom said that the tone landed somewhere between Koa and Rosewood with the way he builds. My Taran had a slightly drier sound with a little less overtones and was built with Tasmanian Blackwood (somewhat similar to Koa)...so my experience supports Tom's thoughts. It definitely isn't an exact science with different builders, body shapes, and top woods. I've read that river red gum is pretty hard to work with as well, which probably means it will continue to be rare to find in acoustic guitars.

[Treenewt]

I love Tom’s work (and wit) and his willingness to use non-traditional tonewoods. Suki is a heckuva great looking (and sounding) guitar. Congrats and enjoy!

[Deliberate1]

That guitar is lovely, with a beautifully balanced, articulate voice. Just the kind of instrument that you want to spend time with and get to know. Enjoy that time.
David

[SColumbusSt]

What a guitar! Tom and many other talented young luthiers are doing us all a favor by applying their skills to guitars built with non-traditional tonewoods. It's not the wood, it's the builder.

[colins]

Living where I do, I’ve grown up around eucalypts (or “gum trees” as we call them) and the river red gum is one of the most majestic. And its wood is extremely hard, as I found years ago when I tried to reuse some (our old house stumps) as firewood. Don’t try to saw it unless you have a lot of time for the task.

Congratulations on that beautiful guitar. The subtle sunburst and the tuners complement the back really well. I hope you get many, many hours of enjoyment from it.

[Palladio]

I was flying across the country when I wrote my previous post. I just got to where I have a proper internet connection and good headphones to listen to the demo video. Wow!

That guitar really has a unique voice. Most of the credit for that I'd give to the amazing skills of the luthier and the player, not the tonewoods. The second song/phrases she plays really seem to get the best out of that guitar. I'm not sure if she played to the guitar's strengths, or if the guitar's strengths inspired her to that level......maybe both. Whatever is going on between her and that guitar, is really something beautiful to behold.

[Deft Tungsman]

Congrats on a stunning guitar, volman!!

I had the good fortune of taking it for a spin at Tom’s workshop in January. Impressions? Fantastic aesthetic appointments, surgically clean workmanship, effortless playability, immediate and expansive responsiveness and a wonderful, open voice that seems capable of shining in every imaginable musical context.

Enjoy it good health!

[volman]

Thanks everybody. It's been a joy to play and I always take a few extra minutes just to study it before closing the case.

[pandaroo]

Congrats, enjoy in good health

[Bryancap77]

ive also recently worked on that piece by will - tremendous performance of his on YouTube. stunning build, congrats!

[steveh]

Originally Posted by volman

My previous guitar was a Taran Tirga Mhor (DS3 swiss/tas blackwood) and it was absolutely wonderful. However, I really wanted a little more bass and a slight increase in sustain and overtones.

Interestingly, Martin was moving that guitar on when I was on Rory's build list for a Tirga Mhor but Rory, knowing my preferences, advised me (politely) against it. Martin is a professional performer and needs a guitar with tons of projection and what Rory calls "spit". He has a strong right hand and his technique demands a lot of note separation. Witness his love affair with Sobells over the years. I bought one of Martin's Sobells directly from him many years ago and, while it was a tremendous guitar, I ultimately gravitated towards instruments more suited to a weaker right hand and that gave up their overtones in abundance to a lighter touch. I'm very much a bedroom player.

Rory did build me a Tirga Mhor and it has overtones in abundance. At the time I also owned a Sands, and that was a fabulous guitar also - very, very responsive and a chorus of angels every time I played it. I'm sure yours is even better as it's a more evolved instrument. I only sold it because it was Tom's MMD shape and I found it a bit of a handful as I was getting older (back problems...); his M shape is much more comfortable I think.

Really looking forward to hearing some recordings of you playing it.

Cheers,
Steve

[Deft Tungsman]

Like you (and Bryancap77), I've been working on Will's arrangement of The Girl Who Fell From the Sky. It's a lovely piece of music that has the full range and space to let the guitar's voice come to the fore. Lucky me, I got to hear Will play it (many times, haha!) during last week's Brittany workshop, where Will spoiled us by including it on the syllabus. I also got to hear my dear friend Thomas Vaillant play it on his new Sands Model S, another stunner from Tom's bench. I look forward very much to hearing clips of your one-of-a-kind guitar, volman.