Just one more….

[justonwo]

Looking good! Crazy bevels happening!

[Jamiejoon]

Paul, did you have John build you an ark? Might be useful in the next few days...stay safe!

[Guitars44me]

Thanks for your thoughts and concern, Jamie

No ark, but this house was built in 1929 and has weathered some serious storms and floods just fine in the last 94 years

We live across the street and fortunately WAY uphill from the Sweetwater River in the Mountains east of San Diego.

May be some serious weather but not expected to be as nasty up here as on the coast. Thank goodness

Could knock fire season down pretty well, we hope

Everyone stay safe.

[Jamiejoon]

That's good, Paul. May the house last another 100 years! And you too of course!
I hope the rains give you at least a month without concern for fire. That's pretty good these days for CA, I reckon.
Everyone stay safe.

[Guitars44me]

We have battened down everything that can be battened! Hahaha

Had to take down all the shade sail cloths and fit all the trash bins in the garage.

Last huge wind 10 years ago I had to go find all the trash bins and cans in the river bottom! Some were a LONG way away…

More on the instrument soon

John says the back and top are both joined and the sides (all 4 are bent)

Hope for pics soon…

Hey, Justonwo. Those bevels are on the last one….. I sometimes refer to John as the Bevel King! Hahahaha

Paul

[j. Kinnaird]

Originally Posted by Guitars44me

We have battened down everything that can be battened! Hahaha

Had to take down all the shade sail cloths and fit all the trash bins in the garage.

Last huge wind 10 years ago I had to go find all the trash bins and cans in the river bottom! Some were a LONG way away…

More on the instrument soon

John says the back and top are both joined and the sides (all 4 are bent)

Hope for pics soon…

Hey, Justonwo. I sometimes refer to John as the Bevel King! Hahahaha

Paul

I spent my formative years growing up in New Orleans. We used to have hurricane parties and on occasion, because the drinking age was 18, I would visit Pat Obrien’s in the French Quarter for a rum infused drink called a hurrricane. This was all before Katrina. Moral….Hurricanes can be fun till they aren’t.
Hope you have fun.

[TomB'sox]

I read where California has gotten a lot of rain this year? The article said that drought conditions had been alleviated and water tables were in great shape? We have not seen a drop here in TX for 6 weeks and with the heat dome, it has not been great. 3 wildfires last week, but nothing too large and they seemed to get them under control pretty quickly.

[Guitars44me]

Right, Tom! How can we possibly have flooding and drought at the same time? Hahaha

Yes, we have had a wet year and the snow pack in the High Sierra was record breaking. Still the water tables and reservoirs are far from recovered. It will take some more wet years to get to what used to be normal.

The Sweetwater River has run all year and after this I am sure it will continue for quite a while.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program…. Haha

So, Mike Bennet/ Woody asked me about the Pablo Package and what it entails, at the risk of driving me nuts…

Here is the long answer:



Too late Mike, I’m already nuts. And driving me more nuts is a short drive anyway…

Let’s see, the Pablo package:

Elevated fretboard extension. Carbon fiber struts, neck heel to waist. Sliding adjustable neck. Which John is really getting dialed in now!

Manzer Wedge, multi bevels. Arm, upper to mid back, and a bit on the cutaway too.

Venetian cutaway as I just don’t like pointy bits on my guitars.

Zero plastic anywhere, not that John uses it anyway

Sound port shifted up about 3 inches from the neck heel to help my funky left ear

Major bull nose rounding of ALL edges for MY comfort

I am still WAY sold on the CF D tube in the neck as well as John’s usual CF rods running the entire length of the neck and Headstock. So NO truss Rod.

I understand some Techs want a TR, but with the sliding neck I have found and believe it is NOT needed.

John just builds a bit of relief in the neck and it stays that way (so far so good)

I always say, remember, all those pre-war guitars that everybody raves about had no metal adjustable truss Rods. Just T bars if anything at all!

The slim asymmetrical V neck with a hint of D on the thumb side and almost flat V on the finger side. Apex of neck offset a tiny bit to the thumb (top) side of neck.

25” scale for mine. Small hands, Big Help!

1.8” neck at the nut. 2.25” string spacing at saddle

Built extra lightly to be tuned down to D, drop C, or open D using Elixir HD Lights

I bet I am forgetting something…. Hahaha

Anyway, seems like a real bargain at an extra $1500, and I expect it may go up in price

I suggest ordering another ASAP! Hahahahaha

Cheers

[Guitars44me]

Well, the news from our corner of the world is good!

Flooding and problems elsewhere but not in our hood. We just got a nice gentle rain for about a day and a half. Probably about an inch and a half. Although uphill a few more miles on Mount Laguna, at 6000 feet altitude or so they got up to 10 inches.

So this should keep the river flowing for us for quite a while.

Still hoping for some more pictures from John soon

Everybody play on! And have fun.

Cheers

Paul

[Guitars44me]

Double sides bent and ready to laminate

[Guitars44me]

20230822_160042.jpg20230822_155805.jpg

[canuck7]

And just like that!!! Away you go with the build! Love it [emoji4] !!!

[inc0herent]

Nice choice on the Bubinga! Killer looking figure, almost "the tree" looking. I was super impressed with the Bubinga/Sitka guitar that Joel Teel had at BIG last year. Kind of opened my eyes to what Bubinga can do.

Anywho, tons of sonic potential in a master like John's hands. Congrats and I hope to swing by and give it a strum or two when its done.

[Guitars44me]

Originally Posted by inc0herent

Nice choice on the Bubinga! Killer looking figure, almost "the tree" looking. I was super impressed with the Bubinga/Sitka guitar that Joel Teel had at BIG last year. Kind of opened my eyes to what Bubinga can do.

Anywho, tons of sonic potential in a master like John's hands. Congrats and I hope to swing by and give it a strum or two when its done.

You are most welcome to come by anytime!!! Joel’s B.I.G. Bubinga was sure a beauty, and I admired it greatly from afar… I recall JK saying it was Spectacular.

And thank you Canuck7! Glad you are along for the ride!!!

John says the inner sides are spalted maple. Not sure if from the fallen spalted maple he harvested in his yard or not.

When I asked him if it was from his yard he replied, “yes it is. Lumber yard.” Hahaha

Play on

Paul

[mikealpine]

I can attest to Joel’s Bubinga guitar being amazing, and if I didn’t have two kids in college, it would be known as “Mike’s guitar.” John built some fantastic guitars for last year’s show, more than one I’d have also glad.y owned. I can only imagine that wood in his hands crafting a superb instrument. Enjoying this thread.