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A build that did not go well - Lengthy description included

The Squarona is an old Honduras mahogany box. It was a gift/trade from CBN friend Wes Carl. Approx. 90 years old and very nice. An heirloom ~ I hesitated for weeks before using it for a cbg. Tap tone was good, and the top was unusually thin.

Goals: (Maybe at my skill level I should say wishes) a handsome relic with good tone and playability, don’t cut or screw up the top. Fretted. Probably keep it dark. A 3 string and DGB tuned, which for me is most versatile—I can play in any key with that tuning. Short and comfy scale: (56cm using the Stew Mac Fret calculator – about 22 inches.) Three (1.25 – or 3.3 cm) sound holes on the up side when played right handed.

Materials: Walnut and oak neck. I thought all walnut might be too dark. I ‘stained’ the oak with a mixture of tea and tung oil. It did not darken as much as I hoped. 3 unmatched tuners ~ that’s what I like in a relic. Piezo.

Problems: That thin top bowed under the saddle and string pressure and worse yet, the thin top wood split vertically for 5-6 inches on the bass side. Two dovetailed top corners came loose.

I wished I had kept it for an heirloom box and not built with it. I took it apart and put in bracing and glued the split with a thin glued on piece beneath it. Glued the corners. Eventually, I made a larger than usual (walnut) saddle to spread out the pressure.

Put it together and the string pressure made the upper top raise. Ended up gluing and screwing the top, failing on my goal to not mess with the top

Strung it up: Tuned it DGB~ with low action. Result was okay, but not excellent. Redid it with a higher saddle – the larger surface area saddle mentioned earlier. Tuned GDG using the 5th, 4th and 3rd strings from a 6 string set. This is what this git wanted. Some like some tunings and don’t like others.

Final Result after a rocky road ~ and putting it aside a time or two: I would rate it an 8 on a 10 point scale. Loud and woody un plugged. Easy action and good intonation. HOT plugged in. Turn down the gain and volume. Then it’s loud, warm and woody.

Plan: Big smile. Keep it.

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Comment by Uncle John on March 2, 2017 at 10:27am: Thanks, Jerry. It is relegated to a shop git now, but it does get picked up and played.

Comment by Jerry Jordan on March 2, 2017 at 7:46am: a fine git.,.,

Comment by Uncle John on September 25, 2011 at 2:24pm: Progess Report: That guitar is all tweaked and done. It's my best IVI guitar yet and was worth all the trouble (and whining). May make a video with it.

Comment by Uncle John on September 25, 2011 at 2:25am: Thanks guys. It was worth the troubles.

Comment by Ron "Oily" Sprague on September 25, 2011 at 2:17am: John,

Nice job! Now you have a real heirloom! (which has gotta be better than a hair loom).

Comment by Vinylhed on September 25, 2011 at 12:11am: This looks aces John. The vintage box give the whole guitar that period look. I can imagine seeing an old photo from the 1920s of this being played.

Although I'm sorry to hear the trials and tribulations you went though during the building, it's nice that you have chosen to share your troubles with us. We all have much to teach each other by detailing a build in as much depth as this.

Comment by Clock The Wolf on September 24, 2011 at 2:38pm: Oh dear! One of those boxes just sold at auction for $5000.00 dollars... just kidding!!! Nice headstock, by the way.

Comment by NightOwl on September 24, 2011 at 12:24pm: This is a great looking cbg! I'm not a builder but I enjoyed reading about your path to perfection. Can't wait to hear you play it!

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