Custom built to F612 specs

[JohnW63]

What did the builder say about the guitar when he was done? " Nice choice! " maybe?

 

[RGSmith265]

What did the builder say about the guitar when he was done? " Nice choice! " maybe?

He sent me a photo with the caption “Wow!”

 

[West R Lee]

RGSmith, I might have to go visit him one day. I'm curious, and trying to learn here, so bear with me. When you say built to 612 "specs", specifically (no pun intended), what specifications? Not the "specs" precisely, but for instance, I gather the dimensions of the upper and lower bouts, thickness, scale, those things you specified, but did you also specify it be built with with a particular bracing material and bracing shape and dimensions found in the 612? Plastic. micarta, bone nut, saddle and pins? I wouldn't begin to know original specs of an F612, so the reason I ask is that I was wondering if there is a source somewhere for those smaller details.....for specifications of old Guild guitars? Or, when you refer to ordering to 612 specs, do you mean that when you ordered, you simply ordered bout width and depth, scale length, then designated Koa?

This fascinates me as I've recently had the opportunity to specify several details in a build I've just had done.

That really is an incredible build, and congratulations.

West

 

[Boneman]

Thats one beautiful guitar to look at and I’m certain sounds just as amazing. Congratulations! The koa is stunning and I especially like the striping he did on the back of the neck, very cool look about it. Enjoy that bad boy as much as possible.

 

[RGSmith265]

RGSmith, I might have to go visit him one day. I'm curious, and trying to learn here, so bear with me. When you say built to 612 "specs", specifically (no pun intended), what specifications? Not the "specs" precisely, but for instance, I gather the dimensions of the upper and lower bouts, thickness, scale, those things you specified, but did you also specify it be built with with a particular bracing material and bracing shape and dimensions found in the 612? Plastic. micarta, bone nut, saddle and pins? I wouldn't begin to know original specs of an F612, so the reason I ask is that I was wondering if there is a source somewhere for those smaller details.....for specifications of old Guild guitars? Or, when you refer to ordering to 612 specs, do you mean that when you ordered, you simply ordered bout width and depth, scale length, then designated Koa?

This fascinates me as I've recently had the opportunity to specify several details in a build I've just had done.

That really is an incredible build, and congratulations.

West

Thanks for inquiring, West. The specs we used were the dimensions of the 612. Specifically, the bout widths, depth, and scale length. The woods we chose for this guitar were not the same. They were chosen to create to sound we were seeking.
Instead of spruce and rosewood, we chose sinker redwood for the top and koa for the back and sides, x-bracing, bone nut and saddle, ebony fretboard and bridge and even persimmon bridge pins to enhance the vibration transfer to the top.
As previously mentioned, koa is lightweight and has a great compressed dynamic range. It combines clarity with warm, thick tone and produces excellent separation for individual notes. Sinker redwood has a tight grain structure and cross-grain stiffness. This produces a strong sound, excellent response and rich, warm overtones. It privides a good balance from bass to mids to trebles and strong overtones similar to red cedar, but crisper.
The idea was to create an entirely unique instrument loosely based on the 612.

 

[West R Lee]

Thanks for inquiring, West. The specs we used were the dimensions of the 612. Specifically, the bout widths, depth, and scale length. The woods we chose for this guitar were not the same. They were chosen to create to sound we were seeking.
Instead of spruce and rosewood, we chose sinker redwood for the top and koa for the back and sides, x-bracing, bone nut and saddle, ebony fretboard and bridge and even persimmon bridge pins to enhance the vibration transfer to the top.
As previously mentioned, koa is lightweight and has a great compressed dynamic range. It combines clarity with warm, thick tone and produces excellent separation for individual notes. Sinker redwood has a tight grain structure and cross-grain stiffness. This produces a strong sound, excellent response and rich, warm overtones. It privides a good balance from bass to mids to trebles and strong overtones similar to red cedar, but crisper.
The idea was to create an entirely unique instrument loosely based on the 612.

Interesting. I'm rarely through Mineola as anytime I head west, I always take the interstate, just south of Mineola. But this may merit a detour. If you get the chance, post a video of that beauty.

West

 

[RGSmith265]

I’ll try to post a video… don’t have a good recording setup so I’m looking for a good mic I can use with Garage Band…
as the old saying goes, “Film at 11…”

 

[West R Lee]

I’ll try to post a video… don’t have a good recording setup so I’m looking for a good mic I can use with Garage Band…
as the old saying goes, “Film at 11…”

Or just a video of the guitar. 11 is past my bedtime, but I'll push the envelope for that!

West

 

[RGSmith265]

Or just a video of the guitar. 11 is past my bedtime, but I'll push the envelope for that!

West

It’s gettin dark here now, but I’ll try to get a video of the guitar tomorrow morning.

 

[RGSmith265]

Just an update… I’m not very savvy with video and audio recording so I haven’t been able to shoot a clip of the guitar.
Mot giving up… looking for a friend that can get it done for me….

 

[HeyMikey]

Just an update… I’m not very savvy with video and audio recording so I haven’t been able to shoot a clip of the guitar.
Mot giving up… looking for a friend that can get it done for me….

I’m the same RG. Hitting the record button on my iPhone is about the extent of my technical abilities.

Really looking forward to hearing how this beauty sounds.

 

[RGSmith265]

It sounds great! It’s tuned down 2 full steps to C-F-A♯-D♯-G-C and produces a deep baritone sound.
I currently have D’Addario 12-52’s on it but I may switch to John Pierce 1450H 13-56’s on the 6-5-4 courses for a bit more heft in the lower tones…

 

[chazmo]

I did one other thing on this guitar. I reversed the string order on the 3rd set. Because I’m a finger picker, the octave often gets missed using national finger picks on the “up” picking motion…

BTW, RG, I've never seen this done before (reversing just the 3rd course, that is). Cool.

Hope you're enjoying your Koa beauty!

 

[RGSmith265]

BTW, RG, I've never seen this done before (reversing just the 3rd course, that is). Cool.

Hope you're enjoying your Koa beauty!

Thanks. I started doing it in the ’60s while working on my fingerpicking style. I can’t take full credit, it was actually a suggestion that David Rae made when we were playing together in high school. Much easier to build the guitar that way than to re-slot the nut!
I am enjoying it. It’s got a unique sound and is so easy to play!

 

[chazmo]

By the way, I know that Doyle Dykes reverses at least courses 5 and 6. Not sure about 3 and 4, but he does it because he uses thumb picks for fingerstyle and he likes it better that way for his downstrokes.

Anyway, cool!

 

[GAD]

By the way, I know that Doyle Dykes reverses at least courses 5 and 6. Not sure about 3 and 4, but he does it because he uses thumb picks for fingerstyle and he likes it better that way for his downstrokes.

Anyway, cool!

Are they called courses? I had no idea!

 

[GGJaguar]

Are they called courses?

Yes, but I've mainly heard the term used for classical instruments, e.g. - lute. It's correct to use for 12-string guitars, but I think most people just say "string pairs".

 

[RGSmith265]

Are they called courses? I had no idea!

They are. And they don’t have to be pairs of strings. My baritone 8-string has six courses but only the 3rd and 4th courses are pairs. The others are single strings... The Colombian Tiple has twelve strings set in four triple-strung courses.

 

[chazmo]

Are they called courses? I had no idea!

Yup, what RG said, GAD ^^^

 

[wileypickett]

Are they called courses? I had no idea!

Of course!