| Project by Hersh | posted 47 days ago | 278 views | 0 times favorited | 21 comments | ![]() |
‘Little Red Neck’ is what I call the guitar I built while I was living and working at Denali National Park Alaska. The guitar was made in my friend’s Luither shop, where many fine instruments were made over many years. And yes this little guitar plays and sounds excellent.
Materials: Top=Sitka Spruce (Alaskan of course), Sides and Back=Indian Rosewood, Neck=Mahogany, Saddle, Top Nut and Bridge pins=Real Ivory, All Inly work=Mother of pearl, Fret Board=Mcasser Ebony.
Why do I call this guitar Little Red Neck you ask? Here’s the story. During the finish process, it was time to stain the mahogany neck. Being in the Mckinly Village area near Denali Nationl Park, we were 125 miles from a loaf of bread, let a hardware store. ‘Legs’ (my friend with the shop and the Luthier) said, “The only stain we have in the shop is red leather stain, but it will work just fine.” Upon applying the stain to the neck it immediatly turned bright blood red. I wiped it off as best as I could and the color began to turn a reddish brown. Over time it has really turned a lovely brown; however, In bright sunlight it can still look very distinctive red. That’s why this guitar is Little Red neck.
The Rosette (around the sound hole) is also Indian Rosewood, inlaid with Mother of Pearl Diamonds. I worked on this instrument off and on for 3 years. I have learned so much from my good friend Legs. That’s why I need my shop. I need to continue to build and wok with turning some pieces of wood and some strings into fine musical instruments.
Hersh
-- Hersh from Port Angeles, WA - Gotta Complete That Project!
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21 comments so far
teenagewoodworker
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1010 posts in 101 days
posted 47 days ago
now that is a nice guitar. I’ll have to send this one to my cousin pat. he’s a guitar player.
-- if you haven't already check out my blog http://lumberjocks.com/jocks/teenagewoodworker/blog/3961
Anthrax
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37 posts in 48 days
posted 47 days ago
i have already seen it denny and itsssssss…..........................its…......................AMAZING
-- check out my amazing woodburning , Pat
juniorjock
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252 posts in 98 days
posted 47 days ago
Hersh, you did a great job building this guitar. The detail is fantastic….... I can play ‘em….. but I can’t build ‘em. Beautiful guitar.
-- Make things with wood. Any way you want. The wood police won't come. I promise!
GaryK
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6986 posts in 321 days
posted 47 days ago
Very nice looking guitar. Lots of great detail.
-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.
TomK
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250 posts in 207 days
posted 47 days ago
Really like the guitar. I want to try this myself one day. Thanks for sharing it and welcome!
coolbreeze
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105 posts in 68 days
posted 47 days ago
My birthday’s in June.
-- Jason, AL
Thos. Angle
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3243 posts in 295 days
posted 47 days ago
mighty fine looking guitar.
-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon
Roz
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199 posts in 119 days
posted 47 days ago
Very Very nice. As a guitar player I appreciate the detailed bindings.
-- Terry Roswell, L.A. (Lower Alabama) "Life is what happens to you when you are making other plans."
Scott Bryan
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6413 posts in 155 days
posted 46 days ago
Hi Hersh,
This is a gorgeous guitar and I love the rosewood. It is such a gorgeous wood.
Thanks for the post.
-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.
trifern
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701 posts in 100 days
posted 46 days ago
That is the sweetest redneck I’ve ever seen.
-- Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit.
CharlieM1958
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3017 posts in 551 days
posted 46 days ago
Hersh, I play a bit myself and I gotta tell you… that is one of the finest looking instruments I’ve ever seen. Just looking at it leaves me itching to pick it up and see if it sounds as sweet as it looks. I guess I’ll just have to take your word for it. <g>
-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"
Hersh
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27 posts in 48 days
posted 46 days ago
Charlie,
Thanks for the good words. You can trust me, it is as sweet as it looks. I have had a lot pickers try to buy it from me, but that won’t happen.
Thanks again,
-- Hersh from Port Angeles, WA - Gotta Complete That Project!
eViolinist
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18 posts in 44 days
posted 44 days ago
Awesome job!
rikkor
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5904 posts in 207 days
posted 43 days ago
Looks great to me. It appears to be based on the Martin OM, right? You play it fingerstyle?
-- Maplewood, MN
Hersh
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27 posts in 48 days
posted 43 days ago
Rikkor,
Thanks for taking a look at my guitar. It’s not exactly like the OM or the any the “0” series of Martin. It is an original design by my friend Lawrance (Legs) Alice. It’s more like a scaled down “D” with a neck that has 12 frets to the body. The body depth is deeper than an OM. I picked this size from all the forms that Legs had in his shop. I figured that if I built this guitar and learned to play, I would have a good Dreadnought size guitar as well. And, I do have several now.
I’m not a finger picker. I play around with finger picking, but I’m more of flatpicker and rhythm picker. I play and do a little singing with the Washington Old Time Fiddlers Assoc., Distrrict 15, here in my local area of WA. Lot’s of great people and tons and tons of really great tunes.
Are you a picker?
Thanks again for looking,
-- Hersh from Port Angeles, WA - Gotta Complete That Project!
Napaman
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977 posts in 410 days
posted 43 days ago
if this guitar plays half as well as it looks—-you have a beautful sounding guitar as well…wonderful!!! great story on the leather stain…
I have been to alaska twice…the first time when i was too young to appreciate it…and the next time for too short a time to appreciate it…one day I will get back…
Welcome to LJ’s…
-- Matt, Napa, CA: Lj's...I love logging on--I feel so young after being around teenagers all day!
rikkor
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5904 posts in 207 days
posted 43 days ago
I do some fingerpicking, but it makes me feel inadequate. I am now pretty much all acoustic, though. I don’t think I’ve plugged in an electric for a couple of years. Hey – maybe I could sell a few and buy tools! My two prize guitars are a 1949 Martin 0-18, and a Gibson “Gospel” both acoustic. I have three guitars and a uke under construction.
-- Maplewood, MN
eViolinist
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18 posts in 44 days
posted 43 days ago
That’s one beautiful piece!
Texasgaloot
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65 posts in 33 days
posted 19 days ago
Hersch: that’s kinda humbling. Excellent details. I may need to pick your brain in terms of finish… it seems a waste to spend 300-500 hours working on a guitar only to spray laquer on it. Would you mind if I contacted you about that?
Great job—Tear up the “High lonesome!”
-- There's no tool like an old tool...
SteveKorz
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311 posts in 47 days
posted 19 days ago
Dats one nahyce geeh-tar… !!! lol… (sorry, I was playing off the name)... great post, thanks!!
-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
tat2grl
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62 posts in 134 days
posted 12 days ago
Little Red Neck is inspiring and the name is fitting. Iincredible work on the inlays! So warm looking, just begging to be played. Excellant work!
-- "Creativity is...seeing something that doesn't exist already. You need to find out how you can bring it into being and that way be a playmate with God."