[Theme] Musical instruments

[Zang]

Thanks gents!

Jack, if you ship the guitar to me, I'll ship it back with the dog burned into the wood

[Akira]

She is a shiba, or at least mostly shiba. We got her as a rescue dog from a family who could not handle her. As you probably know shibas look cute, but often have strong opinions and can be quite fierce. They are quite loyal too.

I’ll try to take and post some photos of another guitar I have which looks more interesting.

I haven't seen shiba to be that fierce but know they are surprisingly emotional on their faces.

Am looking for the pictures of your another guitar!

[Jack Dahlgren]

I haven't seen shiba to be that fierce but know they are surprisingly emotional on their faces.

Am looking for the pictures of your another guitar!

Akira,

Taken with my phone, here is a Kay K-62 arch top from the late 1930’s. Kay is mostly known for cheaper guitars post war, but this was their attempt to compete with the Gibson L-5. It has a carved spruce top with maple back and sides. Kay called it the “Television” model as television had just been invented at that time. It has a few dings and scratches  here and there and I had to repair the tailpiece but is doing OK for 80 years old.

[Zang]

Nice piece of history, Jack!

[Nasos Kosmas]

Nice Bass Akira!  I cant reach your fb page to hear
Zang nice burning you make guitars unique
This old Kay is wonderful, I do love guitars playing and also building from time to time
The top must be Cedar, its a little unusual for a hollow body the usual is Spruce
I ve build a Cedar hollow body and you may see it in a very early stage, its the same instrument in my previous posts

if your interested in construction and can reed Greek  you may see it here
https://www.noiz.gr/community/forums/topic/42399-hollow-body-%CE%BA%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%B1%CF%83%CE%BA%CE%B5%CF%85%CE%AD%CF%82/

photo with 50/1.8D

[Jack Dahlgren]

Nice Bass Akira!  I cant reach your fb page to hear
Zang nice burning you make guitars unique
This old Kay is wonderful, I do love guitars playing and also building from time to time
The top must be Cedar, its a little unusual for a hollow body the usual is Spruce
I ve build a Cedar hollow body and you may see it in a very early stage, its the same instrument in my previous posts

if your interested in construction and can reed Greek  you may see it here
https://www.noiz.gr/community/forums/topic/42399-hollow-body-%CE%BA%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%B1%CF%83%CE%BA%CE%B5%CF%85%CE%AD%CF%82/

photo with 50/1.8D

One day I'd like to build a guitar, but I don't have workshop space, nor time... It is great to watch someone else doing it though!

The old catalog for the Kay arch-top says the top is spruce. I think in the US this was most common. Cedar is a bit soft.

[Akira]

Akira,

Taken with my phone, here is a Kay K-62 arch top from the late 1930’s. Kay is mostly known for cheaper guitars post war, but this was their attempt to compete with the Gibson L-5. It has a carved spruce top with maple back and sides. Kay called it the “Television” model as television had just been invented at that time. It has a few dings and scratches  here and there and I had to repair the tailpiece but is doing OK for 80 years old.

Very nice rare guitar, Jack!  Among the bass players, Kay is more known as one of the manufacturers of bizarre basses.  I know that Epiphone used to be a high-end archtop guitar maker during the pre-war time and until it was bought by Gibson.  Your Kay archtop looks like a premium instrument with careful inlay and binding works.  Thank you for sharing!

[Akira]

Nice Bass Akira!  I cant reach your fb page to hear

This old Kay is wonderful, I do love guitars playing and also building from time to time
The top must be Cedar, its a little unusual for a hollow body the usual is Spruce
I ve build a Cedar hollow body and you may see it in a very early stage, its the same instrument in my previous posts

Yet another fine handcraft work, Nasos!

You need to be my friend on Facebook to watch the movie of me playing this piccolo tenor fretless bass guitar.  Please feel free to search for my name (Akira Sakamoto) and send me the request, if you are interested.

[Akira]

Originally, the piccolo tenor fretless bass utilized a single-coil pickup designed for Fender Jazz Bass that is prone to pickup hum noise.  In order to make it silent, I bought two identical Jazz Bass pickups, removed a ceramic magnet from one of them to use it as a hum-cancelling dummy coil which is connected to another pickup in parallel in a reversed phase/polarity.  Here is how the modified guts look like.  The hum noise is effectively cancelled.

I put the removed ceramic magnet onto the same magnet of the pickup to increase the output.  It worked well, but the out put signal needed to be boosted a bit.  So, I built a small preamp that was to be attatched to the strap.

[Fons Baerken]

Originally, the piccolo tenor fretless bass utilized a single-coil pickup designed for Fender Jazz Bass that is prone to pickup hum noise.  In order to make it silent, I bought two identical Jazz Bass pickups, removed a ceramic magnet from one of them to use it as a hum-cancelling dummy coil which is connected to another pickup in parallel in a reversed phase/polarity.  Here is how the modified guts looks like.  The hum noise is effectively cancelled.

I put the removed ceramic magnet onto the same magnet of the pickup to increase the output.  It worked well, but the out put signal needed to be boosted a bit.  So, I built a small preamp that was to be attatched to the strap.

Clever and skillfull job Akira.

[Akira]

Clever and skillfull job Akira.

Thank you, Fons.  That was actually a pretty old trick I had forgot for some years...

[Akira]

In 2006, I visited C.F. Martin Guitar Company for the special article of a Japanese magazine dedicated to the acoustic guitars.  The images are of Martin D-100 Deluxe which was limited edition of 50 celebrating the production of the serial number 1 million guitar.  The body is of rare Brazilian rosewood (Darbergia nigra).  Hope you enjoy these highly elaborate inlay works.

[Zang]

In 2006, I visited C.F. Martin Guitar Company for the special article of a Japanese magazine dedicated to the acoustic guitars.  The images are of Martin D-100 Deluxe which was limited edition of 50 celebrating the production of the serial number 1 million guitar.  The body is of rare Brazilian rosewood (Darbergia nigra).  Hope you enjoy these highly elaborate inlay works.

This is a stunning piece of art! This was not for sale, I guess.

[Nasos Kosmas]

What an art!
Thank you Akira!
My personal preference is a simple guitar decoration, wood maters

[Akira]

This is a stunning piece of art! This was not for sale, I guess.

Indeed, yes, Zang!  These guitars were on display in Martin Museum in Nazareth, Pa, but the same models were actually sold, probably to the collectors.

What an art!
Thank you Akira!
My personal preference is a simple guitar decoration, wood maters

You are welcome, Nasos!  I agree.  Although I appreciate such elaborate works of art, I would prefer instruments with minimal or no decorations but quality tonewoods.