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You may have noticed that I don’t really incorporate inlay work into my instruments. I’m not a very good representational artist, and I also don’t care for adornment in general. In the past, when I did more elaborate inlay, I was always filled with regret. So my goal is to let the wood and the shape of the guitar do all the talking. The exception, to illustrate that I am not a total Grinch, is these little gewgaws that I put in the headstock and at the 12th fret. This one is ebony and mother of pearl, set in Tasmanian Blackwood. That’s about as fancy as I get. No butterflies, no dolphins, no sailboats, no vines.
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Simple understated elegance has always been more attractive to me. Over time I've found that my tastes may change as my discernment evolves, but I can't think of any instance in which the move is towards more "bling". For me tone and playability are paramount, the rest is show.
Let the wood and your skill speak for itself!
Looks great 😉👍🎸
I confess I like the bling. There are limits, of course. Some of the Martin anniversary guitars are a bridge too far. My most elaborate is a Ryan with Robinson inlay. It gets your attention with the inlay and the wood choice, but, fortunately, it sounds good as well.
Very nice
My god Ben, that headstock is gorgeous. I mean really ... that is truly exceptional. Sign me up for one of those!
Super clean looking…I like!
Love that headplate wood! Nice work!
Damn, if that's just the headstock, I can't wait to see the rest of this home grown Tassie Blackwood!¡
Perfect
No problem here 👍
I'm with you on the butterflies, unicorns and rainbows....😂 Give me timeless, ageless beauty in simplicity...I don't mind "shiny" at all, if it fits the total aesthetic... But hey, that's just me....a wee bit'a "bling" looks good on stage... 2¢
When the wood is that beautiful, inlays aren't necessary. That said, I do like inlays and pearl/abalone in bindings too. It really just depends on the guitar.
The grain speaks for itself.
I'm not a fan of all the bling. To my taste your guitars are as elegant as any out there.
Love the simple elegance of your work and the reliance on the figure of the amazing woods to elevate the esthetics of the designs.
Oooooh that’s pretty 🤩
There are so many lines to consider, and so many planes and curves that must be blended on the driver’s side of my Nautilus. To visually separate the cut lines of the top, I use a raking light in a dark room- this throws the body, and it’s visually confusing lines, into darkness so that I can concentrate on fairing the curves that will ultimately be highlighted by purfling. If I don’t do this step right, the guitar will look lumpy and awkward and shame will befall me and the next seven generations of my family. We are talking high stakes here.
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The care and precision you take in your works of art is truly amazing. It seems to get even more spectacular the more closely you look at it!
Great shame you shall continue to bypass, my friend 😂
Yes very true and I will call you out every time I see something that’s out of whack so it’s best you don’t screw up ! Love ya 😊🤗😂
Beautiful
Beautiful
My gosh, I would love to just sit to the side and watch you create your art. Just beautiful!
If it’s not done right, it’s zucchini for the rest of your life LOL Looks fabulous!!
Your exacting precision is simply amazing!
I think your family will be safe for at least 18 generations.
I heard that if this happens to a BRW Nautilus it’s actually 9 generations, sadly. But looks like you are in the clear : )
Ziricote bindings, Adirondack top, curly mahogany back and sides on a Wilborn Sidewinder. This 16 inch model was the hardest of my Comma Series to get the proportions correct on, but I’m pretty happy with the balance on this one. It also sounds quite good, if I don’t say so myself.
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Looks great! Is this a commission, or will this be with you at Woodstock?
I always love your videos Ben. Your guitars sound amazing.
Beautiful!
You've shown us a few now, but my mind is still boggled each time.
Magnifique
Very nice!
Complimenti Maestro è splendida.
beautiful! That would be the exact wood combo and body style that I would order. Well done.
That is a stunning guitar 🎸
Last spring at LaConner, Frog and Toad gave some demo concerts for a few of our favorite luthiers. These were Bruce Sexauer's instruments, and that delicious Brazilian rosewood cutaway I'm playing here still haunts me. It was a choice guitar.
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Ben, your enthusiastic generosity is inspiring. Thank you.
I know how a guitar can haunt. I played a Kim Walker about 30 years ago in his shop in CT. How I wish I could have afforded it then.
A couple mahogany neck blocks for upcoming guitars. Having the L-shaped extension on the top supports the fingerboard extension later, and eliminates a whole family of structural and cosmetic problems down the road. The chamfer on the upper portion ( pointed at with pencil) is cosmetic- when you look in my offset soundhole you don’t see a clumsy square block but a nice eased edge. The nature of my design means when you are playing, you can look right into the interior of the guitar, so a little effort to make it look nice goes a long way.
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Much like like human beings… The beauty that exists on the inside is much more important than superficial people want others to believe 🤔
I love this approach. As you say, that part of the top is prone to issues. Of course, less so if there’s no soundhole right there.
Is it glued end grain to side grain? Is there any issues with weakness of the glue joint?
Great work…as always. And what fixture or combination of fixtures are required for this lovely chamfer?
It helps you see the notes forming.
Sublime chamfering.
Very nice……
Why don’t you chamfer both sides of the upper and lower portions?
We need a third photo, taken through the soundhole.
A particularly snazzy looking Nautilus. This baby presses all my buttons. Admittedly, my buttons are large and not difficult to find, let alone press. But wow. If I ended up on the proverbial deserted island with this guitar, I’d be ok.
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Ben, I just finished watching the video. I had to take a break to have a cigarette…  Absolutely unbelievable!
Insanely sublime; you done better than good! Love your guitars, love your playing
Sounds great, looks great. What more can you ask for!
Totally awesome! 🎶🎵🎶
Is this one still available?
Gorgeous!
That sounds amazing
Absolutely gorgeous, Ben 😅
The tone of that instrument is magical! Wow!
Beautiful
Thanks for the shout-out Mr. Funkmiester. What a guitar and I am so glad I get to see it in person next week at B.I.G. Gotta talk to my friend Sam and make sure I get on his list in case he ever suffers severe stupidity and wants to sell this guitar!!!!
Ok soooooo , yeah this guitar at the moment sounds pretty darn good over the phone for what’s that’s worth . I feel my ear can tell whether or not it’s tonal language is worth a more a in-depth listen . Though I like all your guitars especially the one I own this one could easily rest in my herd , even lead the pack . But I still have to say my Gloria still rules the roost . Lol 😂 ( for now ) 😊❤️ You can’t expect less can you ? Lol 😂
What is the recording path? That is one of the most amazing acoustic sounds I have ever heard on facebook 🙂 Just 'wow'
Classicly beautiful 😍 hard to argue with those lines...
Killer sound, Ben!
Killer!
You're so friggin' charming Ben. I hope you'll be back in time for my opening. You don't mind me giving myself a plug on your plugging? I trust.
Wet sanding to a nice matte finish before hitting the buffing wheel. Yowza!
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Beautiful!!
Nice..,!
Super impressive!!!
How do cut the binding channel on the top where the arm rest is?
Wow!
Your work is exquisite!
Beautiful!
Sweet cheeses! 🎸
Wow, the grain in those sides!!!!
Sitka spruce over Brazilian. This is the first of two coats of pore filler. Sitka is so beautiful- I think it has more visual appeal than any other spruce.
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Beautiful! Just curious, how does it consistently stack up sound wise against other tops? Asking for a friend who is considering one of your builds.
What do you use to fill pores if I may ask? ;)
I’m hooked…down for count.
Bellissimo strumento
I know lots of people gush over Euro and Adi Spruces…but I absolutely love Sitka 🎶❤️🎶
Right, that is sweet. I always feel there is more silking in the Sitka than other spruces. Redwood probably a little more, but this Sitka has a lot!
Frog and Toad will be performing an evening outdoor house concert on Sunday, August 27th at the home of Catherine and Michael Eardley in Reno. Michael owns Tanglewood Studio in Reno, where we recorded our last CD, and he and Catherine have put on numerous house concerts in their lovely backyard venue. This should be a great time, one of those beautiful late-summer evenings that Reno is so famous for, and some nice acoustic guitar duets in the twilight. Please check out the flyer below for information about attending. We would love to see you there!
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Ahhhh.. if only! Have fun, Ben!
Jill Keil and I need to road trip!
Ben, is this open to the public? I have a friend in Reno who might like to come.
An Arum I’ll have at BIG this September. This guitar has about the finest set of quarter sawn cocobolo I’ve ever seen.
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I’m a road trip in Oregon, and I need to make a little pilgrimage to tunnel 14… but I can’t find where it is/was. Also that’s a beeeauty!
Ben, I would be interested in this Arum.
If you can document that Abraham Lincoln cut down that redwood, I will buy it at B.I.G.! LOL. Sounds great whether ole' Abe had anything to do with it or not.
Sounds so good!
So beautiful
What an amazingly glorious sounding guitar!
I would never sell it
Guitare acoustique avec un micro,,,automatiquement modifie le son. Pour ma part,, plus d’images zoumés ,,,,, beau petit bijoux, beau bois et belle exécution!! Bravo ( votre habileté + table en épinette rouge du Québec,, ferait un malheur)
Nautilus for B.I.G. 4- my favorite guitar show, held in New Braunfels TX this September 1-3. German spruce over Malaysian Blackwood.
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I always admire your commitment to the ultimate sound of each instrument. Your humility to admit when something can be better and your dedication to going so far as to change the top (or other necessary features) to bring an instrument to its ultimate potential is inspiring. Thank you for sharing these videos. Still dreaming to own one of your fine instruments one day. Peace. And… excellent playing, by the way.
Awesome! And where did you get that cool shop rag, er, t-shirt?
You’ve got some real magic in the tonality The trees must love you.
I have heard, played, and also own many Wilborn guitars and this one really does have a unique and equally great, but different tone. Really complex tone is how it sounds to me, layers of sound seem to build in this guitar to culminate in a beautiful rich tonality. Come to B.I.G. and check it out!
Can I play this at BIG?!
OMG -- it sounds amplified!
Elegant design. I just got a guitar with probably the same top wood except it's called German spruce from where I got mine. Picea abies seems to be the species. It is a marvelous tonewood. Cheers, MDV, arborist aka Redwood Forest
Betsy Serrano!! Betsy Serrano!!
Thanks for the shout out Ben. Not only will Ben be demonstrating this guitar for sale, he and Brad Jones aka Frog and Toad will be regaling us with a concert on Saturday night which is TOO GOOD to miss. You can also PM me on FB if you want more info on Ben, Frog and Toad, the show, the other performers (Tony McManus and Christie Lenee), the other luthiers, Woolson guitars, or just life in general! I am lonely and love to message lol!
Ready for lacquer!
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Umm. Uh. Oh boy. I’m at a complete loss for words!
Beautiful guitar!
Im jealous 🤣🤣🤣
Cocobolo?
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When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.6 CommentsComment on Facebook
Power, sweetness and beauty!!!🥰
Ben - Your guitars are what dreams are made of. They sound so amazing and truly are works of art. The opening piece you placed was so beautiful and really highlighted the dynamics of the instrument. It would be an honor to own one of your guitars some day. Thanks for making these videos before you ship the guitars off to their new owners.
Chatoyance, oui, magnifique!
Beautiful, as usual, Ben. The piece you played starting at 7:30 was really nice!
I think you were thinking of Chrysoberyl Ben….
Damn. Do you ever make an instrument that isn't remarkable? Ever make a mistake & just throw it in the trash? (probably shouldn't answer that ... some of us might start scouring through your trash!)
Sam’s Nautilus. I just applied the second coat of pore filler, and the ridiculously snazzy grain and color of the Brazilian rosewood can be seen at last. The top is a master grade set of Adirondack spruce. I love to build with a set like this, but then, sadly, it is gone and you can’t dream about what you will make with it anymore.
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Absolutely stunning grain. Cannot wait to hear it!!!
That’s something!
Another beauty!
Oh my!! ❤️
Absolutely gorgeous and probably plays wonderfully! Would love to hear it.
Now I love the sound hole position. Lovely wood
Stunning! Really gorgeous, Ben.
Hot damn! Also, the OTHER Sam. 😉
Beautiful work Ben!
Damn! That is just spectacular!
Shazam! Unreal--it's an AI generated hologram, right! 😲
Yummy 😋
Takes your breath away
Yeah that is AAAAAAAAAAA Brazilian there! Yowser.
Your BRW is insane !!
Hi Ben. Which pore filler do you prefer? - DJ
Holy actual $&@€!!!!
Some people might look at this Brazilian rosewood back and say “ho hum…”, but others will look at it and say “hot dog!”. I’m a hot dog guy myself. It’s not every day you see old chocolatey quartersawn Brazilian like this, and I’m excited to be starting a new Arum with this set and a fine European spruce soundboard. The
Brazilian also has perfectly matched sides with nary a knot or flaw. Onward!!
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Your boundless enthusiasm and the sheer delight in your heart and soul for the beautiful instruments you craft gives me great joy, Ben. Thank you.😊💗
Man, I wish I could have that one ...😁
That's "The Kind" -- what used to be sought after, but today is just unobtainium. Congrats.
I recognise that combination, it will be something!
Worth more than an ounce of gold! Its a very nicely sawn back! It looks pretty well quarter sawn. Which is what I would prefer to use over most of what I see out there. Which is flat sawn.
Beautiful in its subtlety!
Hot dog!
I’m a holy shit guy! That’s beautiful!
Fantabulous!
Yeah I love the looks of it!
Hot dog!!
Beautiful
That’s the Brazilian I would want.
It’s just a hot dog most can’t afford ! Lol 😂 I think it’s more a spicy brat with a beer ! 😊
Looks like golden era stuff
Ben, I wholeheartedly echo your "hot dog" about beautiful Brazilian ... here's the Brazilian back of my old Stahl ... "HOT DOG!!!"
What did you give for that set? Pm me?
The spruce caught my eye first with a nice light colored tounge oil rubbed on it first
OMG -- who would complain about FLAWLESS!
It’s final buff time on this Brazilian Nautilus. Even after all these years and a seemingly endless procession of guitars across my bench, I still feel the excitement and pride that I felt on my first clumsy instrument as I see the final shine come up. It’s like looking into a mountain stream, the depth and crystalline clarity of a fully buffed out coat of lacquer. And over what incredible stones! This Brazilian has such a beautiful range of colors and textures. A few more days, and it will be strung up and singing it’s first song.
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That looks phenomenal!!!!😍
Sweet! It is a gorgeous wood to work with! And that wonderful smell. Beautiful guitar too!
That is so beautiful. Do you ever do French Polish?
That’s a little yellow hand buffer in the foreground? Looks interesting. Who makes it?
OMG ... gorgeous! Makes me so jealous ... mine is 2 years away ... can't stand the wait!!!
what is the number on that bottle?
Wowzers, as usual, Ben! So nice!
you are so talented!!!!
Stunning! Truly stunning!!!
I really like that back bevel you have. How do you do that? Extra thick perfelen, carve when boxed, then bend piece to fit corner?
Stunning Ben!!!
What a Beautiful body.
Nothing quote as beautiful as a fine wood finish 😍
Wow!!! Masterpiece!!
Mirka Deros....nice piece of gear.
Gorgeous !!
Beautiful Ben!
I'm really glad you don't make tubas, otherwise I'd be broke
Always impressive!
What finish is this that you are using? Lacquer? Very nice!!!
Absolutely stunning! 😳
You described that feeling so well! I showed this to my wife and realized this truly is how it feels.
Always dreamy are your builds, Sir... 🥰
Ya got me, and that! Oh my. I had times alone out in my shop, as a process comes to fruition, tears run. By my hand. Thank you god. Carry on brother, that is masterful!