Portfolio
Chupacabra OOO-28 (12 fret)
Indian Rosewood Back & Sides, Adirondack (red spruce) top and bracing. Dovetail neck joint. Amazon Rosewood bridge, fingerboard, and headstock overlay. Shallow Martin “V” neck profile and Martin style rosette. 25.4 inch scale. Varnish finish.
Baritone, Maple / Redwood Ukulele
This baritone has a 20 inch scale, 1 7/16 inch nut (36.5 mm) and 14 frets clear of the body. The back and sides are figured hard maple with a salvaged old growth redwood top. The laminated Spanish cedar neck is joined to the body using a stright mortise then glued and bolted in place. The bolt is recessed and covered by a decorative wooden “rosebud” held in place by a magnet. This ukulele has a traditionally styled headstock with a “through bridge” that is definitely not traditional.
I have stated using a through bridge as it is cosmetically cleaner and provides structural and tonal advantages over the traditioal bridge. The headstock inlay is the Chupacabra in ebony, while the headstock, neck and body are bound with faux tortiose shell. It is fitted with Gotoh UPT planatary tuners, a K&K Aloha Twin pickup and a double action truss rod.
Video, Maple / Redwood Baritone
(Thank you ZJ)
Chupacabra 00-28, 12 Fret Steel String
This instrument is a modern take on a traditional pre-war Martin 00-12 fret (“concert”) steel string guitar, with 12 frets clear of the body, a 25.4 inch scale and 1 3/4 inch nut. The top is Englemann spruce with back and sides of Guatamalan rosewood (D. tucarensis). The neck is figured Mahagony, with Gaboon ebony fingerboard, bridge and headstock overlay. The binding on the body and fingerboard are Cocobolo rosewood with a maple purfling strip. The scalloped bracing and linings are salvaged Port Orford Cedar, and the bridge plate is flatsawn hard maple. The top is joined to the rim using individual tentalones. Hot hide glue (HHG) was used throughout. Tuners are open back Schaller Grand Tunes with ebony buttons. Double action truss rod is accessed thru the sound hole. The finish is an epoxy fill, with brushed varnish and padded shellac as the top coat.
Tenor Ukulele, All Black Acacia
Locally harvested black acacia back, top and sides. Slotted headstock with Gotoh tuners. Port orford cedar bracing, laminated black acacia neck and black acacia interior heel and head block. Brushed varnish finish
“T-Rex” OM-14 Guitar
This OM style guitar has a Martin style 00 (“double oh”) body with a 25.4 inch scale. This is a relatively small bodied guitar that is comfortable to play but characterized by good tonal balance from bass to treble. It has a traditional dovetail joint joining the Honduran mahogany neck to the body. The top is Sinker Redwood with Zircote back and sides. The bound fingerboard, bridge and headstock overay are matching Macassar ebony. The braces and linings are Port Orford Cedar, with individual tentelones anchoring the top to the sides. It has a double action truss rod, and a K&K Pure Mini pickup. A traditional dovetail joins the neck to the body, hot hide glue was used on all acoustically relevent joints. The tuners are Waverly traditional open back tuners with Ebony knobs. The finish is brushed varnish.
The T-Rex inlay on the headstock and rising sun inlays on the fingerboard were designed and installed by Inlay artist extraordinaire Larry Robinson.
Octave Mandolin, “A” Style
This Octave mandolin has an “A” style body with an oval soundhold, reminiscent of the early mandolins built by Gibson. It differs in that it is a flattop construction, has a pinned bridge, a 21 inch scale, a K&K Twin Spot pickup, and double action truss rod.
The top is Port Orford Cedar, the back and sides are laminated from figured Black Acacia. The neck is Honduran mahogany with a bound Macassar Ebony fingerboard. The bridge, headstock overlay, and bindings are also Macassar Ebony with figured maple purflings. The top is latticed braced with Port Orford cedar, which is also used in the “X” braced back. HHG was used on all acoustically active parts, with tentelones used to attache the top to the sides. The tuners are gold finish open back Gotohs; the finish is brushed oil varnish top with dark (garnet) shellac fill.
Parlor “Size 1” Guitar
This Parlor is based on a Martin style Size 1 body. It has a 24.5 inch scale with 12 frets clear. Top is Sitka spruce with Honduran mahogany back, sides, and neck. Fingerboard, bridge, bindings and headstock overlay are Gaboon ebony. This instrument has a slotted headstock with a “diamond” volute on the back of the neck, and a traditional dovetail joint. The tuners are Gotoh’s with nickle butterbean knobs, there is also a double action truss rod. Port Orford Cedar was used for the linings and bracing, seventy two individually glued in “tentelones” secure the top to the sides, with hot hide glue used on all acoustically relevent joints. The finish is lacquer.
The turtle and lightening bolt inlays were designed and installed by Inlay artist extrodinare Larry Robinson.
Tenor Ukulele, Figured Maple, Redwood Top
Redwood top, figured big leaf maple back and sides, Port orford cedar bracing, friction tuners, laminated Spanish cedar bolt-on neck, brushed varnish finish.
Chupacabra Fingerstyle 00-14 Cutaway Steel String
Birdseye maple back and sides. Engelmann spruce top. POC bracing and top tentelones, traditional dovetail neck, hide glue bracing construction. Paua Abalone rosette, Gibson style “D” neck profile, Shertler locking tuners, 25.4 inch scale, 1 3/4 inch width nut, K&K pick up system. Shellac finish.
Baritone Ukulele - Black Acacia
Spanish heel construction, black acacia top, back, and sides. Mahogany neck and heel. 20 inch scalewith 14 frets clear of the body. Amazon rosewood fingerboard, bridge, and headstock overlay. Headstock with volute detail and reinforcement, black acacia underlayment and Gotoh UPT 4:1 ratio tuners. Port Orford Cedar linings, tentelones top attachment, HHG construction, waterbased lacquer finish.