Construction - meredith guitars evo

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Meredith
Guitars & Mandolins
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Meredith
Guitars & mandolins
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Construction

I build my Manouche guitars very close to the original Maccaferri design , but with a few differences .
Most of the time , I laminate the back and sides , using mahogany for the main internal layers and then different more decorative veneer for the outer layer . This outer layer could be any veneer . Rosewoods , walnut and  Flame Maple being the most popular .  Back and sides can be made from solid woods if requested by the customer.

 
For the soundboard I use various species of spruce , mainly sitka and european , and also red cedar .
As with the original Selmer Maccaferri guitars , I always create the bend at the bridge area , across the grain , which combined with the curved internal braces , creates a domed top . This is made by bending on a hot tube .
As with the original guitars , the top back and sides are joined together with solid linings , not kerfed. The inside of the guitar is also given a few coats of lacquer with the exeption of the top .

Necks are constructed using three different ways , depending on the piece of wood used for the neck .elmer Maccaferri style tenon joint , where the headstock isjoined to the neck shaft by a tenon . Scarf joint , or laminated . Laminated necks are made by gluing two or more pieces of wood together , often with a contrasting wood or veneers to produce a very stable and attractive looking neck . A two way truss rod is fitted , although they were never used in the original guitars . Aluminium re-inforcement bars were used , which is also an option if a customer requests .

For tuning machines I mainly use Rubners . They are very good quality , look great and are available in many different options . They can be supplied in a satin or polished finish and with various different buttons . Selmer style tuners can be used if required at an additional cost .
For finish I usually use lacquer . This can be High gloss or Satin . I like to use gloss on back , sides and neck , and then a thinner satin finish on the sounboard.  
French polish is another option . Although it is not as hard wearing as lacquer , many people beleive it to be the best finish on an acoustic guitar .
The sound board can also be finished in a few different ways . It be left natural , or stained .
When staining , I can spray it on for a very clean finish , or I can apply by hand , which gives it an aged look . Sunburst is also available .


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Meredith
Guitars & Mandolins
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