Daniel Sorbera

Add to mine a LR. baggs para DI and a new case for my acoustic.

I only own guitars that I've built. I had a takamine G series (my first "real" acoustic) and a Godin SD, but both have long since been sold or racked for parts (I turned the Godin into a guitar hero controller, I know I'm sorry)

But thats not to say that if the right lowden, avalon, larrviee, goodall, olsen, or myka came along that I wouldn't buy it. I just haven't found one that I'd be willing to spend many thousands on.

I'm not too pompous that I would never play a guitar that I didn't make, but the reason that I play mine is that they are just that good (wait, can he say that?).

I was in guitar center earlier today and I played every acoustic in the store over $2500 and the black limba acoustic I just finished sounds nicer and plays better than any of them. So eat it taylor, I'm not paying thousands for an inferior product (yes, I did just say that).

Are you dead sure that the sides were perfect at one point, than moved? Because from those pictures it just looks like poor wood preparation (sanding) before finishing.

Nice looking guitar though, I like your binding. I hope you get this sorted out.

Don't try fretting without radiusing. You *might* get away with it if you glued in frets into an ebony board with an arbor press, but your still risking spring back. Better to make or purchase a stewmac style bender. You won't be sorry.

I agree, that is a beautiful guitar. Every acoustic I see from you seems to get better. I am really a big fan of your work, as well as that of Fryovanni and Mattia. Congratulations on making an awesome instrument! Btw, that second picture is now my computer wallpaper.

My wallpaper is still the last acoustic we made. Chris is going to make some really good wallpapers of this one and put them on the website. I'll tell you when they are up.

between you (Daniel) and frovanni, im inspired to actually try an acoustic;

all your stuff has good ''character''

keep it up fur sure

Yep he's the one who inspired me to try an acoustic. It was difficult for sure, but not nearly as much as I made it out to be in my head. You should try it, it's really a lot of fun building acoustic instruments.

It's trees dude, trees. What you just hate art?

All done. Turned out really good. The finish is perfect, a really nice gloss. I have to go get strings tomorrow and than I can finally play it. The tap tone is really good so I'm really excited to be able to play on it.

It's light at 4.3 pounds and balances perfectly.

It has schaller tuners and fishman matrix electronics.

The grain lines on the spruce are 60+ per inch (crazy close), I cant wait to see how it will open up in a few months of play time.

Look at that awesome binding.

Here you can see the cool label we made for it.

Link to more pictures.

I call it the SA Auditorium.

This ones my acoustic.

Black limba back/sides

Sitka spruce top

rosewood fingerboard/binding/bridge

schaller tuners

fishman matrix electronics

"player" sound hole on the upper bout

nice and light at 4.4 pounds

It already sounds amazing and I just put strings on it a few days ago. The extra sound hole on the upper bout not only makes it sound good for the player, but it gives it a very 3D sound in front of the guitar too. If I cover it up it sounds much more muffled and sterile, but when you uncover the hole it has a really great 3D sound, almost like there is a chorus on it. It also has really good bass response. I was expecting a much brighter sound, but it sounds really balanced and is extremely loud with good bass response. It's louder and has more bass than my brothers takemine dreadnought, and of course has better more clear highs and strong mids.

Link to more pictures.

That ebony is nice. Looks a bit like some Gonaco Alves (sp?) that I've seen.

It's just about done. Got all the finish work done and shes a beauty. All I have to do is put it together and set it up now, but I wont have strings till tomorrow. I'll take a bunch of finished pictures than.

I saw paint the fingerboard just like the body. I've seen a few done like that and it's pretty sweet.

But it's really cool. Doesn't really go with that body style IMO. It's more of a coffee house look and would look great with a more subdued body shape.

I guess in a perfect world, the company that made the saws would have a name, and maybe come in a package with a part # or something

I think maybe Zona is the maker of the StewMac "gauged" saws. Of course they have the handles painted red. You know how StewMac is with trying to make ever damn thing red. I find 'fire engine red' to be a distracting color when I'm working on something. Give me gray or black for a tool handle so it's not the center of attention.

I don't mind the red handles at all. It's easy to pick out sitting next to the other 10 tools on the workbench if you know what I mean.

My wish list ever so evolving.

I just added

TC electronic Nova delay

and the Nova reverb

I did it once.

Never again.

It's basically impossible to get a mirror finish spraying outdoors. There are just too many variables.

The fingerboard is looking good considering how messed up it was. The previous owner probably pulled the frets too fast and thats where the problem occurred. Just make sure you don't sand through the (probably) paper thin inlay!

BTW I just reread my post and it almost read like I was saying that your fret job (currently in progress) was the worst I had ever seen, but thats not what I meant at all, I meant the hideous frets that were on it before you got it. Just clearing that up so you don't get the wrong impression.

To check if the stud had changed shape (bent) just see if the screw goes in and out ok. If so I wouldn't worry about it, I'd just use the old studs and run with it. It is a learning guitar/experience after all.

How does koa compare? I've actually never held a piece in my hands so I don't know what it's like in terms of weight and stiffness, but I was considering doing a flame koa back/sides and I think it would look cool if the headstock over and bridge had matching koa.

The laminated fretboard is a cool idea, but I agree that tapered lams might look better. Also just FYI those lock(?) washers on the pots should go on the bottom inside the cavity. Only the flat washers should go above.

and guys, come on, how on earth would you think that middle piece would have a problem with the truss rod when you carve the back of the neck to within just a few mm of the channel? Come on...

I just saw this thread so I'm a little late to the party.

Yeah thats easily the worst (attempted) fret job I've ever seen. You can avoid having that much fingerboard tearout if you heat each fret with a soldering iron and very slowly pull each one.

For the studs I'd either try routing in a hardwood block and re-drilling or just epoxying the suckers in there really good and see how it holds up. If it's no good you can always go back and do the hardwood block.

Thanks. I'll go check out the suggestions. The strings are new, and good quality. The bridge is good. I'm thinking it has to be something at the nut.

-John

Doesn't matter if the strings are brand new. Change them. I've had two bad sets in a row, the chances are next to nothing, but it happened.

Try putting a capo on the first fret than checking your intonation with a new set of strings, if it's perfect then take off the capo and see if your still good. If not you have nut issues.

Also like Wez said, make sure your pickups aren't too close to the strings pulling them out of tune.

I love the balloon idea. Unfortunately it's not mine. I don't remember who came up with it, but it was posted here on the forum a while back.

easier than mahogany? didnt know that was even possible. guess ill be looking into picking up some limba very soon. Where do you guys usually find yours? do you have a regular supplier or do you just shop around.

You should try bending rosewood, it's very easy.

The wood for this guitar was purchased from Rich (Fryovanni) but I've got some from gilmer in the past as well.

In my experience limba works, finishes, sounds, and bends very similar to mahogany.

The finish is going on. It's turning out to be a beautiful guitar. I cant wait to play it.

Here it is after 1 coat of finish (clear gloss).