Latest 8 String "Lefty"

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 15 Apr 2008 10:13 am

Here are some pics of an 8 string keyless "Lefty" that is almost finished for a forum member in Florida.

Gary Stevenson · Post by **Gary Stevenson** » 15 Apr 2008 4:38 pm

I love your bridge design. I have run out of the 5/8 stainless boat shaft, I was using for my builds.Is your tuning assy. homemade or purchased?

Gary Stevenson · Post by **Gary Stevenson** » 15 Apr 2008 4:39 pm

Also whose pickup did you use or is it your windup?

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 15 Apr 2008 5:06 pm

Nice job Sonny, except its backwards

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 15 Apr 2008 7:13 pm

Nice job Sonny

Hey that guitar isn't backwards, you just have look in a mirror when playing it

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 15 Apr 2008 8:50 pm

You're deffinitely in the major leagues now, Sonny!

Look's to some degree that this forum is responsible for the near plethora of fine new steels with both classy/vintage looks and (((VIBE))) from folks like Sonny, Tom P., Todd C., Mark V., Rick A., and that alone makes this forum the best ever.

Dom Franco · Post by **Dom Franco** » 15 Apr 2008 10:01 pm

How do you tune it?
Is there enough travel to bring a string up to pitch?
How about fine tuning, can you do it by hand?
or do you need an allen wrench all the time?

Dom

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 16 Apr 2008 11:41 am

A HUGE Thanks to everyone,,I'm truly humbled!!!!

Gary,,the pick-up is Tru-Tone. I make the keyless tuning assembly.

Tom and Bill,,,I appreciate the kind words,,while I was building it my grandson said "grandpa that guitar is wrong side out"

Ron,,Thank you,,,my goal is make each one better than the last one.

Dom,,,yes there is more than enough room to tune,,I can change strings and bring to pitch MUCH faster and easier than a keyed guitar,,,and the keyless system seems to be a more "positive" method,,,that stays in tune! Yes, I make a little tuning wrench a little smaller than the knurled hex wrench used to tune the pedals/knees on a pedal guitar that I'm burdened with having carry,,,along with all the other necessary accessories like picks,,and bar,,,etc,,,but i get to lose the wire cutters. I have one little wrench I made is the same size as the "butterbean" on a standard machine head,,,small enough to carry on a key chain,,,so,,instead of 10,,,or 20 machine heads,,,attached to an extra 8" of guitar to lug around,,,I just struggle with this burdensome little wrench,,,,good trade off.

I wish someone would offer me $350 the little red one I posted on "Instruments For Sale" before it goes to Ebay!!!

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 16 Apr 2008 11:55 am

I wish that someone could be me! What a deal.
I bet your wallet will be happier with the Ebay results, unless we have a smart and quick forumite with the $.

Bush is stiffing me again on my $300 'ecconomic stimulus' rebate, otherwise that lil hot rod would be mine.
Atta Boy George

Daryl Smetana · Post by **Daryl Smetana** » 22 Apr 2008 11:56 am

Very nice Sonny! Looks like you inlaid the fingerboard, frets and markers, beautiful job. Clever design for the keyless tuning, would love to hear some specifics on how it works. The bridge is very nice touch. Great build and one lucky lefty.
D

Stephan Miller · Post by **Stephan Miller** » 22 Apr 2008 6:23 pm

Way to go, Sonny...and it looks to me like that's the nicest one yet!

--Steve

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 23 Apr 2008 4:42 am

VERY nice instrument!! I love the all wood look and your keyless tuner.

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 23 Apr 2008 5:40 am

,,Ya'll sure know how to make an old man feel good about his efforts!!!!,,,seriously,,,I appreciate the kind words,,,makes me want to do even better on the next one,,,(which should be "born" in about a week),,

Thanks Fo'Bros'!!!!

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 23 Apr 2008 8:24 am

Sonny, do you find tone differences between the various steels you've produced, even tho they seem to be rather similar in overall design and electronics?

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 23 Apr 2008 1:08 pm

,,,T-O-N-E,,,what a subjective topic,,,but I'll try to give my opinion of my guitars. If I pluck the strings of various guitars,,with various woods and/or finishes,,,I can hear VERY little, if any difference in tone,,,if I connect only a volume pot to any of the pups that Jerry makes for me (no tone pot), run it to an amp, using the same settings for various guitars,,,I can hear very little, if any difference in tone. I can't see how,,and I've not distinguished any difference in the type of wood used. It seems to me that tone could only be affected by the electronics, since electronics is what is amplifying the vibrtion of the strings. I will say this,,,people tell me,,,and I've noticed too that my guitars have a lot of natural resonance,,,I mean,,a lot of times I will just pick one up (not plugged in) and start noodling and I can hear it fine. I think the difference in tone of various guitars would depend more on the electronics than on the kind of wood it is made of,,,however,,I believe the superior (?) unamplified sound of my guitars is the result of the wood PLUS the positive direct connection of the strings to the body,,,even though the string viborates ONLY between the bridge and the nut (with VERY minimal excess string length beyond). Like I said,,very subjective,,,and I know less than anyone about tone. However,,Brad Sarno and I discussed some things in Dallas that I intend to experiment with,,and hopefully learn more about this elusive thing called tone,,,and if anyone would care to enlighten me more,,I am certainly willing to listen.

Gary Stevenson · Post by **Gary Stevenson** » 23 Apr 2008 6:56 pm

I have tried Oak, Ash,cherry,Black walnut and the one that surprised me the most was the native soft pine that I built to take to China. With and old humbucker pickup it just seems to sound so different than any other build. And its not string-thru-body like all the rest.So go figure. Yours do look great Sonny!!

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Latest 8 String "Lefty"

Latest 8 String "Lefty"

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