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Topic: New Koa Harbor Lights steel (sort of) |
Jerry Gleason
From:
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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Posted 15 May 2010 3:01 pm |
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I say "sort of" because I bought this guitar from Harry Sheppard in kit form. The wood pieces were pre-cut and shaped, so all I did was glue the wood pieces together, install the binding and frets, some final shaping and sanding, finish, and wire it up. The finish is Tru-Oil over shellac. It was actually a pretty involved project. I'm no luthier, and this is no slab-o'-wood steel, so any defects in the workmanship are mine, not Harry's.
The top, back, and headpiece are Koa, the fretboard is curly maple, and the body is mahogany / maple / mahogany. Paua abalone maker dots. Vintage Vibe Stringmaster pickups by Pete Biltoft. It's a wonderful sounding guitar, very resonant. I'll try to get a sound clip up in a week or two. I'm not playing it much until the finish has a chance to cure and harden up a little more.
And in keeping with the "guitar porn" theme, here are few boudoir shots...
Last edited by Jerry Gleason on 15 Apr 2011 1:53 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Rick Barnhart
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 15 May 2010 4:03 pm
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Nice job, Jerry. That's a stunning guitar!!!
_________________
Clinesmith consoles D-8/6 5 pedal, D-8 3 pedal & A25 Frypan, Pettingill Teardrop, & P8 Deluxe. |
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Ron Yarboro
From:
USA
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Posted 15 May 2010 4:20 pm
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Hi Jerry,
You did a good job. The gold hardware really accentuates the Koa. Nice!
R.Y. |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 15 May 2010 5:34 pm
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Very, very nice!!  |
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Paul Bostic
From:
Grants Pass, Oregon, USA
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Posted 15 May 2010 6:07 pm
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That's truly a beauty Jerry!
_________________
60's & 70's country rock is my favorite, Martin & Taylor acoustic, Fender & Washburn electric, Rickenbacher BD 8 lap steel, violin. |
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Roger Shackelton
From:
MINNESOTA (deceased)
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Posted 15 May 2010 7:45 pm Harbor Lights Steel
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HELLO JERRY,
WOW  This is one beautiful lap guitar.
Is this a long neck guitar or a standard 22.5" scale length?
Roger |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 15 May 2010 8:31 pm All that's left is to share its sounds with US.
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Beautiful little g'tar.
Really great appearance......
How about posting some of those sweet musical tones for we anxious wanna-be listeners? |
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Jerry Gleason
From:
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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Posted 15 May 2010 10:51 pm
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I'll try to record something with it soon. The tone is really nice. It's twangy and bright, but not at all thin. It's a different sound than any of my other steels. Stringmaster-like, but richer and sweeter. The Stringmaster style blend control (under the volume knob) really gives a range of tonal possibilities. Harry came up with a very well thought out design for this instrument.
Roger, the scale length is 24 1/2". |
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c c johnson
From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
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Posted 16 May 2010 1:57 am
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| how do I get in touch with Harry? cc |
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Ray Shakeshaft
From:
Kidderminster, Worcs, UK.
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Posted 16 May 2010 3:21 am
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| I have the black version and it is excellent. Harry really does understand this business. |
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Harry Sheppard
From:
Kalispell, MT USA
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Posted 16 May 2010 12:23 pm
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Jerry,
You did an outstanding job with this guitar and I am glad it was a fun project. There really is nothing like building your own guitar and being happy with the results. It was fun for me as well and I would also like to hear some recordings when you get a chance.
Harry |
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Fred Kinbom
From:
Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.
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Jerry Gleason
From:
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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Posted 16 May 2010 3:18 pm
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Harry, I wouldn't have been able to pull it off without your patient assistance and advice via our many email exchanges, so thanks again. I played the guitar for about four hours straight today. I just couldn't put it down.
Now I need to get to work on a case for it. The burgundy crushed velvet that I used for a background in some of the photos is for the case liner. |
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Tom Pettingill
From:
California, USA (deceased)
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Jerry Gleason
From:
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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