I have two builds going at present. Both interesting. One is a double side Mahogany OM with a new (to me) strut bracing system for the headlock using hollow carbon tubes. I met Tim McKnight at a recent guitar show and he showed me what he has been doing to strengthen the upper bout. I have seen variants of this around for a number of years but never tried it.
The stability is apparently amazing and one can quit worrying about settling in which is always an issue on a new guitar almost always requiring a re-do of the setup in five or six months for optimal playability. It also offers the possibility of dramatically decreasing the upper bout bracing and maybe gaining a little more vibrating soundboard.
I am excited to see how things pan out on this prototype.
The other build is a totally new 15” archtop body pattern. I am thinking of calling it the “old player’s jazz guitar”. Easy to hold and reach around, and probably a 24.75 scale length for elderly fingers.
It has Mahogany double sides and will have laminated plates and a mounted pickup in the neck position.
