Gi Gi: A Guitar Story
One of the reasons that I started building guitars was that as a player I noticed that certain guitars have aspects that I liked and some that I didn't. Sometimes it's something subtle, in how it feels, and sometimes it has more to do with how it sounds. Of course, there are the rare designs where they get it just right, such as the Fender Stratocaster. I can think of few improvements for that solidbody masterpiece. It's a tool that fits, which inspires one to play. But this is no Strat. This is about the guitar that I call Gi Gi. Gi Gi was designed to accommodate my hands and playing style. This is a prototype, a vehicle for testing ideas in a tangible form. She has a wider and flatter than usual fretboard, as I'm classically trained and wanted a guitar with the neck feel of an old gut string parlor guitar, only with the rich deep sound of a dreadnought. This guitar's wider string spacing accommodates fingerstyle players well, not for classical purists though as this is indeed a steel string guitar.
I spent a considerable amount of time shaving the braces on the top and back in an attempt to tune this guitar body. Fortunately, all of the variables lined up perfectly producing a harmonically rich guitar with great projection. Gi Gi resonates particularly well in the key of G and its overtone frequencies. G is also known as the key of benediction.
I was concerned that this beautiful grade AAA bubinga (a dense and gummy tonewood) that I selected for the back and sides would have a dampening effect on the overall tone, as the raw boards had a somewhat dull thud tap tone. So, I brightened up the sound a bit by selecting a close-grained heavily figured (hazelfitche) AAA Sitka spruce soundboard.
The striations running at various angles to the grain increased its rigidity enabling me to brace this soundboard a bit lighter than usual. I actually did modulus of elasticity (E) studies on all of the spruce in my shop at the time, and being an advocate of form following function strangely enough this beautiful piece of spruce lent the mechanical and tonal qualities I was seeking.
The binding scheme is a stark contrast of high-flamed maple with ebony/maple/ebony purfling. Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap would approve of the flame...and the sustain.
Further brightening the sound, this was the first neck I made out of grade AA east Indian rosewood (much, much more difficult to carve than mahogany) but well worth the effort.
This neck has a double action truss rod, even though few neck adjustments should be necessary. I could have made the neck sans truss rod like many Martins; would have saved some weight....hmmm. Yes, this guitar is a little neck heavy which was balanced well with the addition of an LR Bagg I-Beam bridge plate mounted pickup.
I handrubbed several coats of Tru-Oil (gunstock finish) onto the neck as I try to stay away from any harsh chemicals such as the dreaded nitrocellulose lacquer. Another reason for finishing this neck with oil was so that I could continue carving the neck after I built the guitar, to measure any changes in tone and find the optimum neck profile and strength-to-weight ratio for production. As it turned out I was quite satisfied with this neck's feel and did very little additional carving, mostly around the volute.
The rosette follows the same scheme as the binding with the center maple ring bent across the grain and parallel to the figure, very difficult to do I might add. The end result is a rosette that shines like rays of the sun. I was thinking in terms of circles and triangles; female/male; yin/yang. So I incorporated those elements as well. The pickguard I made out of bubinga and gave it an oil finish. Should it ever get scratched a light sanding and re-application of tung oil will make it look new again. I don't like plastic pickguards or any plastic at all on guitars.
The above label reads: Model no. prototype - Serial no. Gi Gi. Rather than number guitars, I give them names. The curvy ones get female names. The bridge is made from Gabon ebony with a Brasilian rosewood bridge plate. Still looking for the highest and best use for the rare Brasilian rosewood I've collected (thanks papa).
I cut the saddle slot wider hoping to get a more massive saddle to start the top vibrating. I didn't notice a benefit and it made setting the intonation of the guitar more of a challenge. The saddle, nut and bridge pins are all bone, and the bridge pins have pearl dots. The fretboard is AA graded Gabon ebony with mother-of-pearl position dots, and the tuning machines are sealed Gotoh. This guitar has a fast action and tonal qualities that can best be appreciated by playing it . . . furthermore, the sound quality of the videos I've posted pale in comparison to the real deal.
Right Mr. Bailey
Specifications: scale length; 24.9" Martin short scale
fretboard radius; 15"
width @ nut; 1.8" (45.8mm)
width @ 14th fret; 2.25" (57.2mm)
action 1st string @ 12th fret; .048"(1.22mm)
action 6th string @ 12th fret;.065"(1.65mm)
dreadnought body style
dovetail set neck joint
This guitar is not for sale as it was custom made by me, for me, and is by far the finest playing acoustic guitar I've ever played. However one just like this will cost you around $3800USD.
WHL aka Bill Leppert
WHL aka Bill Leppert
D2E and the intro to Ossa
Leppert Guitars LLC | Myspace Video
