2015 Jeffrey Elliot
One of the most beautiful guitar visually and tonally, flawless.
I believe she had been French polished by Mrs Elliot
The action is almost on the highest side, but the client needed slightly higher
Selected the bone blank for this project
Test fit.
Shaped to fit the saddle up to this point
Shaped to fit the saddle up to this point
String position marked for compensation for perfect intonation
Initial compensation shaped for each string
The saddle is fitted to the guitar and tested for intonation for each string. This repeats until desired intonation is achieved
More or less done
The various square lines created by the compensational filing is now been craftily hidden by softening them, while points of string contact are left as-is for that perfect intonation
Here is the completed saddle, together with the original Elliot
Before
After
Before
After
Action as commissioned
Before
After
Restored
Here are my personal notes with this guitar.
The guitar is 7-fan braced with 3 open harmonic bars. The strutting is like that of Julian Bream's 1973 Jose Romanillos, reminiscent of Hauser, which he probably took from Antonio De Torres. There seem to be a Spruce veneer shim at the upper bout where the 3rd harmonic bar sits. There are no closing bars at the tail. Tentallones, spaced out widely, finished, are employed for the soundboard. For the back, solid mahogany linings.
She has a 3-piece Indian Rosewood back, with the centre piece being darker. You could pass the centre piece off as ebony, but the grain streaks, amid the dark wood background looks too much like that of a rosewood. I would guess it's dark, tight grained Brazilian.
All in, the guitars weighs a mere 1.5kg.
Trebles had a clarity, few guitars have. But with a deep bass, while yet balanced with the top end. This sound is what one would describe a balanced guitar, in it's true sense. But with a projective power that she had, it's quite a wonder. I have never heard a tone so dynamic and expressive. It's my priviledge and one of the highlights of my career.
