New Guitar Build - McInturff Carolina To My Specs (IT ARRIVED)

[rockinlespaul]

Agree. I think it will be a great looking guitar - and an 8+/- lb. Les Paul eater to boot. I'm still amazed at the woods in Terry's stash. 8 pounds (maybe less), with no weight relief, in a LP-type guitar???

Like I said earlier...epic build!

 

[lifeson1]

Like I said earlier...epic build!

Amen!!

 

[xjojox]

This has been a highly enjoyable and educational journey. The raw emotions regarding a made-to-spec top tier instrument combined with the insights of a master luthier literally in real time as it’s built. So cool. Thank you Tele and Terry!

 

[Goorider]

Teleplayer thank you for the updates of this epic guitar and build! Terry McInturff thank you for adding details.

I spoke to Terry many times, I was invited and attended the first Fish n Jam 2000, ordered on the spot, a Taurus Std. Both my wife and I were WOW'd by Terry's knowledge, skills and family welcome.

Last night I re-read this post with most recent updates and ran to play my Taurus. Damn good!

 

[Teleplayer]

This has been a highly enjoyable and educational journey. The raw emotions regarding a made-to-spec top tier instrument combined with the insights of a master luthier literally in real time as it’s built. So cool. Thank you Tele and Terry!

Happy to share. I'm also glad the thread has been informational. And it's great that Terry has jumped in and added the facts behind the photos.

It's been a very educational process for me, and hopefully Terry's input (re: this thread) has been fun, positive and educational for others as well.

 

[Teleplayer]

Teleplayer thank you for the updates of this epic guitar and build! Terry McInturff thank you for adding details.

I spoke to Terry many times, I was invited and attended the first Fish n Jam 2000, ordered on the spot, a Taurus Std. Both my wife and I were WOW'd by Terry's knowledge, skills and family welcome.

Last night I re-read this post with most recent updates and ran to play my Taurus. Damn good!

Fish 'N Jam -- old school!!

As you know, Terry is such a humble, nice and deep cat. This has been a fantastic experience on so many levels - including rekindling the friendship with Terry. We've had a lot of excellent conversations.

Terry is the whole package - his skills are at an absolute apex level, yet he is so modest. "Master "Luthier" or "Master Builder" are descriptions that are thrown around far too readily and frequently in the era of social media. In this case, those descriptions fall far short of the knowledge and skill level Terry possesses as a luthier.

I can not speak highly enough about the man (as a person, let alone as a luthier) from many aspects. I am truly looking forward to receiving this guitar upon its completion.

 

[Teleplayer]

Thanks so much for letting us woo hoo along with you.

Glad so many TGP members are following this thread; including both those already familiar with Terry's fantastic work and skills, and those being exposed to his luthiery abilities for the first time (what an eye opener THAT must be).

I'd also like to thank all our TGP brothers/sisters that have observed and/or commented, and have kept the thread informational, upbeat and very civil. That's made it even more enjoyable.

 

[rockinlespaul]

prison rules are closing down my bumpage...

Let me help then. Epic thread bump.

Teleplayer when he opens the case for the first time...

 

[guitarpedaladdict]

Let me help then. Epic thread bump.

Teleplayer when he opens the case for the first time...

Looking forward to seeing the photos!

 

[Mr Fingers]

Uplifting thread. Thank you all. Great example of how well things can go when all those involved, up close and at a distance, are enthusiastic, constructive, and for those close to the action, awfully good at what they do. With Epiphone slapping paper thin intense flame veneers on mass-produced builds, I find a tasteful, subtly fantastic black guitar to be just a remarkable thing -- so hard to do exceptionally well! I have a few great classical musicians as friends, and of course they work with their makers to collaborate on something that will be incredible and offer a special voice. After reading innumerable threads about guys commissioning acoustic guitars where they struggle to figure out how to add even more bling, features, and fancy treatments, this thread has been cleansing and inspiring. Heads, hands, and hearts in the right place, IMO.

 

[Teleplayer]

Uplifting thread. Thank you all. Great example of how well things can go when all those involved, up close and at a distance, are enthusiastic, constructive, and for those close to the action, awfully good at what they do. With Epiphone slapping paper thin intense flame veneers on mass-produced builds, I find a tasteful, subtly fantastic black guitar to be just a remarkable thing -- so hard to do exceptionally well! I have a few great classical musicians as friends, and of course they work with their makers to collaborate on something that will be incredible and offer a special voice. After reading innumerable threads about guys commissioning acoustic guitars where they struggle to figure out how to add even more bling, features, and fancy treatments, this thread has been cleansing and inspiring. Heads, hands, and hearts in the right place, IMO.

Very well said. Because of the very vintage-y and gorgeous Eastern Red Maple carved top, there have been many private inquiries about "it must have been hard not to go with a 'burst." So Terry and I - in a completely good-natured way - have resorted to calling the finish on this a lemonburst. Again, all in good fun, not being derogatory in the least. We started with a game plan and stuck with it the whole way through - focusing on the ultimate tone and sounds we were after. It was always meant to be an opaque black guitar, and it will wind up having a mirror-like finish when done. It'll be a stunner to look at, and will also achieve all the goals we set out to achieve.

 

[Teleplayer]

I think it is unfair of you to comment at this time when later would be gud

Now ... later ... it's all gud. Again, it's been a great ride. We are now in the middle of the second cure week on the last finish coat. Sometime toward the end of next week - or shortly thereafter - Terry will do the final sanding and then buff. After that, it's final assembly and set-up.

 

[Mark Kane]

I'm talking with Brian G. about a real specific build for this guitar. Big bottles. Sort of a Blonde Bassman with a bit more flexibility. The Carolina would sound crazy-great with my Embassy on the Brown Deluxe on Steroids side.

What is it about the blonde bassman you like vs a tweed or blackface?

 

[Teleplayer]

What is it about the blonde bassman you like vs a tweed or blackface?

Mark,

I am PMing you.

 

[John Hurtt]

Terry sprayed the last ultra-thin coat of lacquer today. It will now hang/cure for two weeks. I believe at that point (maybe Terry will jump in to verify or correct what I am saying), Terry will sand with 1400 grit. And then he'll give it a final buffing before putting the parts on/in the guitar.

I cannot recall if i mentioned this in a prior post, but the method used by Terry to apply this finish is - as he stated - as "old school" as it gets. Same methodology/process as Gibson and Martin used stating in 1932, and that Gibson used through its golden years.

I spoke at-length with Terry this week. Interestingly, because of the family issues Terry's been dealing with (I call it real life), parts of the finish process have taken longer than normal. Because of this extra time, the underlying finish coats have gotten rock hard - which is a distinct advantage and has created a rock solid base that most guitars don't normally wind up with (again, I work in an industry where cure times are critical; thus, I understand this completely).

Here are a couple pics from today, after the last coat of lacquer was in the drying process:





Did somebody say "none blacker"????

Continued shout-outs to the folks that have had an interest in this build - and Terry's crazy-great work in general: @56Tweed, @RyanC., @rawkguitarist, @Meteor Hammer, @Caretaker, @lifeson1, @EricPeterson, @rockinlespaul, @sickboy79, @The bear, @guitarpedaladdict, @Frater B; @Peanut73; @Gilky; @shallbe; @Jim Fairbairn

This is looking fantastic! You, sir...have impeccable taste in guitars!

 

[Teleplayer]

Spoke with Terry today. We are going to give the guitar an extra week or two of cure time before final sanding and buffing. The longer the better. Terry said it will get us closer to the Yamaha Concert Grand piano-type finish/look. The extra time for curing, combined with the lengthy cure time on the sub-finishes, will make this one a "finish for the ages".

 

[stringgears]

Sounds like this is going to be a great guitar. I still own two of Terry's guitars......a 97 Monarch, and a 2000 3 pickup Royal. The Royal is maybe my fav. design by Terry, though I haven't had a chance to try any of his new creations after 2003. I can't wait until we get the review from you........good luck.

 

[Teleplayer]

Sounds like this is going to be a great guitar. I still own two of Terry's guitars......a 97 Monarch, and a 2000 3 pickup Royal. The Royal is maybe my fav. design by Terry, though I haven't had a chance to try any of his new creations after 2003. I can't wait until we get the review from you........good luck.

Thank you.

Regarding Terry's work from the 90s and early 2000s, the Monarch was an incredibly practical design and guitar. I owned a Zodiac that Terry made for me back in 1998. Interestingly (in case you did not have the opportunity to read the very early posts in this thread), the neck blank for the black Carolina build was cut at the same time as the neck blank for my Zodiac.

The blank for the Carolina build is rare Pattern Grade Mahogany. It retained the same exact moisture content as when it was originally cut 21 years ago.

Thanks again for the good wishes, and I am really looking forward to receiving this instrument.

 

[Teleplayer]

Terry shot me a pic of the locking tuners he's using. Locking Gotoh, but with old school aged tulip tips. Those, plus the Pattern Grade Mahogany neck, plus Terry's bone/self-lubricating nut, plus Terry's bullet-proof neck = rarely out of tune.

Terry said he is going to sand/buff, wire, set-up the axe next week. Coming down the home stretch. Even Terry is getting excited about finishing this one.

 

[Teleplayer]

So when a luthier of Terry's skills and precision decides it's time to make parts and covers, close attention to detail is paid .... like hand affixing binding to the truss rod cover and pickguard .... that matches the binding on the guitar:



I think we are coming down the home stretch now. I believe Terry is doing the final sanding this week. Then it will be the final buffing, wiring and assembly. Oh yeah - gotta put some strings on that fine instrument too.

As has been the case throughout this build, the communication has been typically great - including several texts yesterday about which switch tip we wanted to go with. Just a thoroughly enjoyable process.

Another shout-out to the folks that have had an interest in this build - and Terry's crazy-great work in general: @56Tweed, @RyanC., @rawkguitarist, @Meteor Hammer, @Caretaker, @lifeson1, @EricPeterson, @rockinlespaul, @sickboy79, @The bear, @guitarpedaladdict, @Frater B; @Peanut73; @Gilky; @shallbe; @Jim Fairbairn; @DCH