The Stratus - Hand-Crafted by Martin Cole

After many years of indecision and a lack of cash,
I finally decided to give my good mate Martin Cole,
the opportunity to build me a guitar.

He agreed to send me regular updates
on how it is progressing...... these are they.


  The Back - 4th July 2003



Solid, bookmatched Indian Rosewood
back pieces, Mahogany joint reinforcement
strip and Sitka Spruce braces.

Next job, plane down and bend the sides.
 

The Sides - 8th July 2003
 




 

 

 

 

 

 

Solid, bookmatched Indian Rosewood
planed and scraped to thickness and then
steamed to fit inside mould.

Next job :- Make mahogany top & bottom
blocks and joint sides together.


Back and Sides - 16th July 2003
 

 






 


Mahogany top and bottom blocks
glued in place, mahogany kerfing
glued around edges and back glued on.
Tapered dovetail mortice cut to receive neck.

Next job :- Plane down and joint soundboard

Soundboard - 23rd July 2003

 

 

 

 

 

 


Bookmatched spruce with spruce strutting and sycamore bridge plate

Next job :- Glue soundboard to body and rout out for purflings and bindings

 

The Body - 31st July 2003.

Soundboard glued in place - purflings
and figured sycamore bindings fitted.

Next job :- Cut out the mahogany neck.

The Neck - 13th August 2003

The neck is now made and dry fitted. Mahogany
spliced with sycamore, rosewood sawn veneer to
headstock. Routed for truss rod, drilled and
reamed for machine heads, tapered dovetail
neck to body joint.


Next job :- the fingerboard

22nd August 2003 - The Fingerboard

Ebony fingerboard bound with pearl
and ebony. Inlaid mother of pearl position
dots. Fretted with nickel silver fret wire.
Glued onto neck over truss rod. Final sanding
and clean up prior to lacquering. Bridge is
fitted after lacquer is polished.

Next job :- Lacquer spraying

16th September 2003

It's Finished! and don't it look lovely!

Sprayed with eight coats of cellulose
based lacquer rubbed down between
each coat - last coat polished to high
gloss on buffing machine.
Ebony bridge glued in place, ebony
bridge pins with mother of pearl eye.
Bone saddle and nut. Gold Gotoh machine
heads and a Fishman Rare Earth Pick-up

Here it is then! - complete with guitar maker supreme at his humble abode in Cornwall

Thanks Martin, for a truly lovely guitar