Skylark 17” (#9) is a full size hollow body arch top designed for playing acoustically. The top is graduated for optimum acoustic power, and the body depth is 3”. Although a pickup has not yet been installed, the guitar can be used amplified, but a notch filter may be necessary at higher volumes to reduce feedback. The guitar is pickup ready, that is, a floating pickup can be accommodated by the finger rest and finger rest bracket, and an end pin jack has already been installed. The price is $7000.
The top is Sitka spruce. There are a few isolated bear claw figures. The peg head front overlay, fingerboard, finger rest, tail piece, and tail piece nut are all Honduras rosewood.
The top has integrally carved curvilinear tone bars. See Models->Arch_Tops->Tone_Bars for more information.
The bridge has a Honduras rosewood saddle, and a European maple foot.
The back and sides are Oregon myrtlewood.
The neck is made of Oregon myrtlewood, with a birds eye hard rock maple center stripe. The back of the peg head has been overlaid with Oregon myrtlewood.
The back and sides show color variation in longitudinal stripes, and chatoyance across the grain.
The cutaway is done in the Gibson Premier style.
The sides are book matched, which is obvious at the end block and neck block.
The tapered neck heel lightens up the instrument and makes player access to the highest notes feel unimpeded.
The sides meet in a mitered corner at the cutaway.
The neck extension floats free of the top beyond the neck block. The F holes are unbound, to avoid muting the vibration of the top in this critical area.
The finger rest floats completely free of the top and rim; it is attached only to an aluminum bronze bracket on the neck extension. The finger rest is quite firm and consistently parallel to the strings in both directions.
The finger rest bracket moves the finger rest back away from the cutaway, so it is not an obstacle to reaching for the highest notes. The Premier style cutaway itself is also the lowest possible profile in this area.
The fingerboard is CNC milled. Fret slots are accurate to better than 1/1000”. There is a compound radius of 9” at the nut, and 15” at the 20th fret. A graduated relief differential of 1/32” is implemented evenly without either side of the fingerboard being more than 1/64” different than the median. The inlays follow this profile. See Models->Arch_Tops->Finger_Board for more information. The paired equilateral trapezoid inlays are a unique pattern, but reminiscent of an instrument from the classic era.
The peg head is bound and inlaid in a style reminiscent of guitars from the classic era. The peg head overlay and truss rod cover are Honduras rosewood. The makers logo is Awabi abalam. The three strand decoration is genuine shell: yellow and black pearl, with Paua abalone. The "M" crest at the top of the peg head is reprised at the end of the fingerboard (see picture below).
The bridge is adjustable, and better sounding than conventional arch top bridges, or even a one piece bridge. See Models->Arch_Tops->Bridge for more information.