"Bessie" is the name of a 12-string guitar, luthier Alex Kirtley, is making for me. I will regularly post pictures of the building process.
Specs based on the old Stella 12-strings : mahogany neck and body with spruce top, 26" scale, 16" lower bout, ladder braced.
It will be close to the guitar Alex is playing in the videoclip below.
More of his work on Facebook, "Kirtley Guitars".
Here's a video with the finished guitar.
Sides are bent and the neck and tail blocks glued in.
Neck roughed out, bridge profile cut and saddle slot cutLinings in, sides radiused and the back is jointed and gluing
Back braces gluing in before being shapedNeck roughed out, bridge profile cut and saddle slot cut.
Back braces gluing in before being shaped
Back gluing.
Back braces shaped. Box waiting for the top.
Top getting some binding in the soundhole
Box closed up. Neck, fingerboard and bridge next in line.
Dovetail neck fits nicely. Fitting of the trussrod comes next.
Lovely label.
Trussroad installed and fretboard glued.Fret
Fretboard on and neck shaped with a slight V.Headstock
Headstock with tuners and fretboard finished. Back looks already stunning with just only one coat of sealer. gluing of the bridge.Here she is
Here she is, on the right, with two of her sisters.
