Tasmanian
Tiger Myrtle B&S, Highly Figured African Mahogany top, DOUBLE TOP CONTRERAS
STYLE V1. African Padauk bindings,
16" radiused Ebony fingerboard. Thai Amboina Burl violin tie, armrest &
decorated Redwood bridge. TAHITI MOTHER OF PEARL INLAY MASTERPIECE WORK,
Double Soundport in upper bout and double soundport in lower bout.
640mm fret spacing. Case included. MIRACLE GUITAR !!
 Tasmanian
Tiger Myrtle, Australia, (Nothofagus Cunninghamii), is found in the
wet forests across the the North West of Tasmania. Providing conditions
are moist and sheltered, the tree flourishes from sea level to the tree
line. Tasmanian Myrtle is primarily golden brown and brown in color and
highly figured. Tasmanian Tiger Myrtle has black streaks running along
the grain, and is spectacular. I fell in love with the pictures Bob mailed
me of the sets he had available and immediately started dreaming of the
MARVELOUS guitar I would build. 33 days after beginning work, the jewel
finally came out of the lacquering booth and after staring at her for countless
minutes along with the ecstatic faces of the luthiers I immediately proceeded
to tune her. WOW !! Words cannot possibly describe what I feel when I play
this fantastic instrument. As I play, the thought that I will have to part
from her becomes almost unbearable. If it were not because I could get
4 amazing sets I would definitely keep her. This is probably the hardest
part of this line of work...parting with the masterpieces that come out
of the workshop. The sound in Cavatina explodes with grandeur...It is surprising
that such a minute instrument can put out such a BIG voice. Deep, powerful
and with a presence seldom seen. The bass rings FOREVER, I feel my chest
vibrate in unison with the woods from the back... The trebles are furious
and sing MAJESTICALLY. WONDERFUL !!! This guitar is the descendants of
real giants. Both African Mahogany and Tasmanian Tiger Myrtles are gigantic
trees that literally mingle with the clouds. As I was writing this article,
my 14 years old daughter Chiara, who is also one of my TALENTED guitar
students, entered the studio and exclaimed "WOW, QUE BELLEZA PAPI !!" (WOW,
What a beauty daddy !!!).
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Hear this
Tiger Myrtle double top guitar
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As seen here: US$ 4,785
DHL
Shipping:
USA 184 USD,
Europe
and Africa 223 USD, Asia and Oceania 278 USD
The Warner Bros Character above is "the
other" famous individual from Tasmania.. |
Radiused or flat fingerboard?
The radiused fingerboard has been
around the acoustic and the electric guitar since day one. The same is
true for most instruments of the Stringed family of instruments (violas,
violins cellos, bass). Radiusing (image above) makes barre and left hand
stopping A LOT easier. The only drawback is that you will NEVER want to
play a flat fingerboard after that. If you are having your custom
guitar built, I am all pro radiusing the fingerboard. The standard
fingerboard is flat. |
The
Region/Island of Tasmania is located south of Melbourne. The Tiger Myrtle
trees can grow up to be GIANTS. As you can imagine, the wood is protected
and only a few sets are commerced annually making it a greatly sought after
Tropical wood |
640mm or 650 mm?
Please allow a few seconds for the
image to load
The images
and video depict the actual guitar being sold. |
The double top VARIATION 1,
was developed and introduced by Master Luthier Manuel Contreras the
II at the end of the 70s and reached its peak in the 80s. In this Variation
of the Double top, a second top (Cedar, Image below) is located halfway
between the main top and the back. This top vibrates a fraction of a second
after the first one creating an immense sustain and punch. |
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