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See some of my work in progress from my Facebook feed.
Here is the back of my current Nautilus. The leg bevel is completed, the rib bevel is yet to be tiled. I use a sort of radial mosaic of tiles for my bevels, cut from thin ebony stock.
I can’t wait to see the grain of this curly mahogany jump out when I apply the pore filler.
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A bit more extravagant than your normal builds. Is this a spec guitar, or a customer ordered model?
Beauty. Can you explain "a sort of radial mosaic of tiles" a little more? I had assumed those were a single piece.
Here's me thinking it was Maple, no idea Mahogany was so light coloured! You could make me one out of plastic and no doubt would still sound amazing! Dogs knocked over an Avian Songbird, sad to see in two pieces. Appears a bolt on neck with no glue whatsoever. Clean break at the weak point of the heel where the threaded insert lay. Bit of Titebond later, blows away K Yairi's, Alvarez, Ibanez and a Custom build. Thought I had nice guitars, the Mathew Vincent Jenkins has such a thin top, strum it go for a coffee, comes back and it's still singing. Some kind of carbon fibre Bracing from body to neck. Shame it has such a square neck that I can't cope with as it looks gorgeous and sounds gorgeous. Late in life a Porsche or one of yours, has me in a quandry,lol. Just up the road are Taran Guitars in Scotland, beautiful, expensive and sought after but after hearing yours, know where my money would be going (if I had that kind of money). Unless I'm mistaken, very few Luthiers can actually play as well as yourself. Love your Videos. Sorry for being longwinded if out of place but your guitars are in another League.
Carpathian spruce over Brazo.
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Yes! Do a video on the language of lutherie/guitars! I find many of the terms are used interchangeably & oh how that confuses me. Lovely BRW set ... never seen a set this light in color.
Wow, incredible. No sound effects right? It all sounds 100% natural. That's crazy
Incredible as always Ben!! Your genuine passion for the craft and music always comes through!
I just shot the final coat of lacquer onto this Nautilus. After it cures, a final very fine wet sanding and buffing will bring the finish up to near optical perfection. It’s taken me almost 25 years of shooting lacquer (and other finishes) to get my off-the-gun surface this smooth, and it has been a sometimes terrible battle with much gnashing of teeth. This one was very cooperative, happily.
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Oof, wow, Ben. These just keep getting more scrumptious!
The lack of humidity gives me fits when I spray a finish.
Très jolie, et le son?
This will be available at the B.I.G. Guitar Festival in New Braunfels TX. Ahem. Next week. PM or comment for info on this, the best guitar show in the world!!
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I could watch your videos all day. Your passion and enthusiasm is so much fun to watch, not to mention your amazing guitar playing. I’m 73, been playing since I was 9 and before I die I hope I have the honor of playing one of your incredible instruments. Hope you get to keep this one Ben.
I’ve loved all your guitars. This one has something special to it. Great tone! See you next week.
Yessir, I DO own a Wilborn guitar, I'm proud to say. And I am humble enough to say, I DO NOT play like you!
Woodworking is complete on this snazzy looking Nautilus. I love the water intrusion stains on this set, and was lucky enough to have an appropriate looking Brazilian headstock veneer to match it. The top is Carpathian spruce. Next time you see this, it will have a beautiful glossy nitrocellulose finish, and then the figure of the grain will really stand out.
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Wow, really looking forward to seeing in person at the show soon!
Wow that's a killer set of Brazilian. Can't wait to see it finished.
Yes! The water oxidization makes this such a charismatic individual piece! I love it.
Another Nautilus entering the home stretch. Carpathian spruce over Brazilian.
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Probably the best set of brazilian I have ever seen . Glad its part of a Nautilus.
Absolutely beautiful Ben you’re such a craftsman
Beautiful design, but how would i use this guitar in a live situation? Are there feedback busters (sound hole block/cover) for this type of holes?
Prepped for purfling and binding.
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Wow looks great. Cocobolo?
So if I am seeing this correctly, you laminate your sides?
What you do is so incredibly difficult...
Some villainous imposters have been posting as Wilborn Guitars, and are trying to sell shirts to followers of my page. That is not me- although I do have shirts! I’ve reported it, so t let’s see how Meta does….
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Ben…I’d like one of your t-shirts…preferably in pastel pink…but I’d settle for black 🖐🏼
I’ve reported em all too. They rarely get taken down though ☹️
Lindsay is hoping the imposters do a limited release of the purple wilborn t-shirt you promised her a couple years ago. 👀🙃
Mahogany snake/swan thing. It’s actually the support for the arm bevel of a Naultilus, and will be glued to the inside of the side assembly along with the kerfed lining.
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Elegant! Are you laminating those in a mould?
Love your work Ben, but I was curious to ask, I haven't seen any of your Comma series guitars done with Ebony Back & Sides. Have you tried this yet, or still waiting for someone to take the plunge? I was thinking more along the lines of a streaky ebony like Crelicam.
Trying not to imagine what other purpose these could have ;)
I just shot out the last coat of lacquer on this Nautilus for the BIG show in Texas next month. I just love this set of Brazilian. I’ll have strings on it in two weeks!
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Flawless work
Stunning! I love ❤️ the turquoise. Is that a new twist?
The way you spray, is just beautiful! A quick buff and done… 🎸
Lovely, dark and chocolatey Indian rosewood topped with creamy European Spruce and a marischino cherry. Or rather, an ebony bridge.
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Oh man.... the bottom end of this guitar is crazy. I cranked this video up on my monitors and the tones coming from this guitar were amazing. Ben..... would you please consider filming a build from scratch..... maybe on your next Brazilian you mentioned. Sam is one lucky guy. I'm going to put on my Wilborn Guitars t-shirt right now.
Yours are some of the best sounding, well balanced guitars that I have ever heard. If only I could have had one 25 years ago when I could have played and enjoyed it.
I don’t understand why am I still watching your videos. Man, oh man, that sounds so good!
The woodworking is all done on this Nautilus I am building for Bowersox International Guitarapalooza (BIG) in Texas this September. I pulled out all the stops on this one: an extraordinary set of Brazilian, mastergrade Adirondack spruce, and a full compliment of bevels for comfort. I can’t wait to see this under lacquer- and even more, to hear it sing.
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That is absurdly gorgeous
Could you make an archtop in the same style?....
Absolutely stunning aesthetically - I’d love to hear it sing when completed.
This Sunday, The 18th of August, Frog and Toad are playing an evening outdoor concert at our friend's, The Eardlys, house. We did this last year and it was a lovely Reno evening blast. All the info is in the flyer below- contact to RSVP and save a space in their amazing backyard. We don't play out all that much, but we have a bunch of new material to share, so please join us!
www.frogandtoadmusic.com
www.wilbornguitars.com
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I wish I could be there as well. Alas, I’ll just have to wait until September… at BIG!!!
Wish I lived in Reno, we would be there! Play Dash for me my friend!
Such a beautiful evening under the Super Moon listening to a couple of real good players. Thank you for a lovely time.
A sample of a new tune by my friend (and client- see the guitar?) Sam Shube who saves lives by day as an Interventional Radiologist and heals broken souls by night with his mesmerizing compositions and beautiful, gentle playing. I'm very proud to have him sitting behind a Wilborn.
Check out his channel on YouTube. It's full of good stuff.
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I just love the power and tone these Wilborn Guitars produce. So responsive. Makes the listener and the player drift away on the lovely pallet of sound.
Exceptional, thanks
Woodwork is complete on Sam’s Nautilus. European spruce over East Indian rosewood.
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Another completed Nautilus ready to meet its new owner in Australia. Andy was kind enough to let me use this instrument in the studio, where we have been recording the 4th Frog and Toad album. It performed admirably, and I’m half sorry to see it leave. Such a fun, responsive and cooperative guitar! Sitka over Cocobolo.
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Who would say no to having a famous guitar?
The Nautilus is such an elegant design. I'm thinking what you have done here is the greatest advancement in steel string acoustics since George Lowden's Dolphin bracing. My two cents worth... let the debate begin. 👍🙊🙈🙉
Beautiful! I sincerely hope that I have the opportunity to play one of your guitars sometime, Ben!