Gladstone Parlour Guitar “Burdekin Plum 002”
Inspiration for this 13-fret guitar was drawn from an 1885 Harwood Parlour Guitar. The body shape being the same, but it has our modern Falcate soundboard bracing. This Guitar, serial No. BP-P002 was made by hand using the materials list below.
Back and Sides, Bridge, Bindings, Headstock and Fretboard - Burdekin Plum (Pleiogynium timorense)Burdekin Plum, a beautiful Australian Timber that comes in many colours, orange to deep rich browns near black. A very dense wood ideally suited for instrument back and sides. Trees grown on hard/arid country normally have much darker timber. Burdekin Plum has proven to be a survivor; fossils of its seed pods have been found in the Riversleigh Fossil Fields with some fossils dating back 15 to 25 million years. This Guitar was built from dark phase Burdekin Plum, (all parts are from the same tree) which originated from the Boyne Valley, Central Queensland.
Back Bracing System - Live Bracing Design
This system increases the backs interaction with the soundboard during playing, resulting in a fuller more complex sound. The Bracing has been made to fit a 20ft Radius, which increases the stiffness and structural integrity.
Soundboard – King Billy Pine (Athrotaxis selaginoides)
King Billy, Tasmanian endemic softwood, found in cold/wet sub-alpine forests. The tree is slow growing and long lived. Some of the trees were seedlings when Jesus was a boy. The wood is pink/brown in colour, soft, fine grained and light weight. Excellent soundboard material having qualities that impart warm mellow tones.
It’s Critically endangered and totally protected, only salvaged wood is used.
The Soundboard has Gold Pearl purfling, this was ethically sourced from New Zealand
Soundboard Bracing System – “Carbon Fibre reinforced Falcate.”
The soundboard bracing system has been made to fit into and was assembled in a 20ft radius dish, which increases its stiffness and structural integrity. The Falcate (sickle shaped) Bracing is made of strips of King Billy Pine, laminated into sickle shapes, then radiused to 20ft. A layer of Carbon Fibre is placed between the underside of the bracing and the soundboard. The Bracing tops are then profiled/tuned, and another layer of Carbon Fibre put over the top, effectively making an “Í-Beam” like structure. This radiused, curved, symmetrical and CF reinforced bracing system is of low mass and is incredibly stiff.
Headstock Rear – Tasmanian Blackwood
One of the most popular species in Australia, used for cabinetry, furniture, panelling
and musical instruments
Tuners - Gotoh Baby 510 series in Gold
The smallest closed gear tuners, made to order in Japan and are of exceptional high quality and recognized as such around the world.
Neck – Queensland Maple (Flindersia brayleyana)
Perhaps Australian’s Best Tonewood. Highly sought after by Australian Luthiers. It is fitted with a double action steel trussrod, which is accessible through the soundhole using the supplied 4mm Allen Key. The Neck to Body Joint is a “Flat, Bolt on Bolt Off” construction and has 2 x 6mm metal threaded inserts in the neck heel which are accessible through the Soundhole with a 4mm Allen Key. The Neck has an extension that fits into the headblock to key the neck in position.
Rosette – Open twin ring Design
This rosette is made of Ringed Gidgee Sapwood and Heartwood with black Maple accent lines
Headstock & Fretboard Inlays – Southern Cross Constellation and Ghost Tree
Southern Cross constellation is out of Reconstituted Brass Powder, and the Ghost Tree is Gold Resin.
Nut–Northern Territory Buffalo Horn (Syncerus caffer)
The Nut has been slotted to suit the as fitted Strings. While the Nut is a firm fit into the slot, a small amount of CA glue has been put under it to hold it in place while changing strings.
Strings – Elixir Bronze Polyweb 12-56
Elixir® Acoustic 80/20 Bronze Strings with POLYWEB® Coating deliver a warm, "played-in" tone together with extended tone life. Even though this instrument has Carbon Fiber Reinforced bracing, it is not recommended to increase the gauge of string from that as originally fitted.
Pick-up System – This instrument does not have a pickup,
However, it is pickup ready, having an output jack compensation block fitted in the lowerbout
Finish - High Gloss Pre-Catylyzed Lacquer
A hardwearing lacquer that is chemical resistant and easily repaired. Approximately 20 coats of Lacquer are applied over a 10-day period, after a week of curing time, the lacquer is hand levelled using wet/dry sandpaper, micromesh pads and finally buffed to a mirror finish.
Back Bracing System - Live Bracing Design
This system increases the backs interaction with the soundboard during playing, resulting in a fuller more complex sound. The Bracing has been made to fit a 20ft Radius, which increases the stiffness and structural integrity.
Soundboard – King Billy Pine (Athrotaxis selaginoides)
King Billy, Tasmanian endemic softwood, found in cold/wet sub-alpine forests. The tree is slow growing and long lived. Some of the trees were seedlings when Jesus was a boy. The wood is pink/brown in colour, soft, fine grained and light weight. Excellent soundboard material having qualities that impart warm mellow tones.
It’s Critically endangered and totally protected, only salvaged wood is used.
The Soundboard has Gold Pearl purfling, this was ethically sourced from New Zealand
Soundboard Bracing System – “Carbon Fibre reinforced Falcate.”
The soundboard bracing system has been made to fit into and was assembled in a 20ft radius dish, which increases its stiffness and structural integrity. The Falcate (sickle shaped) Bracing is made of strips of King Billy Pine, laminated into sickle shapes, then radiused to 20ft. A layer of Carbon Fibre is placed between the underside of the bracing and the soundboard. The Bracing tops are then profiled/tuned, and another layer of Carbon Fibre put over the top, effectively making an “Í-Beam” like structure. This radiused, curved, symmetrical and CF reinforced bracing system is of low mass and is incredibly stiff.
Headstock Rear – Tasmanian Blackwood
One of the most popular species in Australia, used for cabinetry, furniture, panelling
and musical instruments
Tuners - Gotoh Baby 510 series in Gold
The smallest closed gear tuners, made to order in Japan and are of exceptional high quality and recognized as such around the world.
Neck – Queensland Maple (Flindersia brayleyana)
Perhaps Australian’s Best Tonewood. Highly sought after by Australian Luthiers. It is fitted with a double action steel trussrod, which is accessible through the soundhole using the supplied 4mm Allen Key. The Neck to Body Joint is a “Flat, Bolt on Bolt Off” construction and has 2 x 6mm metal threaded inserts in the neck heel which are accessible through the Soundhole with a 4mm Allen Key. The Neck has an extension that fits into the headblock to key the neck in position.
Rosette – Open twin ring Design
This rosette is made of Ringed Gidgee Sapwood and Heartwood with black Maple accent lines
Headstock & Fretboard Inlays – Southern Cross Constellation and Ghost Tree
Southern Cross constellation is out of Reconstituted Brass Powder, and the Ghost Tree is Gold Resin.
Nut–Northern Territory Buffalo Horn (Syncerus caffer)
The Nut has been slotted to suit the as fitted Strings. While the Nut is a firm fit into the slot, a small amount of CA glue has been put under it to hold it in place while changing strings.
Strings – Elixir Bronze Polyweb 12-56
Elixir® Acoustic 80/20 Bronze Strings with POLYWEB® Coating deliver a warm, "played-in" tone together with extended tone life. Even though this instrument has Carbon Fiber Reinforced bracing, it is not recommended to increase the gauge of string from that as originally fitted.
Pick-up System – This instrument does not have a pickup,
However, it is pickup ready, having an output jack compensation block fitted in the lowerbout
Finish - High Gloss Pre-Catylyzed Lacquer
A hardwearing lacquer that is chemical resistant and easily repaired. Approximately 20 coats of Lacquer are applied over a 10-day period, after a week of curing time, the lacquer is hand levelled using wet/dry sandpaper, micromesh pads and finally buffed to a mirror finish.