My MUSIC ROOM!

[Boge Quinn]

As some of you know, I'm in the process of moving closer to "home". I've lived in the same house since I was eight years old, but I've got to sell it and give the money to my ex as a condition of the divorce - that's OK, I'm looking forward to the change.

One thing I've REALLY been looking forward to is having a dedicated "music room" where I could have many of my instruments out for viewing & playing. The best I've ever been able to do here is have 2 or 3 out on stands, and I'd rotate them from time to time - I wanted to set-up a music room here where I could have a good portion of my collection out where the instruments can easily be played and appreciated.

I worked-out the vertical spacing bearing in mind that I'd be hanging guitars and mandolins, and figured I could use two rows for guitars and three for mandolins. I had my carpenter install oak runners, stained to match the wood trim in the room, and on the runners I installed Hercules guitar hangers (www.herculesstands.com/guitars/GSP39WB.html). The Hercules hangers are really neat, in that they automatically "grab" the instrument when you place it in the stand, and they were recommended by some friends who run music stores. I could have done a better job figuring out the horizontal spacing, as I failed to account for how far the hangers stick out from the wall, and I should have adjusted my spacing to allow more room in the corner, especially on the guitar side. They still work, though, so I think I'll let it be - the "guitar corner" is just a bit tight. I was going to leave the wall with the entry door (not pictured) bare, but I think I can get another half-dozen hangers in there so I'll be doing that soon. Underneath that will be a desk with recording equipment, I'm looking forward to that too.

A bare-walled, hardwood-floor room, with 25 instruments on hangers - you should hear the acoustics! I'm REALLY going to enjoy this.

Here are some pics, with descriptions:


This is what you see when you open the door.



The "mandolin corner":
Top row, left to right: Paris Swing MS-140 "John Jorgenson"; Paris Swing MS-110 "Parisian"; Paris Swing MS-120 "Nuages"; 1992 custom-made Flatiron F5 Master (the best mandolin I have ever played).
Middle row, left to right: circa 1974 Ode A5 (made by Bob Givens); 1990 Flatiron Performer A; 1987 Mark Taylor hand-made F5 copy (a very good mandolin, one of two made); 1998 Gibson F5 Master Model ("Fern", signed by Charlie Derrington).
Bottom row, left to right: circa 1918 Gibson K1 mandocello; 2004 Johnson metal-body resonator mandolin; 2006 Epiphone "Mandobird" 4-string electric mandolin; 1974 Tennessee A5 (made by Bob Givens and Mark Taylor at Tut Taylor's shop).
On floor: 2005 Bart Reiter Whyte Laydie 5-string banjo.



The "guitar corner):
Top row, left to right: 2008 CB "Vintage Elite" prototype (www.cbguitars.com/VintageElite.htm); 2006 CB "Special" Adirondack spruce & Koa (www.cbguitars.com/Special-Koa.htm); 2002 CB "Model J" prototype (www.cbguitars.com/J_Cocobolo.htm).
Bottom row, left to right: 2002 CB "Super" prototype (www.cbguitars.com/SuperCoco.htm); 2004 CB "Special" style 42 (www.cbguitars.com/Special-Mahogany42.htm); 2005 CB "Vintage J" prototype (www.cbguitars.com/VintageJ_quilt.htm; 1965 Martin D12-20.
On floor: 1935 Cromwell (made by Gibson) GT-4 archtop tenor guitar.



The "guitar wall":
Top row, left to right, starting in the corner: 2006 CB "Special" Adirondack spruce & Koa (www.cbguitars.com/Special-Koa.htm); 2002 CB "Model J" prototype (www.cbguitars.com/J_Cocobolo.htm); 1983 Ovation Electric Custom Legend (a gift from my grandmother, and a very good guitar for an Ovation); 1976 Gibson MK-35.
Bottom row, left to right, starting in the corner: 2005 CB "Vintage J" prototype (www.cbguitars.com/VintageJ_quilt.htm; 1965 Martin D12-20; 1998 Martin D-18VMS; 1980s Takamine PT-406 all-Koa acoustic-electric ("Lawsuit" model).

God has been good to me!

[sixshooter]

All I have to say is WOW. So Boge, if you had to choose between guns or guitars which would it be? Looks like you have two deep passions.

[shaner]

i ageree thats amazing!!

[Markbo]

Very nicely done. Just put in a few stools for visitors to join in and you're all set! I didn't know you were such a Renaissance man... watches, firearms, music, art, computers, fashion... what other secret skills do you practice?

[chutch]

Bogie Man that sounds awesome just looking at it! ;D I've followed the link from Gunblast to CB and man if I can ever get it together one of those would be high on my list. The old Martins always get me going. Nice group of fine instruments.
My one and only for now 1970"s G330 Tak

[princeout]

Boge,
Is that a Kasha bridge on the MK-35? Years ago (like almost 30) I wanted to get one of his disciples, Richard Schneider, to build me an arch top acoustic bass guitar with Kasha bracing and bridge 'cause hauling an upright string bass around was getting old and the only flattop AB I could find wasn't strong enough to compete with the dreadnoughts and banjos in the bluegrass world. Reality stepped up ($$$) and I quickly abandoned that idea. Probably still wouldn't have been loud enough.

If you ever get down to Texas, we need to have a Single Action Jug Band get together. I still play bluegrass with the same guys from 30 years ago at least a couple times a year, always on Memorial Day in the Dallas area, other times up into Oklahoma. We welcome other guys to come sit in. As a bonus, we all like to shoot as well!
Tim

[hyvltge]

That's great, but where are the drums?

[Boge Quinn]

Nov 23, 2009 15:07:04 GMT -5 sixshooter said:

All I have to say is WOW. So Boge, if you had to choose between guns or guitars which would it be? Looks like you have two deep passions.

Can't do it.

[Boge Quinn]

Nov 23, 2009 17:33:51 GMT -5 Markbo said:

Very nicely done. Just put in a few stools for visitors to join in and you're all set! I didn't know you were such a Renaissance man... watches, firearms, music, art, computers, fashion... what other secret skills do you practice?

I ain't talkin'!

[chutch]

Nov 24, 2009 8:33:26 GMT -5 hyvltge said:

That's great, but where are the drums?

Yea & the Les Pauls and the Marshal Stack! ;D

[Boge Quinn]

Nov 23, 2009 22:31:23 GMT -5 princeout said:

Boge,
Is that a Kasha bridge on the MK-35? Years ago (like almost 30) I wanted to get one of his disciples, Richard Schneider, to build me an arch top acoustic bass guitar with Kasha bracing and bridge 'cause hauling an upright string bass around was getting old and the only flattop AB I could find wasn't strong enough to compete with the dreadnoughts and banjos in the bluegrass world. Reality stepped up ($$$) and I quickly abandoned that idea. Probably still wouldn't have been loud enough.

Yes, it is a Kasha design. The MK series ("MK" designated "Mark" as well as "Michael Kasha") was Gibson's attempt to modernize the guitar in the mid-70s. They hired Dr. Kasha, Dr. Adrian Houtsma (professor of acoustic physics at MIT), and Dr. Eugene Watson (professor of acoustics at Penn State) as consultants to develop the MK series guitars, and Richard Schneider headed-up the project with Abe Wechter as his assistant/student. The MK series guitars have an asymmetrical modified Kasha pattern, with the Kasha transverse brace underneath the bridge. They were WAY ahead of their time, and thus were never successful - the aesthetics of the body shape (like a big classical guitar), peghead shape and bridge design put-off many potential buyers, and the sound was much more balanced than players (who at that time preferred the boomy bottom-end of Dreadnoughts) were used to. They sound very good, but a bit different than most players were wanting at the time. I think they'd go over today. I don't know how many were made, but it wasn't many - they were introduced in 1975, and only lasted until 1977. There were 5 models:

MK-35, mahogany back & sides, retailed for $439 in 1976.
MK-53, maple back & sides, $549.
MK-72, Indian rosewood back & sides, $659.
MK-81, Indian rosewood back & sides, fancier model, $879.
MK-99, Indian rosewood back & sides, very fancy, completely handbuilt by Richard Schneider, $1,999. Only 12 MK-99s were made, and Schneider cut-up two or three of these before they left the shop because they didn't come up to his standards.

[Boge Quinn]

Nov 24, 2009 8:33:26 GMT -5 hyvltge said:

That's great, but where are the drums?

Where they belong.

;D ;D ;D

[Boge Quinn]

Nov 24, 2009 11:21:21 GMT -5 chutch said:

Yea & the Les Pauls and the Marshal Stack! ;D

I used to have a Les Paul - SAD story.

[hutchman]

Wow, nicely done! I tried a mandolin once, but decide with fat fingers, it just wasn't going to work.

I too am going to be able to display all my guitars finally on the wall in my office/extra room. However, my collection will not take up much wall space. One Les Paul (Epi.....shucks) and a Tele (Peavey and not a Fender).

I like you room..........!

[Boge Quinn]

Nov 23, 2009 20:47:41 GMT -5 chutch said:

Bogie Man that sounds awesome just looking at it! ;D I've followed the link from Gunblast to CB and man if I can ever get it together one of those would be high on my list. The old Martins always get me going. Nice group of fine instruments.
My one and only for now 1970"s G330 Tak

I love those old "Lawsuit" Takamines! Besides the PT-406 shown in the pic, I have an F-400S 12-string (Martin D12-35 copy). I bought the F-400S from an Ebay seller a year or so ago, to replace one I sold 25 years ago and grieved over ever since. Those old Japanese Taks are WAY under-rated guitars, IMO far better than the newer Korean / Chinese ones.

CBs are the finest guitars I have EVER played, and on a consistent basis. WAY better then Martins, Taylors, Collings, Santa Cruz - I've owned 'em all, and CBs are the best. I built and maintain his web site for nothing, just because I believe in what Chris Bozung is doing and want to help him. Of course, he has become one of my closest friends. If you ever get to Tennessee, I'd be glad for you to play mine.