Now you can have one too!

I took delivery of my new guitar in July at the CAAS (Chet Atkins Appreciation Society) convention in Nashville. It's incredible!

Here's a video of the first time I played it, in the Sand Guitars display room at CAAS.

And here's a poster from the convention.

The text reads:

• Sitka spruce top

• Mediterranean cypress back and sides

• Brazilian rosewood back wedge and lining

• Brazilian rosewood trim

• Prismatone pickup and preamp

• Schaller tuners with ebony buttons

Here's another photo of the guitar, taken by Kirk himself.

. . . and from the back. Did I mention the Brazilian rosewood wedge?

I recorded a couple of audio clips so you can hear both the acoustic and amplified tone of the guitar. First, amplified with the Prismatone pickup/preamp system. 

Note: These clips were recorded when the guitar was only a couple of weeks old. It's really opened up in the last two months!

http://www.craigdobbins.com/sand-cdm-test.mp3

And a "quick and dirty"version of Nine Pound Hammer, using both mic (left) and pickup (right).

http://www.craigdobbins.com/nine-pound-hammer-clip.mp3

*     *     *     *

I confess. Sometimes I find myself just peering through the soundhole at my name on the label. (Smells good, too.)

Kirk's workmanship is incredible, and Sam Kennedy's Prismatone pickup and preamp are the icing on the cake. I'll post more clips and photos soon. In the meantime, I'll be playing my guitar . . .

Craig

For more info or to order your own Sand CDM, email Kirk Sand or give him a call at 949-497-5570. 

Finishing the top

With the soundhole ring inlaid, Kirk turns his attention to bracing the top. First, the wood is trimmed to the template (notice it now has the cutaway). Then Kirk installs the bracing.

The reinforcement patch on the upper right is where the channels for the slider controls will be cut.

Our mutual friend John Knowles stopped by Kirk's shop while the top was being finished. Here John is conducting olfactory testing of the soundhole. (He assured me that the top smells as good as it looks.)

photo by Kirk Sand, courtesy of John Knowles

Here's a closeup of the completed top. Check out the grain of the Brazilian rosewood ring.

photo by John Knowles

The top is inlaid, trimmed, braced, and ready to glue to the sides.

photo by John Knowles

Next, gluing the top!

-Craig

Choosing the wood

When we set about designing my signature model guitar, one of the first questions Kirk Sand asked was "What kind of wood?" I have always liked flamenco guitars, so I replied "What about cypress?" 

"I love cypress!" Kirk enthused, and we were off. He found some beautiful Mediterranean cypress, and I chose a set for the back and sides. (Kirk says it smells as good as it looks.)

Back in the 1980's, I owned a Martin D-35, which had a three-piece rosewood back. Borrowing the idea, I suggested a three-piece cypress back to Kirk. "Why don't we do a Brazilian rosewood wedge?" he asked. I agreed, and he selected a gorgeous wedge of Brazilian from his private stock. Here is the cypress/rosewood/cypress back, glued up and template traced.

We decided on a Sitka spruce top, and Kirk drew a template to my specs. I wanted a cutaway somewhere between Django Reinhardt's Selmer-Maccaferri and Jerry Reed's customized Baldwin electric classical.

Here's a closer view of the top template. The deep cutaway will allow plenty of access to "the dusty end of the fretboard" as Chet Atkins used to call it. 

The design also gives me an extra fret on the first string. Guess I'll have to work up a lick using that note.

-Craig