The latest batch is up in our gallery.

This batch introduces the new Legend Special Contour, with a hollow back, arm cut, and tummy tuck. This guitar was designed for a customer who needed the lighter weight and ergonomics of a contoured instrument. I just love it.

Chuck threw in 4 extra guitars this batch, so we’ve got them for sale. There are two Legends, a Legend Special, and one of the new Legend Special Contour guitars.

Rich

I haven’t had a chance to process all the photographs from the latest batch, because I’m in the middle of getting Chuck the parts for the next batch.

But, I have done the 4 extra guitars Chuck built on spec and that we have for sale.

One of the guitars is Chuck’s new Legend Special Contour. We have a customer who needed a lighter, slimmer LS to meet his ergonomic needs. So, Chuck has designed a version of the LS with a hollow back, tummy tuck, and arm cut. Both Chuck and I think it’s really something.

Rich

I just wanted to let everybody know that I misspelled Andy Argondizza’s name in my video notes, and so it got misspelled in the credits. I’m deeply sorry about that.

Rich

I hope the different styles of playing give you a good idea of the Improv’s tonal qualities.

I hope you like what you hear.
Thank you.
Chuck

I’m going to try to composite a photo so that it shows both, if I can get the scale just right. If it does the job, I’m going to post it to the blog. Otherwise, I’ll post a wireframe drawing.

The best I can do as of right now is to say that the Improv is 1.5″ wider and 1.1″ longer than an AT. The headstock is also about 10% larger. The f-holes are similarly larger, but the proportions and placement are different.

The AT is 1 3/4″ thick at the edge. The Improv is 2 1/8″ thick at the endpin, and tapers to 1 3/4″ at the heel. There is a side-on shot of guitar #0282, which shows the taper really well.

There’s a story behind the taper. The guitar was originally designed, like a typical archtop, to be the same thickness from end to end. But, when Chuck assembled the mockup, he thought it looked too clunky in the heel area; so he disassembled it and took a belt sander to the parts. When he re-assembled it, it looked like a completely different instrument.

Because of the taper and careful design of the interior, the weight of the 1 pickup version is about 1/2 lb less than the Professional Acoustic, and the 2 pickup version weighs about the same.

Rich

While I’ve kept the Cp Thornton family look for this new guitar, the Improv is a true archtop, with a wonderful acoustic tone. The single pickup version is designed as a jazz guitar, and the two-humbucker version works wonderfully for jazz or for a blues guitarist looking for a big sound.

There are pictures of the first batch of Improvs in the Gallery, along with pictures of the new custom alligator case.

Chuck

Chuck and I are absolutely thrilled how they turned out! Of course, he’s working full throttle on the next batch. He’s got a new and exciting model coming up in that batch, which should be out at about the end of the year.

Rich

We just got the PDF of the review of our Legend guitar in the April issue of The ToneQuest Report.

Our guitar is on the cover and is the subject of the lead article (the review itself starts on page 4).

Allow me to share a few quotes:

[T]he Legend’s vibrant intensity is entirely unique when compared to past evaluations of mahogany Les Paul models.

What would you rather play – a great Historic Les Paul or the Thornton?” And our answer will be, “Given a choice, we’d prefer to play both for entirely different reasons, but if we needed to cover the broadest range of styles and tones, we’d pick the Legend.”

Both Chuck and I are overwhelmed, and truly grateful.

As all of you who follow my guitars know, I try never to copy anyone else’s designs.  And, you probably know that my Semi Hollowbody Thinline Archtops are through neck instruments, which I believe adds structual integrity to the guitar.

Because we want the same structual integrity of our Thinline Archtops, we decided to design this guitar with a floating top and back, but with a through neck.

Reason 1.  The tailpiece hinge attaches to the neck extension instead of an end block, so over time, as the weight of the strings pulls against the tailpiece, it won’t distort the end block.  So, the binding and purfling won’t crush into the spruce top which could cause it to split over time.

Reason 2.  I’ve seen so many set neck guitars with the ski jump in the fingerboard that I have never seen in my through neck design.

Reason 3.  One of the biggest drawbacks to a full hollowbody with pickups is uncontrolled feedback. We’re hoping the through neck helps reduce some of this problem.

With these three explanations one might say it’s a semi hollowbody but the top and back are only glued to the sides they do not have the integral soundpost design that my Thinline Archtops have.  And, the pickguard and tailpiece don’t attach to the top.

The concept is if the top and back are constructed like other archtops then the guitar should have the sound qualities of other 15″ hollowbody archtops, but without the drawbacks.

So, when we were designing this guitar, we both had the same question as Ralph.  Is it a hollowbody or semi hollowbody?

Maybe it’s both.

Also, I would like you all to know that this is the first guitar that Richard and I designed together from the ground up.  Richard brought wonderful ideas and solutions to the table that I might not have thought of, and has spent the last three months programming it.

Chuck

The new batch is up in our Gallery.

We’ve got some new developments, including some 1 piece Mahogany Backs, Resomax Bridges, and Lightweight Aluminum Tonepros Tailpeces.

People may not be aware, but we’re making the control cover for each guitar out of the piece of wood that we use for the back.  It helps give us a wonderful, clean, look.

I’m both sorry and delighted to say that there aren’t any unsold guitars this time.

Chuck is already working to get the next batch out, so stay tuned!

Our thanks to all our wonderful customers, and may this new year be a truly special one.

Chuck and Rich