A Guitar for Michael Alexa
This guitar was built in April 2021 at the Špejchar workshop in Dobruška for my friend Michael Alexa. Its foundation is a truly exceptional piece of wood-the body is crafted from a stunningly figured cherry, which I obtained from woodcarver David Plančík of Týniště nad Orlicí. Until then, I had never encountered cherry wood with such intense figuring. Several sets from this same batch were also used by David Mák (Salz Guitars) for his acoustic instruments.
info
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Year builtapril 2021
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Bodyflamed cherry
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Neckmaple
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Fretboardplum
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Scale length648 mm
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PickupsTůma pickups p90
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Hardwaregotoh
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Nutbone
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Finishnitro body, oiled neck
Materials and Construction
The neck is made of maple provided by Kuba Kohout, and the original fretboard was plumwood, which my father and I harvested ourselves. Over time, Michael felt that an all-maple neck would suit the guitar better, so in May 2023, I crafted a new one for him. We kept the original neck, though, and agreed that I would build a new body for it. This resulted in another Tele with a classic Telecaster configuration (see tele okoume & maple #3), giving the original neck a second lease on life.
A Second Life
The neck of this guitar carries its own story. Originally, it was part of a different instrument. When that guitar received a new maple neck, this original one was given a second chance. I designed and built an entirely new body for it using okoume. The guitar took shape at the school in Hradec Králové; while the original instrument was completed in April 2021, its current form emerged in August 2023. The result is an instrument that seamlessly bridges the past with a new beginning.
