Juli

As we were planning the first version of our Juli model, I was itching to build my own. Not only was I lacking a semiacoustic Jazz guitar. The first sketches of Juli were to die for! When Robin started building it, I was immediately drawn to it and I used the calm time between christmas and new year to build the main part.

Since the last guitars that I had built for myself were painted just clear and it was, as I said, winter, I needed some color! I decided for yellow. The classic TV yellow was too retro and Graffiti yellow was too cold, so I mixed a color in between.

For an opaque color I did not need a figured wood, so I decided to use plain maple for back and sides and a spruce top. For the neck, that should get an oil finish, I chose Cedro which has a appropriate color and feels and sounds great. I had a "white" ebony fretboard laying around for a time, which fits very nicely and used some remains for the headstock veneer, the tailpiece and the bridge. I did not want any bindings because a wooden one would not really fit and I don't like plastic bindings. And big roundings look the best on this color!

I chose a Charlie Christian style pickup by Mojo, but in a P90 format so I could swap it if I would not like it. Plus, the original shape is too angular for this guitar.

As machine heads I took Schaller GrandTunes with snakewood buttons (which looked the most like the white ebony). They are small, light and precise. For the same reasons I took the ABR-style bridge by ABM. Since I play in sitting position most of the time and don't like showy strap pins, I took the flush mount Dunlop Staplok system.

Usually, I play the neck pickup on other guitars (or play acoustic), so a single pickup guitar is no limitation for me. The Charlie Christian has great dynamics. Who knows how to use the volume und tone pots, won't miss a second pickup. Plus, the guitar is so light and therefore reacts on every touch. My personal highlights are hard stricken high single notes. The acoustic cunstruction comüresses the energy and rewards me with a smacking, pearly, soft tone as if you would get a little kiss from every note.

Speaking of the high notes: The neckjoint is at the 16th fret so I can easily get up to the 19th fret - how luxury for an acoustic player! I made the neck wide and flat and chose EVO gold frets in 6105 format. These frets make this instrument extra versatile because the big distance between the strings and the wood (not the fret!) and the smooth fret material leave a lot of room for playing techniques.

All in all I am very happy with my Juli, but I maybe I would hand it over to someone who would like to try it.