Stahl based 12 string Guitar

From Hans:

“Stahl bodied 12 string. 24.9” scale, Carp top, BR back/sides, tone bar bracing, laminated spruce/African Blackwood braces, twin CF tone tubes, varnish/lacquer  finish, medium strings, tuned down to C#.

The tone bars are laminated bracing in the shape of an A. There are a couple of ladders, one in front of the soundhole, one behind, then 3 diagonal belly braces (one in front of the bridge plate, two behind). The “tone tubes” are two CF tubes running from the nose block to two buttresses on the ribs at the rear of the instrument. It does have a truss rod, and was made for medium strings.

The inside is my own design, but I’ve “borrowed” heavily from lots of other design. Larson Bros. originated the “tone tube” on their “Prairie State” guitars and a few Stahls in the ’20’s and ’30’s. They ran a metal tube right down the middle of the instrument from nose to tail block. I also had a Fender 12 a very long time ago with the tube. I splayed out two tubes ’cause I didn’t like the looks of the tube in the middle.

The tone bars are the two long braces. Terminology being what it is, I’ve heard of the belly braces being called tone bars on guitars, but by archtop instruments, the longitudinal braces are the tone bars.

Most of the Larson instruments (Priarie State, Maurer, Stahl, Euphonon, etc) ranged from around 13″ to 15″ lower bout, interiors were mostly X braced (some ladder), many laminated with maple, or rosewood.

This instrument is 15-1/2″ lower bout, not a large 12, and only 3-7/8″ deep, but is louder than my friends Holzapfel, and the clarity is astounding.

Since you don’t have the X behind the soundhole, you need the lateral brace. Most all flat top guitars have that front brace and some sort of brace in front of that. That black stripe is a lamination of African blackwood between the two pieces of spruce. The braces are solid.

The inlays are from Andy DePaul and are taken from the original Larson designs. I usually prefer to buy inlays as the stuff is unhealthy to cut, but I go out of my way to get “hand cut” inlays.”