Borsack mini jumbo

[nordfinger]

Hello all. New guy here. Yesterday I picked up a custom Joshua Borsack mini jumbo. I can't seen to find out much about this local St.louis builder or this guitar. I saw it in a small shop on Big Bend and just fell love with it. It is really unique looking with a single cresent cutaway, tortise shell binding on the neck and front and back of the body, and a cresent moon and star on the headstock. It has a beautiful warm earthy tone. Had to have it. A google search of Joshua Borsack's name took me here where he and the guitar are briefly mentioned. The web page for the shop where I purchased it says it's a 2007 but nothing else. The sales person at the store knew little about it except that it was there on consignment and the owner was a small collector who had won it in a raffle. Does anyone here have any information about this builder or this guitar? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[garthman]

I can't help you, I'm afraid. But hello and welcome to the forum - and some pics would probably get you some goats.

[nordfinger]

http://www.musicfolk.com/docs/Instruments/UsedInstruments/mastergallery.php?gallery=Acoustic+Guitars&page=3

 

this is the store where I bought it and the page has a picture of the guitar. I'm at work now but will try to post more pic.s later when I get home. Thank's for the welcome!

[DeepEnd]

Congratulations and welcome aboard. I live in University City and I saw that little Joshua Borsack sitting there a while back. If I weren't a dread guy I would've bought it myself. They've had it for quite a while and I couldn't understand why nobody bought it.

[nordfinger]

Thanks. I really like the guitar. It was the unique look that made me pick it up and play it. The tone sold me. After a little haggling I think I got a very fair deal. It's well made and I'm curious about the builder but hav'nt been able to learn much at all.

[timmay8612]

That is very unique looking. Fret board looks really wide too, perhaps just a contrast thing with the size of the body. Welcome aboard, and happy new guitar day! (HNGD)

[revive]

Congrats!

 

I too own a guitar built by a relatively unknown luthier. I actually have his contact info and find it very helpful to ocassionally talk to/email him. I asked him about his build philosophy, how he came up with the design, his own career history, etc. He even gave me a few pictures of my guitar being built!

 

So maybe you can ask the store / the previous owner for the luthier's contact info and go from there.

[fastblueheeler]

Love the cutaway!

[gitnoob]

Congrats! Looks like you got a good deal:

http://www.borsackguitars.com/pricing.html

 

(And get that 00-21 for me, will ya?)

[nordfinger]

Thanks so much. You just made my day!! This is the first custom I've owned and I always like to know as much as possible about my guitars. Also a good idea about contacting the seller thru the store. I'd love to get that 00-21 for you but my bank account can only take one hit at a time! Now, if I win the lottery......

[nordfinger]

by the way, I played that 00-21. It's a 1970 and it is very loud and very nice. It is brazilian rosewood and, from what I understand, impossible to duplicate today as the wood is protected and unobtainable. At least that's what I was told by the alarmed salesman who immediately came to my aid. When I saw the price tag of nearly $5000 I quickly and carefully put it back on the wall.

[DeepEnd]

 

Thanks. I really like the guitar. It was the unique look that made me pick it up and play it. The tone sold me. After a little haggling I think I got a very fair deal. It's well made and I'm curious about the builder but hav'nt been able to learn much at all.

 

"A little haggling"? The original asking price was just under $1,000, probably about half what it was worth new. If you don't mind my asking, how much did you "haggle" down to, anyway?

Oh, and I checked out the pics at his web site. He's apparently quite fond of inlays. I've never seen or even heard of a neck block inlay.

[nordfinger]

It was there on consignment. I made an offer of $750 and we setteled at $800. I had no idea it was worth that much. I just liked the way it looked and sounded. I knew it was a higher quality guitar because of all the tortise binding work and the bone nut. It also had Martin tuners. It sounds fantastic and I can't keep my hands off of it. Thanks again for helping me identify.

[Joshua Borsack]

Hi, Im Joshua. My girlfriend just sent me this link, I guess she googles me more than I do haha.

 

Im glad your enjoying the guitar. I liked the way that one turned out. I did make the neck a little wider as I made it for myself and I was going through a fingerpicking/slide phase and wanted that extra width.

 

Let me know if you have any questions about it, but if you want to try something interesting, go by yourself a bottle Glenlivet and you may find that it perfectly fits in the cutaway and will stay there while you play

[Rimmer]

go by yourself a bottle Glenlivet and you may find that it perfectly fits in the cutaway and will stay there while you play

 

Does it sound better if you empty it first??

[jamesp]

Does it sound better if you empty it first??

 

What is making a form following it's function?

[DeepEnd]

. . . Let me know if you have any questions about it, but if you want to try something interesting, go by yourself a bottle Glenlivet and you may find that it perfectly fits in the cutaway and will stay there while you play

Wow. I've seen cup holders in cars but a Scotch holder on a guitar? I'm impressed and I don't even like Scotch. Maybe when I get rich and famous I can have a custom guitar built with a holder for diet Dr. Pepper? Seriously, that was 'way cool.

[Joshua Borsack]

to be honest, I was designing that guitar and I couldn't get a curve that I liked the look of at all. I probably redrew it 20 times. Then someone passed me a bottle and told me to take a sip and forget about it for a while. We were joking around and I slapped it down and traced it, and we all looked at it and were like, "perfect" so off to cutting and bending some wood I went.

[DeepEnd]

You know what they say, "Necessity is a mother with bad intentions." No, wait, wait! That's "Necessity is the mother of invention." Seriously, I'm very much a "Whatever works" kind of guy. BTW, let us (me) know if one of your dreads becomes available (relatively) cheap. As I said before, I would've bought the guitar in question long ago if it had been a dread.

[Joshua Borsack]

Their all made to order, so unless someone wants to give theirs up, you'll have to settle for one made just for you.

[BLUtunes]

 

That's a lovely guitar! Congratulations and welcome to the forum to BOTH of you - the happy owner and the builder. I hope you both hang around and chat with us for awhile!

[kwakatak]

Hi, Im Joshua. My girlfriend just sent me this link, I guess she googles me more than I do haha. Im glad your enjoying the guitar. I liked the way that one turned out. I did make the neck a little wider as I made it for myself and I was going through a fingerpicking/slide phase and wanted that extra width. Let me know if you have any questions about it, but if you want to try something interesting, go by yourself a bottle Glenlivet and you may find that it perfectly fits in the cutaway and will stay there while you play

 

Wow. How's THAT for advice?

 

BTW, glad to have you aboard Joshua. I already sense you're adding some weight to this forum that's been a little rare as of late. There are/have been a few here who build professionally as well as those who have done it once or twice or even a few times on an amateur level.

[nordfinger]

Hi there, Joshua. Glad to finally talk to you. Yes, I really like the guitar along with everyone I've shown it to. You are very tallented. I figured the neck was built wider for finger picking. It lends itself to that style very well. The look of that cutaway is what caught my eye but the tone is what I really love. It sounds so warm and beautiful and it just begs to be played. It has quickly become one of my favorites and I can't look at it without picking it up and playing it. The the back and neck look to be mahogany and the top spruce. What kind of wood is that verneer on the headstock and what are the sides made of? I definately plan to keep it so you will always know where it is. Thanks for a fine instrument. Your work is appreciated.

[Joshua Borsack]

The back and sides are both walnut. The top is sitka spruce, and the neck is mahogany. The veneer on the headstock and the fretboard is straight ebony, and I didn't dye it because I personally love the subtle stripes that it has. The tail design was something of an experiment, but I think it turned out nicely. My only regret is that I never actually got good photos of that, so if you ever get some nice shots of the tail piece email them to me and I can put them up on my site and Ill give you credit for the shots. Its been a while so Im having a hard time remembering, but I believe that it has the black pins right? If so those are buffalo horn pins, and the nut and saddle are both brown ox bone.

 

Im really overjoyed that you are loving the guitar as much as you are, that is really the greatest part of what I do, hearing that someone loves something that I made. It makes it all worth while. Don't be a stranger, email me or call me whenever you need. My # is on my site.

[nordfinger]

I will take pics. and e-mail them to you. I had a list of questions to ask you but I'm at work and I left it at home. I will post here again soon so keep an eye out please. Thank you for taking the time to get ahold of me. I look forward to communicating with you. Thanks again. Dave D.