Shiraki XM25

[Franc Homier Lieu]

My real camera is not working, but here are a few cell phone camera shots of my latest acquisition: a cedar top Shiraki XM25.

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[sgrexa]

Love it! Did you ever figure out how this was done? I have heard sand blasting and high pressure water which sounds more practical to me.

Sean

[Franc Homier Lieu]

Nope, no idea. The back page of the catalogue mentions the unusual sound hole, but has no specifics on how the filigrana was produced:

http://www.jedistar.com/pdf/Shiraki%20manual/

[John Flynn]

I am curious also. You might post the pics on the builder's thread. Someone there might know.

[Pete Jenner]

Sandblasting.

[John Flynn]

I was able to find this online:

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"To commemorate Saint Louis Music's Sixtieth Anniversary Alvarez made this limited edition model 5051. Technically there were 300 made but the first 100 were hand carved, the next 200 saw a design change and had ovals cut into the soundholes. These were similar to/or made by Shiraki Japanese guitars with the very intricately carved sound holes. Laser CNC machines did not do this kind of work in 1982 and this must have been done by hand with a template, if you look close the grain runs through the carving and is what is behind it so this is also not a screen."