Red Hawk
Square Neck guitar for Jeff Plankenhorn
I built the special model “Red Hawk” for Canadian singer/songwriter Jeff Plankenhorn. It is an acoustic squareneck guitar, played with a slide. Its body shape follows the “Petite Leaf” model, with a 12th-fret neck joint. A distinctive feature is the thick, square neck and the high string action (about 10 mm at the 12th fret). Additionally, the entire body of the guitar is made from mahogany, which perfectly complements the lap steel sound of the guitar.
The name “Red Hawk” reflects the red hue of the mahogany and also pays homage to Jeff’s Canadian roots.
The scale length was shortened to 630 mm to reduce the increased string tension caused by the higher action and thicker steel strings (.015-.058). This scale length also enhances the characteristic tone.
The scale length was shortened to 630 mm to reduce the increased string tension caused by the higher action and thicker steel strings (.015-.058). This scale length also enhances the characteristic tone.
Technical Specifications and Construction
soundboard: mahogany (X-bracing, inspired by Linda Manzer)
back/sides: mahogany
neck: mahogany with rosewood (Spanish neck joint at 12th fret)
neck width: 45 mm (nut), 57 mm (12th fret)
fretboard: ziricote (mother of pearl dots at 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th and 17th fret)
bridge/headstock: ziricote
nut: ebony
saddle: bone
tuning machines: Schaller GrandTune nickel
bindings: smoked eucalyptus with purfling
soundhole rosette: wooden mosaic (rosewood and Canadian maple)
finish: oil varnish and carnauba hardwax
strings: John Pearse Weissenborn Steelstrings 3120
pickup: Carlos VIP Pickup