Experimental

Bocote Parlor — Bear Claw Sitka Top

The second of the paired bocote parlors. Bear claw Sitka top — visually striking, acoustically variable. Tap-tuned carefully through the figure to find consistency.

Specifications

Body: Parlor
Top: Bear claw Sitka spruce
Back & sides: Bocote
Neck: Spanish cedar with carbon fiber tube
Fretboard: Ebony
Bridge: Relieved ebony pyramid
Bracing: Forward shifted scalloped X (Adirondack)
Glue: Hide glue at brace-to-soundboard, Titebond elsewhere
Construction: Spanish heel
Year: 2026

Why bear claw

Bear claw Sitka introduces stiffness variation across the top from the figure itself. That can produce a top with surprising character — or one that fights its own bracing. Tap tuning through every stage matters more here than on a plain-grain top.

Paired comparison

Built alongside Bocote Parlor — Adirondack Top as a controlled comparison. Same body, same bracing, same construction. One variable.