"Fat Bottom Girl" 17" Steel String

 

This is Johns' eighth instrument. It is the fifth "Fat Bottom Girl" and is the first fully evolved example of this design. As you scroll down this page you can see the evolution from the prototype to the final version.

Click on the image above for a detail view of the top.

This features Johns' new "lip" bridge and the Jenkins de-coupled X-brace tone bars. The bridge pins are fossilized ivory with MOP dot inlays. Its' back and sides are east asian rosewood with bocote bindings. The top is sitka spruce, the bridge is cocobolo. It sports a blue, white, green purfling scheme with solid Paua shell back strip, top edge, marker dots and heel cap. The neck is dyed curly maple with an ebony fingerboard; reinforced with two graphite composite rods and a double action truss rod. The tuning machines are gold Schallers with ebony buttons. It is equipped with a LL Baggs Active I-Beam pick up that make this big voiced guitar even louder.

This instrument if for sale priced at $4300 with a custom case. It features Timblin exclusive custom malachite colored Tor-Tis pickgaurd by John Greven. If this is the guitar for you please contact John by clicking here.
Before and After Picture

This is Johns' fifth instrument FBG #004. He built this instrument without taking a deposit from the future owner. The buyer had his own ideas about how the neck was to be shaped. Unfortunately his idea was at odds with John and the rest of the world. His failure to buy the instrument left John with a good guitar with a bad neck. John recently removed the neck and replaced it with his normal neck out of natural maple. The neck features a compound radius fingerboard, with 23 frets and paua shell lip marker dots. The back and sides are high flame European maple with a sitka spruce top that has a fine "bear claw" grain. It has solid paua shell top edge and back strip and is equipped with a Baggs Dual Source pickup system. Since this instrument lacks many of the features of Johns' current production it is offered at a very reasonable $2900 in a custom case. If you want to know more please contact John by clicking here.

Roll over to see before image. Click on the picture for a closeup view.

This is the "Red Neck Fat Bottom Girl" SN FBG003. It is made of Cocobolo, Sitka Spruce top, full Paua shell edging, back strip and rosette. The laminated maple neck was so white compared to the sound box that John dyed it red. The owner opted for Waverly tuning machines that have a really nice retro look. The Cocobolo is very dense and it gives this guitar a very crisp sound with great sustain.

This girl belongs to a music publisher in New York City. He had a beloved 25 year old Martin that he decided to sell after experiencing this instrument. He told John:

" Once you have tried a Fat Bottom Girl, nothing else will satisfy."
This is the second Fat Bottom Girl. Note the new peghead design. This one is made of East Indian Rosewood with a Sitka Spruce top. The trim is Cocobolo and there is a full edge and back strip of solid Paua shell. The Abalone pickguard is a little over the top, but the owner likes it and that is what really matters.
Above is the prototype for the "Fat Bottom Girl". This big girl is Johns' original design, the lower bout is 17 inches across. It produces a big sound with lots of bass and crisp highs. The back and sides are flamed European maple with ebony and cocobolo accents. The peg head is not the final FBG profile. It is outfitted with Schaller gold plated tuning machines, herringbone purfling, a paua shell rosette and an LR Baggs Dual Source pickup system.
This one is owned by Fort Worth songwriter, singer and artist Jeff Baese. Jeff is seen here performing at the Black Dog a well known jazz club in Fort Worth.