Almost identical, except for the fretboard orientation. Rich's has the horse head and the Stu Fuchs extension allowing him to play the trebles up the neck farther.. George has the Yin/Yang and the traditional fretboard shape. Which do you like better. I cannot decide for myself.
The backs are surely not identical. Two very different and unusually figured pieces of East Indian Rosewood.They will both light up when the finish is applied.
This is pretty fancy East Indian Rosewood. I am still pleasantly surprised I was able to bend it.
And now the finishing begins. First task is pore filling. I rub on a coat of dilute shellac and sprinkle a little fine sawdust onto it and then rub it in vigorously to fill the tiny pores. When dry, I sand with 600 grit paper and apply more dilute shellac while rubbing in the sanding dust. The pores are soon filled in this way.
Now, with the pores filled the French Polishing can begin. This wood should take a lovely finish.
