Luthier Forum

The 9-string guitar

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 03:13:23 +0000

Here is a 9-string guitar I'm finishing.  It's based on the 12-string concept with only 3 of the strings are doubled.  The back and sides are wenge with hhg for pore filler.  It doesn't yet have a finish and the setup isn't finalized yet.

Currently the 3 bass strings are doubled with the second strings tuned an octave higher.  But all I have to do is cut a new nut and saddle and restring it and the 3 treble strings (or any other 3 strings) could be doubled.

I'm planning on converting it to have the 3 treble strings doubled at the same tuning to see what that sounds like.  But Jay brought up the idea that there could be other tunings that might be even more interesting.  Possibilities include:  every other string doubled, tuning the second strings by something other than an octave (say fourths or fifths), tuning the 9 strings relatively evenly from low E to high E or over some other range, and of course any combination.

I've tried looking for alternate tunings for 12-string guitars but haven't found much and nothing for 9-string guitars of this type.  So I'm asking y'all for suggestions.

Thanks.

Cliff

The Ragmakamtar: Opinions/comments welcome!

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:37:42 +0000

RagMakamtar - combination of oud & sarod

Please have a look and listen to my most recent creation -
RagMakamtar... which is a combination of an oud and a sarod in the body of an acoustic guitar. I designed this on Crete while at Ross Daly's center - then went home and built the prototype. A few months later I went to Istanbul and built the "pro" version over a period of 8 months in the workshop of Faruk T�r�nz - with his guidance.

the oud part:

the sarod part:

New side bender for OM

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 10:36:24 +0000

Here is my new side bender and this is how i had prepared the armrest bevel kerfing before the soccer game!!

garage builder

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 02:31:32 +0000

Ciao a tutti.

It's been awhile since last I wandered this way.

This picture is meant to show the big bulge in the top of this walnut guitar.
From an appearance standpoint, it really looks like a crappy build.
If you could see the bracing, you would probably want to throw up.
But appearances are deceiving.
From a sound perspective, this guitar has a rare sound, clear and balanced,
with substantial bass and good volume all the way across the strings.
It has a very smooth and light action, and intonation is pretty much spot on
all the way up the neck.
It's a sound I've been searching for throughout all the guitars I've built.
I don't know how long this quasimodo Pavarotti will last, but it's been a
pleasure playing it.

Here are a few shots of a new guitar under construction in my garage.
It's an OM style body in lightly flamed maple.

Side bending setup.

My motorcycle is pretty much fully caught up on maintenance, so I have time and room to
try to recreate another miracle of sound like the walnut.

I do have to take some time to practice on my Kimber custom hole cutter, but that's usually
just a couple of hours in the morning on Sunday while the Baptists are still sitting in the pews.

Other than a Saturday running the twisties in the mountains to see the fall foliage and
scare myself on downhill hairpins, this project should make some progress.

Garage Builder - French Polish

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 01:35:42 +0000

This is a pad used to apply shellac to a surface using the French polish method.
It consists of a square of wool sewn up into a little bag with cotton balls stuffed into it.
A soft cotton cover covers the pad.

The wool is just a piece of wool sock sewn up with some whipping thread from my bow string making kit.
The cotton cover is from a pack of painter's rags available at a home improvement store.

Garage Builder - truss rods

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 01:43:26 +0000

Looking for a way to bring the cost of truss rods down and thinking of new ways to control neck bow.

This first try at DIY yielded two steel truss rods for less than $6.00 each not counting Bert's mig welder, drill press, and time.

Then, of course, the thought occurred that there should be a way to make a graphite truss rod.
Benefits of a graphite truss rod would be lightness and greater strength.

Garage Builder - Flamenco 1

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 01:39:27 +0000

Any additional information about this guitar would be appreciated.

First, credit is given to Makoto Tsuruta for the drawing. Lucky him for having access to such a rare instrument, and much appreciation for all the time and effort he took to render the drawings and offer it for free for non-commercial use.

It is, from what I can gather, a short scale (613mm) flamenco guitar built by the first Jose Ramirez in 1909.
The drawing and photographs of the instrument are on the web site, http://www.crane.gr.jp/indexE.html

There are some discrepancies between the drawing and the noted measurements on the drawing, so the first thing is to make allowances for that.

From the full size printout, I'll make a template for the side profile and build the bending form from that.

I'll use either cypress or sycamore for the back & sides and maybe one of the Englemann tops that slstexas passed over to me.
Hide glue will be used as well as French polish for the finish.
Spanish cedar will be used for the neck.

The drawing shows the top and back are domed, so a solera workboard will also have to be fabricated.

Garage Builder - rosewood OM

Sun, 06 Feb 2011 21:18:00 +0000

The basic parts; top, back, sides, braces.

Holding the back strip in a little curve as the glue cures.

Cutting kerfing.

Don's Weissenborne Builds

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 23:57:20 +0000

Steve, happy to oblige... I have a pretty good photo documentation of the two builds.
I'll get the pictures organized, should I stay in this thread or start a weissenborn thread?
Eben??? thanks, dkw

The Bobalou Build

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 04:54:37 +0000

Bobalou starts building!

Boba- please post pics here.

Thanks,

Dean

PS. Mario- you're up

Garage builder - Walnut and cedar

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 03:10:58 +0000

Here is a back & side set with hopefully enough wood for a neck, binding and veneer.

A nice clear, even grain cedar top set from Mario would be a nice match.

Garage Builder - Yellow cedar classical

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 02:26:56 +0000

I started looking for some Alaskan Yellow cedar about a month ago and couldn't find any.
Nothing.  Nowhere.
So, I did some research and found out that there were early warming episodes in late winter up in Alaska that tricked the cedars into spring mode only to suffer a continuation of winter.  This caused the roots to freeze, killing the cedars.  Apparently this has been going on for at least a decade, causing the disappearance of yellow cedar from Ebay and also from LMII's standard offering of this wood.
I posted a topic on this subject and a couple of weeks later, billets showed up on Ebay.  I don't know if there is a connection between topics on luthierforum.com and lutherie suppliers lurking in the shadows of our forum, but I sure hope there is because I don't want it to be a coincidence.

Anyway, I will be building a cedar and spruce flamenco classical guitar on this topic beginning very soon.

Mando 1 and 2 builds

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:24:13 +0000

I have posted photos and descriptions of my first two mandolins in tag along builds. Little Red and Woody. Should have posted them here. New to list and still trying out how to find my way around here. �Working on mando number 3 now have also posted photos of build number 3.. Thanks � � Tater

Violin for Guitar swap. Harlan Tim and Jesse feature build.

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 03:41:35 +0000

Ok for the fun of making Jesse and myself are going to post our builds for each here.
From start to finish for as long as it shall take.

The Violin: Copy of Strad, P or S Mold to be determined yet.
Flame Maple back, Neck and Sides.
Dark Amber Lacquer, Fitting either Rosewood or Ebony, to be determined yet.

Here we go Jesse!!!!

Tim

The Gas Tank Build.

Mon, 10 May 2010 09:55:45 +0000

Greetings:

some of you know that I'm a guitar buillding teacher at a local high school on cape cod.  each year  we produce 40 something electric guitars and 20 ish acoustic guitars. These are entirely made by the students over the course of a full school year.  best job in the world. (our end of the year show is coming up in  about 3 weeks:  I'll post a link to pictures after the show... you'll be amazed.)

What you probably don't know is that aside from playing music, my other hobby is refurbishing old british motorcycles.  Over the last 7 years I refurbished a 71 Norton Commando, affectionately named Strunzo....... (long story)

As luck would have it,   a supplier of custom parts for old nortons is only  an hour away, so I went up to his shop to get something I needed.  As even MORE luck would have it, the fellow is an acoustic guitar player and when he saw my  hoytbasses.com signature, he knew I built/repaired guitars. So I traded him the part for work on his old parlor guitar.

Here's the thing about the old nortons:  they had fiberglass gas tanks. and the new ethanol fuels eat through the tank after a while. so i needed a new tank and a few other items, and i approached the fellow about trading an acoustic guitar for a few parts, and maybe  a new riding jacket.  He said that he's very interested.

As it turned out, a student from last year transferred schools just after the time when he had made the rim and started building the top on this padauk guitar.  It had been collecting dust , so I decided to build it up.   The body is padauk with a little 'racing stripe'  of purpleheart and maple.  The top is a bit of an experiment: it's douglas fir that had been seasoning for about 30 years. The neck is cherry , fingerboard  is dalberigia latifolia (for you genus/phylem types)

This was also going to be the first guitar using the KTM9 finish instead of old-school nitro lacquer.........

Classical Builds

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:46:45 +0000

Two classical builds:

No.4     UMG Curly Bear top
                     Korina (Black Limba) b/s
                     Cocobolo fret, bridge, bindings, etc.

No. 6    MG Red Bear BS top
                     Black Walnut b/s
                     Pearwood bindings, etc.

Here are the back sets joined.  One top has already been joined, and the other will be soon

Attached Thumbnails

Anyone going to the Montreal Guitar Show

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:19:34 +0000

It is in two weeks!

Montreal Guitar Show

I was wandering if some members of the luthierforum would be attending?

thanks!

BRW classical update

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:34:39 +0000

My build-off guitar in '07 was an EIR/WRC Bouchet copy.  It was entered in the beginner's division and won first place, mostly due to other guitars not being completed in that category.

It was intended to be a "practice" build, and I did learn a great deal. The guitar has received some very good reviews by classical players, including one who wanted to buy one from me.

I wanted to share some photos of the Brazilian rosewood, Alpine spruce version. This one was completed March 15th (the "ides of March").  I think it looks quite nice, but I wondered if the sound was up to the EIR version.  (I'm not a good player so I couldn't tell.) One established classical player played it yesterday. He was quite complimentary and pronounced it a "new standard" in my guitar building. He said it is very well balanced.

It has an EIR bridge, and the trim is snakewood on the heelcap, headstock, binding, end graft and tieblock.  The white trim on the binding is holly, taken from a gift piece I received from Jesse Burge a couple years ago.  I took these photos about 2 hours before sunset which brings out the reddish color of the binding and BRW and enhances the grain pattern.  This is before final set-up and polishing, thus the strings haven't been trimmed.

Thanks for looking and, I hope, commenting.

Jim

Looking for big ol' western big bodied round wasted guitar template

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 13:37:30 +0000

To date, I have been building classical and flamenco guitars, but want to expand to build a steel string. Not just any steel string, but a big ol' western big bodied round wasted guitar. I do not know where to get that type of template. I still love the Rifleman and Cheyenne, but it looks like I will never be a cowboy, so the guitar will have to do, but it has to have that look. I think you all know what I mean. Your recommendations would be appreciated.

Russ

Meeting with Bobalou

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:39:47 +0000

Hey Guys,

I met with Bob yesterday while in Windsor. Bob is the first member of the forum that
I've had the opportunity to meet face to face. It sure was nice to be able to chat and
and of course put in another plug to see if I could steal some 70203 claw from Bob's stash.
Working on him.....hahaha

But more importantly, when I met Bob he had the opportunity to personally hand me a
master grade Leopard Claw top set that I had won in the charity auction.

Thank you very much for your generousity, this top will make a fine guitar.

That's what this forum is about boys and girls, sharing ideas, learning, and making friends !

Again, Thank You Bob (Bobalou) !

Luc

Anyone out there in Upstate SC?

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 23:38:10 +0000

Hey all,

Working on #1 build.

Looking for folks in Upstate South Carolina for building advise, opinions, and help.

Thanks

John

My latest build

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 23:08:13 +0000

Greetings:  This just went to an auction for the local hospital's cardiac care unit. I'm hoping that I get enough Karma Points to not have to use the cardiac center as a patient

it's curly maple (hard maple)  with a 'violin' aniline dye and acrylic urethane finish.   Medium body   width and depth (15 at bottom bout,  4.0 - 3.0 depth...... indian rosewood  acoutrements and a curly koa soundhole rosette.  To get the brown with gold highlights, I wipe the guitar with yellow dye, then immediately wipe brown over it: the up-swinging grain stays goldish and the down-turning  grain get nice and brown.  really gives the maple an interesting effect.  Then I lightly scotch-brite, scrape the binding, and shoot clear coat.....  I did it once with yellow and blue stains on an electric bass, so the guitar went from yellow, to greens to dark blues... pretty freaky!

I'm pretty pleased with the sound and balance of the guitar and I guess it got a great response at the silent auction:  it easily made the minimum bid ($750) and there were  a few bids over that number, so it will be a nice bit of change for the charity.

this is an example of my somewhat capricious  side bending efforts.   I lay a pencil line down for the basic shape I want and  hand bend to that  shape:  then once it has it's head and tail block  and kerfing in, I clamp it to the guitar top on the work board so I can lay out bracing ( I use a pretty standard martin layout)

This was the first time I started by gluing the bridge reinforcement in place first and then bracing around it, aside from getting that squirmy bugger to lay down nicely ( I may use thich CA glue next time) I really do like how neat and easy the x braces fall into place around it..... I'll probably do it that way in the future but I don't know if I'll have my students do it.

take care and enjoy your Sunday and upcoming week.  I plan to milk Veterans' day for all it's worth. Kind of sad that  in my entire high school staff of 100+ employees, there are only 4 veterans. and only me and one other guy  spent any time in that sunny southeast asian vacation land!

karl

Giltzow Guitars

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:21:21 +0000

Hi All

I haven't posted a build on the forum for awhile and the reason is that I have been working on a very special project. The project was made public last Monday on Jimmy Dreamz radio; so now I would like to invite the forum members to view the build and comment, criticize and/or question. I have been building a guitar for Jim Morris. If you are a ParrotHead you probably already know him. If not you can go to his website at Jim Morris Mr Morris also has a group on Yahoo.com that has had a few emails and responses concerning this guitar, You can get there with this link Yahoo Group Jim Morris

This is a project I have been working on for over a year and the end will be in Punta Gorda, Florida on Oct. 25, 2008 at Jim's Octoberfish event. As you probably can imagine this is a very exciting project for me.

I have documented the build for Jim's fans on my web site. The documentation is step by step and will probably be alot more than most of you need. I tried to relate to people who have no idea how a guitar is made and so you will be bored with some of the pictures and text. You can view the post at my web site Mike's website. Please feel free to comment criticize or question. Your input is always appreciated - Mike

.

Karl's Mesquite 5 string ABG

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:45:19 +0000

Hi folks: newbie luthierforum guy... lont time instrument builder and luthiery teacher......

Back in March , I was commissioned to build this 5 string ABG... the customer supplied the top wood  and body wood (mesquite).  I've built plenty of instruments, but this was the first foray into mesquite (other than some great barbecue) ... and I only had ONE set to play with.

So, I searched around and found Steve, who  gave me some pointers on building with mesquite..... (the trick is sand the sides down to around .085)  and it bent fine! THANK YOU  for your assistance, Steve.

this puppy has western red cedar top and a hand-made rosette ( by the customer) .  Mahogany neck, graphite reinforcements, cocobolo fingerboard and bridge,  ebony bridge pins (with cool abalone inlays) , tortoise binding...... 32" scale.  Strung e-c......Hipshot tuners. oil/poly neck, satin body.

5"+ body depth

I'm starting on a new commission with the same body style (though thinline... 3-1/2")  only I'm doing that as a bolt-on and a walnut body/spruce top, K&K pure pickup.

If the customer can swim well enough to get through Hurricane Kyle, he's picking it up.

enjoy,

Karl

Erik Schmidt's Build

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 04:23:37 +0000

Erik Schmidt luthier

the prodigal son, she returns!

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:36:17 +0000

Many moons ago, I was here (sort of) a lot.

I have returned, after adventures in education, moving out, and becoming engaged.

It's time to start on that dulcimer kit my parents gave me four years ago.

I hope some of you will remember my face (er, nickname), and help me like you always used to! It's been a long time coming, but this baby is ready to be born, and I know I can't do it without all of you.

So, let's get down and dirty.

Four years ago, my parents gave me a mountain (or Appalachian) dulcimer, made right here in the Appalachian area of North Carolina. I loved it. I loved taking the body out, and the top and bottom, and just smelling that gorgeous, beautiful, lustrous NC wood. The hummingbird's cut lovingly from the top particurally caught my eye, and the scroll was just so different from a guitar headstock I was so used to cradling. It was love at first sight. It was a TK O'Brien Handcrafted Folk Instrument.

I'm not sure how my parents even found the site, or how they knew I'd secretly been pining for a dulcimer. Maybe after seeing me play around with many fiddles, mandolins, and other "folky" strings, they thought I may like one of my own, and like even more to build it myself.

It's been four years. It's time.

So far, we've had no problems with it. It came with a great set of instructions, and are fairly easy to follow. We got what tools we could from the local Home Depot, and have started working away at this little joy. We've sanded the scroll, and have started forming the body. Which is where we have run into our first issue (aaaaah!)

The body came pre-bended, a lovely hourglass shape. We glued the scroll to that hourglass, and step 2 is putting these rectangular blocks at 3 different points in the dulcimer to shape it.

The guide tells you to glue the blocks in, and once the glue around the scroll dries, he tells you to remove the blocks.

How on earth do I do this without damaging the oh so thin and delicate wood of the body?

Or, could I possibly just leave the blocks in, potentially damaging the sound that would come from it?

What do I do!?

Texas Chapter Building Buds

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:23:45 +0000

Building Buds Signup and get the Texas chapter started.
mario

3 More Taylor shape guitars

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 08:04:16 +0000

I have decided not to document this build sorry!

Thxs
Hugh

Progress on the YEW guitar

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:35:06 +0000

Hi Gang, I thought y'all might like to have a peak at how 'one' of the yew guitars are shaping up. This one is for nadishana.com - - - will put some pics up of the one for myself soon...

ciao

Hugh's Bubinga build

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:15:16 +0000

Deletted

"How I spent my summer build"

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 02:13:13 +0000

Well, this one has been a long time coming from me. I am building a guitar! (s!)
I guess as a way of introduction, I should introduce myself... I am a full time art teacher in western Massachusetts; a west coast transplant as of six years ago- and also a metalsmith, welder, jeweler, bus driver, and three season coach (Tennis, skiing, and Ultimate). Small progressive independent school. I have summers off, and building guitars is what I try to do then. My introduction to building came 30 years ago, when my mother found this summer guitar building workshop in North Adams Ma. with a Luthier named............William Cumpiano. (as he was writing his book) I proceeded to learn more in six weeks than I ever learned about wood, tools, attitude, approach, sound, finish, work quality, attitude, (did I already say attitude?) and materials in general- than I have ever since had the pleasure to absorb. Period. In any class, workshop, etc. It has stuck with me, and been my back-burner passion ever since.
I went on to art school, in Metals, Glass, Wood, and Ceramics- and still try to do all of these- but....Guitars....Guitars....I live and breathe them as much as possible. SO>>> with two wonderful kids, a beautiful, creative wife, and a whole school life; I am building guitars this summer. Believe it or not, I actually got an Art Teachers Renewal grant to do this this summer. Wrote up a grant proposal, sent it off, and three months later....BAM! Got me some new tools, blades, Tom Durr's bending system (HIGHLY recommended!!) and bought me some time!
I am building a flat top acoustic, a kind of cross between a shrunken Gibson J-185, and a 335 cut away. It is a pattern I have drawn about 127 times, and always come back to it. I have been building forms,- bending, body, cut away, M/F, pattern routing MDF. (Wear a mask!), re-sawing my old stock wood (Woodmaster! Spectrum!) surfacing with my new Jet thickness sander-(How did I ever get along without this tool??) and in general having a grand ol 'time with all aspects of it.
I have built flat tops, electrics, and one (fully complete) arch top; and my approach is to use the best methods I have found in all aspects of my own building. Some Cumpiano, some Benedetto, and a LOT from all of you out there. This place has been the best, most inspirational and open showcase of knowledge I have ever found! I mean that!! Thanks to the lot of you! I'm going to go to Photobucket, and see if I can post some pics now. (after I go for a walk with my son, an aspiring 10 yr. old builder, Riley.)
Eben- Thanks for the kick! I'm in it!
Thomas.

Spalted Maple Electric

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:16:59 +0000

Sorry I have decided not to continue documenting this build!

Thxs
Hugh

No. 9 completed

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 17:13:42 +0000

No. 9 started on Sept 18, 2007, and finished about Nov. 7. I guess I didn't take pix during early stages, only when ready for finishing (or my son dumped the photos from the camera before I downloaded). Here's the guitar on the bench:

Back & sides are black walnut from Michael McGrail
Top is Red Bear Kermodie from Mario
Bracing - spruce from Simeon Chambers
Neck - Honduran mahog. from local hardwood supplier
Fingerboard, peghead veneer - Gabon ebony from MacBeath's in Berkeley
Bridge - Cocobolo from Woodcraft (a turning block)
Bindings - maple from MacBeath's + black fiber from LMI
Rosette - stock from Martin shop
Grover Statites

You can see a few details in this photo - inlay in back at the neck, detail of binding and heel cap:

...and here's the finished instrument with 4 on the left and 7 on the right:

...and a clearer look at the finish:

This was my first sale. No. 9 sold on Monday this week, the day I took it to the local shop, Watermelon Music. I put No. 8 there a couple of months ago. The folks at the store like it a lot, it gets attention, but its small size seems not to be so desireable.

No. 10 is on the bench now, ready for finish.....

Best to all-
Peter

Actually a little progress!

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 03:00:56 +0000

Hmmm...where to post this? I guess this'll work...

Thought I'd throw out a couple of pics to prove I do actually work on guitars a little, too. Had a fairly productive couple of days off, I think. This one is an Englemann, EIRW OM. Nothing out of the ordinary, scalloped bracing, bolt on neck with A-frame upper bout bracing and a soundport. This one does have a bit of a taper, too.

Rebraced the top got the side braces and soundhole reinforcement in and got the rim set prepped.

Got the back glued on. Mmmmm...hot, fresh, hide glue...

Had to redo one of the tone bars and add the X-brace patch.

A couple of pics of the finished top and back before closing the box.

A dry run just for kicks to see what she'll look like.

I had the glue hot, the top and rims heated, all ready to put it together when I realized I hadn't signed my top OR built a PMTE (I'll explain later for those who don't know what I mean). I stopped and got 'em ready to go.

Closing the box.

How 'bout that squeezeout....

One for Hesh. The pump quit on my humidifier, so I had to control by temp. Ah, well, perfect for closing the box with HHG!

Next, I decided to throw together a fret slotting jig. Been intending to get to this for a while. Nothin' fancy, just functional.

And the results.

At that point it was getting late and I was cleaning up the shop when I decided, what the heck, I'll cut the tail and neck blocks for the other box on my bench. This one is for me, an Adi/EIRW dread. Oh, yeah...

And one final shot of the shop. Been some progress, still has a way to go. I'm pretty happy with it for now.

It was hard to pull out of the shop. I was having a blast. After 10:00 now, though. 4:30 comes early in the morning. Thanks for looking! At least now y'all know I can do a little more than talk about guitars!

Domed Soundboards

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:11:52 +0000

QUOTE (Michael Lazar @ May 13 2008, 06:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The 30' radius is simply something that I decided was common in concert guitar tops and it seemed to work well with respect to the plane of the bridge. I'd probably be just as happy with 25' but would find 15' to be too much.

I am very new to this idea of doming soundboards... I wonder what is the reason for it, and how it is done... I guess it is done by shaping the undersides of the braces to force the soundboard into a particular outward bulging curve.

Lazar suggests 30' radius... isn't this HUGE? When I draw it it seems huge.

Having said that - I have made domed backs before, and what I thought was a HUGE radius (didn't measure it) when I was shaping the underside of the braces, in fact resulted in a dome that was essentially totally unnoticable when the back was on the guitar. . . .

00 12 Fret pair

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:08:54 +0000

I started no. 12 in 1973, working with a friend that any archaeologist types might know, Phil Walker. The back and sides are BRW and the top is spruce, all from MacBeath's in Berkeley. These pieces sat in my closet for 34 years. No. 13 will be similar, but from black walnut with Kermodie top. Both will have cedar necks, rebuilt from profiled blanks from Martin (the necks were cut for the 24.9" 14 fret configuration. I cut off the heel and moved it back to the 12th fret. Here are some photos of the state of these two today:

First a couple of "group shots":

These show the Brazilian sides bent and the walnut back of No 13. The top for 13 is sitting under everything, jointed & joined with the tape method. The ebony fingerboards are also in view, as are the Martin neck "blanks" as modified. I've drilled and cut the tenons for the Cumpiano bolt on neck.

No. 12 shots:

Back and top. The back is a 4 piece because Phil & I bought second grade sets back in those days. I may replace the maple center piece.

Peghead veneer, cut this morning from a scrap of the back. It's bookmatched now and was also joined with the tape method. What a method!! Whose great idea was that???

and last a few views of chaos in the shop. Every once in a while it looks pretty neat, but not today:

Thanks for taking a look!

Peter

12 Fret D-45 build

Wed, 28 May 2008 23:22:56 +0000

Finally coming up for air, this one has taken me much longer to finish than expected.  I realized it would be a time consumer but it
turned out to be more than I had anticipated.  Using old Brazilian (at least 40 year old wood) plus an original Martin T-bar neck reinforcement
(I know, using an adjustable rod is great, just wanted this one to be as close to original specs as I could get) in the neck.  Used
a solid peghead like the 2nd D-45 made.  I like this version of the old peghead inlay Martin used early on.  It's not exactly
the same but has some similarities.  Red spruce top.
I'm no pro so it's far from perfect but fun to build and I'll enjoy playing it.  Always wanted one of the originals, probably never will get one
so will be happy to have this one.  Next, an OM-45, once I recover from this one.
Best
Bruce

Me building a couple

Fri, 16 May 2008 07:47:34 +0000

O.K,
got some time, got some wood, got some urge...
i'm building two guitars at once:
1. small parlor,based on Eben's tracing of that cool Larrivee from some time back.
    this one will be made of ziricote + flamed redwood.
2. classical guitar, my usual shape(santos hernandez-ish) and my usual bracing(Robert Bouchet-ish).
    cocobolo + euro-spruce.

main problem is, i do not have a camera      as little bro went traveling in south america and took it with him.
but both my flatmates and my little-er bro have this cel-phone + camera gizmo, i should be able to supply some decent pics, perhaps not too much of the process but more of results, but i'll do my best.

so here's what ive been to lately.
i started working on the necks.
both are old hon.mahogany, both have a V-Joint(head to neck) and both will be dovetailed into the body (first time ill be doing this on a classical).
both have an ebony "back of head plate". i just love the way it pops the V-joint.

the SS has a black&white(mun?) ebony headplate,fingerboard and bridge(to be pyramid).

so here's what i've managed to take pics of thus far:

gluing laminated heels on both necks.

SS head almost completely shaped, drilled and slotted.

the classical head recieved a BRW headplate but i'm still struggling with the head design
hopefully i'll get to it tomorrow.

I aint a "guitar boomer" like some of the other guys here, i just struggle to squeeze as much lutherir as i can in between classes, lectures and projects.
usually it adds up to 5 hours worth of sawdust per week, so bear with me will ya?

Udi "too much math & physics, too little wood dust & curly shaving" Vachterman

Charo - Cuban Mahogany/Adi OM

Tue, 13 May 2008 01:25:49 +0000

Well I thought that I would share what I am working on these days at Flushtone.

This one is for a dear friend and right now I am trying to get the box closed before I move the week after next......  I won't have the new shop set-up until late this year so my thinking is that if I can at least get the box closed it will probably survive the summer and I can pick it back up in the winter.

This is Cuban Mahogany, a bit denser and heavier than Honduran and the first time that I have had the honor of working with this very cool wood.

Here is one side in the bender on it's first of two bakes.  I typically bake a side once, wait until it is completely cool and then bake it again and then leave it in the bender over night.  My stack is a bit different and from the bottom up consists of the following:

1)  Stainless slat
2)  Side wrapped in craft paper and lightly spritzed with distilled water
3)  Stainless slat
4)  Blanket
5)  Spring steel slat

Here is the rim in the mold and the reverse kerfed linings are being installed.

And the butt graft, end wedge, what ever is being glued in place.

I learned a while back that it is far easier to install the label before installing the back plate.  I cover the label in protective plastic - always use protection.......

This one is being braced a bit different then I usually brace an OM back to accommodate the recipients playing style.

Here is the beginning of the X-brace being glued on with HHG.

This is my typical bracing pattern, mostly parabolic, triangular profiles, pretty minimal.  This top weighs more then I like to see but again this Adi was kind of heavy.  This one weighs 192 grams and rings very well.

I have the back on now and it's in the go-bar deck and I will endeavor to post some more pics.

Thanks for looking!

Elmers wood filler

Fri, 02 May 2008 23:47:07 +0000

Could anyone lead me to the post on using elmers as a pore filler. Thanks for the help

The Vinman's First One!

Fri, 02 May 2008 03:07:15 +0000

Here ya go, man!

My Current Build

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:46:40 +0000

Old growth PNG rosewood, going to be my midi guitar when finished. Plan to have single EMG 81-06, single volume switch so it is either on or off, undecided on what to do with inlays and headstock but it will come to me...

pics

Slope Shouldered Dreadnaught

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:12:28 +0000

I figured I would try to show a full build, I managed to get past my aversion to dreadnaughts and started this advanced jumbo slope last week. I'll do my best to remember to take photos as I move along. If you have been following Eriks build don't expect that sort of photo quality!!!

Anyway... here is where I'm at now... back is glued on, top is jointed and glued, and I'm ready to start on the rosette and top bracing.

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and the top being glued up.....

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First post

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:04:39 +0000

Hello all,

This is my first post, been lurking about for quite some time and enjoying watching your builds. I'll attempt to post some photos of a build I'm finishing up. It is a curly claro/ sitka grand concert size, based on the Oscar Shmidt, Stella grand concerts. It was in fact to be a ladder braced, long scale (26.5") 12 string, until I discovered tuners for the slot head would cost me about 500$$. It quickly became a x braced 6 string!!!!

I didn't take to many pics of the building but here are a few before the top went on.....

Ok, I think I've got 'er figured out. Lets give it another whirl.........

Luc's Guitar!

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:22:39 +0000

Here ya go, man!

my first build

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 01:32:20 +0000

this is some pics of my first build. spruce top, figured maple back and sides. rosewood rosette. i am going to attempt to bend the sides mabe in the next week or so, i hav to finish building my bending jig. i hope i can do it with jig that uses lightbulbs. if you have any suggestions let me know.

thanks

My first guitar

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:07:39 +0000

Please excuse the HORRIBLE photography but these were taken in the late summer with a very poor camera. It is a full size. The body is copied in size and shape from a Martin D-18. I don't remember what I used for the back and sides but the wood inlayed in the back is figured makore and the neck is mahogany. The only parts I did not carve and or make is the roset inlay, tuners, and fret wire (duh right)

Mainwaring and Connor O models

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:59:30 +0000

G'day all

Here's a couple of little O models that my partner in crime Dave Mainwaring and I finished recently.

The first one is Ziricote with an Italian Spruce top, Blackwood bindings. The neck is also Blackwood.

The second one is Blackwood with a King William Pine top and Cheesewood bindings.

The King Billy Pine is quite soft - in between Cedar and Engelmann and to my ears
sounds a lot like Cedar. It's certainly not as punchy in the mids and highs as Spruce
but still makes a sweet sounding, balanced instrument. It's not particularly stiff across
or along the grain so it seems to work well in a small instrument like this. I don't feel it would
work that well in a larger guitar. Violin, Mando and Harp builders use it quite a bit down here.
(when they can get hold of it - it's becoming a bit scarce)

Thanks fer lookin'.

Bob

Grown up instruments

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 02:18:44 +0000

OK....at the urging of of couple folks I will actually start a thread (and not listen to my better judgement)
Hopefully it will document (rather loosely) my foray into the uncharted territory (for me) of "grown up " instruments.
The story goes like this......
A fella saw my carved ArchJazz mando model and LOVED it.....
Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately...we shall see) he went on to say...."I want you to make me a guitar just like that."  I tried to explain I made mandolins, not guitars. His response was "Make it just like that....only BIGGER!!!!"
Well I gave it some thought and quickly came to the realization he had a good point. In fact I had studied archtop guitar construction and applied that info to 'shrink one' to mando size. So THEORETICALLY....I should be able to 'expand' the mando back to guitar size. Famous last words.......
So I agreed to take the commission and have at it......

The clinker......
In my usual MANIAC fashion, I decided that if I was going to set up to do one.....might as well jump in the deep end. So the plan is now to do 4 maybe 6 archtop guitars....all 'different flavors'.
HOPEFULLY this will create an attractive 'stable' of beasts to take some glamor shots of and get on a website (yet to be finished!   ) and generate some ORDERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So.....stay tuned and I will try to get some pics posted tonight to bring things up to date (well...relatively) and then go from here. I'll just post some highlights or things I think might be helpful/interesting tricks or methods. Most of you guitar builders will likely be pretty bored.....but as I said.....uncharted territory for ME.

Tom

Martin Guhl visits the Frankfurt Music Fair

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:09:26 +0000

I was introduced to Martin by Udi. Martin makes some truly incredible rosettes! He recently went to Frankfurt for the music fair and was kind enough to share some pics -

Thought y'all might like a peek as well....

Urb

fixing a Neck that's out of adjustment

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 21:42:59 +0000

ok so when the neck is attached to the guitar it should be level from heel to nut ?? cause my RG's neck is on a bit of an angle (both ways) and i want to know how to fix this so my Ibanez will play to its full potencial...

Latest update on my Ditson inspired dread

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 00:57:06 +0000

It's been too long since I posted an update on this Diston style dreadnougt.  I thought I'd use is as an experiment in weight loss.  Well, you can indeed lose too much weight.  I got the sides a bit thin and had to do some repair work but thought I'd continue with the project anyway and see how it came out.  The body
without the bridge weighs 36.2 ounces so it's on the light side.  The neck is complete (finished in nitro lacquer for wear purposes) but the body is still in progress.
It's being done in french poslished shellac and it's a time consumer.  Thought I'd post one photo of the top in progress (Adirondack on this one) and the finish
about half way there.  Shows the run-out pretty well.  I'm building muscles I didn't know I had and developing a need for advil after a session or two on this big guitar.  Great fun though, I really enjoy french polishing, it's relaxing in a painful sort of way....

Best to all
Bruce

Great Lineup

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:41:07 +0000

For its second edition, the Montreal Guitar Show has stepped up its programming considerably with Guitarmania, an all-new concert series featuring world class guitarists.

On stage, we'll have a chance to see and hear virtuosos working in all musical styles: Frenchman Pierre Bensusan, who leaves audiences spellbound with his mastery of world music, jazz and folk; Antoine Dufour, rising young Canadian acoustic guitar and fingerstyle whiz; Jim Hall, a bona fide jazz guitar giant; Michel Haumont, another extraordinary French musician who cites John Renbourn, Chet Atkins and Marcel Dadi among his influences, playing alongside fellow countryman Jean F�lix Lalanne, a supremely gifted and eclectic guitarist whose playing has been likened to "the beating of butterfly wings;" guitarist John Jorgenson, one of the pioneers of Gypsy swing in the United States; dazzling American guitarist Andy McKee, who's been known to play one-handed and to use his instrument as a rhythm box; Montreal-born Erik Mongrain, a talented self-taught composer-performer and lap-tapping specialist whose idols are Michael Hedges and Montrealer Don Ross, the fingerpicking master and first repeat winner of the US National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship; Talented Montreal guitarist Jordan Officer, who performs with Susie Arioli and has also collaborated with Thomas Hellman and Richard S�guin; 20-year-old English fingerpicking phenom Gareth Pearson; the amazing Hawaiian Jake Shimabukuro, nicknamed the "Jimi Hendrix" of the ukulele; and Martin Taylor, described by Pat Metheny as "one of the most awesome solo guitar players in the history of the instrument!"All of these artists will also give a workshop as well as meet their fans at the Show.

Additional workshops will be given by leading guitar experts, among them world-class luthiers such as Rick Davis, William "Grit" Laskin, Tom Ribbecke, Jeff Traugott, Rick Turner and Ervin Somogyi, as well as Tim Brookes, author of the bestselling Guitar: An American Life, Jeff Doctorow, a major collector of luthier guitars�Doctorow owns one of two Picasso guitars by Linda Manzer, the other belonging to Pat Metheny!�and Georges Gruhn, author, collector and leading vintage guitar expert.

Visit www.montrealguitarshow.com to book your stay and buy your tickets!

2008 Back Yard Guitar Challenge

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 07:33:00 +0000

So we talked about tonewood and where it may or may not be going. Lots of discussion and opinions. Well, now a chance to put some of those thoughts into action.

Partly for the fun of it and partly to see what innovative ideas we might stumble on to, I am throwing this out as an idea.

What if we try to build a guitar out of what we can locally beg borrow, scrounge, or, as Glen puts it,"black clothes and a mask requesition". So anyhow, we talked a bit about this on the chat Monday night and I said I would post it up. So here are some suggestions of what I had in mind.

As many of us who are willing, join in on this. The object is to build a guitar constructed with the wooden parts derived entirely from species that grow within 50 miles of your shop. Ideally these would be species that are native to the area, however wood from other species that can be demonstrated to be presemt in sizes large enough to supply the parts they will be used for may be allowed.

I would not imagine that we would require that any trees be actually cut, but they could be. Obviously nobody will be buying any of my wood for this, and only a few could actually use one of mario's tops, but the idea is for just one guitar to see what alternatives we might be able to find. In thinking about this, folks in big cities may have an advantage. Check in with the forester in the City or County Parks and Recreation Department and explain this to him/her and you may have all sorts of possibilities from trees that are continually being taken down. Check the local tree service folks, etc. No need to make the back out of 2 pieces, use 10 if need be. And so on.

When we get this whole thing done, I bet it would make a very interesting article for one of the big guitar magazines. But the main thing it would do is get us thinking and exploring. And I bet it will produce some very fine instruments.

So what y'all think? Are you willing?

As an aid to this, I am working on a list of native trees that I think are worth looking into for potential back and side wood. I will post this later. And I will add some suggestions for wood for other parts and I am sure a lot of you already have some good ideas.

I think all we need to do is maybe refine the "rules" a bit and get rolling. And remember, it is the spirit of this thing that counts.

G

A bass for gabe

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 04:06:21 +0000

I know I haven't been documenting my builds lately but I did want to share these photo's with you all if you care to take a peek.

Koa top, Curly Maple thru neck, Ash wings, Ebony fret board. EMG pickups, with Aguilar pre amp and Kahler tremelo bridge. Hipshot ultralight tuners and my signature Nautilus shell in the peg head.

Greg N

No. 11 - Another LG size

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 16:43:04 +0000

Here's my 11th, finished and waiting to ship to a friend in Australia who bought it for his son:

THis one was slowed by the holidays and by our early January storm, which knocked out power for 60 hours. I haven't documented a lot about the build. She's made of the following:

EIR Sides and back
Kermodie top bought from Mario on the auction, sorry I failed to note the tree...
Englemann bracing, from Simeon Chambers
Spanish Cedar neck
Gabon Ebony fingerboard
EIR bridge +basswood pins (and maybe tailpin if I have the nerve to drill through the tail)
EIR/Madrone rosette
Cherry binding
Herringbone purfling
Cherry inlay for highlights on the back and at the tail
Grover Sta-Tites

Here are a few more shots:

The finish on back, sides & neck began with padded on System 3 epoxy, following Steve's advice, and the epoxy improved the final finish, which is French Polish.

Just before I started this post, I opened Gary's various threads showing his multiple spectacular builds, ingenious and beautiful purflings and rosettes, and I continue to be stunned by Steve's fantastic work and by so many other great builds illustrated on this forum. I'm satisfied that I'm learning and progressing, but humbled by comparisons with those others. You guys are terrific, and you are very generous to document all the work so thoroughly. I'm sorry not to do the same, and not to keep in touch. Sitting down at the keyboard is a trap for me, and so I go to the shop instead.

Nos. 12 and 13 are started, but no photos yet. No. 12's made from Brazilian rosewood and spruce bought in 1973 for a guitar I've been in the middle of building ever since. It will be a 12 fret 00, originally conceived as a copy of my first wife's Martin 00 16C (I got the guitar...). No. 13 is another 00, with black walnut b&s, Kermodie top. Both will have cedar necks because I have the blanks (more neck blanks from Martin's 1833 shop)--and I like how the shop smells with all those cedar chips around. I'm aiming to finish them in 6 weeks, because I have a rotator cuff repair scheduled then that will put my right shoulder out of commission for 3-4 months WHAT a bummer. Oh, well. The bright side is that my shoulder will probably last longer if it's repaired. I'm hoping to hang around with it and keep building guitars .

Best to all!
Peter

Sycamore and Wonderwood Build

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:25:28 +0000

This will be my first complete build on the forum.  In the past, I have uploaded portions of my builds, but in this build, I will show what I am doing from start to finish.  As some of you know, I took a tutorial with William Cumpiano about 3 and a half years ago, as a present to myself for my 50th birthday.  We built my guitar number 5.  This will be guitar number 20 (I think?!).  So far, I have kept a few but have given the others away. One was a retirement present for a good friend.  Several have gone to a bluegrass player friend of mine, Tim, who tries out the guitars and gives me reports on how they fare.  I try to do the same thing in each build, with the idea of repetition helping me get better.  I was a flight instructor for 3 years, and that was the same principle we followed there as well. I changed hobbies from flying to lutherie when the flight instruction got to be too much like a real job.  I still make mistakes in lutherie, something we avoided in flight instruction because of the expansive paperwork whenever you made a mistake.  Last May, I took a chance on actually teaching a guitar building class at the Grand Rapids Woodcraft.  I had 5 really talented students, including 3 engineers, a contractor and a retired tool and die maker.  The reason I took on this challenge is that I have been a teacher for 30 years. While I am not terrifically experienced at lutherie, I do know a thing or two about teaching.  The class worked out well enough that I am planning another class starting in April.

To start, the focus of this build will be a drednaught using sycamore I harvested from my neighbor's front yard.  A year and a half ago, my neighbor felled a gorgeous sycamore tree, probably 100 feet tall. It had the straightest 12 or so feet of trunk.  I asked the guys who were cutting down the tree and they said it would be chipped up!  So, I asked them to give me a 36 inch tall section of the trunk. They gladly obliged. When I came home, there was a 36 inch section too big for me to lift or to tip upright.  It was probably a good 3 feet or more in diameter.  Well, a chain saw and trip to a guy with a saw mizer and I had multiple quarter sawn slabs of 3/16 thick, 10 inch wide and 36 inches long sycamore.  I stickered and waxed each slab and then stored the pile in my garage, up off of the cement floor.  This past week, I finally sorted through the sycamore to see what I had.  I have about 8 or 9 nicely figured sets and about an equal number of off-quarter or flat sawn sets.  I brought these inside and stickered them once again, to acclimate to my basement assembly shop.  In the last couple of days, I started tinkering with one of the sets, in preparation for this build.  Now, keep in mind that I promised a full build.  This is just a warm-up, kind of like when Norm Abrams makes a Victorian cupboard out of MDF before he makes the real thing!  I will start the real build from scratch early next week.

Here are some closeup shots of the sycamore I have been tinkering with.  This will actually become a guitar using some spare materials I have around my house, including a sound board I braced as a demonstration during my class last May.  If you look closely at the inside the box shot, you will see a couple of knots.  This is not the best set of the well-figured ones, so it gave me a little challenge with respect to laying out the sycamore for a guitar.

Mark

Luthier Bruce Herrmann

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 19:53:01 +0000

here you go Bruce lotsa detail and lotsa pictures
And then we want sound files and Video
hahahahahaha
We will get you full time building soon.
mario

The twins are born.

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 18:45:03 +0000

Okay, I know I just posted pictures of the SJ I finished last week, well I have a couple more to show you. I started these in September to have them ready as Christmas gifts. I made it by the skin of my teeth! Other than some cosmetic differences these are identical 000 14 fret short scale guitars. Well I say identical, but there is one significant difference. I used scalloped bracing for the red one, and parabolic bracing for the green. Both of these guitars sound very good, and are quite loud but the scallop braced guitar has a bit more deep bass and is a bit louder. The parabolic guitar has a 'tighter' sound and the notes are a bit more defined. I really am happy with the sound of both of them and I am sure that the recipients will be thrilled. I built these using lower grades of wood just to prove to myself that I could make a nice looking and sounding instrument without breaking the bank.

Here are the specs:

Top AA Sitka
Back and sides - "opportunity grade" EIR
Bindings Koa
Rosettes - Spalt Maple and Curly Bubinga
Perflings - R/B/R and G/B/G
Fingerboard and bridge - EIR
Inlays - Paua Abalone
Tuners - Gotoh
Finish - Body:Target USL Neck:Tru-oil

On to the pictures

Camatillo SJ finished

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 23:18:27 +0000

This is my first picture post on these boards so I hope it comes through okay.  This is my 4th build, a scratch built SJ using the OLF plans.  The back and sides are Camatillo, Bearclaw sitka top, Curly maple bindings, Hond. Mah neck, Ebony bridge, fingerboard, and peghead veneers, Paua Abalone inlays, and Box Elder for the rosette.  The finish is Target USL water based spray lacquer.  I have two 14 fret 000's in the final setup stages that are Christmas gifts that I will be posting pictures of in a few days.  Anyways, here are the pictures of the SJ.







More pictures on my blog.

Thanks for looking!

No. 10-Bubinga

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 03:52:31 +0000

No. 10 started on Nov. 23, 2007. It's modeled on the Gibson LG, pictured in Gibson's Fabulous Flattop Guitars:

Top is spruce from Mario, probably Englemann. I built the rosette from ebony and maple:

The blocks were cut with a 6 deg angle, so 60 around the circle. I glued them on a piece of veneer, wrapping a piece of binding around them to pull them together into a circle while gluing, and then weighted them with a Big 5 special luthier's 10 pounder.

When all dry, I leveled the piece, then thumbtacked the veneer onto a workboard, and cut the inside and outside of the rosette with the Dremel circle cutting tool:

I have a board for rosette work with a steel center tube to fit the pin on my "precision router base." The steel tubing in the craft metal section of Ace is sized so that each smaller diameter fits inside the next larger diameter tube--so you can make bushings to go all almost the way down to compass point size, keeping the center the same. Here I've reduced the center to fit the pin on the dremel jig:

The finished rosette had a veneer bottom still, and I glued it into the channel in the top with the veneer out (so I wouldn't leave such common stuff in my top!). Then I leveled it:

I forgot pix of the precision router base at work cutting the rosette channel and cutting out the sound hole....

I bent the sides in a Fox side bender, made the neck and tail blocks (using Baltic birch plywood for the tail block, as recommended by Charles Kauffman). Then, with sides in the mold, glued the kerfed bindings in, then joined the top using the tape method, braced the top and marked the linings for notches for the back braces:

I use rubber bands (from Woodcraft) to hold the plate in place on the sides and keep it centered. Once the notches are done, centering the back for gluing is set if the braces fit well into the notches:

My shop gets cluttered at this point--and I almost always put off cleaning up til the next morning....

At this point, the top is glued and clamped, and on the neck I've carved the heel, put in the truss rod (I'm using martin-style one way rods), and glued on the fretboard, which is getting radiused in the photo. The top is braced, and I do the same steps as for the back to set it up for clamping and gluing.

I seem to have had a lapse in pix. The bindings are ebony, with bold herringbone purfling on the top. Routing the binding channels went pretty well this time. I reduced the size of the foot of my router plate, which keeps the vertical depth of the channel more constant around the back. There was one glitch I'll discuss somewhere else....

This week I've fretted the neck, done the bubinga veneer overlay on the peg head, drilled the tuner holes (two stage-to keep the posts in contact with the wood below the grommets) and yesterday I finished carving the neck, leaving a diamond volute:

I put a coat of epoxy (west system) with a lot of sanding filler on the bubinga, sanded it down this morning, refitted the neck, and this is the way it looked at noon today:

In the photo, I have the heel cap clamped and glued (with black glue) to the heel and snugged up to the body:

Since the last photo, I've just finished the heel cap and stained the neck, which is Spanish cedar--nice to work with, but a little soft, and very light in color.

Tomorrow, the French polishing begins....

Good night!
Peter

An oddball guitar with a story

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 03:46:34 +0000

Larry Sifel and I have been close friends for many years.  He was one of the partners in our vintage shop in the mid 1970's and would cut pearl all
day with his parrot on his shoulder.  He grew up with a knowledge of machining and after our shop closed, he started Pearlworks and eventually, with
"Chainsaw Chuck" Erickson, developed Abalam.  His passing affected a lot of us in the guitar world and he is missed.
I was helping his wife organize things at the house (he died very suddenly of a heart attack) and came across some projects.  This one was a roughed out
body with the word "destroy" on the top near the neck block.  I didn't have the heart to follow his desires on this one so took it on to see what I could
make of it.  I believe it to be the first experiment with "herringbone pearl" which Martin later used on several limited editions.  That's my only guess on
it's history.  I finished it with inlay on all boarders except the fretboard extension over the top.  The body is mahogany, I finished it with a dark stain
as the grain pattern was not what I like to see in mahogany, irregular and not that attractive.  No special reason why I chose a sunburst finish but
I thought it might compliment that back and sides.  The neck is also stained at the heel and peghead to match the body.  The inlay at the top is one of
the types that Larry liked the most.  I'm no CNC expert so it shows.  Turned out to be an interesting guitar, I hope Larry would have approved.
I have one more that I finished, I'll post photos of that one later.   (Sorry about the lousy shot of the back, didn't realize the fingerprints would show so much, will
re-shoot).
Best to all
Bruce

Not my first one but here's a D-28 style copy

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 15:53:14 +0000

I'm certainly not a pro, have been building for a number of years but repairing mostly.   I've been saving up this Brazilian for many years,
the sides are at least 40 years old, probably about the same for the back.  The red spruce top is fairly new, also an old neck I'd been saving
for this project.  It was a fun build, the top needs a lot of playing to open up but it sounds pretty good as is.  Thought it might be fun to post here.
Bruce

Delgado Guitar

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 18:49:16 +0000

Here is one of the last steel-string I built.
Curly Bear top (from Se�or Mario, of course)
Honduras Mahogany sides/back/neck
Africa Ebony fingerboard
maple and walnut binding
abalone/mother of pearl inlays
I have a few others I'll take photos of and include later.
Hope everyone is well!!

Books and videos

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 18:21:38 +0000

What books do you refer to most? I have mostly classical books as well as the regulars such as Cumpiano and Natelson, ( poor guy, Natelson, always gets forgotten). Most recent book I bought was Bogdanovich's. Still haven't decided whether I like it or not. Price was right though. 15 bucks.
How about videos? They seem to be increasing and many people seem to be aware of them now.
Do we have dedicate thread for all the books and videos that people on this forum keep bringing up.
So many questions.

Todd

spanish guitar course

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 20:12:08 +0000

Here is an interesting article about my old teacher. Not just a wonderful course but also he is a very humble and kind man. Also alot of fun in Spain.

http://www.spanishguitars.ch/home/index.php?id=34,0,0,1,0,0

Hope that works. I am not very computor literate.

Todd

Rodman No. 7 & 8: Project underway

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 18:34:58 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I started on two small guitars patterned on the Martin 2-17 I measured a couple of months ago. Here's the state of the project:

Both will have Adirondack red spruce top (lots of color...), H. mahogony neck, Gabon ebony fretboard/bridge, herring bone rosette, herring bone purfling, probably ivoroid binding.

No. 7 has the body closed up now:

She's got madrone back, sides & peghead veneer, plain ebony backstripe. The madrone and the spruce were both "undersized" for anything but this small body size, but I like small guitars anyway....

No. 8 will have EIR back, sides & peghead veneer, with a Martin "ladder" style backstripe. The sides are bent & glued up with neck and tail blocks. Braces are ready once the back & top are leveled and thinned a bit.

I added a simple jig to the mold for this guitar to center the neck block & will show it in a topic in the workbench forum.

The steps of my construction are very standard, but hybrids of various masters who've published in various ways their approaches. Nothing would surprise you if I were to document the steps. I have trouble with several things: First keeping everything centered (hence the new jig and a carefully constructed very symmetrical mold); second, thicknessing the ends of the braces. I seem to get a couple a bit thin by the time I get to cutting pockets for them. Third, remembering everything--for example, on No. 7, I forgot to reduce the thickness of the top braces from 5/16" to 1/4" before a glued them in. Remains to be seen/heard how slightly heavier bracing may affect this guitar. I compensated a bit by thinning them when I carved the scallops. The top can be thinned a bit also as it is finished. Fourth the sticky problem of the neck set. No. 6 worked well, but I don't feel I am in control of this step. The site for Kenneth Michael Guitars has a thoughtful discussion of this part of construction, and it is always refreshing and helpful to return to details provided by Cumpiano in The Book and in the demo on the luthier libray pages. I'm optimistic this will work more easily with experience. Fifth (not in order), I've been disappointed in some of my resawing attempts. My Laguna resaw blade worked well for a bit, but now tends to bow a bit, producing a fat and a hollow side to the cut. Probably should've bought a Lennox .

Many ideas and examples discussed on the forum, explanations by the experienced builders, and etc., have helped with every step. Thanks! When I feel I have something useful to add by more detailed documentation, I will, but for now, although just past the novice 5 guitars, I mostly have things to learn. I'm guessing that 20 builds may provide more confidence in technique with less random variation and more control.

Best wishes to all!
Peter

Luthier show

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 21:50:03 +0000

Has anyone every organized a luthier show in their town.
I am putting out a call in the Yukon for all luthiers to begin to put together some instruments for next summer. Hoping this will raise the profile of the local builders, expose the public to handbuilt instruments, and give incentive to build. Like the gathering except a show in a public art facility. Have already got players from various styles willing to play the instruments during the show.
The show will include guitars, violins, dulcimers, mandolins, etc...
Also thinking of having a display of the process in various stages from billets to finish project.
Would be willing to feature instruments from the forum builders as well though I understand transport might be a big problem. I do live in the true north after all.
Am looking for any suggestions, advise on things to watch out for or to make this a better event. Of course if you think I am nuts you can tell me that to. Won't be the first time as I am a politician with a thick skin.

Thanks everyone

Todd

The Padmas Eye Candy

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 15:24:19 +0000

Ya, I know, they ain't flat top guitars but they shur are fun to make and to play.

Kootenay Mtn. Dulcimers.

A question of honest critique

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 17:40:33 +0000

OK,

So here it is, a brutal question to pose, probably even more brutal to answer honestly, but to all, especially those of you who were lucky enough to attended the recent gathering at Grant and Christy's little piece of paradise in Minnesota and were therefore also lucky enough to have the opportunity to lay hands on a collection of fine vintage instruments, what's your take? Are the hand built instruments of today, better sounding instruments than those well aged collectibles of yesterday?? Try and remove the sentiment, close your eyes and think before you answer, sure the soundboards and bracings of those rare old beauties have had much longer to aged in to each other and open up and I am sure they sound real good, but ........

You build instruments, or at least you exchange ideas with other builders, you strive to make the best sounding guitar you can. The fact is, like all other builders since before these fine old vintage guitars were fist glued up, you have probably looked at what is around and tried to improve on it, to make it better. The more you build, the more you seek, the more you seek the more you learn and understand, the more you learn the more you exchange and so on. In fact with the revival of this craft and the Internet at your finger tips, more information and therefore more capacity to learn is available to you than has ever been available to any other generation of builders in history.

So, is it working?? Are we growing in this craft towards a better understanding? Is the science amalgamating with the art? Are our guitars of today, or at least those of our more experienced craftsmen and craftswomen, better sounding instruments than those best builds of yesteryear? As I mentioned above, please try to remove the sentiment, close your eyes and think about it and then, then give an honest answer. And, if anyone knows how to add a vote poll to this topic, please do so.

Maybe the question and options could be: "Is the modern hand built steel string guitar a superior sounding instrument to those best built collectibles of yesterday.

YES

NO

PROBABLY YES IN 20 YEARS WHEN FULLY OPENED UP

And maybe a few others.

But regardless of whether or not we can do a poll, you can just vote in a standard reply. However I think it would be interesting if we explain why we chose to vote the way we do, IE, "I vote YES because better science has allowed clearer understanding of what is needed to get the most out of the structure as a whole." Or, I vote NO because we no longer have access to the same quality of material that was available back when these vintage guitars were made.

So please don't hold back even if you normally just casually lurk here, lets hear what you have to say, introduce yourself and share your thoughts and theories with us. Even if you have never played a vintage guitar it is fine, vote any way I say, just mention that you are expressing an opinion or theory rather than your own experience, then we can get a good picture of what people feel is true and what actual experience is telling us, but above of all, be brutally honest.

Cheers

Kim

Meet "Blondie"

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 20:56:14 +0000

Hi to all.  I figured for once I would post something other than wood porn.  Maybe can get a little discussion and interaction going with some of you folks out there.

One of my current build efforts is a Classic acoustic guitar being built in the Spanish style.  Pretty standard design, ala Spanish heel and Torres style bracing configuration.

The soundboard is European Spruce (Picea Abies), of course perfectly quarter sawn.  The grain lines on this top run about 30 on the tight and 14 on the wide.  I selected this top from a whole stack of tops, many of which have much tighter grain.  The one inch billet just plain "rang" like no other when I was fiddling with it.  I have high hopes!  The simple, non-traditional rosette is hand made from camphor burl and some black and white purfling I had laying around.

Bracing and pads were all hand split.  Bracing/fan design is standard Torres style.  Just about done voicing the top.  Top thickness ranges from 2.5 mm to 3.2 mm.  The upper bout is fairly uniform at about 3.0 mm.  The lower bout varies in thickness, running a bit higher (3.2) on the treble side in the area around the V fan, and as low as 2.8 mm around the perimeter of the lower bout.

The neck is constructed of quarter sawn ribbon sapele.  For those of you not familiar with sapeli, it is an African species very similar in physical properties to Honduran Mahogany.   Again, I used camphor burl as a peghead veneer, about 3/32" thick on both faces.  The head plate is rough carved (I carve all my necks completely by hand....I find it relaxing).  Still have some cleanup and tidying up to do.

Haven't picked the exact back and side set I'm going to use yet, but to complete the whole "Blondie" package, the back, sides and fingerboard will all be quarter sawn Yellow Sandalwood (Santalum Album).  I will use camphor burl bindings with black/white purfling throughout.  Here is a closeup of the Yellow Sandalwood grain.  It looks really nice with the golden color of the camphor burl trim.

Finally, here's a pic of me in my "workshop" (spare room in my Shanghai apartment that doubles as an office).  I kinda like the "Mad Builder" theme

I'll do my best to post more pics as I finish up with Blondie.  I'm not real good about photodocumenting progress, I'm afraid.

Why not?

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 21:42:29 +0000

Well it was last Friday and me realized that Sat. was me Sweeties birthday.  Oh shit!

So me took this one down and went at it.

Came out like this.

Cedar neck, ply top and bottom, zibra wood for the finger board.  The sound hole inlay is
bondo.  A maple bridge, which was too short so me sliped a piece of black wood under it
(had no time to make a new bridge), and an old brass tailpiece from a three stringer,
just mounted it upside down and oh ya one bass tuner.

The finish is a quart of acylic vanish from wallymart and coloured with Peral Ex mica pigments form Jacquard.

Engraved her name and birthdate.

From Friday morning, I cut a fingerboard out of zibra, radiused it, glued her down,
shaped the neck, sanded and started spraying.  Sprayed all night long.  Fortunatly me had
an unused bridge, on old tail piece, and it only took  a few min
to fashion the nut.

Coulden'd find a bit of that nylon weed wacker wire anyweres in the shop or even on any of the weed wackers.
Then me eye spots the leather boot lace...Yah why not.   It works...but will be changed as it is continualy streching.

This is Kathleen, my Sweetie birthday girl and was she happy.  She is a real picker and didn't miss the frets at all.
She makes it sound real good.

We partied at the beach and made music all weekend.

blessings
the
Padma

Fingermoel's Next Build

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 21:46:39 +0000

Here ya go, buddy!

nylon electric

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 18:59:34 +0000

First of all, hi to everyone there,this is my first post.I'm from Montevideo,Uruguay and i'm on the second and last year of a course of classical guitar's luthierie, in public education.
In this page:luthiers mercantileI've found this post:

"Hi Everyone! I really want to express my appreciation for your woderful service over the past several years through the growth of my company. Enclosed are some pics of my nylon electric, and several variations of my semi-hollow and hollowbody guitars. I hope you enjoy them, and i would be honored to see any of these pics in future issues of your catalog!
My sincerest thanks once again, and take care,
M A, Emmaus, PA"

I'm interested on making a nylon string guitar, but the dude I have is about the pickups...do it uses
normal pickups or any special kind?i'm not referring to brands, but to the pickup type,electronics,etc.

Thanks

PD:i relized i posted it on the wrong forum,sorry,i didn't learn to use the forum well.

Question about a heating blanket

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 00:52:38 +0000

Hey guys, just about the time I was going to bend my first set of sides, I saw on Craig's List a brand new LMI heating blanket and timer/temp control (including stainless sheet steel). Great price and all, but here is my question. In my previous life in aircraft maintenance, we had heating items like this that were not to be heated up without some sort of load or 'in use' thing. Let's see if I can say this better. The directions pretty much said, "Don't lay this on the workbench and crank it, or you'll burn it up." With that in mind, I have this sitting on my wooden workbench with the stainess under the blanket, and I have a piece of wood on top holding my thermometer so I can calibrate this thing. Does this sound kosher? I don't want to get one and flame it out the first day. Oh - and I was happy knowing I had my thermometer out in the garage until I looked and noted it only went up to 220 degrees F. Does the hardware store sound like a place to get one that will read higher temps? Thanks,

Mark

Delgado Guitars

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 21:12:50 +0000

Ladies and gentlemen, I just wanted to send along a link of a recent story done by "The Tennessean" in Nashville.
Nothing spectacular, but I wanted to share it with the forum. I hope everyone is well and I wish you all a happy 4th of July.
Julie and I are in Ca. and will be back in Tennessee next week.
Blessings!
Manuel
Here is the link;

Delgado Guitars News/\video clip

My latest project

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 19:44:04 +0000

Hi all.......Thought it was about time I showed my face again!! I've not disappeared - just been too busy building a workshop and continuing with my latest project!! I thought I'd show some pics....just to prove I HAVE been doing something....

Where IS Dana anyway???!

This is NEARLY a copy of a Taylor. Just took out the pinch in the waist to make it more rounded, and squared off the lower bout slightly. Now it's MINE!!!!!!!!!

Mark

Handcrafter Guitars of Stephen L Stevens

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 17:19:26 +0000

Family Picture

Oldest example is from 1968 - American walnut and spruce

Four piece back is from 1983 - Claro walnut and spruce

Archtop #1 - engleman top - hard maple

Archtop #2 - sitka top - soft maple

16 inch archtop - Build documented on Forum

Steve Stevens
Breckenridge, TX

New Member of the Music Family

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 18:18:11 +0000

Hey gang,  I wrote up this really witty post yesterday - pretty much a masterpiece of subtlety and wit.  The forum has not liked me lately though, and I have been folded, spindled and mutilated at the hands of Invision's Power Board software.  That post, though lost to the ether, will just have this humble repeat to represent it.  I just don't have it in me to work that hard again '8)  Okay, so I told Eben about my new guitar, and he thought it was something that you folks should know about.  I have been studying jazz with Howard Roberts' son Jay, who is just insane, by the way, and one of the other students and I kind of hit it off.  We spend time chatting each week, and seem to have things in common.  (approaching 50 way too soon, love of music, love of jazz, and serious GAS.)  Anyway, a couple weeks ago I noted a new case in his hand (hey, I'm always looking although my better half insists I've hit maximum density, and the acquisition of a guitar dictates the impending sale of another.  So, he unclips the case, and there is a really pretty natural (by natural I mean not that stark wood look, but the butterscotch color that usually comes with age) D'Angelico.  He was so happy, so proud, and just busting to tell me about the situation.

There is a pretty sharp eyed Q.A. in New Jersey where this one came from, and when they reach the warehouse there, the guitars are given the fine toothed comb treatment.  They notice tiny dots of dust in the finish, etc.  They save up these guitars until they have enough to have a sale.  That is happening now.  I scored a sunburst EXL-1DP, which is their high end model with inlay around the binding ledge, bound fingerboard, done up very nicely.  Anyway, list is $2499.00 and I got it for $720, because the frets needed finishing.  All it needed was the touch of a file on the very outside edge, but this guy I talked to named Marc told me he wasn't going to do things like that there, he hasn't the time.  It plays like a dream, has a Kent Armstrong mini-bucker floating pick-up and sounds like a smooth dream through my Fender amp.  It has those bell like tones, and I am more than happy with the acoustic sound as well.  Anyway, take a look at http://www.dangelicodirect.com/store/pc/home.asp

that is my guitar you're looking at.  So, by selling one twelve string Taylor that I wasn't playing, I got a really great American Tele deluxe (as partial payment), and a new D'Angelico.  Can you say two for one?  Okay, I'll admit to some over population, but for now I'm happy with the current stable of instruments.  There you have it, just thought you might want to take a look.  The gig bag is as awesome as any I've ever seen as well.  I told him about my disability taking up one hand (cane) so I needed a gig bag but that theirs had to be priced wrong at $175, he researched it for two days until he finally got the price changed to the current $90.  Great service, great guitar, happy customer.

One day I'll have a custom archtop, but for now...

Mark

Handcrafted Instruments of David Cory

Thu, 24 May 2007 16:18:43 +0000

Sycamore/spruce Nick Lucas Special with walnut binding

Koa/spruce J-185 with maple binding