Official Luthiers Forum!

I tend to think of stringing the guitar up as the reward after all the hard work.

My favorite part of the construction is anything to do with a sharp and perfectly tuned edge tool. I love watching those perfect curls come out of a plane, spokeshave or scraper. Thicknessing tops by plane and carving the neck with a spokeshave really get me feeling good. Probably the neck is my favorite. It just plain cool to see a square hunk of wood turned into a perfectly shaped neck.

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Rob

Realising I have spare cash to buy zoot, followed by seeing the parcel carrier with a zoot shaped parcel coming down my path...

It all goes downhill from then on.......

I love planning a new build design.
I spend a lot of time drawing out new shapes and fusing them with concepts of tone or comfort that hopefully make a successful instrument.

Also recently, I replaced the nut and setup for a build from 2001 and was amazed by the improvement in tone. As much as I have heard that this will happen to our guitars over time, it still is one of the great surprises of making them.

Oh, and all that stuff we do in between is fun too.

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Wade
Nashua, NH
http://www.wadefx.com

I can't believe that no one said "cashing the check". That has to be up there!

Mike Franks
www.mjfranksguitar.com

My favorite part is playing it or hearing it played fo the first time.

Chuck

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Some of us are nowhere near that stage yet...

I like anything that involves paring with a sharp chisel. Like tuning braces. I like shaping necks. I like binding and purfling--it's hard work, but it makes the guitar take shape.

And you know what I really like? Anything that gives me an excuse to buy a new tool.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

I'm with Howard on
"anything that gives me an excuse to but a new tool"

Finishing is sometimes a bother.

Cashing the check can instill postpartum !
NOT !!!

Mike

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Mike Collins

I like the design aspect. Laying everything out, choosing which piece of wood to use for each of the decorative elements. It's a really right brain thing to do (which I never get to do at work).

...and of course buying wood.

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David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."

My 19 year old musician Nephew came and stayed with us for the last 3 or 4 days.

The best thing about building guitars? Watching him pick up his favorite one that I built, every chance he got, making it sing in ways I never could, with a big grin on his face. Blew me away.

I loved reading all these insightful answers. For me, there were many satisfying and "favorite" parts. Mostly, they were centered around planing and shaping the curves and contours of my archtop. It was all so sculptural. But then hearing its voice for the first time surpassed all the great building tasks. And now that I've been playing it since March, the thrill and anticipation of building the next one is my new favorite part of the process. I just know I can make a better one.
It's like a golf shot--or a totally improvised jazz solo. I just know I can do it better the next time.......
Patrick

It has to be all the beer I get to drink while planing and thinking about building guitars

Just kidding (sort of)

It has to be putting the stings on and sitting for the next 2 hours just playing that latest guitar and thinking, "WOW! did I really build that?"

That probably gets boring after...... oh........1000 builds

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

I'm on number one and so far I've enjoyed french polishing the body most, closely followed by making the top so gluing the braces and tuning it really, I haven't strung it up yet so that may move to number 1 when I get there

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

What a great topic! I've enjoyed reading all of yours, especially the ones where you remember your dads. My dad was a woodworker and taught me a lot, I miss him a lot too.

My favorite part is French Polish, it is quiet, smells great (sandarac) and I can just think, and pray, for long periods.

Carving top bracing is right up there, too.

Happy new year all!

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https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008907949110

It's a mutually inclusive relationship.....
where would WE be without THEM?
Making pressboard furniture!


I love it when the recipient picks it up for the first time and I get to hear it from a "listener's" perspective. And when a real musician plays it, well that's ecstacy!

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Hank Mauel

I agree. The most fun for me was taking it to a good player to try out, and he didn't want to put it down. It's great to hear someone who can really play make it sing.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

My favorite part so far on number one was tuning the top (and back) with Chladni patterns. That was a lot of fun. However, I think I'm going to like carving the neck when I go back to Alan's shop in 2 weeks. Hopefully it'll be a lot more fun than fitting the neck. That was tedious! I also enjoyed closing the box up because then it really started to look like a guitar.

Matt

I have a soft spot for bridge making. Still blows me away when I can take a block of wood and start taking pieces of it away until there is just a pretty little bridge left over....

Justin