Official Luthiers Forum!

Thanks guys! Doug your viola is smoking too. 100 miters, crazy

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Build log

100?! Really? I stopped counting after 50...

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

2 guitars for me, an OM-ish sized one (my model CLM) for the NEL group show/build and an alto (basically a size 5). Both Mahogany/spruce.
The larger one will have the tuners embedded and a decorative plate covering the back of the headstock. I did this once before and loved it. This time though I will machine a set of Waverlies to have the shorter posts. Here are some photos:













Both have some beautiful BRW appointments, here are the bridges:

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

Burton, I was just reading the W&W interview on you website and stopped right where you mention that you went through art school as a painter. No wonder I like your instruments so much! I find that there is a very particular end result when luthiers come to their work from certain backgrounds. I guess that I respond to your work so much because I also came to this work after my studies as a painter, though I REALLY hate to use the word "after"!

Is there anyplace to see your painting online?

I'm going to go back and finish reading that interview now.

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

Hey Douglas,

Yes! I do think you bring things with you to the guitar worls and I am certainly picky about my aesthetic thanks to my studies. If you did read the rest of the interview you will see a little of my thinking about art vs craft vs toolmaking and that has been a positive thing for me to help clarify my approach.

People discount a fine arts education, it gets ridiculed all the time but I wouldn't trade mine for anything. I was lucky to be allowed lots of room and a strong conceptual style in school so I was very free to pursue my interests. I was also lucky to be motivated enough to take advantage of those freedoms when I was in school.

I don't have photos of my artwork online anywhere. I have unfortunately almost completely abandoned practicing that work. That is only a problem of time and not interest, but what isn't these days? My day job keeps me heavily involved in university design work so that is a nice way to still stay in touch a bit but it is more architectural than art based. My dream shop would have my tools on one side and a large sunlit wall on the other for drawing. As well as about 40 other things I would like to pursue too though if I am being honest. Groan.

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

Tony Fergusen got the epoxy pore fill done on these three and sent me this pic. That one in front is Myrtlewood facings over Peruvian Walnut. THAT one spins my fins. I believe it's #17.

I have three more in my shop nearing completion. Two are buffed. One needs leveling and buffing and then I'll have 11 completed entirely. There are 6 more assembled and hanging. They won't get committed to finishing until they are sold.

This week I'm making necks for the prototype of my new semi-hollow body design.

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I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

Wicked looking trio Zlurgh!

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Got the sill plates down and studs marked out for my new shop this morning. Tomorrow we build stud walls. I'm SO excited!

In the current shop, I am at the fretboard leveling stage on an OM for a local musician (it's a gift for him because I'm not at a point where I would sell anything, if I ever do get there).
Another OM is awaiting re-finishing. Did a brush-on and did a bad job, so have sanded it back and will spray when I spray the current OM. Picture is the guitar for the musician, and was taken before I carved the neck (which is now done, but I didn't update the pictures yet).

I started a dulcimer for my dad's x-mas present two weekends ago. This is my first stab at an acoustic instrument.
I used some birds-eye elm from a local tree for the top and back, and some scrap maple and mahogany.
I made a bender from a tin can and heat gun, the maple sides bent nicley.
The body and fingerboard are finished.
Other than that, I realized I'm out of lumber.

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

Thanks Colin.

Some might be interested to know that the facings on all three of these guitars is Myrtlewood and they were all pretty close to the same color before I baked them to achieve the colors of the back two guitars.

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I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

Wow ... some amazing work being done! Here's a shot of one of my Remuda models that I'm now prep'ing for French Polish (Bearclaw Sitka/Braz Rwd)

I've been working on a parametric model of a fan-fret fretboard. This will allow me to enter in some key parameters and generate custom FBs for customers quite quickly. The way I've made the model I should be able to also make a full size print that shows the bridge pin hole location as well.

It's turning out to be a bit trickier than a regular FB though - how do you specify width at the nut? Angled or perpendicular to centerline. What's the join fret on the fan fret...etc.

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http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com

Andy, I would suggest measuring the width of the nut perpendicular to the fretboard because this is what your hand will feel when you grip the neck.

David, as I've said - must be a million times - I admire both your work and your photography. Great stuff as usual.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Yes, that's what I was thinking too. Same with the join fret. I was thinking of just picking a distance from the centerline of the nut to the centerline at the "join" fret.

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http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com

Some nice stuff going on. I'm on the road for another week so my shop is all alone:(

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I love these threads though they always make me feel inferior.

I'm still working on my challenge build. In the finishing stages now.

viewtopic.php?f=10133&t=37566&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

I've done literally nothing guitar related for 3 or 4 weeks, but I did finish this recently:









I started it 3-1/2 years ago, and I'm really glad to have it done now. It was a major project for me, and I learned a lot too.

I'm also working on an electric tenor ukulele and a small-body classical. I'll take some pics of those next time I'm in the shop.

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Regards,
Phillip Patton

http://www.pattonblades.com

The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price has faded.

https://hoosierbladesmith.wordpress.com

Phillip, cool sword, do tell more!

Does it have anything to do with the chickens? They don't look scared at all.

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

Wow that sword is beautiful!

I'll be redoing the burst on my first...

Say what you will, making a telecaster every once in a while makes me smile.

Phillip, all I can say is "Amazing.".

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

+1 on that. Very impressive!

Nice blade, what pattern and how many layers is that damascus?

Spraying #2 with Mohawk Piano Lacquer. #1 was twenty five years ago.