Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm not serious about this, but it popped into my head. There is an entire site dedicated to hacking ikea designs to make other furniture. Maybe an ikea hacker challenge. 50 bucks or less. . http://www.ikeahackers.net




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How about a cardboard guitar challenge? It could be electric or acoustic. Any shape, slap it together with hot melt or duct tape. Cheap, quick or dirty. Pick any three.
Challenges can be fun, but often "time" becomes a factor, and the "also rans" become the majority.

I'm always down for a parlor build!!

I was in Cuba week before last, and had a chance to visit one of their primary/secondary level music schools. I remarked to my better half that it would be great to donate a guitar - the kids have nothing and they are totally serious. I'd enter under a donation-required requirement, but it would have to be a classical guitar.

Cuba was a blast, BTW.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

I might be able to do a parlor build. I've had some ideas on one for a long time now that Id like to try out.

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Guitar Maker and Purveyor of the World's Finest Tonewoods
http://www.aaronhixguitars.com/
http://stores.ebay.com/A-Hix-Tonewood-a ... r-Supplies

Parlor!...Parlor!...Parlor!...Parlor....


Sorry, just couldn't help myself.

Aw, man! I'm just finishing a size 5 that will be my backpacker. Paldao/Lutz, cedar neck, willow linings, carbon fiber neck rod, stealth tuners and BRW trim. She weighs in at 1lb 14oz.

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Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement.

Man, it would be so cool to do it like Chopped. Everyone starts from the same "basket" of goods. And a time limit. Now that would be a challenge.

I'm imagining the hair pulling, wailing, and dramatic music that ensues when a contestant, in their haste, routs a binding channel too deep, puts the cutaway on the wrong side, or sands through the finish.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

Yeah, I had thought about suggesting involving one or two of our sponsors for that purpose Rather than using woods local to each of our areas, vote on what species to use for the top/back/sides/neck/fingerboard/bridge and then we all use wood from the exact same trees and see how different they end up sounding.

They'll need to all be international-friendly, so no Honduran mahogany or Spanish cedar. I think ebony is still fair game for fingerboards, but we can also add Rocklite Ebano to the vote list, and various woods like Indian rosewood, granadillo, padauk, sugar maple, persimmon (if anyone can find enough). And there are plenty of good neck woods like black walnut, black cherry, various maples, khaya, catalpa (which is lightweight, good for parlors. IIRC, Otterhound has some that we could inquire about using)

No Spanish Cedar? Seriously?

It needs to be a complete basket. All wood included. I'd prefer pre carved neck blanks. A kit if u will. Who's the best at fit and finish and tone? Setup? All the same model. Basic guitar. Such as OLF plan sets. Cutaways, sound ports, bevels are pantry items. Same with shell and finish type. Maybe binding and purfling is pantry item.
.

We could make it only top/back/sides that everyone uses the same, so anyone with access to Spanish cedar can use it. In that case, my vote would be for Aaron Hix to supply us with a stack of parlor size red spruce and white oak Then I'll have to go on a hunt for some blue mahoe and make it a USA themed guitar...


Nooo, not same model. Just soundbox size limit. Kits are too expensive anyway. Around $400-500 by the looks of it. A pre-carved neck alone takes the entire $150 budget.

Sorry, I didn't mean kit like one u buy. Just meant same basic set of materials. I can go along with size scheme. Basic box and neck materials. By all means, keep it inexpensive. Bling is user pantry based. Maybe add Osage Orange for finger board and bridge?

Personally, I have all the materials I need already so wouldn't be interested in purchasing more. Also, after the last challenge, I decided I won't be using up my precious guitar building time on anything but the best I can build so no pallet guitar challenges for me. If everyone else decides to go a different route, no worries, I'll enjoy watching. On the other hand, I do have a really nice white oak plank and some red spruce tops

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I get the desire to see what each person can do with like materials, but for me, a big part of the fun is seeing all the different instruments people come up with. As much as I might like a particular wood, it might not be as fun seeing 12 of them at the same time. Who am I kidding? It would still be fun but not my preference.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

After seeing the O'Brien video I too like the idea of a cardboard guitar. But I don't think we all want to wait ten years for the cardboard to mature

I like the "Chopped" idea. People get to build whatever instrument they like as long as they include ________. To make it interesting I think those items should be left rather vague, like: A piece of maple, a stone, some kind of shell, an original rosette, etc. This might increase participation and would be equally challenging to both experienced and inexperienced builders.

I don't know. Just thinking out loud.

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George :-)

We are seeing some good ideas here. Let's keep the brainstorm going for a while!

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

I know we are still throwing out ideas but I did a rough tally of the suggestions so far and parlor is by far the favorite. There are a lot of other great ideas too. I suddenly had a thought. What about the "something old, something new, something local and you pick two challenge," see description below:

Something old - Some part (could be a small part or more if you like the challenge) of the instrument must be made form scrap or scrounged material. This could be anything from getting the bridge plate out of the firewood pile to discovering a back and side set burried in an old palate.

Something new - You must include something you have never tried before. This could be using hide glue for the first time, making a new shape or bracing pattern, new construction technique, new finishing product. . . the idea is to get you to try something you have been meaning to add to your repertoire.

Something local - You have to include some material that is sourced locally. Timber that is indigenous to your area is an obvious choice but you are encouraged to have fun with it. Let's see what people come up with.

You pick two - Since Parlor is the favorite idea but not everybody's bag, we have a way out. There are 3 elements and you have to pick at least 2 of them for your project 1) parlor/terz/travel size, 2) work under a price cap to be determined later and/or 3) finished instrument is donated to the cause of your choosing.

You could build a parlor and keep it all to yourself as long as you stay under the spending limit.
You could build whatever you want as long as you stay under the limit and donate the instrument
You could make the world's first $1.5 million travel guitar but you have to donate it
You get the idea. . .

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Great idea, Bryan! Works perfect for me. Redwood siding from my house (seasoned at least 50 years in the harsh climate here!) for the soundboard, armrest bevel for something new to try, local rocks and sticks for inlay, and parlor with price cap cause it'll be too good for a giveaway.

I like this suggestion a lot.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

I like it.

I like it, I get to build my travel guitar out of wood I've scavenged from yard trees and blow downs in my area. I'd be up for that.

So, is this going to happen? The ideas here inspired me enough to go ahead and and plan to design and build my first parlor style guitar. So that will be my next one either way.

I'm in the Seattle area so the local (Pacific Northwest) part will be claro walnut back and sides, big leaf maple neck, and either a Sitka spruce or redwood top. For something old, I inherited a piece of lignum vitae from my father in-law who was a marine engineer in the Seattle ship yards decades ago. The lignum vitae was used for bearings. I'll use it for the headplate and end graft.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter