Official Luthiers Forum!

Why didn't you guys tell me how great go bars are-Oh wait,you did tell me!
I finally got of my butt and bought some at home depot-orange and yellow reflective fiberglass driveway markers ($1.99 each).
When I built my shop (6 years ago) I made the shelf over my bench extra deep so I could use it as the top of my go bar deck.

I am totally hooked!! So far I have glued the back braces of a flattop and the X brace on an archtop. The time (and frustration) savings are incredible.
Also cleaning up glue is much easier.
If anyone hasn't taken the plunge yet,I highly reccomend this system.

I guess you can teach an old dog some new tricks....

Makes a cool brace carving station too! Pop just a couple of gobars in (out of the way, and using either rubber tips or wood scraps to protect the top or back), and your top or back is held firmly (in a radius dish, if you have one) to allow you to carve without having to steady the top or back by hand.

Dennis

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Dennis Leahy
Duluth, MN, USA
7th Sense Multimedia

Hi,
Do you think fiberglass arrows will do the same job?

Thank you
Antonio

Antonio the earliest go-bars were found in caves where they simply used any old stick that they could find and propped them against the ceiling of the cave for support. So yes, many things will work but you do want what ever you use to have some predictable and repeatable flex. Arrows may be a bit stiff - I don't know for sure since I have never been shot with one but there is still time.....

the arrows i've seen are either carbon fiber or aluminum, would think that would be too stiff to be flexed like that.
you could always use wood

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Frank

If you do want to use fiberglass, I think about the cheapest route is through some place like good wind kites. http://www.goodwindskites.com/merch/lis ... fiberglass

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Jeremy Douglas

I am still trying to find some fiberglass rods... I prefer to avoid ordering those things online. Right now I just use wood slats bought from some hardware store (they did not have fiberglass rods) but their flex is unpredictable.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Red oak or ash ~ 1/4 x 1/2. Can't imagine anything working better.

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Gabriel Regalbuto
Carlsbad, California
Freedom 35!

Gabriel,
How about white oak, hickory, pecan, osage orange, yew.
Link

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Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.

Tai Fu, what about using bamboo slats? If you could get a section long enough to no include a node, then you should get a consistent force from them if they are the same width. If they are too stiff then you could sand the inside of the slat to give them some flex.

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Aoibeann

When I mentioned Fiberglass arrows , I was thinking about this:
http://www.glasgowfieldsports.co.uk/vie ... ry/Arrows/
(The wooden ones are even cheaper)...but then yesterday I noticed in one corner of the room, a piece of electricity pipe.
this is the cheapest solution; It is very flexible , I just have to adapt some cork at one end.
Do you have any idea how much is the force needed- in this case grams - over one brace? I will measure mine today with a weighing machine and I will let you know.

Around 8 pounds of pressure is a good number for a go-bar. You can check this with a bathroom scale. It's also a good idea to not deflect the bars more then 1.5" from straight up and down.

Lastly these things can spring back due to operator error and hit the builder in the face, eye, etc. so safety glasses are recommended.

I bought 3/16" x 6ft diameter fiberglass rods for $2.25 each at Tap Plastics and cut them into 24" lengths. Then I got the soft plastic tips from LMII for $0.25 each. Total cost per go-bar is $$1.25. Tap has locations in California, Oregon, and Washington, but you can order online too.

--Steve

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---Steve

Some how I Just have this feeling we are going to get a post asking or telling us how much more clamping force they get by bending go-bars more.

I was able to get 3/16" x 48" fiberglass rods from Into the Wind, a kite supplier, for $1.58 ea. (as long as you get at least 12 or more) and the plastic tips for 10 cents each (12 or more). Works out to about $1 per rod. The rods provide about 7 lbs of force - no matter how much you bend them

They also have carbon-fiber tubes for neck reinforcement or whatever.

http://www.intothewind.com/shop/Repair_and_Kitemaking/Fiberglass_Rods/3-16_FG_Rod

I bought 22 of the 48" fiberglass rods and cut them in half with a dremel cutoff wheel. I used them all, maybe more than needed, when glueing my back and top - I'm real pleased so far.

One thing I did find out is that it is very convenient to have some way to adjust the top of your go bar deck so that you only need one size of rod.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I just found some 5mm fiberglass rod that is about 5 bucks for a 7 feet length. I got 5 of them now...

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

I got 1/4" black fiberglass rod from Max-Gain Systems Inc. It's $4.00 for 8 ft. They will cut any qty. and length for $.50 a cut but they will bundle as many as will fit their saw and count it as one cut. They are reliable and they ship pretty fast.
I got the plastic tips from Lowes at about $.95?? for pkg. of 4. Found them in one of the special hardware drawers.

Rene