Official Luthiers Forum!

These are always such interesting threads! I'll start!

We had two nice older Martins in this week - a 1938 00-21S and a stunning 1932 OM-18. Both out this AM, but while they were here, I went through as much digital film as possible. We are in discussion with the owner to allow that documentation (including very detailed photographs and measurements) to be shared, as both instruments are relatively uncommon and are exemplars of Martin's early 14 fret-to-neck 000 and smaller instruments. Here's the one shot I managed to clear with both the boss and our customer - the binding is (of course) tortoid, with maple and celluloid purflings on the bound edges and herringbone for rosette and back center strip.

Other than that, just a little more progress on my 0-sized 12 fretter and some shop renovations (more LED-for-CFL swaps and air lines with oilers to bench for the air sanders) and some touch-up work on an 1980's Guild neck reset and a dreadfully tedious refret of a Stelling banjo. We used stainless wire so as to NEVER have to see that instrument's naked fret slots again! I am now officially a member of the 'Never Epoxy!' camp should there be a question on the ballot this year.

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A constellation only takes shape when one maps the whole.
- Beth Brower

I enjoy these threads as well, Woodie. Here's a pic of what got done Saturday.
Putting on the (pyramid) bridge on a little ebony parlor.



Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Made some progress on my parlor guitar for the 2016 Challenge. Carved the braces, fitted the top and back to the sides, and glued the top to the sides.

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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

Really pretty purfling Steve. Looks like you are starting to get into that stuff.
Is that all veneers? Looks like maple for the light wood, yes? It's a lot of work, but I used to saw up strips of holly for the white and thin them down on the sander to around .050" and then glue them up with the stack. Tried to use as little dyed veneer as possible because of future fading, but really hard to find blue and green...some of those old Larsons were really faded.
Keep up those wood purfs!

Panamanian Rosewood/Red Spruce 1937 spec herringbone D-28. This particular back and side set is fairly mundane/ flat sawn but it rings like a bell and I scored it here in the OLF classifieds. Just became a box, top and back trimmed and moderately cleaned up. Its a boomer when thumped

Sprayed the last coat of finish on my first guitar.


Alex


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Looking good guys. I got some parts built for an olive/redwood size 5.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

After much procrastination I finally started finishing this myrtlewood archtop. Pore filled with zpoxy then padded on Pratt Lambert 38.

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- Keith

Working on a Mahogany Lutz size 2 and a Bz/Adi OM

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Really nice to see the impressive work being done! Thanks to everyone for sharing, and Terence, I certainly hope that's not snow already in the background of your pics. I grew up not far from there!

Nope not yet! Just my driveway. We are having a beautiful fall so far.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Great looking stuff here.

Alex - I like that body shape. How big is it across the lower bout?

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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

OLF Small Jumbo, Jay. 15 1/2" lower bout. Plans available in the OLF marketplace.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Looking good my friend!

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

Ha! No wonder I like the shape. I bought a set of those plans a couple months ago.

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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

A am just getting ready to prep a traditional (Hauser 37 specs) looking falcate classical guitar. This is in contrast to the more contemporary classicals I have been making with falcate braces.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Thank you, Hans. The light colored wood is indeed maple, solid, and I almost wish I had used holly for that. Would have been brighter. But it does match the pale streaks in the ebony back/sides. The brown is Spanish cedar, also solid, the blue is blue veneer, doubled. Black is also veneer.
I just love doing this--the design stage, glue-up and cutting, then assembly on the guitar. Relaxing, even therapeutic some times. Yes, I know: luthiers are nuts.
Thanks again,
Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

I've had a box full of old Gibson mandolin parts for a long time and finally took a couple of days to bring it back to life. After sitting for years as just separate parts nothing fit together very well so it was a challenge to put together, but in the end it was definitely worth the effort to get it glued together and playable. I have to say the way it sounds is a nice reminder that a lot of these old instruments that look like they've been played to death look that way for a reason.

I got this bad boy bound (intentional alliteration) with some last minute life-saving by DennisK, who graciously sent me some emergency purfling. Scraped them today, and plan to get end graft inlayed this week.

That's some nice looking olive, Steve. Any chance you'd tell us where you got it?

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

The burst colors look different than what you posted on the AGF. I like this warmer look better. Handsome instrument!

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

I got the tuners installed for a BRW crossover that I'm making for SBAIC. I actually got more done than that but I don't have pics yet.

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com

Not in the shop, but I particated in an Open Workshop event with 4 others, where we displayed and sold our "wares"
Enjoyed it, and it was great to have back on loan a few of my builds and hear them played.

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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.

Ken, the olive came from one of our Swapaloozas a few years ago. Unfortunately I didn't note who it came from.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

New shop time for Flushtone.

Earlier this year I found a new shop with a condo all around it and on top of it so I bought the place and moved.

Since it's a condo no more Mr. Lawn nazi for me and I sold my beloved Gravely zero-turn named Dreadn*ught but will miss her.

I've been busy painting the condo so that it will go well with my black topped guitars.... and have 6 out of ten rooms that I've targeted for painting done.... I hate painting and when you are a Luthier you tend to not want to let anything leave your shop if it is not perfect making painting a bit more involved.... And of course all switch plates much be reinstalled with the screw threads vertical to avoid dust build up....

Anyway the new shop will be put together this winter and this time since we have a great commercial shop with the big arse tools in the city the home shop need not be as well equipped.

One of the things that I will really like about the new shop is the central air and heat AND a window too! Yay - daylight!!!!

Here's some pics and the hand prints are from exchange students, females who lived in this condo with one of it's residents before I bought it. Probably a good idea to paint over this but it is kind of cool and colorful.

This will be my 5th shop and so far it seems to have very good karma.