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 Post subject: Completed first archtop
PostPosted: Thu Nov 21, 2019 10:20 pm 
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Mahogany
Mahogany

Joined: Wed Apr 24, 2019 12:50 pm
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First name: Daniel
Last Name: Oates
City: Sharon
State: Connecticut
Zip/Postal Code: 06069
Country: United States
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I wanted to show you all the archtop I’ve just finished. Although it’s not the first archtop I’ made, it’s the first full size one I’ve made. It sounds quite mellow for an archtop.


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 21, 2019 10:53 pm 
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Location: United States
First name: John
Last Name: Lewis
City: Newnan
State: Georgia
Zip/Postal Code: 30265
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
dang, that's pretty!

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John Lewis
Wannabe builder owned by 2 crazy dachshunds


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PostPosted: Fri Nov 22, 2019 12:49 am 
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First name: Chris
Last Name: Pile
City: Wichita
State: Kansas
Country: Good old US of A
Focus: Repair
Status: Professional
Thumbs up from here!

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PostPosted: Fri Nov 22, 2019 5:37 am 
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First name: colin
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Very nice!

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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.


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PostPosted: Fri Nov 22, 2019 7:55 am 
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Mahogany
Mahogany

Joined: Sat May 30, 2015 10:01 pm
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First name: Blake
Last Name: Dyson
City: Hillsborough
State: NC
Zip/Postal Code: 27278
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Wow! That is really pretty. Love the colors!


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PostPosted: Fri Nov 22, 2019 8:30 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 10:44 am
Posts: 6232
Location: Virginia
Fantastic. That's a different animal there. I've been wanting to jump in and build one of those but it's intimidating. Nice job.


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PostPosted: Fri Nov 22, 2019 9:39 am 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2019 4:50 pm
Posts: 1091
Location: Goodrich, MI
First name: Ken
Last Name: Nagy
City: Goodrich
State: MI
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
First archtop? I'm just finishing mine. Yours has a clean, sophisticated look. You pulled off the contemporary arch top look. Even the smooth finish. Congrats. This is my first real guitar, and I can't pull off clean or sophisticated. It just can't happen yet. I've never achieved a perfectly smooth finish.

I see from looking at yours that I need to really tune in my intonation and thin the top of the bridge. It is in the green with an online tuner, but not right on. I wanted to play it! But I need to make a new saddle out of bone, the rosewood is splitting. So I guess I have another day to get it done.

Nice work. It looks like something that someone would be playing on stage.

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PostPosted: Fri Nov 22, 2019 2:00 pm 
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Cocobolo
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Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 10:35 am
Posts: 356
Location: Hopkinton, MA
First name: Robert
Last Name: Ionta
City: Hopkinton
State: Massachusetts
Zip/Postal Code: 01748
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Very nice. Archtops are sensuous beings and yours is beautiful. I completed my first archtop a few months ago. Right now I'm taking it apart and rebuilding it. I did not like the neck so I decided to make a new one and while I'm at it, make it a 7-string. So new bridge and tailpiece too. Having played it for a while (with phosphor bronze strings) I decided I'd like a little more warmth in the sound. I'm doing a lot of reading and shopping to put together a string order so I can assemble some 7-string sets and try some different types. I'm going to try some experiments on the top too. I attached the top to the ribs with a paper gasket between so I can easily remove it. This guitar is a learning platform first and foremost. It certainly doesn't look as beautiful or sophisticated as yours!


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PostPosted: Fri Nov 22, 2019 7:43 pm 
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First name: Ed
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City: Chestertown
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Zip/Postal Code: 21620
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Status: Amateur
Nice coloring and appointments. Very cleanly crafted. I like it a lot

Ed


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PostPosted: Fri Nov 22, 2019 10:03 pm 
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Mahogany
Mahogany

Joined: Wed Apr 24, 2019 12:50 pm
Posts: 93
First name: Daniel
Last Name: Oates
City: Sharon
State: Connecticut
Zip/Postal Code: 06069
Country: United States
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Thanks for the compliments. I got a lot of help from you guys on this forum, so thanks everyone.
Anyway, I’ve had it strung up for about two weeks now and I’ve noticed that I’m getting some fret buzz that I had not had. So it looks like there is a little sinking of the top. I assume this is to be expected in the first few weeks, right?


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PostPosted: Fri Nov 22, 2019 10:48 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 10:11 am
Posts: 2142
oatesguitars wrote:
Thanks for the compliments. I got a lot of help from you guys on this forum, so thanks everyone.
Anyway, I’ve had it strung up for about two weeks now and I’ve noticed that I’m getting some fret buzz that I had not had. So it looks like there is a little sinking of the top. I assume this is to be expected in the first few weeks, right?

Really nice guitar!

The top shouldn't really "sink"....
Hopefully it's not built too light

Check the contour of the neck and the frets, they usually need a little attention after it settles in.


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PostPosted: Sat Nov 23, 2019 9:12 am 
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Mahogany
Mahogany

Joined: Wed Apr 24, 2019 12:50 pm
Posts: 93
First name: Daniel
Last Name: Oates
City: Sharon
State: Connecticut
Zip/Postal Code: 06069
Country: United States
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I’ll keep an eye on it and see if it drops any more. The action was set pretty low to begin with so the drop isn’t that significant yet.


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PostPosted: Sat Nov 23, 2019 11:59 am 
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Joined: Sun May 19, 2013 10:22 am
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First name: Brian
Last Name: McDonald
City: Okanagan Centre
State: British Columbia
Zip/Postal Code: V4V2H6
Country: Canada
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Daniel that is a beauty! Any chance of some pics of the build process?
I have assembled all the material I need to try my first archie.
Still a bit intimidated by the carve.

Thanks,
B

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 Post subject: Completed first archtop
PostPosted: Mon Nov 25, 2019 5:22 am 
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Koa
Koa
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Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 12:17 pm
Posts: 1161
City: Escondido
State: CA
Zip/Postal Code: 92029
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro
A few years ago I was chasing a fuller, rounder sound from my archtops and ended up pushing the limits of how light I could go. The test mule saw several sunken tops. It went from 3” rims to 1.5” thin line from having tops cut off! So if the top fails, don’t panic. Everything has a solution.

That said, tops will sink a little if the wood dries out. Not a problem. That’s why your bridge has thumb wheels. If you just moved the guitar from your shop to a heated indoors, that may be all that is happening. Let it stabilize over a week or so of playing and then check. Your neck may also slightly yield under the new tension of strings. Especially if you have flat wounds on her. Again, that’s why you put a truss rod in.

Super nice guitar, BTW. I just completed a non-cutaway and realize how much mojo they seem to bring. Yours is a real eye turner.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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PostPosted: Mon Nov 25, 2019 8:49 am 
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Mahogany
Mahogany

Joined: Wed Apr 24, 2019 12:50 pm
Posts: 93
First name: Daniel
Last Name: Oates
City: Sharon
State: Connecticut
Zip/Postal Code: 06069
Country: United States
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Thanks Rirhett. The completion of this guitar unfortunately coincided with the heat being turned on for the winter. Forced air, woodburning stoves and radiators are all working overtime in my house right now. It’s a huge change from summer when I was in the midst of building this thing. I’m still checking a couple of time a day.


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PostPosted: Mon Nov 25, 2019 9:27 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:20 am
Posts: 5924
Keep a kettle on the wood burning stove. It will help humidify the air.


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 07, 2020 4:45 pm 
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Mahogany
Mahogany

Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2014 7:22 pm
Posts: 75
First name: Phil
Last Name: Joe
State: Nova Scotia
Country: Canada
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Beautiful! I'd love to try building an archtop some day! Already have the Benedetto book!


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 07, 2020 4:51 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:12 pm
Posts: 3290
First name: Bryan
Last Name: Bear
City: St. Louis
State: Mo
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
That looks lovely!

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PostPosted: Tue Jan 07, 2020 5:20 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 7:15 pm
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First name: Ed
Last Name: Bond
City: Vancouver
Country: Canada
Focus: Build
Status: Professional
Looks nice!


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PostPosted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 3:47 pm 
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Koa
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Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:42 am
Posts: 1135
Location: Hudson, MA
First name: Kevin
Last Name: Quine
City: Hudson
State: MA
Country: Usa
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Gorgeous


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PostPosted: Thu Jan 09, 2020 10:08 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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First name: alan
Last Name: stassforth
City: Santa Rosa
State: ca
Zip/Postal Code: 95404
Country: usa
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Nice! Let's see the headstock!
Alan


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