Official Luthiers Forum!

Hello everyone. This is my first post on the forum. After playing for the last 19 years or so I'm considering attempting to build my first acoustic guitar. I've got some woodworking tools, (router, table saw, drill press, etc), but I'm curious to find out what luthier specific tools or jigs you feel would be necessary to build a decent guitar, (radius dish, go-bar deck, etc...). I know that when it comes to jigs many are just to make things a little easier. I've already been trying to scout and collect as many clamps in as many sizes as possible. Thanks for all your help.




(is it normal for a grown man to need to wear a bib to catch the drool when looking through these forums?)

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Stephen

Welcome to the OLF

I suggest you get a kit guitar and then as you build that you will appreciate the various tools / Jigs that you as an individual builder will need /want. Otherwise , What generally happens is you end up with stuff you never use .

and " YES "

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It might be wise to find a builder in your area and visit his shop. You may find that some experienced advice can save a lot of time and frustration. The second time you do something is usually a lot easier and faster because you know what is coming up next.

Not much help.

Bob

I'm currently living in the panhandle of Texas. Soon to be moving back down to the Dallas area though. I've been playing around on the LMI "kit wizard" seeing what I can come up with.

I'll actually be very near BK guitars when I get back to Dallas. Maybe I'll get a chance to stop by his shop sometime. There's not too many acoustic builders, that I know of, up in this part of Texas.

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Stephen

Welcome to the party! Read lots, understand all the steps involved, decide how you want to accomplish each of them, and then figure the minimum tools to accomplish each of those It'll be different for everyone. For example, I don't like noisy and dangerous power tools, and don't much like making jigs either, so I mostly come up with methods to do things freehand with hand tools, while still maintaining all the important dimensional relationships.

The Cumpiano & Natelson book is my favorite reference for step by step building, although I don't follow it exactly. But it's great for first time builders, using minimal tools and jigs so there's no large startup investment. Kits will save you even more, although if you're fully committed to building more than one, you might as well build from scratch to start with. I did, and loved it.

Get some cam clamps. I have two each of the 4, 6, and 8 inch from here, and rarely need any other clamps http://usaclamp.com/CamClampPage.aspx

And good luck

If you're lucky you might get a kit from John Hall of Blues Creek guitars, and you'll end up with a top quality instrument. As far as tools you'll need things like a fret file, rasp, nut file set, and straight edge before you make your own go bar deck. There are many fine tools you don't actually need or at least can build yourself. Becoming a luthier is also becoming a pattern maker and a machinist of sorts. Good luck.

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"Preoccupation with an effect gives it power and enhances the error"
from "Your Owner's Manual" by Burt Hotchkiss.

There's a pretty good post here - with an exhaustive list of tools. There's nothing that says that you need ALL of these, but it's a pretty good checklist for all the tools that have been found to be useful.

viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=30503&p=404601&hilit=required+tools#p404601

I'd also get a copy of Jon Kincead's book - he covers tools pretty well - with a nod to hand tools or power, as per your preference.

I live in the middle of Kansas and didn't think there were any luthiers in my area.....Untill I got into it, now I know of 7 or 8 with in a hours drive. Found one in the same building at work, talked to him every week for years and had no idea he was a builder.

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Say what you do, Do what you say.

When you get back to Dalsas area, there's always Eben Atwater in Fort Worth http://www.aerieguitars.com and not too far off (well maybe a bit far but worth the effort I think) is none other than Stephen Kinnard in Nacogdoches http://www.stephenkinnaird.com/contact.html he's a forum member and a great builder.

PS, welcome to the OLF!

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A lot of us got started by following the directions out of a book. My first was an Irving Sloan book model and then started to build according to the Cumpliano book. Now I have my own techniques but owe a lot to those books and others I have read. So I recommend getting Cumplianonad Natelson's book. They show you methods that do not require a lot of fancy jig work.

Just in case someone is using Google to find the book being referred to, the name of the book is "Guitarmaking: Tradition and Technology: A Complete Reference for the Design & Construction of the Steel-String Folk Guitar & the Classical Guitar". The authors are William Cumpiano and Jonathan Natelson.

Here is the link at Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Guitarmaking-Trad ... 022&sr=8-1

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Jim Hansen

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and encouragement. I've seen the Natelson book mentioned a few times. Looks like that seems to be a good starting point for new builders. If my wife only knew how much time I've spent looking through these forums she'd throw a fit.

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Stephen

I agree on a kit. Stew Mac has a good video instruction for building a kit guitar, it'll work with most kits. That plus Cumpiano's book will get you going. The tools needed will be obvious after watching the video and reading the book. Build a few kits and if you're hooked go take a building course, it'll shave years off your learning curve. Keep scanning the forums, you'll pick up tips all the time. Good luck!

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Todd-

Provided that #1 turns out at least looking like a guitar, I do plan on making a few others. I'm not expecting master luthier results, but I'm hoping for better than a shoebox guitar. Haha.

Is there a source of reference that describes the use of the radius dish, and how to choose the radius? Or does the natelson book cover that as well?

I've got time to make any jigs that would help.

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Stephen

There are tons of video's covering the various building methods.

John Hall (Blues Creek Guitars) has an entire series of videos demonstration the radius dish style of buidling. he also sells the radius dishes, bending forms, molds, and kits. He also sells kits in various forms. Check out is website for lots of good info.

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Jim Hansen

Which and how many tools you need largely depends on how many guitars you intend to build. So far, I haven't come across anyone who has made just one. We've had students through who have built half a guitar, found it's not for them and we've essentially finished it off for them. Anyone who completes one seems to want another go! Given that most custom (shop made) tooling will pay for itself after just one usage, the answer becomes fairly obvious, so I'd advise against going with "beginner" tooling, because you'll end up re-tooling real early, just as Todd says. Things have moved on quite a way since Cumpiano's book was first published 25 years ago, but most makers who have been around a while will have a copy.

The go-bar deck, radius dish, outside mould, Fox bender, bolt-on neck method is detailed in a recently available book (Google on Trevor Gore guitars), also covered in detail is guitar design, not really covered in any other publication. It includes plans for four different styles of guitar, 2 SS and 2 classical. Probably more information than you ever thought you'd need, but better more than less!

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Trevor Gore, Luthier. Australian hand made acoustic guitars, classical guitars; custom guitar design and build; guitar design instruction.

http://www.goreguitars.com.au