Official Luthiers Forum!

I sent this one off to the east coast today. The recipient is giving it as a surprise gift. 

Thanks again to you guys. I've learned so much through this forum. I don't post much (mostly because you guys beat me to the punch) but read the forum almost daily.



Top - Sitka

B+S - Amazon Rosewood

Binding - Macassar Ebony

Headstock plate - Hmmm?! Not sure. Any guesses?

Sound hole binding - EIR

Neck - Mahogony

Bridge - Macassar ebony

Tuners - Gotoh

Fininsh - Enduro-Var Gloss



A few lessons learned:

- Be sure there's a case available to fit your design before you build

- Don't let light colored dust get in the pores of ebony binding

- With Enduro-Var, when you think you've got all the pores filled with epoxy, do yet another coat. 

- I couldn't get rid of the swirls marks in the Enduro-Var. The hand held buffer isn't cutting it, but I don't have room for a full size buffing wheel.

- I like doing sound hole binding!




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Turned out well!
Beautiful guitar Michael, headplate guess - Zircote?

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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.

Very nice!

Thanks for sharing it. How did you come up with the design? I really like the shape & proportions.

Kevin Looker

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

Nice, congrats!

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

very good guitar! My guess for the head stock is also Zircote. I using it in my current build.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Beautiful guitar! The end wedge and end pin design is amazing. I just tried doing basic miters on the purfling in an end wedge. I think I took a couple years off my life from the stress of it. Your design is great!

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Insta - https://www.instagram.com/cbcguitars/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cbcguitars

Very nice guitar!

Nice! I love the little details.

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

Beautiful Amazon! And great execution all around!

Very nice work with minimal classy design and details. CONGRATS. Not sure what number guitar this is for you but from your post I gather you are a later start builder, if so you sure seem to learn quickly. If it sounds as good as it looks,it and you are real winners.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

I love the body design. Lovely treatment on the headstock as well!


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N-i-i-i-c-e!

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George :-)

very nice.
And you got the neck end strap button located where it should be.

Mike

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Mike Collins

Ah...yes. Zircote. That seems right. I've not worked with it before.

Thanks for all the positive comments. I caught the guitar building bug full-on about a year ago. This is my third build since then. Prior to that I did a kit and really bad scratch build in 2001. Back then there wasn't nearly as much good info on the web. That's made all the difference in me being able to do good work.

In regard to the body shape, it's based off Taylor's GS, but about 1/8 inch shorter. That shortness wasn't intentional. Not sure how that happened. I probably need to switch up the mold/jig I'm using.

The end pin design was something I had to do to cover a mistake. I learned to do purling miters from a tut here on OLF. The first two were a little rough, but now I look forward to doing them.

The last two guitars I've built sound really good, but I can't take too much credit for that. I think it will take me many more builds until I understand and can tame the variables that shape tone. Looking forward to it!


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That is a beauty Mike. And you even bound the soundhole Very well done!!!

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Nice looking guitar

Great work Mike .. something to aspire to...hope you don't mind me asking but how do you line the soundhole like that

Very nice!

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

A real jewel and something to be proud of. It really don't get better than that.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

Nice job, it looks great Mike.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Binding the soundhole is a lot like binding the edges of the guitar. But one big difference is that you can't really count on tape for clamping action as you bind. You need to find a way to apply uniform pressure to the full circumference of the soundhole.

I've seen a few ways of doing this. What's worked for me is pretty simple. I found a round canister in our pantry that has a slight taper. It's a little smaller on the bottom and slightly larger toward the top. (A photo is below.) I use this to wedge the purfling and binding against the edge of the soundhole. So my process is:

- Prep the edge of soundhole so it's flat and square.
- Apply a thin coat of shellac to prevent CA from staining the spruce
- Butt the purfling against the soundhole and trim to fit. (I use a scarf joint with the joint at the top.)
- Use the canister as a wedge and glue the purfling in place using thin CA.
- Use bending iron to bend binding to the shape of the soundhole.
- Trim the binding to length, again with a scarf joint at the top.
- Use the canister as a wedge and glue in place.
- Just to be sure, I saturate the area, top and back with additional CA
- Scrape and then sand the purfling and binding so it's flush with the top on both sides.

It probably goes without saying, but I do all this before bracing the top.

Great stuff Mike thanks... always wanted to know how it's done..maybe brave and try on my next build..

Love it Mike! Really elegant design.

Do you have any photos of the bracing layout?

Nice! Another way to bind a soundhole is to do it with the top thick, treat it like part of the rosette accept cut the binding channel deeper. Inlay the binding, cut the soundhole and sand the back to remove any Spruce.

No. I'm sorry, I don't. I followed plans from Georgia Luthier Supply.


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