Official Luthiers Forum!

Thanks Robbie. I’ve been laminating my side supports inside my linings for a while now. I know there are reasons for and against various side reinforcement options but this is what I have settled on. They are wider on this one than I typically do though.

I’ve been getting a bit beefy on my UTB lately. Probably overkill. I have been doing forward shifted soundholes lately. I just started filling up the smaller space with structure. I feel like I don’t have to worry too much about the heel block rotating forward since it butts to the UTB. I’d love feedback on if I am causing problems for myself. . .

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

resetting a neck on 2 martins
restoring a 67 D35
Repairing binding on 3 martins

3 fret jobs and 3 bridge reglues
1 on a guild we string and 2 martins

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

It... might be ok. Those stiff looking linings will be functioning as critical braces between the upper X legs and upper transverse brace. Otherwise the stress is all dumped on the little soundhole braces and it will fold.

I’m definitely not worried about it not being strong enough. The top of the heel block goes right to the UTB which has a robust connection inlet into the linings. Any downward torque on the fretboard extension will be adequately supported.

I Don’t feel like a beefy UTB will really be costing any time but people may have insight to the contrary.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Certainly the upper bout is plenty strong. It's the soundhole area I worry about. Imagine the neck and upper bout as perfectly rigid and immovable. Everything south of the UTB would still bend upward due to the strings pulling on the bridge.

I love a curly oak guitar, nice, clean work.


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Been a couple years working on this trio, always something getting in the way of the guitar shop. But some recent progress happening, necks on 2 and the third in process. Hope to get these done in next couple months.

2 padauks with hog necks and I think Lutz tops.
1 macasser with curly maple neck, Carpathian top and an arm rest.
All bolt on M&T necks and cantilevered violin style finger boards.

All 12 fret. Will post pics as progress occurs.

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Brian R, Wood Mechanic
N8ZED

koa

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ELEVATE || Next Level Lutherie
http://elevatelutherie.com
&
http://ensorguitars.com

Diamond darts, a first for me.

French polishing... so much French polishing in various stages...






[img]https://i.imgur.com/tokBwKrl.jpg[/img

Also received word that two guitars I built during my annual working holiday in Granada Spain have returned to my mentor's shop after having been French polished by the master varnisher of Granada, Antonio Ariza. The cedar/Guatemalan Rosewood concert model will be strung up my friend in the shop and sent to my agent in Germany while the Maple bodied Torres inspired guitar will be sent to me in New York so I can make a nut and saddle, finish the fretwork, and get it finished before sending it to it's future owner in California

Books, accounts, closely followed by Tax Returns..........

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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.

Colin this is the most stressful time of year for me at Ann Arbor Guitars because of the books and tax return(s) that you mentioned. It takes me away from fixing stuff and makes me be a bean counter and I don't like it much. So my sympathies and I can relate.

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Ann Arbor Guitars

Thanks, but it's fairly simple accounts - not a burden, just tiresome - I studied accountancy and worked in an office for a year, just takes 3/4 days, and it's already drafted, so last day today!

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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.

How's your wrist and shoulder doing? O.o

I got the top of that old Martin I’ll have to say it was absolutely the filthiest inside of a guitar I’ve ever seen in my life!
The back and sides were nowhere near as dirty as the top. Anyway I managed to get the loose braces all off that I needed to without much trouble they didn’t put up much of a fight





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Looks like she was permitted at some point to be a crispy critter and dry out. That is pretty dirty too amazingly so for the inside of the top. Wow!

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Ann Arbor Guitars

9 cleats?

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Looks like flood damage to me.

I would be tempted to take that top into the backyard and hit it with the sandblaster. ;-)

I have a 70's Martin in the shop that may have been worse than yours. It looked like it got soaked and then stored in it's case for years. The inside was covered with a thick layer of mold.

Barry, did you need to clean up that Martin and if so, how did you approach dealing with the mold? Just had a very moldy guitar arrive at my shop this week and will need to clean it up before I start any repairs. In the past I’ve tried pouring rice in the soundhole, shaking the guitar and vaccuming it all out which kind of worked but I’m wondering if there’s a better way…

Not bad! pore filling that padauk guitar with pumice and shellac was a workout with its cavernous pores but I'm still at an age where I can abuse my body and wake up feeling fine. Not sure how long I can keep up this 13-16 guitars a year pace; will probably slow down when I hit 30 in a few years...

Neck pickup sounded buzzy and distorted.
Popped the pickup out, a loose screw was stuck to the magnet on the back.
This one is now officially finished.
Mahogany, Camphor, Purple Heart. Nitro finish.

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

Try starting with wet/dry sandpaper on woods like that. Quicker abrasion and no pumice getting stuck in the pores. Then switch to pumice to level it off. I use an artgum eraser as a small sanding block, with one side rounded over to get in the waist. Something larger might be better for the back. Use alcohol while sanding to make slurry with the shellac wash coat.

I brush on the first 3-4 coats of shellac after filling too just to build it up before the elbow work.

Interesting. How thick are you making it? By the time the pores are filled, I'm pretty much done. Just a thin film to gloss it up. And if I can't get the muneca to work (which is most of the time), I just sand it with the first 3 grits of micromesh and wipe on a coat of dilute shellac. If done properly, the surface tension forms a nearly perfect surface except for some slightly visible streaks in the direction of wiping.