Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Hi all I said a while ago I'd put some pics of my 2023 build : 7-string left handed jazz archtop based on a Benedetto design. Colour in the top was a first for me. Main timbers : Engelman carved spruce top, Tassie blackwood carved back & sides, Tassie oak neck. Thnx for looking. Special thnx to Rod ...

That's pretty poor Ken. Dunno where they get them from - they have their name on them. The first set I got ended up being for a solid body electric - they needed a 2nd try to get it right. I was going to buy plans from Allied Lutherie but shipping was ridiculous. I will heed yr warning when I get in...

Thnx gents. Will do same. I'll have to consider the 5 ladder braces on the plan and the extent to which I reduce them.
Frank

Hi all Long time between visits but still averaging about 1 build per year. Just finishing off a 7 string left handed Benedetto style archtop. Will put some pics when complete. Just got some plans from ALS for a Parlor. All the steel strings I have built have had arched tops & backs. Parlor is flat ...

Thnx Wayne - I did see your post when I was sifting through the jigs posts.
I hadn't seen those bits before.
I just love making clever jigs.....Cheers. Frank

A very old thread but I love its simplicity. 2 questions. Are you still using it? When tracing a curve onto the rails, I figure you need to allow for the small distance from the bottom of the curved rail to the top of the fretboard. So if that distance is 1/2", then to achieve a 12" fb radius, the r...

Taffy Good that you might have found a way of getting it to lock in. Sounds similar to my approach. But I would love to know why that works. Something like a scope camera might provide give a clearer view. My min height is about 2.5m but I agree the drum height flexes and you need to use tiny increm...

That's is definitely the purpose of that spring loaded bolt.

We can't even see the tail let alone get our hands on it. Poor design.

Hi Taffy This continued to be a big frustration to me over all these years. Like you , I recently said - stuff this - there must be an explanation. One of your pics shows a view from the other end of the drum. It helped me discover a small piece of sandpaper that had torn off sometime below the mout...

Hi Mark Good to connect again. That 2nd Jack looks like a good option. I also joined the FB group - Archtop Guitars - to ask this question. I got a stack of suggestions from around the globe. One of them was from a guy who related what Benedetto personally told him to do 25 years ago. The Benedetto ...

Hi all. I built a 17" Benedetto archtop 12 years ago which uses a sarconi strap to support the tailpiece. You used to be able to purchase an endpin Jack with 2 rings - one for sarconi strap, the outer ring for guitar strap - see pic. I'm building another one of these (7 string lefty) but I'm struggl...

...or alternatively, this aust luth supplier product. Reasonably priced at $23

https://luthiersupplies.com.au/welded-2 ... tic-guitar

Hi guys. Been off the air for quite a while.
Starting a new build.
Came across this old post when searching for posdible australian truss rod supplier.
Has anybody checked these out?

https://www.guitaraust.com.au/neck/trus ... srods.html
Thnx. Frank

Gents - how much working time does it allow? Approx shelf life once opened ?
Thnx. Frank

Hi Allan, only just read this thread for 1st time. I have never tried a hardwood top and have never explored it. I was struck by the 3.5mm target top thickness given in your nov 7 post. Most spruce tops are around 3.0mm. Why would a presumably q/sawn hardwood top be more than that? Curious.
Frank

Well i enjoyed watching that.

Thnx Geoff. What is its length?
I looked at getting a longer (12") fine mill file once for fret levelling but struggled to get one that was truly flat. I went to a reputable engineering tool supplier in melb , checked 8 of his stock sgainst my precision straight edge but couldn't find a good one.

No comment on specs but rather the choice of Bubinga for back & sides. I've been told it's a bugger to work with, particularly sanding but maybe I'm confusing it with something else. Rod (rocket) and I got a lovely 250 x 50 qsawn slab a couple of yrs ago which we r now just using for fingerboards. F...

I have puddled on up to now without one of these... https://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Tools_by_Job/Tools_for_Fretting/Fret_Fingerboard_Levelers.html To flatten a handplane base, we can use wet/dry on a sheet of plate glass so i wondered about doing the same with 16" length of 50mm x 25mm gal box...

Tajima pull saw is available from total tools and ebay for abour $35. Blades are replaceable and come in several thicknesees. Saw comes with 265 blade and i use it for most of my hand saw jobs. The 230 is .023" so good for fretting. I cut my slots with stewmac blade in a single pass but find they ca...

If u check the tutorials u will find an excellent detailed outline of Allen McFarlen's finishing process using Mirocat. In short he recomends leaving it about 2 weeks before final cut & polish. But there is likely to be a few stages prior to that.

Wayne. I know this doesn't answer yr question but if yr looking at acoustic pickup options , have u checked at K&K's - yr problem then goes away.
Frank

In putting another possible approach, fully support Allan & Martins detailed response for quality results. But depending on degree of consistency of fb radius the following may offer an acceptable result. Make a pretty thick radiused caul long enough to sit just over 1st two frets. Use hardwood. San...

I would have the same question/concern given the fix location. Would epoxy be better than CA?