Search found 455 matches

by graham mcdonald
Fri Nov 02, 2012 7:47 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: CITES- The process in Australia
Replies: 5
Views: 5228

Re: CITES- The process in Australia

Back in '03 I traveled around the world with a guitar bodied bouzouki through the US and Sweden going through seven different airports. The bouzouki's body was Brazilan that I had bought from Gerard Gilet sometime in the 80s with absolutely no paperwork. At the time I didn't even think about the tim...
by graham mcdonald
Fri Oct 05, 2012 9:16 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Mirotone in Canberra
Replies: 3
Views: 4518

Re: Mirotone in Canberra

I have most of a 4 litre can. We can work it out tomorrow night

g
by graham mcdonald
Mon Sep 17, 2012 4:04 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Acoustic bass specs
Replies: 16
Views: 14928

Re: Acoustic bass specs

Air volume/Helmholtz frequency/bass response - all related

Smaller soundhole, lower Helmholtz, but there is a limit when the air movement becomes audible according to Graham C.

Craig, I have a body outline template for a ABG in the shed if you want to have a look whenI get back
Cheers
G
by graham mcdonald
Sun Sep 16, 2012 4:25 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Acoustic bass specs
Replies: 16
Views: 14928

Re: Acoustic bass specs

Back a long time ago myself, Gerard Gilet and Jim Williams all got orders for acoustic bass guitars, and we all took a similar if differing approach to making them. A couple of things to keep in mind. You are not going to get much grunt on the bottom E string. There is just not the air volume, but t...
by graham mcdonald
Thu Aug 30, 2012 8:39 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Spool Clamps
Replies: 15
Views: 17014

Re: Spool Clamps

Doesn't matter if they wobble a bit. Remember that the doming/arching of the plates means they are not at right angles to the sides anyway. Mine are very rough and ready things which only get used a few time a year. I have small ones for mandolins and larger ones for mandolas/bouzoukis. Marcus' are ...
by graham mcdonald
Thu Aug 30, 2012 8:28 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: A guitar that DOES NOT WANT to get built!
Replies: 22
Views: 14414

Re: A guitar that DOES NOT WANT to get built!

If you are living on or near the east cost you need some sort of climate controlled environment to do your gluing. A 'dry box' is not going to cut it, as Nick has found. Think about enclosing an area about twice the size of your go-bar deck, which doesn't have to much bigger than 900 x 1800, with a ...
by graham mcdonald
Wed Aug 29, 2012 7:16 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Spool Clamps
Replies: 15
Views: 17014

Re: Spool Clamps

I only use them for gluing backs and soundboards to the side assembly. I usually use a couple of cam clamps at the neck and tail blocks and as many spool clamps as I have or can fit on. If you have to use more than finger tight pressure on the wing nuts, you haven't got the plates properly fitted to...
by graham mcdonald
Tue Aug 28, 2012 1:57 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Spool Clamps
Replies: 15
Views: 17014

Re: Spool Clamps

Just the ordinary 1/4" imperial threaded rod from Bunnings will do cut into appropriate lengths if you can't find bolts long enough. A hex nut on one end and a wingnut on the other. An alternative to slicing up big dowels is using a hole cutter and a couple of polyethylene kitchen chopping boards as...
by graham mcdonald
Sun Aug 26, 2012 12:06 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Plans for Portuguese Guitarra?
Replies: 24
Views: 20662

Re: Plans for Portuguese Guitarra?

Bridge height is around 16mm. Here is a pic of it with a ruler for scale. Made of bone as is the tradition. The pic will give an idea of the fingerboard radius as well

cheers

g
by graham mcdonald
Sat Aug 25, 2012 12:41 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Plans for Portuguese Guitarra?
Replies: 24
Views: 20662

Re: Plans for Portuguese Guitarra?

That website that Markus posted (and kindly translated) has enough info to be able to build a guitarra I would think, especially if you have a few guitars under your belt. One thing to remember is that there are two styles of guitarra, with different string lengths, the Lisbon and the Coimbra. I don...
by graham mcdonald
Wed Aug 22, 2012 8:42 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Book recommendations?
Replies: 10
Views: 8121

Re: Book recommendations?

I beg to differ. I would suggest having as many of the various books as possible. They all contain useful information, and while you may consider some of the techniques 'dated', they are all valid to a greater or lesser degree. People built guitars from them, and I would suggest some pretty decent g...
by graham mcdonald
Fri Aug 10, 2012 8:47 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Celluloid binding
Replies: 2
Views: 3900

Re: Celluloid binding

As far as I know, no. I would suspect anything which might stain celluloid would also dissolve it. Celluloid gets made with the colours in it, and while you can soften it and reshape to some extent, there is not much else you can do with it. Mandolin and arch top makers who do sunburst finishes rout...
by graham mcdonald
Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:35 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: bridge & fretboard finishing
Replies: 33
Views: 27843

Re: bridge & fretboard finishing

Ebony and rosewood can be polished up to quite a shiny finish by a variety of methods (as detailed above) but they oxidize and dull down quite quickly, so you ca never really keep them buffed up as much as you might like. Then again, why is it important to have a glossy fingerboard and bridge? As we...
by graham mcdonald
Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:56 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Query on mic preamp settings
Replies: 4
Views: 4993

Re: Query on mic preamp settings

Couldn't resist the temptation to be a bit of a smartarse :D
by graham mcdonald
Fri Aug 03, 2012 8:18 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Query on mic preamp settings
Replies: 4
Views: 4993

Re: Query on mic preamp settings

If you are using it with a condenser mic which needs phantom power, the on position will be when the mic works. If your mic doesn't need phantom power it doesn't matter which position the switch is.

Cheers

Graham
by graham mcdonald
Sun Jul 29, 2012 4:28 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: calculating a curve
Replies: 6
Views: 6087

Re: calculating a curve

The thing to consider on a guitar is that the recurve is going to be a different width depending on the length of the overall curve if the arching is based on curtate cycloids. Its not so bad on a mandolin as the body is basically a circle with an extension at the neck end. I am working up to my fir...
by graham mcdonald
Fri Jul 27, 2012 9:07 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Stuff at the Sydney Timber and Working with Woood show
Replies: 0
Views: 3993

Stuff at the Sydney Timber and Working with Woood show

In Sydney for the weekend doing family stuff and went to the Timber/Woodworking show this arvo. One of the timber vendors selling Tasmanina timber has a few bits of King Billy and Blackheart sassafras about two guitars worth long and about 8" wide. They had a few bits of each, obviously cut sequenti...
by graham mcdonald
Mon Jul 09, 2012 1:51 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Guitar makers festivals
Replies: 16
Views: 13311

Re: Guitar makers festivals

I suggest what has to be thought about is the audience, preferably people who might be interested in buying an instrument, and that is why I am thinking Sydney rather than outside. And then somewhere which is accessible (or at least as accessible as anything would get in Sydney!). The old Everleigh ...
by graham mcdonald
Sun Jul 08, 2012 8:34 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Guitar makers festivals
Replies: 16
Views: 13311

Re: Guitar makers festivals

There were mutterings abut an event in Sydney but it seemed to have died. Perhaps with a little effort a Sydney makers get-together could be the start of something. I organised a couple 25+ years ago and it should be possible to do it again. It is mostly a matter of finding an affordable and accessi...
by graham mcdonald
Thu Jul 05, 2012 8:05 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Sandpaper
Replies: 31
Views: 22380

Re: Sandpaper

I use Norton Adlox 80, 120, 180, 240, 400 and then wet and dry 400, 600, 1200, preferably Norton as well. The Korean aluminium oxide paper from Bunnies is shite. Absolutely useless. Best place to get the Norton stuff is good paint shops and always ask if they will do a deal on a packet of 25 or 50 c...
by graham mcdonald
Fri Jun 29, 2012 10:28 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Smallman style armrests
Replies: 7
Views: 9914

Re: Smallman style armrests

Of course the question is: does your forearm actually change/dampen the sound?
and if it does, is this a bad thing?

:?

graham
by graham mcdonald
Mon Jun 25, 2012 8:31 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Conical Fingerboards
Replies: 3
Views: 4230

Re: Conical Fingerboards

People have come up with some wonderfully complicated ways to achieve a conical or compound radius fretboard and the discussion forums have regular posting on people agonizing over exactly which combination of radii to use. A perfectly functional conical/compound radius board can be made quite easil...
by graham mcdonald
Sat Jun 16, 2012 1:16 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Finish sanding schedule..
Replies: 27
Views: 21597

Re: Finish sanding schedule..

280 grit should be fine. Worthwhile spraying some water on the soundboard. That will show up any scratches on the soundboard you may have missed and also any glue that may have oozed out and soaked in when gluing the bindings. That shows up under lacquer annoyingly. I do that before pore filling the...
by graham mcdonald
Sat Jun 16, 2012 11:17 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: The Psychology of selling guitars....
Replies: 35
Views: 27894

Re: The Psychology of selling guitars....

Apart from all the hype and marketing, the McPherson guitars are actually pretty good. I was in Mandolin Brothers in NY a couple of years back, taking photos of mandolins, and they had a couple of McPhersons there. There were really nice guitars. Ugly as sin, but they work.

Cheers
by graham mcdonald
Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:32 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Can't wait!
Replies: 12
Views: 9085

Re: Can't wait!

bastards.... :D