Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Alan, As you know I did my own thing on the bracing on mine and three years down the track it's a solid as a rock in terms of the top geometry. My X brace angle is the usual 78 degrees. I spent most attention on the soundhole up to start of the hollow neck area using my usual soundhole patch and A f...

Martin,

That looks great - much neater than mine at the tailblock end. Well done. What does Van Edwards recommend to use for the reinforcement strips on the inside joins?

Stephen Kinnaird wrote: As picky as your customer was, did he specify that the herringbone in the rosette run counter closckwise?
If not, how did you choose the direction?
(Anal question, I know, but hey--that's what we are, right?)

Well - obviously to show that they were made in the Southern hemisphere

Robert,

Welcome - I look forward to seeing your lute take shape. Even in the old days I don't think there were any "proper" woods, makers would have used whatever they had to hand that worked.

Any chance of posting some photos of your fourty year old as it is today?

Allen, Congratulations on your commission - a really tasy looking pair of guitars there. It's nice to watch your building skills progress with each instrument and with Bob/Dave to paraphrase Collin Welland from the "Chariots of Fire" year - "Watch out - the Ozzies are coming!!". I really agree about...

Martin, Keep at it - you'll get there in the end. If I were a perfectionist I would still be building that lute in twenty years time but I'm anxious to get to the playing stage and so compromise. I suspect you have "perfectionist tendencies" :D If it helps here's a picture of my lute rib "graveyard"...

Alan,

That looks really nice. What are the scale lengths ? Are the pickups in a different position on each neck to generate a different sound?

Any sound clips?

Bob,

Thanks. I'm currently making a harp guitar and am toying with the idea of doing a "mini" Rose in the hollow arm, and maybe for side soundports. I also wouldn't mind doing some modern versions of the vaulted or fluted back old small guitars.

Sebastiaan - Thanks. There was no option really as Colin gave me the 90 year old top :shock: He did give me a scrap piece to practice on and I used that a little until I got the idea and then went straight to the top. One piece did "pop" out when I was doing the 3D carving but I found it and glued i...

I have no compunction in calling myself a "luthier" as I make stringed instruments but knew that someday I'd have to step up to the mark and make a lute - well now I have. I'm happy and fortunate to have as a mentor, guitar building sounding board and friend Colin Symonds, a maker of great talent wh...

Hesh1956 wrote:

It's true I tell ya - here is a picture that Billy did of Serge playing a lute

errr . . . except that's a mandolin the French (Canadian) Tart is playing

Martin, You can't keep a good codpiece down - great recovery. I see you are into tape bondage big time as well :lol: It's looking good - I lost track a bit in not making sure that the later ribs got pulled down enough towards the plane where the top will be and had to play "catch-up" with the last t...

Martin,

That's looking good and the staves are meeting the mould where they should - great stuff. The purfling can be tricky to bend over the "back end" area but I found bending dry and slowly on a hot pipe keeping the purfling moving all the time worked pretty well.

All going too well for my liking. I dont like instruments that go together without any problems. Martin, Don't worry - your wish will soon be granted, trust me I'm a luthier 8) Great stuff - the first rib on and the form looks in great shape. Nice to see someone doing the joins the traditional way ...

Martin, Colin told me that on the old lutes he's examined, nearly all of them have the bottom two ribs next to the soundboard a different size to the others. I think we tend to get too anal about plans and precise measurements, the old guys used their eyes and hand skills and corrected/adapted as th...

Mad I am but I also had to change the host for my website. I've uploaded the pics to the ANZLF server here so they should be here as long as it is

Martin, That's looking good - certainly more sturdy than my "dunny seat". I don't know how you are going to use the form to support the ribs while glueing, but one thing I learned is that when you are at a point on the sides where the curve is changing, the facets are angled and not at ninety degree...

I love Dave's skilfull use of the wooden toilet seat on his bowl mould. That's to help control bowl movements :D You'll have great fun making a lute - and you'll probably need a new swear box as well, but there are lots of Old English words to fit the bill . I figured that if I'm going to call myse...

Dave, The problem with putting any part of the resting frame for deflection measurement on the bridge is that the bridge also deflects downward as a result of a downward pressure from the combination of string angle and string tension. By having the "legs" rest on the edges and making the reasonabl...

Dave, Interesting. and I know you say that many other parameters are included in the measurement but as you show and describe the measurement technique you are indexing from the "feet" of the jig at two different positions on the rimset, and so the deflection measurement will include any differences...

Ron,

Lovely guitars and eight months well spent !!

In January I sold the first harp guitar I made to a young British acoustic guitarist Dale Campbell. He has posted a video on Youtube of the beginnings of a song - the guitar is in GABCDEDADGAD tuning and is fitted with a custom set of K&K Pure Mini Western - three transducers on the main and two on ...

Rod,

Simple and elegant like all the best inventions. Oh yes . . . and even better - cheap

Craig,

Very cool - and extremely mini-me Troji. Consider it nicked

Steve,

Very nice as usual. It's fun doing "interesting" instruments. It looks a little like the South American multi-course instruments with the short neck - cuatro etc.

You'll be making a guitar-bouzouki or cittern next