Search found 9168 matches

by kiwigeo
Tue Jul 04, 2023 11:20 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Trouble Build
Replies: 20
Views: 140602

Re: Trouble Build

Just throwing mud against the wall ... I build both slot head classical guitars and guitars with peg tuners. The headstock angle on my slot heads are 9-10° but I use 15° on the guitars that I use pegs to tune as they terminate the string higher. Headstock/neck angle is 15degrees. Strings leave the ...
by kiwigeo
Tue Jul 04, 2023 11:18 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Trouble Build
Replies: 20
Views: 140602

Re: Trouble Build

Neck relief? Back buzz? Truss rod? Loose neck attachment hardware? Pick-up if fitted? Hi Trevor, Neck relief. I've played with truss rod....there's a modest amount of relief dialed in at present. There were a few frets that were a tad high with truss rod relaxed so I gave the whole fretboard a redr...
by kiwigeo
Tue Jul 04, 2023 8:14 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Trouble Build
Replies: 20
Views: 140602

Re: Trouble Build

Weird, did you check for loose components on the tuning machine? I assume you checked the nut as well? I sometimes temporarily lift the strings with tape at the nut to see if the sound goes away. Hi John, Tuners are planetary geared peg tuners.....nothing loose there. The nut...I tried a bit of pap...
by kiwigeo
Mon Jul 03, 2023 8:38 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Trouble Build
Replies: 20
Views: 140602

Trouble Build

This will most likely be the start of a long thread. I have a falcate braced classical that I finished a few months ago and have been playing a fair bit. The instrument has the following issues: 1. a nasty harsh loud note around B flat 4 on the top three strings. The note is accompanied by what soun...
by kiwigeo
Thu Jun 29, 2023 12:13 pm
Forum: Vendors and Suppliers
Topic: Australian Luthier Supplies
Replies: 4
Views: 14163

Re: Australian Luthier Supplies

The correct saddle blanks arrived today.....ALS sent them Express Post.
by kiwigeo
Tue Jun 27, 2023 5:29 pm
Forum: Vendors and Suppliers
Topic: Australian Luthier Supplies
Replies: 4
Views: 14163

Australian Luthier Supplies

Last week I ordered some 1/4" thick Tusq saddle blanks from Australian Luthier Supplies and got sent the wrong thickness blanks. I emailed them and let them know about the error and that I'd keep the thinner blanks and re-order the correct ones. I got an email back from Sean at ALS informing me he'd...
by kiwigeo
Fri Jun 23, 2023 12:22 pm
Forum: Instrument Plans
Topic: Silicon heat mat
Replies: 3
Views: 21360

Re: Silicon heat mat

Thanks for that. I have used a stainless steel tube with a flood light bulb inside for ten years now. Interesting to hear that you went back to the iron. I might just stick to my tube. Why back to the iron? Lots of reasons. The main reasons...my output isn't huge and I have the time to bend on an i...
by kiwigeo
Tue Jun 20, 2023 5:39 pm
Forum: Instrument Plans
Topic: Silicon heat mat
Replies: 3
Views: 21360

Re: Silicon heat mat

I used to use a 110volt silicon heat blanket for bending before I went back to using an iron. I bought myself a whopping great 240/110volt step down transformer. You need to ensure that the output power rating of the transformer is equal to or slightly higher than that of the blanket. From memory my...
by kiwigeo
Tue Jun 13, 2023 7:21 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Warning - Border Control have shifted the goal posts
Replies: 9
Views: 18385

Re: Warning - Border Control have shifted the goal posts

Buy me two seats in business class and I'll personally escort your instrument to the US and hand deliver to its new owner :mrgreen:
by kiwigeo
Mon Jun 12, 2023 10:27 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Spraying a less lethal finish
Replies: 2
Views: 7768

Re: Spraying a less lethal finish

Hi Davy, You mention having finished previously finished instruments with shellac. Have you tried hard shellac...its considerably more durable than straight shellac. Not sure whats available in Christchurch...here theres Ubeaut and Restorers Choice supplying hard shellac. Carbatec usually handle Ube...
by kiwigeo
Sun Jun 11, 2023 6:47 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Crack repair posssible?
Replies: 15
Views: 22138

Re: Crack repair posssible?

I'd go with two back strips and some cleats across the crack. If the crack extends for some length then a third back strip
by kiwigeo
Thu Jun 08, 2023 2:32 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Warning - Border Control have shifted the goal posts
Replies: 9
Views: 18385

Re: Warning - Border Control have shifted the goal posts

Persistence sometimes pays off. Good on ya Pete for sticking to your guns.
by kiwigeo
Mon Jun 05, 2023 10:09 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: kerfed lining material?
Replies: 4
Views: 10543

Re: kerfed lining material?

Basswood and mahogany seem to be most commonly used for commercially made kerfed lining. Ive used poplar..because I had a source of fairly cheap lengths of the stuff. I'm sure there's a wide variety of woods you could use. Ideally it should be flat sawn to make bending easier without splitting. I'd ...
by kiwigeo
Sat May 27, 2023 1:51 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Chladni and VA tests ???
Replies: 61
Views: 79679

Re: Chladni and VA tests ???

WilliamDavidReynolds wrote:
Sat May 27, 2023 12:25 pm
I just need more time to run the speaker, it’s vibrating my body and the house, wife shut it down

:lmao :lmao :lmao :lmao
by kiwigeo
Sat May 27, 2023 9:26 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Chladni and VA tests ???
Replies: 61
Views: 79679

Re: Chladni and VA tests ???

I sit my guitar in the cradle that's part of my Stewmac style binding channel routing jig. I generally take the strings off or if on I put a bit of foam between strings and upper end of fretboard. You'll find that you'll need more energy to drive the upper frequency modes....many of the upper freq m...
by kiwigeo
Wed May 24, 2023 9:32 am
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: Student build log
Replies: 4
Views: 14671

Re: Student build log

LOL...some very funny comments under that video from people who are insistent the guitar is a Maton and not a Manton :D
by kiwigeo
Wed May 24, 2023 9:23 am
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: Student build log
Replies: 4
Views: 14671

Re: Student build log

Steve, I know Ive asked you about this a while back but can you remind me about the procedure for setting up the neck/body join. You make up the body with the neck block with mortise already cut and the neck with tenon cut and bolts set up. Do you do a rough neck rake setting at this stage and then ...
by kiwigeo
Thu May 18, 2023 2:40 pm
Forum: Jigs & Fixtures
Topic: Circle Cutter, shop made.
Replies: 2
Views: 11476

Re: Circle Cutter, shop made.

Gramil on right is a Schneider gramil. Got one in my shop that gets a lot of use.
by kiwigeo
Tue May 16, 2023 11:43 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Bulloak
Replies: 8
Views: 14668

Re: Bulloak

Julian wrote:
Tue May 16, 2023 10:19 am
You could probably make fret wire out of the buloke it's that hard!
Don't let Stewmac find out!!
by kiwigeo
Mon May 15, 2023 9:12 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Bridge design
Replies: 6
Views: 15138

Re: Bridge design

A few years ago for reasons that aren't worth discussing we imposed a 30 minute editing limit on posts. I've just changed the settings. BTW, if you want to edit your own posts you will notice three small icons in the top right corner of your post, and one of them looks like a pencil. This is the edi...
by kiwigeo
Fri May 12, 2023 5:04 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Bridge design
Replies: 6
Views: 15138

Re: Bridge design

Posts can only be edited for a short time after posting......its a long story but it involves some characters who kept changing their stories.
Dave M wrote:
Fri May 12, 2023 8:19 am
Bejesus how do I edit a post!?
by kiwigeo
Thu May 11, 2023 10:13 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Nut files
Replies: 10
Views: 14069

Re: Nut files

Ive got shit loads of nut files but my favourite set are these ones plus a set of Japanese files that are pretty much identical to the Stewmacs.

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... ing-files/
by kiwigeo
Sun May 07, 2023 11:54 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Cutaway bending
Replies: 11
Views: 25081

Re: Cutaway bending

LOL....you never fail to impress with the clear and neat labeling of everything in your photos. Impressive.

WJ Guitars wrote:
Sun May 07, 2023 8:50 am
Here are some photos showing my fox bending machine of a cutaway. Of recent times I now use spring steel slats.

Wayne

Cutaway Bernding.jpg
by kiwigeo
Sun May 07, 2023 11:53 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Cutaway bending
Replies: 11
Views: 25081

Re: Cutaway bending

I'm an old fashioned outcast...I kitted up with bending forms and blankets but ended up going back to my trusty bending iron.

One advantage of a bending iron.....you never doze off while using it. Two pairs of shorts with holes burnt into them is proof of that!