Search found 3404 matches

by Nick
Thu May 26, 2016 6:28 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: 12 String SS Falcate braced Ziricote\spruce guitar.
Replies: 47
Views: 51693

Re: 12 String SS Falcate braced Ziricote\spruce guitar.

Enjoying your progress John. I do miss a good build thread :)
by Nick
Wed May 25, 2016 6:17 am
Forum: Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Design and Build - Trevor Gore
Topic: When will Gore/Gilet books be back in stock?
Replies: 17
Views: 23917

Re: When will Gore/Gilet books be back in stock?

Tommy Emmanuel stepped aboard with an endorsement and the legendary Charles Fox (teacher of guitar building teachers) contributed the Foreword to the 2nd Edition which you can read here . Congratulations Trevor and Gerard, glowing and well earned endorsements indeed from two people who couldn't be ...
by Nick
Tue May 24, 2016 6:27 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Basic body dimensions for a Selmer?
Replies: 15
Views: 17015

Re: Basic body dimensions for a Selmer?

I like the book Building a Selmer Maccaferri Guitar by Michael Collins. It seems fairly complete although I haven't built anything from it. David It's missing a couple of 'lesser' dimensions (soundhole centre is one I can think of) but other than that and with a bit of working out those dimensions,...
by Nick
Tue May 24, 2016 6:20 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Basic body dimensions for a Selmer?
Replies: 15
Views: 17015

Re: Basic body dimensions for a Selmer?

removed double post :oops:
by Nick
Mon May 23, 2016 6:09 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Side Bending Practice
Replies: 11
Views: 13538

Re: Side Bending Practice

Neither HHG or Titebond go off easily in a vacuum. Both glues rely on moisture evaporating which doesn't happen in a vacuum too well, my understanding (and forgive me if I'm trying to teach grandma how to suck eggs, apart from gluing bridges on, I've never used a vacuum bag clamp) is a Urea based g...
by Nick
Mon May 23, 2016 5:50 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Ken Parker Guitars
Replies: 50
Views: 46439

Re: Ken Parker Guitars

How do your cap screws work Pete? Are they threaded in the block on your outer tube and just push the inner tube up or are you threading into the inner tube?
by Nick
Fri May 20, 2016 9:01 am
Forum: Tutorials
Topic: Harden Up (your chisels)
Replies: 12
Views: 33568

Re: Harden Up (your chisels)

To anybody interested in what is going on in Trevor's process you are essentially annealing the chisel. Cherry red or close to it, is the colour most alloy steels anneal at and then the slower quenching in oil rather than water, avoids thermal shock to the steel thereby allowing the molecules in the...
by Nick
Thu May 19, 2016 5:54 am
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: 2 mandolins
Replies: 6
Views: 9708

Re: 2 mandolins

Class........Nuff said. :cl :cl :cl :cl
by Nick
Thu May 12, 2016 6:14 am
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: Tiger Myrtle and Ancient Sitka Tenor
Replies: 3
Views: 6026

Re: Tiger Myrtle and Ancient Sitka Tenor

I don't usually like Tiger Myrtle but DAMN! You make it look sexy with your timber combinations and finish! (what gloss level are you using on this one Allen? Sometimes it looks like a 30% then other shots it has a gloss level that looks higher)
by Nick
Thu May 12, 2016 6:02 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Back on ukulele slipped
Replies: 12
Views: 11119

Re: Back on ukulele slipped

Your iron (minus the steam as Ross pointed out!) or a heat gun will do it and also use a warmed up knife or thin paint scraper to get inbetween the side and back plate. As for heat, a medium on the iron and high on the heat gun but make sure you keep both moving over say 150mm of the joint at a time...
by Nick
Wed May 11, 2016 6:11 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Crazy, stupid, archtop style, 6 string bass - how to build it?
Replies: 28
Views: 27199

Re: Crazy, stupid, archtop style, 6 string bass - how to build it?

I think you should still be looking at an X brace style, you need to get as much of that top moving as possible as you'll have lower than normal string energy to get it moving in the first place if you stick with your original intention (Ala Nigel's design) of a vibrating 'stick'. Ladder bracing doe...
by Nick
Tue May 10, 2016 6:17 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Interesting co incidence?
Replies: 5
Views: 6039

Re: Interesting co incidence?

Coincidence :D I was machining the other day and Inadvertently made a kind of tuning fork it was then I thought if you are searching for the perfect Vibrating instrument nature could be the way to go ,we have copied some good gear from nature. The whole world of engineering looks at nature for answ...
by Nick
Fri May 06, 2016 6:34 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Crazy, stupid, archtop style, 6 string bass - how to build it?
Replies: 28
Views: 27199

Re: Crazy, stupid, archtop style, 6 string bass - how to build it?

Ok, Will that involve carving a top? Go on, give it a go! :lol: :lol: :wink: You could carve a top but would maybe involve the purchase of more tools depending on what you currently have and the making of a carving 'cradle' to hold the top while you carve. If you're not up for the extra expense or ...
by Nick
Wed May 04, 2016 6:37 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Crazy, stupid, archtop style, 6 string bass - how to build it?
Replies: 28
Views: 27199

Re: Crazy, stupid, archtop style, 6 string bass - how to build it?

Sorry, re-read this post I'd just spent twenty minutes writing and missed the point of what you were proposing completely so I deleted it! Jeff's right though, with the lower string tension a bass has and a fairly chunky piece of wood that the strings are anchored to driving the top, time the string...
by Nick
Tue May 03, 2016 6:48 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Crazy, stupid, archtop style, 6 string bass - how to build it?
Replies: 28
Views: 27199

Re: Crazy, stupid, archtop style, 6 string bass - how to build it?

Hi Pete, interesting project. Are you planning on suspending the pickups or mounting them to the soundboard? If you plan on cutting holes in the top and mounting them to it then that bridge pickup will bugger up the typical 'acoustics' of an archtop as it breaks the continuity of the plate as a sing...
by Nick
Tue Apr 26, 2016 8:55 am
Forum: Anything Goes
Topic: Global alert to high profile musicians....
Replies: 4
Views: 7855

Re: Global alert to high profile musicians....

re Prince....the guy is actually a very underrated guitarist. You don't see him at his best on most of his videos but if you scout around Youtube there are some clips of some blistering guitar work. Not only guitar but a talent on so many other instruments, not just able to play them but play them ...
by Nick
Tue Apr 19, 2016 9:26 am
Forum: Anything Goes
Topic: Latest titebond
Replies: 0
Views: 12391

Latest titebond

Not a glue I'd initially consider for luthiery (hence why I posted this here and not in the builders forum or tute section) until I've had a chance to use/try it but here's a quick review by some old geezer.

youtu.be/
by Nick
Tue Apr 19, 2016 5:53 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Maple and Spruce archtop
Replies: 22
Views: 27046

Re: Maple and Spruce archtop

Looking good as ever Rod, is that one of them new fangled finger sized chainsaws in the second pic? :wink:
by Nick
Fri Apr 15, 2016 6:16 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: How much time does it take you to build an Acoustic?
Replies: 12
Views: 13528

Re: How much time does it take you to build an Acoustic?

1. I work full time (on a different vocation) so when I'm in full build mode it can be 4-5 hours in the evenings and the same on a Saturday so roughly 24-30 hrs/week for three months so between 285-360 hours 2. No there hasn't been a point for me because as my skills have increased I've found new fe...
by Nick
Thu Apr 14, 2016 6:31 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: cleaning instruments.
Replies: 2
Views: 3924

Re: cleaning instruments.

All I've ever done was give them a wipe down with a lint free cloth after playing them, I used to wipe down each individual string to as I have quite corrosive perspiration but when I was gigging I was changing them that often anyway that I stopped doing that part of the process . Treat the fingerbo...
by Nick
Thu Apr 07, 2016 6:01 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: 12 String SS Falcate braced Ziricote\spruce guitar.
Replies: 47
Views: 51693

Re: 12 String SS Falcate braced Ziricote\spruce guitar.

Excellent! Thanks John for documenting this, I will watch with interest. I have a Ziricote set (along with a nice bit of bearclaw for the top) waiting to become a twelve string and I had heard about the Ziricote being a pain to bend, but your documentation has eased my mind quite a bit. :wink:
by Nick
Thu Mar 31, 2016 8:37 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Australian Guitar Tonewood - Closing Down
Replies: 6
Views: 8189

Re: Australian Guitar Tonewood - Closing Down

Sad news Jeremy, I haven't purchased anything from you but knowing the quality of your builds I know that the timbers you sold would only be of a top quality nature. But good luck with your move, it's only when you shift that you realise just how much crap you've accumulated over the years! :shock:
by Nick
Wed Mar 30, 2016 6:55 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: We are hiring
Replies: 4
Views: 5169

Re: We are hiring

Listening to 80's hair bands is a perk? .... Def Leopard + Twisted Sister tracks on constant rotation, not to mention trying to set intonation with the intro section for "hot for teacher" blasting over the stereo :lol: :lol: :D
by Nick
Wed Mar 30, 2016 6:45 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: What is "Hand Made"
Replies: 72
Views: 64277

Re: What is "Hand Made"

Hand made is such a broad term used these days. Back before steam and the industrial revolution hand made meant just that, one person making either one particular part or the whole damn shootin' box, using hand tools they probably made themselves. Now-a-days where do you draw the line/definition? Pe...
by Nick
Wed Mar 23, 2016 6:18 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Stewmac book and plan sale
Replies: 7
Views: 9280

Re: Stewmac book and plan sale

Are the trade secrets books worth it? I've got them (2 volumes) and they're full of lots of useful tips and tricks, in these days of google, youtube & forums, most are probably available with a bit of a search but it's handy having them all together at your workbench in two books. It's been some ye...