Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Hi, Thanks. I thought it was probably OK, and when I thought about it after your replies, it made sense. Using the template makes fret slot cutting very simple, no measuring, just slide the template to the next stop and cut. Nick, I'm a slow builder as it is, I'd be glacially slow if I didn't take a...

Hi, I am (slowly) making a tenor uke, and I was wondering about how to accurately cut the fret slots. I have a stew mac fret slotting jig, and a stew mac fret scale template for Fender guitar scale (25.5"), and I noticed that from the 7th fret on the Fender template is almost exactly the same fret p...

Hi Paul,

Following on what Dennis said, why not get a wireless headphone setup for the TV? Then you can play a "normal" guitar, and the person sitting next to you can still hear the TV (through headphones - better stereo!)

Thanks,
GregL.

Just got the violin makers plane in the mail (after a mix-up with my address). Tiny, but decent heft, nice blade (flat, not curved), felt good on a test cut on some Lutz spruce.
Thanks,
GregL.

I think it looks great, Nick. I just love the neck, that figure is fabulous!

GregL.

Hi Allen,

Yes I did get it direct off Terrys shelf! I'm only 15 minutes from his workshop.

GregL.

Cool! How does it sound? My grandfather made a banjo mandolin in the 1920's, and I was fascinated by that when I was a kid.

GregL.

Thanks Markus. Now I know how to upload pictures!

Thanks Steve. I saved up my pennies and finally got that HNT Gordon Trying plane (in beautiful ringed gidgee) - it works well on the shooting board.

GregL.

Hi Tod,

Thanks for that. I don't see the "upload picture" button indicated in that tute, I think it's because I haven't posted enough here.
Martin (kiwigeo) has offered to post the photo for me.

Thanks,
Greg.

Hi, I've just finished making a shooting board that is 2 months too late for Steve, but maybe still of interest. I only had plywood and a few brush box floorboards handy, so that's what I used. The photo shows the shooting board in use on a pair of Shane Neifers "Low Grade Lutz" top halves (21cm x 5...

Hi Ro,

I only have the small one, I haven't even seen the larger one "in the flesh" so to speak. The small one is great, comfortable, smaller radius curved sole - small enough for a uke neck curves. I seem to recall Jeremy (J. F. Custom) saying it was "designed with a nod to luthiers".

GregL.

Hi Nick,

Me too! Hope it's not just us folk in NENSW!

GregL.
near Lismore.

Hi Ro, If you mean the small spokeshave from HNT Gordon (http://www.hntgordon.com.au/prodsmallcurvedspokeshave.htm), I've got one (ringed gidgee, HSS blade) and it's great, I carved a uke neck with it, it would (will) be fine to carve a guitar neck. I'm not associated with HNT Gordon, just a satisfi...

Hi Nick,

Great jig idea!

Off topic, but I love the Iceman! How long have you had it?

Thanks,
GregL.

Hi Rob, Can you look at the underside of the top - maybe with a little mirror? You might get a better idea what the top wood is? I'm guessing that Western Red cedar has been used on some Martin guitars (sorry Jeffhigh). I have seen several Western Red cedar topped Martins mentioned on the internet, ...

Hi Eric,

What size are you thinking about making?
Yeah, raining today in Lismore.

Thanks,
GregL.

Here are a couple of URLs to get you started:
http://www.martinguitar.com/index.php?o ... &Itemid=10
http://www.martinguitar.com/index.php?o ... &Itemid=18
http://www.vintagemartin.com/sizes.html

Thanks,
GregL.

Hi Alan,

The guitar looks great! I love the figure in the Blackwood, and it seems like it sounds good too, from your sons usage!
I hope to build an all Blackwood guitar one day, do you have any dimensions you could share? Top thickness, bracing sizes, etc?

Thanks,
GregL.

Great looking guitar! The wood looks like monkey pod to me - Albizia saman - found in South America, South East Asia, Pacific Islands, and other places - including in Guanacaste in Costa Rica (hence the common name mentioned by Stephen).

Thanks,
GregL.

Hi anzlf, Thanks for the welcome! And for all the information. As much as I like the thought of an all fiddleback Blackwood guitar, I can see why it may not make an ideal soundboard. I think construction of a Plan B is in order! Just a quick intro to myself, as I impolitely forgot before I posted my...

Hi anzlfers, I love curly Blackwood, and as I've seen a beautiful curly Koa-soundboard guitar in the US (Breedlove I think), I'd like to use curly Blackwood as the soundboard timber on a future build. The strong sense I get here is that curly Blackwood is not a good choice for soundboard, but is the...