Search found 452 matches

by Dave White
Sat Feb 26, 2011 4:21 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar
Replies: 69
Views: 64609

Re: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar

Next the bottom of the bridge is profiled to match the top’s curvature: http://www.defaoiteguitars.com/userimages/fang167.jpg The bridge is thicknessed to 9mm from the top surface, the saddle slot positions marked and then routed with a 3mm bit using this jig. Two angled templates are used for strin...
by Dave White
Thu Feb 24, 2011 6:18 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar
Replies: 69
Views: 64609

Re: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar

There’s been a long gap here but I’ve had to start making a guitar that will be my sister-in-law’s 50th birthday present and her birthday is in early March. This guitar is at the “finishing” stage so now “Fangorn” can move on again at the same time. Next job is to work out where the bridge will be a...
by Dave White
Wed Jan 26, 2011 12:16 am
Forum: Anything Goes
Topic: Help Find A Book for me
Replies: 10
Views: 9069

Re: Help Find A Book for me

Good news - Debbie has managed to find a copy from a seller in Hivesville, Queensland. Thanks again for all your responses and kind offers.
by Dave White
Mon Jan 24, 2011 9:08 pm
Forum: Anything Goes
Topic: Help Find A Book for me
Replies: 10
Views: 9069

Re: Help Find A Book for me

Thanks Guys - fantastic repsonse!! Kim - thanks for the links, Debbie will investigate. She has had the book as a "want" with a number of Australian on-line book sites for a while with no success. Let's see what Karen comes up with and then if there's no joy I'll take up Jeff's kind offer to photoco...
by Dave White
Mon Jan 24, 2011 3:45 am
Forum: Anything Goes
Topic: Help Find A Book for me
Replies: 10
Views: 9069

Help Find A Book for me

My wife is trying without success to find the following Australian book:

"Aboriginal Technology: Fibre Craft" by Alex Barlow, 1992 MacMillan Ed.

If anyone there can get hold of a copy for me I'd be really grateful and will send Australian dollars to cover the purchase cost and postage to the UK.
by Dave White
Thu Jan 13, 2011 8:29 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar
Replies: 69
Views: 64609

Re: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar

Kim- thanks.

Nick - definitely have a go at a harp guitar, theyr'e great fun!!

Allen - do you mean like this one:
ferd194.jpg
ferd194.jpg (111.23 KiB) Viewed 22555 times
I documented the build here on The Luthier Community Forum.
by Dave White
Thu Jan 13, 2011 7:03 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar
Replies: 69
Views: 64609

Re: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar

Thanks Nick, When the glue has tried the neck shaft is trimmed flush with the fingerboard using a block plane, chisel and cabinet scraper. Then it’s into the jig and the 2mm side dot marker holes drilled: http://www.defaoiteguitars.com/userimages/fang149.jpg The white plastic rod is then glued in wi...
by Dave White
Sat Jan 08, 2011 9:56 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar
Replies: 69
Views: 64609

Re: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar

The pieces for the heel are glued using fish glue: http://www.defaoiteguitars.com/userimages/fang130.jpg Then the mortice is routed in the body to take the fingerboard extension support of the neck: http://www.defaoiteguitars.com/userimages/fang131.jpg http://www.defaoiteguitars.com/userimages/fang1...
by Dave White
Tue Dec 28, 2010 4:35 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar
Replies: 69
Views: 64609

Re: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar

Time to get the binding jig out – the top and back are routed for the depth of the binding, then the depth is increased to allow for the side purfling and the top and back re-routed stopping short at the end graft and hollow arm ends where the side purfling needs to be mitred. Using a chisel the pur...
by Dave White
Fri Dec 10, 2010 7:43 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar
Replies: 69
Views: 64609

Re: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar

Next job is to glue in the 6mm carbon fibre rod flying buttress braces and side braces for the hollow arm peghead, and the carbon bar struts – hopefully this will keep the hollow arm rigid under the sub-bass string pull: http://www.defaoiteguitars.com/userimages/fang97.jpg http://www.defaoiteguitars...
by Dave White
Tue Dec 07, 2010 10:35 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Weissenborn Copy Build
Replies: 44
Views: 36949

Re: Weissenborn Copy Build

Bob, Looking good. That's an interesting bracing pattern. Are you going to have intersecting braces through the three finger braces - the lines parallel to the X braces on your top? I would have thought that this would make the lower bout edges on the stiff side given the proximity to the rim-set. A...
by Dave White
Tue Dec 07, 2010 10:29 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Lute Progress -
Replies: 222
Views: 163881

Re: Lute Progress - Test runs for cutting the rosette

Martin, That's looking really good. You've got more patience than me - I just did a small part of the practice one and then went straight at the top :oops: It's one of those tasks that you know when to stop and put it to one side but at other times you can get into "the zone" that repetitive tasks o...
by Dave White
Mon Dec 06, 2010 10:02 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Lap Slide Guitar
Replies: 47
Views: 38551

Re: Lap Slide Guitar

When you look at the top brace pattern on the MIMF plan which is a copy of an orginal weissenborn and see how heavy it is it makes you think it will never work but the guitars sound good. I think the weissenborn top is very different to a standard guitar. I'm not sure that I agree with that - it's ...
by Dave White
Mon Dec 06, 2010 8:36 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar
Replies: 69
Views: 64609

Re: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar

Nick - I'm afraid that my buns are more like jam donuts in their relaxed state :oops: Allen - I probably didn't explain it too well. If you look back at the pictures there is a "disc" of Mad R/w with the rope circle inlaid in it that fits exactly into the side "port hole". This disc was glued onto a...
by Dave White
Mon Dec 06, 2010 7:35 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar
Replies: 69
Views: 64609

Re: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar

Kim - thanks. The last of the linings are glued on: http://www.defaoiteguitars.com/userimages/fang85.jpg http://www.defaoiteguitars.com/userimages/fang86.jpg Now it’s time to make the side soundport. First a 2.5mm circle is routed in a piece of Madagascan Rosewood for a rope purfling ring which is g...
by Dave White
Sat Dec 04, 2010 11:53 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar
Replies: 69
Views: 64609

Re: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar

Rob - thanks. Next the Rio Rosewood bridge plate is glued on using hot hide glue and then the spruce X brace cap is glued on as a rub joint using the same glue: http://www.defaoiteguitars.com/userimages/fang75.jpg http://www.defaoiteguitars.com/userimages/fang76.jpg The ends of the X braces are trim...
by Dave White
Wed Dec 01, 2010 7:55 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar
Replies: 69
Views: 64609

Re: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar

Time to cut the centre out: http://www.defaoiteguitars.com/userimages/fang60.jpg http://www.defaoiteguitars.com/userimages/fang61.jpg http://www.defaoiteguitars.com/userimages/fang62.jpg Now onto the back – I’ve decided to put the centre strips in first this time. In the past I’ve done this after br...
by Dave White
Fri Nov 26, 2010 11:58 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: The first few days of a new guitar's life
Replies: 7
Views: 7393

Re: The first few days of a new guitar's life

Mark, I think that most makers set the neck angle so that without string tension the straight edge is slightly above the top of the bridge rather than at the bridge height as the top will "dome" under string tension and as things settle - you will certainly see movement in the first few days but it ...
by Dave White
Thu Nov 25, 2010 6:11 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar
Replies: 69
Views: 64609

Re: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar

Now Colin Symonds is a good friend and a man of great generosity. When he was making himself a Wells-Karol circle cutting jig he made one for me too and this is the first time I’ve got to play with it – it’s the dog’s b’s !! First task is to route the rosette channels for a circle of “African Wood” ...
by Dave White
Mon Nov 22, 2010 5:34 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar
Replies: 69
Views: 64609

Re: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar

Nick. Martin and Stephen - Thanks. Here’s the rim-set: http://www.defaoiteguitars.com/userimages/fang32.jpg Now for the top – I’m using a Lutz spruce Weissenborn set that I got from Shane Neifer of High Mountain Tonewoods and the edges have been prepared and joined using hot hide glue and the “tent”...
by Dave White
Sun Nov 21, 2010 9:10 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Weissenborn Copy Build
Replies: 44
Views: 36949

Re: Weissenborn Copy Build

Bob, This is the top bracing I used on Colin's: http://www.defaoiteguitars.com/userimages/crk93.JPG http://www.defaoiteguitars.com/userimages/crk109.JPG The X brace angle is around 80° and the bridge plate not huge. Remember that although the string height is more than a normal guitar(but as Jeff sa...
by Dave White
Sat Nov 20, 2010 9:28 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Weissenborn Copy Build
Replies: 44
Views: 36949

Re: Weissenborn Copy Build

Bob,

So you've finally given in :mrgreen:

Treating it like any other guitar from the soundhole down is definitely the right way to go. Just wait until you get to the setup stage - getting the neck angle right is a real bitch :D

I'll be watching with interest.
by Dave White
Sat Nov 20, 2010 3:33 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar
Replies: 69
Views: 64609

Re: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar

Alan - thanks I hope you find it a useful trip. Allen - the end-graft is outside the box, or at least at the edge :mrgreen: Liam - I've done this a few times now on harp guitars and lap-slides as turning these things on end to cut end grafts has it's challenges. Also if your sides are a little short...
by Dave White
Fri Nov 19, 2010 4:35 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar
Replies: 69
Views: 64609

Re: Making a Baritone Harp Guitar

Some more progress: The hollow arm peg-head is to be made from mahogany “scraps” from the Edwardian bureau that has produced wood for a number of my instruments. Firstly four pieces are glued together using fish glue to form the block that goes inside the hollow arm: http://www.defaoiteguitars.com/u...