Ozzie Built 17" Archtop

[ozziebluesman]

G'day to you all,

This build started over the Christmas holiday break. Mr Benedetto has guided me through the build nicely so far. This was my first go at a cutaway side bend as well. I have gone with a bolt on neck, other than that, I tried to follow his book. His dvds are great and very helpful for someone who has not built one of these guitars before.

Top: Is beautiful Lutz Spruce from Shane at High Mountain
Back and sides: Some straight grained Queensland Maple, sides were short.
Neck: Nicely figured one piece Queensland Maple
Head and Back plate: Tiger Myrtle from Bob Connor. Thanks Bob.
Fingerboard: Ebony from Bob Cefu at R C Tonewoods

Here are a few pictures of progress:





I have enjoyed the build very much thus far. It was daunting at the start but I followed Benedetto's book and so far, so good! The biggest time consuming job was getting the neck joint snug over the neck block and then shaping underneath the fingerboard extension to follow the curve of the top. The sides where not long enough so a piece was added at the butt of the guitar with two thin strips of tiger myrtle to cover up the shortfall. I'm not sure if I will bind the guitar and may go with chamfering around the f holes, the body edges and some sort of sunburst finish. I may do a a inlay at the twelth fret but I like to keep things simple.

Thanks for looking in on my build.

Cheers

Alan

[kiwigeo]

Nice work Alan....

[ozwood]

Awsome build so far Alan ,

Going to be special for sure.

But for god's sake , if you did buy any timber from a supplier not endorsed by ANZLF don't mention it , I'd like to see all of this Build

Hope Padma comes back!!!!! like to see the rest of his.

Cheers,

Paul.

[ozziebluesman]

Cheers Martin.

G'day Paul and thanks for the encouragement. All good fun aye!

Cheers

Al

[kiwigeo]

Hope Padma comes back!!!!! like to see the rest of his.

Cheers,

Paul.

He's posting the thread over on the OLF.......

http://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopi ... 01&t=32415

[Allen]

Looks great so far Alan. And that new workshop is far too tidy mate. Kerry must be cracking the whip so you keep the dust out of the rest of the house.

[Kim]

Very tight and clean Alan...the thing I really like about archies is that even if you could not play them you could just look at them and still be happy...that said, with Shane's lutz sitting on she has a head start towards sounding as good as she looks.

Cheers

Kim

[kiwigeo]

.... but I like to keep things simple.

I like your thinking

[ozziebluesman]

Thanks Allen. I bought a dust extractor recently and still have to hook it up to the machines. They have different dust ports too so it may take some inventiveness. There is a dust issue with the workshop under the same roof as the house so hopefully the extractor will do the trick.

Kim: Thank you too for your comments. I ordered two Lutz Archie tops from Shane in November last year. Shane didn't have any stock so I had to wait till he had something suitable. As usual the tops had the two month ship voyage as well. They are beautiful and well worth the wait. The top is stiff and extremely responsive so I expect it to be a good sounding guitar if I get the rest of the build right.

I'm not a jazz player either but I have been working on some jazz chops in antisipation of demoing this instrument in the future.

Cheers

Alan

[Lillian]

I agree with Kim, archtops are beautiful, sexy even and yours is headed toward being eye candy. I know it is going to sound fantastic.

The older I get the more I appreciate simple. Understated elegance if you will. Everything has to be spot on for it to work.

[P Bill]

Nice work as usual Alan.

[ozziebluesman]

Hi Lillian,

Thanks for your comments! The Archtop is certainly an elegant statement. I love the shape, style along with the humble weissenborn. Both very sexy shapes I feel.

Thanks Bill for you support.

Managed to get the neck fitting nicely so now I'm ready to glue the back up.

Cheers

Alan

[Nick]

Not much more I can add to others comments Alan but I too am loving the nice clean lines of this build, excellent build. Shane's Spruce certainly looks like a beautiful chunk of wood!
What made you go with the parallel bracing (not a criticism just curiousity)? I must admit after building one of each I think I prefer the parallel's tone as a more 'traditional' jazz sound.

[duh Padma]

Really a nice looking build Alan

Hope Padma comes back!!!!! like to see the rest of his.

Cheers,

Paul.

Yo Paul

thank you but me has not gone away...just starting a new thread in a few more days to continue from me left off building.

No matter which of the various luthier forums you go to, my build posts will be the same information.

blessings

[ozziebluesman]

G'day Nick,

Thanks mate for your comments. I went parrallel over Xbrace only for the strength element. Because this is my first go at an archie I need all the strength I can get I've followed Benedetto's specs in the book but every top set is different. I reckon this top is bloody stiff, maybe too stiff but it is better to follow the plan for the first one. I can always thin it down later. Steady as she goes.

This re-curve carve has me puzzled! It looks like a real feel, tap tone measurement thingy. But how deep it too deep? Hmmmmm, I was thinking of maybe carving the back plate re-curve area down to a measured 2.5mm to 3mm before I glue it on. Your thoughts would be appreciated!

G'day du Padma,

Thanks you for your interest in my build. I too would like to see some further progress on your Archtop build in the future. You are certainly a fine craftsman and reading your threads there is always some great wood working method or idea I can plagiarize.

Cheers

Alan

[Nick]

G'day Nick,

Thanks mate for your comments. I went parrallel over Xbrace only for the strength element. Because this is my first go at an archie I need all the strength I can get I've followed Benedetto's specs in the book but every top set is different. I reckon this top is bloody stiff, maybe too stiff but it is better to follow the plan for the first one. I can always thin it down later. Steady as she goes.

This re-curve carve has me puzzled! It looks like a real feel, tap tone measurement thingy. But how deep it too deep? Hmmmmm, I was thinking of maybe carving the back plate re-curve area down to a measured 2.5mm to 3mm before I glue it on. Your thoughts would be appreciated!

Alan

The front recurve is very much a flex & press matter, you have to remember that most of the movement of this plate occurs between the F holes so most of the tuning is done before the recurve is started, in the vids Benedetto is constantly pushing/flexing at the bridge area whilst carving the plate & after the braces have gone in.
If memory serves also (it seems to be getting worse these days!) I think Benedetto stated in his vids that the front recurve is more an aesthetics, graceful curves sort of deal, the back is where the magic happens but having said that, you don't want it 1/2 inch thick! As to how much to take out of the recurve area, I knew what I'd started with (an 1/8th of an inch if I remember correctly or was it 3/16ths on the parallel braced? ) & just kept measuring as I scraped the recurve just to make sure I wasn't going to be leaving it too thin thick Holding it up to the light can be an aid as well, you will see more light coming through the plate in the recurve area, the more you remove the brighter it will get but, like your bacon, you don't want to be able to read the newspaper through it
But to me, these instruments are a real learning experience in 'feeling' what the wood is doing. Constantly flexing, tapping & even running your hand over the plate will produce a sound that tells you how the plate is changing in tone & strength as you work it, it's a really 'organic' experience.
This is how I approach it anyway, others such as Rod or Graham McDonald may have a different approach/idea about this and may wish to correct me?

[matthew]

This re-curve carve has me puzzled! It looks like a real feel, tap tone measurement thingy. But how deep it too deep?

That's why I like curtate cycloids. They're a nice repeatable starting point and the logic behind them is sensible from both the aesthetic and performance points of view.

[duh Padma]

But how deep it too deep?

Too deep is when you break through the wood. Me ruined a few plates till me learned to listen to what the wood she is saying.


blessings

[Lillian]

That's why I like curtate cycloids. They're a nice repeatable starting point and the logic behind them is sensible from both the aesthetic and performance points of view.

Ummmm, Matthew, mind translating that for the rest of us?

[duh Padma]

G'day du Padma,

Thanks you for your interest in my build. I too would like to see some further progress on your Archtop build in the future. You are certainly a fine craftsman and reading your threads there is always some great wood working method or idea I can plagiarize.

Cheers

Alan

Thank you Alan,

crafstman, who me...and fine? you gotta be kidding.

Now regarding this plagiarizing bs....you go ahead and feel free to use anything you find in me posts with my blessings .....we is in the information age now ...just be careful of what you post...the mods are watching.


blessings

[ozziebluesman]

Thanks everyone, some great advice there.

Nick: The top and back are carved to a uniform 3/16ths, 5mm thick. The top is 6mm under the bridge otherwise 5mm all over so I have just followed the book specs. I will watch the dvd closer and try and get a better understanding of the feel creating the re-curve. According to the book the re-curve area is to increase the flexibility of the top and back. If I start out and get the feel of both the top and back flex before I start the re-curve and take it slowly it should work out fine and be one hell of an experience.

Thank you again everyone!

Cheers

Alan

[matthew]

Remember it is the inflexion, the flat part between convex arch and concave edge, that gives the flex. And the cube rule rules!

But you know all that.

[kiwigeo]

Remember it is the inflexion, the flat part between convex arch and concave edge, that gives the flex. And the cube rule rules!

But you know all that.

A few of us don't. I only worked it out by asking my brother who has an Honours Degree in Mathematics.

[ozziebluesman]

Mathew: Hmmmm, must admit I don't understand the cube rule!

I do understand your explanation of the way the plates flex though.

Cheers

Alan

[matthew]

The stiffness of a beam (or any load bearing structure in fact) is a function of the cube root of the beam thickness.

For every amount you add (or subtract), the stiffness increases (or decreases) by that amount cubed.

The maths is a little confusing and not really necessary.

All you really need to know is that a small change makes a bigger difference than you think.