How about a Gallery Forum???

[seeaxe]

Dear Bob and other Forum Moderators

Just a suggestion..........

There are so many stunning guitars and good photos of them to boot on this forum that it would be nice to be able to find them all quickly when some serious guitar porn is required....instead of tooling around the various threads trying to remember where you saw that fantastic OM, Hesh's blacktop, Nicks latest selmer or some gobsmakingly gorgeous eleckertrickal.

Could be a separate forum just for posts of your latest and greatest, when finished, of course????. (We do already have lots of great work in progress threads)

As I say, just a suggestion

[kiwigeo]

I want a lute forum!

[seeaxe]

Of course, I meant to say, guitar AND lute AND ukulele AND whatever forum..........

[Stu]

Start your own lute forum Martin.

How about Cutelutes.com.yadayada

You could track pics of how the young builder looked at the start and how much he'd aged by the time it was completed. Before and afters.

[Cam]

i think a gallery would be great, for the same reasons you specified. I think it would be better as a thread which has been stickied to the top of the Instrument Builder forum

[Taffy Evans]

Yep, Great idea.

[kiwigeo]

I'm ok with the idea but there has to be one rule...only finished instruments to appear in the gallery. If the instrument is in the construction stage then the pics go in builders forum.

[seeaxe]

Yes, thats what I meant to say (but didnt actually) ...............just hte finished articels like stus telecaterus fantasticus etc etc

[Kim]

I think a gallery would be a good idea as well but I also think some sort of structure would be a good idea such as only completed instruments, sound file is good, but must have no EQ, just miked so we get a good comparison and maybe even a set format for images, ie should be uploaded at full resolution say 600 x 800 pics etc.

Maybe this should be thrown about in the mods section and discussed here as well to see what we all come up with because if we do this right, a gallery could be a great resource. One thing I will say is that I feel it will need some standards if it is to avoid becoming a cluttered unusable mess over time, so think this through folks and submit your ideas over the next few weeks and we will pick it up from there.


Cheers all

Kim

[kiwigeo]

Bribes can be directed to moderators via PM or email.

[Nick]

And don't bother bribing Martin with tonewood......He's sick of the stuff

[kiwigeo]

Not sick of tonewood...just sick. Have had a cold since the weekend.

[Nick]

That's no good Martin, speedy recovery LuteMan.

[kiwigeo]

Methinks a course of leeches might be in order.

[Kim]

Methinks a course of leeches might be in order.

I thought you said you would not be buying any more tonewood from Mario?

[Allen]

And what sort of pictures are we going to want for the gallery? A full front, full back, rosette, headstock, and end graft. Or are we just going to leave it open for whatever shows up?

I'd also suggest that the builders name, and brief description of the instrument be part of the topic name. Much like the MiMF does it. Not just "heres my latest"

[xray]

i think strict guidlines are needed to keep as a reference for making comparisons such as 800x600 photos and standard photo titles such as back front rosette fretboard headplate and one "interesting" part left open to show whatever feature didnt get covered well in the previous shots. Remember that as a resource this would be great, but for bragging rights it could be messy unless structured well. Just my two cents worth. I think your on a winner here well done seeaxe, good idea

[Stu]

I think x-ray has a valid point in being able to pull out a pic or two of interesting or innovative parts of a build. As a resource these should be included I think. In which case, what if these ideas are inside the sealed box and not a part of the standard photos of the back, front, h'stock....

I think the types of pics should be left open but a set photo limit applied.
A standard pic. size a must though.
With this you'll obviously get the obligatory shots plus a few for macro
shots of fine detail and the like.

I reckon maybe 8 shots max.

EG. Back, front, headstock, rosette, end graft , full shot plus two open
for areas of interest.


cheers, Stu

[kiwigeo]

Id prefer to keep it casual and without strict guidelines and limitations on types and size of shots. The only rule is it has to be a finished instrument.

[seeaxe]

Over to you who must be obeyed, but the more rules you have, the more someone has to check they are being followed and that must mean more work for moderators. I did not intend to make more work for anyone. So minimum number of "rules" (like, none) would be good.

With greatest respect to the many very amazing and talented guitar builders on this forum, please please please lets not cramp people's style by having to have head shot and profile, non EQ sound clip etc etc. These should all be optional. The photos that people put up of their instruments are in themselves amazing and works of art - the pics of Stus Tele are a case in point. Not just a stellar guitar, but great photos too.

I just like looking at everyones pictures of their cool guitars and lutes and double basses and charangos (haven actually seen one yet though) and ukuleles and eleckertrickals. There are truckloads on this forum and I think it would be great to have them in one place. Thats really all I was suggesting.

maybe we should draw the line at banjos though.................

Cheers!!

[Allen]

Yep, from memory, there's not much in the way of an end graft on a lute.

Before, or after Banjo's?

I'm not sure if we can have strict image dimensions as a workable solution. It seems that when you crop an image to get rid of the rubbish, it's going to be difficult to hold to a standard size in both horizontal and vertical dimensions.

[kiwigeo]

Lutes have something better than an end graft...its called a back strap.

Yep, from memory, there's not much in the way of an end graft on a lute.

[Bob Connor]

Lutes have something better than an end graft...its called a back strap.

That anything like a jock strap?

I've set up the new section and shifted a few finished threads in there just to give it the lived in look.

If there are any others that need shifting, give one of the mods a hoi .

[Kim]

I am not keen on seeing post within the gallery full of questions that should have been answered as a matter of course by the author so I still feel we need some structure in this or we may as well just go with what we already have in the open build forum.

I think that a basic format is not too much to ask in a show case area like a gallery where we should have an into explaining why the builder chose make the particular instrument, the material and or method used in construction and a general listing of specs such as scale length, bracing pattern, tuners etc.

We already have an open building forum where one can post anything one likes about their build without any real restrictions and that is how it should be. But if we are to utilize a gallery as a future resource I think it is quite reasonable to have some basic standardizations.

The idea of having a specified image resolution is not only for comparisons, it will also assist to avoid the need for the viewer to scroll back and forth to read text because the author wanted to show a HUGE image of that rosette detail etc. Resolution would not need to be exact just as long as it follows the basic guide line of say 600 x 800 would do the trick and having some restriction will at least provide the moderators the freedom to re-size as required without any hard feelings.

The suggestion of an agreed method of recording for the gallery clips is to assist viewers to have 'some' reference point of what it is they are listening to. It is not suggested that one MUST have a sound file to post in the gallery, rather that if one does, it should reflect the sound of the instrument being showcased rather than the pickups/pre-amp/effects pedal/amp/editing software, etc, etc, etc. This is of course assumed to be for acoustic instruments, for the electrics a simple clean and dirty comparison would work.

Once again, no restriction is being suggested for the main forum, but if a gallery is to be an accurate reflection of our work which will benefit the broader ANZLF and lutherie community, then 'some' basics guides will assist in achieving this goal.

Lets keep the ideas coming and get this right.

Cheers

Kim

[John Maddison]

... I've set up the new section ...

Good work, Bob ... it's nice to have all of these finished gems under one roof.