on the workbench...

Talk about musical instrument construction, setup and repair.

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Daniel_M
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on the workbench...

Post by Daniel_M » Mon Sep 05, 2011 10:00 am

Hi,

I just thought that I might share a couple of things on the workbench at the moment....sorry about the way the pictures are around :)

This is a harp guitar currently in for a complete resto. There is a lot of cracking in the sides and the top is in pretty bad shape - we were talking about putting a completely new top on but the issue is the hand made rossettes - which will blow out the hours to remake them. It is dated at around 1903.
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Here is a bunya top that I did the inlay work on Sat night after a few beers - It is my top not a customer's!. I made the snake purely because the piece of lace sheoak I had wasn't big enough.
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this is a 73 les paul custom that had a tremolo put in - I don't know why...it was the 80's everyone was doing it :) ha ha ha. Anyway the headstock was in just as bad a shape so that has been restored and the figureboard was largely replaced and rebound. :)
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Oh I thought that you guys might find this interesting. we had a US Steinberger that needed the neck replaced and a set up. the orginal had warped! upside down miss jane - sorry.
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here is a prototype bass - Sass and Vic Ash - it is chambered to keep the weight down. Already sold! so need to get it finished.
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Some other odds and ends... A early 70's tele in for a refret and resto on a PRS. As well as the little '78 808 (whose neck is being a pain in the bottom).
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kiwigeo
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Re: on the workbench...

Post by kiwigeo » Mon Sep 05, 2011 10:12 am

Thanks for the pics Daniel...a few challenging repair jobs there.
Martin

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Nick
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Re: on the workbench...

Post by Nick » Mon Sep 05, 2011 11:41 am

I'm liking the snake rosette Daniel, I may even pinch the idea for a later build although it probably won't be a snake (Gecko or something similar). Good job my partner doesn't play or I'd be doing a snake guitar for her, she loves the damn things :roll: . You've certainly got a bit on the go at the moment!
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Daniel_M
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Re: on the workbench...

Post by Daniel_M » Mon Sep 05, 2011 11:50 am

thanks Nick,

As I mentioned the snake was a function of not having a big enough piece of sheoak - it was actually meant for the headstock. The binding around the snake was a result of making the routing for the snake a little large in one spot (it was OK when I started but after a few pear ciders I became less focused), and I wasn't going to make another snake. I think that is turned out OK in the end sort of looks a little 'aboriginal art'ish with the black and white binding.

:)

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Re: on the workbench...

Post by kiwigeo » Mon Sep 05, 2011 12:26 pm

Daniel_M wrote: The binding around the snake was a result of making the routing for the snake a little large in one spot (it was OK when I started but after a few pear ciders I became less focused)

:)
Surprised you were able to find your router and work out how to turn it on after a few pear ciders :lol:
Martin

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stopper
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Re: on the workbench...

Post by stopper » Mon Sep 05, 2011 2:11 pm

That looks like nice bunya Daniel, The type that might perform well as discussed in another thread recently. How thick is it?

cheers
Steve

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Daniel_M
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Re: on the workbench...

Post by Daniel_M » Mon Sep 05, 2011 3:19 pm

:lol: :wink:

It is a nice piece and was sourced from our very our Tim Spittle as was the sheoak, pacific blackwood and the Sheoak B&S. I think that it is one of the nicest and more traditional looking pieces of bunya I have seen. I am using bunya for the bracing as well.

I think that I took it down to 3 mm in the first instance - it is probably about 2.7mm at the moment - given the sanding for the rosette. I think that it has some way to go given that it is still a little stiff. To be honest I don't have a figure in mind and will continue to take it down until it feels right. I expect that it will finish up about 2.5 mm or maybe a fraction less. I am using a big double drum sander from Hare & Forbes which is amazingly 'accurate and precise' - talking 0.05mm or less off per pass (that is how the gauge is reading anyway). I think that the first drum is 80 the second is 120. Saves me destroying the top with a plane :lol:

having said all that it did bleed a little into the wood when I was gluing in the rossette althought it was really tough - a piece of Spruce would have been crushed at the edges of the rosette. I wasn't being particularly gentle given it was bunya and knowning how tough it is. :)

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Re: on the workbench...

Post by Kamusur » Mon Sep 05, 2011 4:17 pm

Copy and imitation is sincere flattery and I'm with Nick on the Rosette and snake what a great steal !
Top stuff Daniel it looks fantastic.

Steve

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Daniel_M
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Re: on the workbench...

Post by Daniel_M » Mon Sep 05, 2011 4:29 pm

Thanks gents, it means a lot. :oops:

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charangohabsburg
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Re: on the workbench...

Post by charangohabsburg » Mon Sep 05, 2011 9:23 pm

Now that's an impressive load of repair jobs!

If I were you I would do everything to save the original top of the harp guitar and restore the instrument rather than repair it. A new top would devalue such an old and nice instrument.
Markus

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Re: on the workbench...

Post by MBP » Mon Sep 05, 2011 9:43 pm

Are you going to re top the LP?

They should keep you occupied for quite a while

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auscab
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Re: on the workbench...

Post by auscab » Mon Sep 05, 2011 10:18 pm

looks like you have a good amount of work Daniel,
the Snake is great.

The harp Guitar is nice to, I like the headpiece for the harp on it, a lot of them have that sort foot looking thing that reminds me of Picasso paintings .

Whats the make of the steel string down the bottom ? I saw an older style Washburn on eBay two weeks back that had a similar looking bridge.is that the 78 808 ?

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Re: on the workbench...

Post by MBP » Mon Sep 05, 2011 10:31 pm

The 808 is a maton.

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auscab
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Re: on the workbench...

Post by auscab » Mon Sep 05, 2011 11:11 pm

MBP wrote:The 808 is a maton.
Thanks MBP

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Daniel_M
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Re: on the workbench...

Post by Daniel_M » Tue Sep 06, 2011 9:22 am

Hi Gents,

The LP top will have to have something done to it - I don't think that just filling with maple will be good enough as the nitro may potentially show the join over time (depending on how it is done) – one potential option may be to use a thin slice of maple veneer just to stop it sinking; whilst re-topping has some advantages there are a couple of disadvantages mostly removing the original binding and then re-carving the top – which is a lot of work :). I think that it would be nice to keep it as original as possible – don’t might the swimming pool size hole in the back which will be refilled with mahogany, the new binding, pickups, bridge, electronics, machine heads…..ha ha ha ha :)

If I remember correctly it is a ‘73 custom. It has been hit with some sort of stripper to remove the paint and this has affected the binding. The headstock binding is original and come up nice after a bit of work – there was no binding on the neck so this is all new and will have to be ‘aged’. The plan is to bring it back to ‘original’ as much as possible and then move it on. We are keeping a picture log so any future customer knows what they are purchasing.

Sorry Auscab, as MBP rightly pointed out it is a Maton. Apparently 1978 is the first year that they produced 808s – according to Maton anyway. In comparison to some of the stuff around now, it would be likely considered a middle to upper-low range acoustic in terms of specs. It has laminated back and sides but solid top… this particular one needs a neck reset – hence the reason there are a few of the higher frets missing and drill holes. It has been hit with steam but is putting up a good fight. But after seeing Warren re-top and remove the necks on an ovation double neck I am positive that we will get it off with out much hassle. For the ovation, the guys from a Bon Jovi show wanted a replica made of Richie Sambora’s ovation. You know the one, star inlays, black very 80s – given all the epoxy, that thing took some steam, us swinging of the necks and time! Again this is a shop guitar – and I actually want to keep this one. But it might find a new home :(

We get a through a few older Matons some of the early stuff have construction techniques that would not be employed today – like a bolt on neck construction without the bolts but 2 dows inserted longitudinally and then the whole thing glued. Understandably, it had failed and had evidence of previous repairs – this was on a weird 335 type thing.

Charangohabsburg, you are right mate, keeping the original top would be great – the only issue near the bridge is it wafer thin in a couple of spots – so some patching/bracing will be in order. Apparently the story is that the instrument has been in the family since new so has sentimental value.

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H3ytm@n
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Re: on the workbench...

Post by H3ytm@n » Tue Sep 06, 2011 11:21 am

Loving that Harp Guitar Daniel.
You'll have to keep the forum up to date with your progress.
Mike

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Re: on the workbench...

Post by DarwinStrings » Tue Sep 06, 2011 2:04 pm

G'day Daniel. Could you tell me what all the text on the label of the harp guitar says, I can't make it out in the pic.

Jim

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Re: on the workbench...

Post by Kamusur » Tue Sep 06, 2011 8:56 pm

Markus is right definitely save the top at all costs.

Steve

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