Beginners nightmare

[Dave M]

Well after the usual delays and scares along the way I eventually finished the Fleta style classical that I started some months ago. I started before I had absorbed the Gore Gilet book so didn't follow their methodology fully but pretty much stuck to their design.

I strung it up. It was very 'dry' in sound. It had good separation. It had not bad balance. BUT it had no volume!

Was I disappointed - yes. Was I sunk in despair -no. I thought I can work this out. I measured the spectra from top and back. I reread the relevant chapters of the book. I practiced shaving braces on a previous build ready to reduce the stiffness of this top. I played with adding mass to the top to see if clashes of resonant frequencies were a problem.

I sat and thought. I sulked! I went and did something else.

Then I thought I would just check that I had put in the lower transverse brace the right way, and that the flying bit was in the right place.

And just look at what I found:

I'm sure this must have happened to many a builder but as a beginner this was a big deal.

I still don't know if it is great guitar but at least it's not a terrible one!

So a much happier hobbit after a cold miserable winter day in the UK.


Dave

[simonm]

Been there. Done that…

Maybe we need T-shirts.

[charangohabsburg]

Great find!
I have read that such things even happen to surgeons, which lets me conclude you've got the ticket to charge a premium for your guitars.

[Nick]

A classic ( ) example of what too much bridge mass can do to the sound! Good find Dave and glad it's not the Lemon you thought it was

[kiwigeo]

I've NEVER done anything as silly as that!!!

[mooshalah]

My specialty is leaving big lumps of Blu-Tack!

[Jim watts]

Yeah, I bet everybody's done that. I know I have.

[kiwigeo]

Nah...NEVER done that either