Stringing up a new instrument

[Dave M]

I was doing the very first stringing up of a steel string cutaway that I have just completed the other day.

This is going to sound a bit airy fairy, but it was the most wonderful feeling when an assemblage of pieces of timber changed, as the strings came under tension, into something that felt alive. The box that you've been working on for ages finally turns into a musical instrument.

In a way no matter how good, or not so good, the guitar is that magical moment really justifies the effort.

I wonder if the professional makers among us still get that thrill...?

[peter.coombe]

Yes, absolutely.

[routout]

Yes and I remember the first a fine cabinet door shutting will always sound the same an Instrument on the other hand .

[Dave M]

John that was what was on my mind. As an amateur furniture maker I have enjoyed the pleasure of a completed cabinet or chest of drawers and so on, but the musical instrument is qualitatively different.

[TallDad71]

Absolutely.

I even try and dampen the sounds of all the strings until they are all in place.

Nothing beats those first few days of playing where you knock out your favourites whilst constantly retuning, as Each part of the guitar gets to know the others.

[old_picker]

I get the same feeling with the lowly craft of electric building. I never let it be heard until it is fully set up. The hard thing is to not allow your expectations to cloud your perception of the tone coming off the guitar. What you're hearing as opposed to what you expect to hear may be completely different. worse? better? or just different. The more experienced one becomes the less polarised those two perceptions will become.

My belief is that any instrument built with due care and top grade materials will have an inherent quality that will make it worthy.