When not working on guitars...

[Taffy Evans]

When I not working on guitars…
A while before covid kicked in a guy asked me to build him a Cigar Box Guitar. I thought, a what???. I had never seen one, but I knew what a box looked like and how to build a guitar. Easy Peezy.
Long story short-ish. I did a bit of research, and I was amazed at the prices some “name” builders were asking. And come to mention it, how bad some people built them. I built three guitars to find out how to get the best sound, then I built my customers. I Charged him less than half of the prices he was quoted. When covid started things went a bit quiet so I started building more. Here’s a different one…

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The traditional way was to use found materials, and that was the inspiration for this slide guitar. The challenge for me was to utilise guitar-building techniques in an effort to get the most responsive, pleasing sound box guitar I could. This is not one of those…

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No acoustic quality in this build, it’s electric mainly. DiMarzio “Brian May” pickup.

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Also through the COVID years, I had enough spare time [and no motorbikes to ride anymore] to build all sorts of instruments. There was a craft store in town that moved quite a few instruments for me. This bunch of banjos was built at that time.

A Minstrel 5-string banjo, a 5-string Cigar box style banjo, a wood top 5-string banjo, a piccolo banjo, and a modified wood top banjo mandolin. It now sounds more like a mandolin than a banjo.
Cheers Taff…Sorry about the banjoes. Hahaha.

[kiwigeo]

Yeah mate youre flying close to the line putting up pics of banjas on this forum!!

[Taffy Evans]

Hi Martin, damn, I thought long and hard about posting the banjoes, but I thought the wood top one would give me a pass as it has a thin cedar top with guitar-style bracing .

Over the years I have built many different types of stringed instruments, whatever a customer commissions I'll build it. At least a couple of times, anyway. However, it got hard to find space for all the patterns, molds, and jigs so nowadays I just stick with guitars. So no more banjo photos... unless I'm flooded with requests.

I have built the following instruments over the years, mainly at a customer's request. some I enjoy others I don't.
Mountain Dulcimers, Stick Dulcimers, Hammered Dulcimers, mandolins, Acoustic Guitars, Electric Guitars, Lap slide Guitars, Resonator guitars [acoustic and solid body], Irish Bouzouki's, Ba*%#'s, Violins [none Traditional], Uke's, and stand up Stick Bass's.

I also have a stack of old English-type instrument plans if anybody is interested, Psatry, small harps, etc, I don't want to be tempted.
Cheers Taff

[Andos]

Hi Taff,
How much for the harp plans? They’ll be well out of temptations way over here. And I even have a wee lass asking me to make one for her.
Cheers
Andy

[Taffy Evans]

Hi Andy, thanks for your interest. I have just gone through the roll of plans and there was not much there on harps, but you are welcome to what is pictured here if useful. You would be able to get further details off of the net, maybe. No charge, I could mail them to you.

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Taff

[Andos]

Hi Taff,
Sorry for the late reply.
I found an online site has a set of building instructions and a full set of plans. I’ve bought a set of plans and instructions off him. Sligo harps if anyone is interested.
The lyre though, those plans I’d love to get off you.
I’m in NZ so postage won’t be cheap. I’ll pm you with my addy and get the price of postage and the plans off you.
Cheers
Ando

[kiwigeo]

Website address for Sligo Harps: https://www.sligoharps.com/

[Taffy Evans]

Hi andos, I’m glad you got the harp info you was looking for. Unfortunately a customer saw the plans I had and took them off me. Sorry about that.

[kiwigeo]

Unfortunately a customer saw the plans I had and took them off me. Sorry about that.

The Police took the plans off you? Harp squad?

[Taffy Evans]

Hi, Martin I don't wish to harp on it but are you calling me a lyre?
Taff

[kiwigeo]

Hi, Martin I don't wish to harp on it but are you calling me a lyre?
Taff

I don't think I like the intonation of that statement.

[Andos]

Sweet as Taff, don’t fret over it.

[Taffy Evans]

I feel a bit of a nut, really.
Taff

[kiwigeo]

You wouldnt be stringing us along would you Taff?

[Taffy Evans]

Hi, i'll put that comment to one side and try to get on top of things....so brace yourself...
Taff

[kiwigeo]

Hi, i'll put that comment to one side and try to get on top of things....so brace yourself...
Taff

Careful what you say.....we don't want a cross brace

[Andos]

Time you guys built a bridge and got over it.

[kiwigeo]

Time you guys built a bridge and got over it.

I don't think it fair that I should be saddled with that responsibility.

[Andos]

Play another tune, you handle it well.

[Taffy Evans]

Hi, all your comments resonate with me, everybody is very responsive.
Taff