Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Hey everyone, haven't been around in a while. Just finished up school and this is the result.

Top and neck: port orford cedar (lawson cypress) with padauk laminates in the neck.
Back / sides: black walnut.
Fingerboard is macassar ebony, tailpiece and headcap are, erm, some other variety of ebony. Some sort of walnut for the bridge, I don't remember where i found the wood for that!

For a little fun I built it with an adjustable neck like those old '30s Kay Krafts.





Hello!

This is, hmm, my second or third acoustic build? After the first guitar there's this one and also an A-style mandolin I've been building at the same time, though that little guy's not finished.

I should also maybe point out the thing hasn't been buffed yet--leveled the build coats with 400 grit and sprayed a handful more coats with the lacquer thinned by about 35%. In a few weeks once it's gassed off enough and I can find the time I should have 'er all shined up.

Looks nice enough in it's 'satin' state Nate (geez, try saying that after a few Fanta's!) that it's really going to move up yet another step once you've buffed it out. I like what you've done here, how have you braced the top? How is the tailpiece fixed? So many points of interest to ask about!! I like the neck timber combination
I've never seen that neck adjustment system before, maybe I'm not old enough?!! is it just a wedge type of arrangement, would you care to elaborate for us Luddites?
Would be really cool to see some "in progress" shots.
Have I said I like this guitar?

Nick wrote:Looks nice enough in it's 'satin' state Nate (geez, try saying that after a few Fanta's!) that it's really going to move up yet another step once you've buffed it out. I like what you've done here, how have you braced the top? How is the tailpiece fixed? So many points of interest to ask about!! I like the neck timber combination
I've never seen that neck adjustment system before, maybe I'm not old enough?!! is it just a wedge type of arrangement, would you care to elaborate for us Luddites?
Would be really cool to see some "in progress" shots.
Have I said I like this guitar?

Thanks Nick! The bracing is a bit similar to the X bracing on a Benedetto arch top (the few out there with sound holes, that is), though I have a much narrower angle--like 75 degrees or so! And they creep up pretty close to the sound hole.

The tailpiece is borrowed a bit from Benedetto as well, just strapped onto the end pin.

The adjustable neck was a bit of a trick. It's a shim of ebony with a 9.5" radius and a guiding track down the center; the neck heel has a reciprocating angle and the thing is just bolted on and loosened/tightened from inside the box (twisting my wrists around in that little sound hole is not the most fun!) Here's a site that shows how it worked on those old Kays (suuuuper cool guitars):
http://littlebrotherblues.com/Gear/Kay-Bolt-Ons-1930s/
I've used two bolts instead of just the one to keep the heel from pulling up over time.

I've got some build progress shots around somewhere, when I have the time I'll try and collect them and post 'em here. My girlfriend and I are heading to California tomorrow for our five year anniversary, so I might not be back with them for a little while.

I take it back, the braces are 77 degrees. Still a pretty shallow angle.

Now that is a bit gorgeous and different. Seems stuff like Harmony and Kay are a bit cool nowadays.

Jim

Just having a second look Nate and I have a question. I assume you have 4 to 1 ratio tuners on there unless you managed to get some of those German made ones that were 16 to 1 or so that are now out of production, how do you find tuning with that low ratio?

Jim

They're rough and fidgety like banjo tuners tend to be, but once you've got it in tune they seem to hold there well enough. They were definitely chosen for aesthetic value.

Yep. I have considered them before, I reckon if you got used to them you could utilise them like a banjo player. It is a shame that company fell apart cause some 16 - 1 banjo types would give you a bit to play with on the headstock of a guitar and maintain your usual tuning.

Jim

Check out this guy for the possibilities of banjo tuners
http://youtu.be/nY7GnAq6Znw

Oh I really dig the look of the guitar too, nice to see something out of the ordinary in an archtop.

Well now that I'm all moved in and have internet access again I thought I would throw up a few more shots from the build progress (and reveal that I've cheated just a little with a CNC). Turns out I didn't take a whole lot of shots! I must have been trying to get the thing finished. But I didn't get off too easy, the inside and all the final graduations of the top had to be done by hand since you can't really trust the CNC to carve the inside; the fixture holding it to the table works by suction and as the top loses thickness it really begins to flex.

Really bummed I no longer have access to that machine now that school is all over done with. All the jigs I could make, all so accurate!

Also visible: what happens if you forget to turn on the dust collector.