Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Hello,
i have recently finished my first guitar build, it was a one off project, but it came out sounding great, so i may build more.

Specs:

Soundboard: Spruce - Italian Alps. hand split master grade
Back and sides, and bridge, East Indian Rosewood, premium grade - 30 years dry
Neck-Spanish Cedar, Spanish heel design
Fretboard - African Ebony
Rosette - 1912 Ramirez replica (Segovia's guitar) - purchased from Germany
Finish: French polish - Shellac, with gums sandarac, benzoin and mastic.
Soundboard strutting - 7 low profile fan braces, no bridge plate.
Body Resonance - G
Interval between back pitch and soundboard pitch - Major 3rd
Scale - 650mm
nut - 52mm
Both soundboard and back are domed in the traditional Spanish method

I am a guitar player first and formost, and i tried as many great guitars i could before starting my project, including inspecting their bracing and wood thicknessing, and listening to their tap tones.
The guitar has come out better then i expect, but about as good as i wanted. It is a very light guitar, but loud and project, bright, clear and very warm and sweet . great basses. it is incredibly open from day 1.


Soundsample, recorded with a voice recorded - guitar is compared to one of Richard Howell's best, a 2002 Spruce/Brazillian, MY GUITAR is the 2nd guitar in the sample:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/q2c7uci2ypz3g ... t.mp3?dl=0

Not bad for a first guitar! Congratulations.

That looks very sweet. I'd be happy with that - and it is a very impressive first effort. I predict that you will feel the urge to make more.
Cheers
Mark

I'll second Marks comment and yes, guitars are like Tim Tams, you can't stop at just one.

Yep that's a first class effort for a first build...nice work.

Looks like a good job on the French polishing.....excellent!

Wow boy if that's your first effort i can't wait to see your 4 or 5, A truly beautiful guitar i was going to start my first shortly but i am seriously thinking i might build a coffee table or a small box after seeing what you have produced beautiful beautiful
Krzysztof might i ask where you found the additives for your shellac (Sand-rack ect) my e mail is ghbober@bigpond.com
cheers mate and all the very best George

Hi George,
i used a traditional recipe, shellac and ethanol, with mastic, benzoin and sandarac gums added. the gums are very cheap on ebay.

do not build a blody coffee table, just build a guitar, there is plenty of good instruction available, and it is a great journey

Hi Krzysztof thankyou very much I will go and look always been interested in shellac as a finish have spread some French polish on some unsuspecting peace's of wood personally I think there is no better finish Oh God I can feel the knives oh oh no that one is definitely an axe I have used Lacquers, and Urethane's thinners and water based and I must say they all performed as claimed it's just that I like the hand's on of Shellac but the softness and lack of wearability worried me I have observed and I could be wrong bit it seems to me that the more people that get interested in playing and building guitars the less there seam's to be understand about how they should be cared for (I am talking about end users not Luthiers put down that axe hang about that is plain unfair a twelve gauge how can I have any chance of outrunning that some people I ask you )or have I climbed up a wattle again instead of a rosewood boy this is so much fun next week I am going to start learning how to read all the best cheers George