New Tips du Jour video - Top Thicknessing

[Robbie O'Brien]

The latest Luthier Tips du Jour video is on the air. The topic is Top thicknessing. As always, comments and discussion are welcome.


youtu.be/

[sebastiaan56]

Hi Robbie,

Once again thanks for the video, Succint and useful as always. I would be interested to hear some recordings of the sound changes as you get the soundboard to the desired thickness.

BTW, I couldnt help myself, the only other artist using boards this way was the Australian legend Rolf Harris. Here he is at one of his better moments,

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy5KjaAS7nY

[Robbie O'Brien]

Well, unfortunately the mic on my camera is not high quality enough to pick up the sound. I tried and it didn't work. The good news is that Kent Everett is completing a DVD on top voicing and he discusses in detail this very issue. He also has a sound recording of the top as it is being thicknessed. This DVD should be out in the near future. Until then, the sheet metal in that video you gave the link to is about what it sounds like.

[kiwigeo]

Thanks for the video and the post Robbie.

Like alot of aspects of luthery everyone has their own way of doing things. I dont have a thickness sander and if I did I dont think I would use it to get the top down to final thickness. I also vary thickness across my tops and go a bit thinner around the periphery of the lower bout. Do achieve this I use planes and cabinet scrapers. Its a bit slower than a thickness sander but I feel I have more control over whats going on.

Cheers Martin

[Robbie O'Brien]

Martin,
I also graduate my tops. This can be done for either side. If it is my classical guitar I tend to do it just like you do from the inside. If it is my steel string guitar I tend to do it from the outside.

[Allen]

Good tips there once again Robbie. It would be a real bonus to have the opportunity to thickness that many tops at one time to see the difference in each of them. Something I'm afraid very few of us will get the opportunity to do though.