archtops?

xray · Post by **xray** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:14 pm

I was just overseas in the Official Luthier Forum site and there seems to be alot of interest around the Archtop process and a dedicated forum page for it. I reckon it would be a great addition to this forum as i have always been interested in the process. Has anyone built one or had experience with the dvd's or plans of one? im keen but it seems like a word that we dont mention much and i was wondering if it is mentioned do you need to place coins in a jar somewhere?

What do you guys think?
Also wood rodent from the hastings area. Have you ever made contact with Bryan F from wauchope who makes archies and violins yet? I used to live there and the guy is pretty switched on?

Bob Connor · Post by **Bob Connor** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:26 pm

There's no Archtop forum over at the OLF Xray.

People have asked about Ukelele forums and electric guitars forums etc before but the straight answer is that we don't have enough members to justify seperating the forum into dozens of sub-sections.

Gets fairly confusing as well.

Discussions on this have come up before and it has usually been agreed that it is better to keep all manner of builders in the one area as we can all learn from each other.

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:04 pm

bob wrote: it is better to keep all manner of builders in the one area as we can all learn from each other.

And its easier keeping the stirrers like Kim and Hesh under control if we keep 'em all together in the same pen.

Hesh1956 · Post by **Hesh1956** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:17 pm

kiwigeo wrote:
bob wrote: it is better to keep all manner of builders in the one area as we can all learn from each other.

And its easier keeping the stirrers like Kim and Hesh under control if we keep 'em all together in the same pen.

Ah so that's the strategy eh?

X buddy I'll add that as the OLF created more dedicated forums IMHO the focus is getting a little confusing, at least for me. Some of the forums will go many months with no activity and then when they pop up again no one is on the same page in terms of focus.

We certainly don't need a dedicated archtop forum to talk about archtops either. Right now there is a thread about some girly lute....

You know, the instruments that guys dressed like Tinkerbell play...

I would be interested too in archtop threads and I am sure that Bob would not mind if anyone who is interested just starts an archtop topic in the Instrument Builders Forum.

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:30 pm

Hesh1956 wrote: Right now there is a thread about some pussy ass lute.... You know, the instruments that guys dressed like Tinkerbell play...

How dare you Sir!! Why...thou art nothing but a Knave and Varlet!!!

VarÂ·let (vÃ¤rlt)
n.
1. An attendant or servant.
2. A knight's page.
3. A rascal; a knave.

Hesh1956 · Post by **Hesh1956** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:15 pm

It's true I tell ya - here is a picture that Billy did of Serge playing a lute

Dave White · Post by **Dave White** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 11:22 pm

Hesh1956 wrote:

It's true I tell ya - here is a picture that Billy did of Serge playing a lute

errr . . . except that's a mandolin the French (Canadian) Tart is playing

Rick Turner · Post by **Rick Turner** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 2:24 am

There may be more interest in building archtops than in buying and playing them...

Builder beware...

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 5:45 am

Rick Turner wrote:There may be more interest in building archtops than in buying and playing them...

Builder beware...

Amen to that Rick! I've got two archtops looking for buyers but nobodies got the cash to stump up for the amount of money I'm asking for them, which isn't exorbitant considering the work that went into them but I can understand that money is tight, for Kiwi muso's at least. So archtops are on hold at the moment

vandenboom · Post by **vandenboom** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 1:11 pm

Rick Turner wrote:There may be more interest in building archtops than in buying and playing them...

Builder beware...

..that's definitely the message I get from the australian archtop builders I know who build for a living in australia. They love making them but they represent a small part of their orders & hence production.
Frank

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 2:31 pm

Guess there arent many lute makers making a living here either

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 5:27 pm

Especially if you have Serge as your poster child.

rocket · Post by **rocket** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 5:59 pm

i would be in favour of an archtop forum, but there doesn't seem the need, as there doesn't seem to be many builders interested in building them.

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 6:25 pm

So far we've be able to happily carry on topics from ukes, to lutes here without breaking the forum into small segments.

Just start documenting your build, or asking questions. We're all keen on seeing what others are up too. Even if we don't have any advice, there wouldn't be anyone that's not interested in seeing an instrument being built.

There are lots of techniques in building various instruments that can be carried over into aspects of other styles.

It's were I get a lot of inspiration, and I doubt that I'm the only one. We've got a lot of lurkers on the forum that must be looking for inspiration too.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 6:28 pm

rocket wrote:i would be in favour of an archtop forum, but there doesn't seem the need, as there doesn't seem to be many builders interested in building them.

I'd build them all day long Rocket (along with me Selmers) but as several have said, including myself, there just isn't the market at the moment (well on this side of the globe at least) and I don't want a houseful of $4000-$5000 dollar instruments that owe me.

rocket · Post by **rocket** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 6:43 pm

Well Nicko, I'm with you bu t i love'm and i'm not gonna stop building them, I hope i can sell some though! that would be nice wouldn't it hey?

Dominic · Post by **Dominic** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 7:37 pm

I am just getting organised to make an archtop. No need for another section but i'll post some progress pic here so those interested can discuss the action. There arent many archtop threads around to check out and learn from.
Dom

Stu · Post by **Stu** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 8:54 pm

I'm with most others and would prefer the forum stayed as it is, with e of an amalgum of many different styles, otherwise each would stay in their own little sub-forum and see less of the whole picture.

I really like the variety you get on this forum and I also find that
different acoustic styled builds posted actually give me ideas for building electric builds that otherwise wouldn't be apparent to me.

I like the divergence of all styles brought into one common area.

cheers, Stu

jeffhigh · Post by **jeffhigh** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 9:14 pm

Anyone with excess archtops cluttering up their house is welcome to send them my way !

HiString · Post by **HiString** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 10:34 pm

<------- Knocks on door and wanders in

.

This is my first post here and it's nice to see a few familiar names from the Ubeaut forums.

OK, jumping in at the deep end...........I'm preparing to start my first guitar build, an archtop

and am wondering if there's any source for quality Spruce wedges, B/S sets, etc., here in Aust., or whether I'm going to have to import from Stewmac or LMI.

Cheers

Kim · Post by **Kim** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 10:52 pm

Hey HiString welcome to the ANZLF.

I believe Tim Spittle of Australian Tonewoods has a couple of nice sets of 'old' euro spruce wedges just ripe for an archie. They may have gone by now but he had not listed them when I seen them a few months back and they looked real good.

Give him a call he's a nice bloke and very reasonable.

Cheers

Kim

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 5:26 am

I've picked up some from Barry Kerr via ebay, or directly in the past as well.

If you don't know him, his business name is Woodtone Guitars.

There are also other sources for wedges besides LMI or Stewmac if you can't find any locally. Many of our approved vendors will have them available. Check each of them out. We don't get a thing from these guys in the way of monetary compensation. Just great product and service.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 5:43 am

Welcome HiString, hope you like our little corner of the planet.
Good luck with your first build, apart from building a Lute, you've certainly jumped in near the deep end!
An internet search will render suppliers all over the globe, personally I would go to specialist suppliers, i.e somebody like Alaska specialty Woods for the spruce (just one of many quality suppliers). LMI would be the better of the two you mentioned if you wanted to go with them, I've had woods from Stew Mac in the past that have been far from what I would consider 'top quality' despite their grading of AAA, but this doesn't carry over into other areas of their sales which I find excellent.
As for Australian suppliers I don't know many but as Kim pointed out, Tim at Australian Tonewoods would be one, ALS have tops & B&S as well.

vandenboom · Post by **vandenboom** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 7:52 am

HiString wrote:<------- OK, jumping in at the deep end...........I'm preparing to start my first guitar build, an archtop and am wondering if there's any source for quality Spruce wedges, B/S sets, etc., here in Aust., or whether I'm going to have to import from Stewmac or LMI.

I'm am also starting my first archtop soon.Rather than learn on a lovely piece of wood, I bought some Sitka spruce from a local furniture timber suppier in Melbourne. I think I would prefer to cut my teeth on that and use the real thing next time. It is interesting to read in Benedetto's book his view on all this. Stories of experienced builders using structural pine from their local Home Depot store and producing a great sounding archtop.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 8:00 am

vandenboom wrote:It is interesting to read in Benedetto's book his view on all this. Stories of experienced builders using structural pine from their local Home Depot store and producing a great sounding archtop.

One of Bob's creations

Worm infested top, goes to show it ain't necessarily the quality of the wood but how it's made.

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