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Hello,

My name is Eric and I am an american citizen living here in Argentina permanently. I have been thinking about building a guitar now for quite some time and have recently been reading and absorbing as much material as i can to learn as much as possible. Unfortunately in this small city in this part of Argentina, I dont have access to any good schools of lutherie ( I am about 5 hours away from Buenos Aires where there are some good schools )
Anyways I have decided to build from the 1966 ramirez guitar plan and acrylic template from LMI. My question regarding the workboard is how will i know to construct the solera with the radiused lower bout correctly and also shape the solera for the proper neck angle? What measurements in myplan ( if any ) will dictate this when I begin to make the solera? I dont want to dish out the lower bout to deep or to shallow. I have heard that the lowest point in the dish is adequate at about 3/16 deep and the neck angle ( from the 12th fret to the nut ) should be plained down as well from the 12th fret to the nut to about 3/16? is this correct or do these factors depend on the individual plan?
Also I feel that a book called guitarmaking: Tradition and Technology seems to be a good companion for me regarding this first time build ( and builder with little experience..
any suggestions from you guys based on your experience

it will be greatly appreciated!!
muchisimas gracias de antemano su atencion y prontas respuestas!!
Eric

Hola Eric,
there seem to be three methods for getting the dome and neck angle accomplished: 1) Torres thins the fingerboard. I believe he may not have any angle on the solera with some dome, 2) Bogdanovich thins underneath the fingerboard extension and has a lowered (2.5mm) neck on the Solera with a 4mm rise in the lower have of the bout on the solera, or 3) the way I did it - I dished the solera to a depth of 3.5mm such that my dome did not require me to thin the fingerboard or undercut the fingerboard extension. My neck on the solera is in the same plane as the body. De nada. Rich

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

Some great advice....point three seems to be a pretty good idea...I like keeping things simple but functional.
When I get the books I am going to read them and study them out well in advance before I start making the jigs I will need and the Solera.
I am stuck in Argentina, so I have to wait for the plans templates and books to arrive...good on the tools...and I have access to my father-in-laws shop...which is a nice one

A shop with many extra tools, a table saw and a band saw.

The amount you scoop out of the lower bout area of the solero is pretty forgiving. You'll just use a Violin makers plane, or you can round the blade in a plane to scoop. The two soleros my Dad and I made when we built our first guitars are definitely different. Not noticable at all between the two guitars produced on them though. Just put a straight edge the solero and check depth frequently with a mic when you're making it.

Our soleros extend most of the neck's length, at which point we put about an 1/8th inch thick piece of wood under it to create the neck angle.

I started with Cumpianos book- Guitar Tradition and technology - but also had Alex Willis's book on making a steel string that followed the solero plans, guided you through making it, and made a set neck guitar. Cumpiano's book has lots of great info, covers a steel string with a bolt on neck and a classic guitar with set neck but doesn't have any full size plans for a specific build.

Bondo is my friend too. I used a scraper mostly to get the solera hollowed out, and like Filippo I was a little heavy handed in the center. I ended up making a 6" sanding disk with 60grit paper on it, and a 25' radius that I used to even things out at a good radius. It was easy to make, and, I used the same 25' sanding stick that I use for radiusing my sides and braces before gluing the back, to make the disk. Very simple. I'll make a picture of it today, while I'm in the shop, FWIW.

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Waddy

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Whoa, no way, I'm a wannabe luthier from the states living in Argentina too! I've been in Buenos Aires since April, and am looking into guitar-building schools here, any info you could send me would be useful. El Virutero is the only one I know about but if there are others I'd like to look at options.
http://www.elvirutero.com.ar/informacion.php
Where are you living?
Best,
Charles

I think he is in Mar de Plata - right ? I am Argentian by way of my parents - born and living in the USA. I was in Buenos Aires and Mar de Plata a few years ago - really easy bus ride from Buenos Aires to Mar de Plata - Enjoy the country !

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It's this new idea from recent decades that everyone gets a participation award. - MUX

I don't over-dome. I get no spring back that I can tell, as long as I keep my humidity at the right levels.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars