Official Luthiers Forum!

Hello My friends!
I am new here. I would like to introduce myself.
I´m Ton Dias, brazilian luthier, sculptor and wood carver.
My luthier work has a merge of wood carving, music, and luthiery.
I invite you to know my guitar artworks. I hope you like it!

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"The art will free your mind".

They look like the claymation figures in that old movie "The Adventures of Mark Twain."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dazE7r0JbF0

Im going to be honest, you have some nice fretboards, the bodies overall look good, and the craftsmanship is on par, but those carvings do not add to the guitar, they take away from it.

Work more on inlay as an expressive medium, it's more attractive, and much more lucrative. IMHO.

I'm going to disagree, the carving is fabulous and makes each guitar a unique work of art.
I'll decline to speculate on the commercial viability, but there's a lot more luthiers doing inlay than carving.

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A man hears what he wants to hear, and disreguards the rest. Paul Simon

Hello Ton.

As for the carving; it is without doubt a personally thing so I can't imagine whether or not I like it being of matter to you.

I do think that my mention of some details that I don't like or cause me to question the quality of the build may have interest to you.

The "horse" - Whether or not the bridge is aligned correctly it appears not to be. Both cavities for the pickups look very bad. I know that the carving has nothing to do with the neck pickup cavity appearance and if it does with the bridge pup cavity then maybe it would be best to avoid carving around it...although it appears not to be sized for the pickup and not shaped correctly even where there is no carving. I also find the channel for the truss-rod adjustment, if that is what it is, very unattractive.
Should I be one that enjoyed the carving these points would prevent me from not only purchasing the guitar but make me question your other builds.

The "Faces" - It may be the photo but I don't think it is- the fret dots are not in alignment and the two at 12th fret appear to be different distances from edge of the fretboard. The pickup cavity doesn't appear right. As if it was routered freehand.

I hope you take my critique in a good way...as intended. If your builds were "freehand" and meant to appear that way I believe you achieved that and nothing I've said matters.

Best regards,
Michael

My friends, thank you for you words and attention about my work.
I do not use CNC routers (with a CNC anyone can be a good luthier).
My intention is not let my work looking like a machine robot work.
My intention is to build very unique instruments.
Building guitars looking like “built by machine” would let me down.

However, I guarantee for anyone that my guitars have amazing playability, high quality in everything the musicians need to get a great performance, strong strucuture (aged brazilian woods, stainless steel frets, powerfull truss-rods). This is the most important. Just do a “test-drive” to perceive and feel it.
When we analyse a craftsmanship without many artificial guides, it´s too easy to see few “imperfections”. My intention is to build very unique instruments, not an instrument looking like “built by machine”.

As Rodger Knox says, several luthiers are able to do custom inlays.
Very few luthiers are able to do guitar carving, because you need to be a wood sculptor (wood carver) to be able to realize this kind of work. The “luthier business” is too hard for everybody. The guitar carving business is still too “young” for we define it as impracticable. Inside a hard business like that, any great differential can be the difference between success or failure .That´s my main differential, as I believe that any one here has a great differential.

See you later!

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"The art will free your mind".

Please don't come to this site and become irritating right out of the gate.

Start attempting to make guitars using a cad/cam/cnc today. We'll see how long it takes you to be a "good luthier" using technology you don't seem to understand.

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I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

My My, would you read that...the Zlurgh is a tad sensitive after all. Didn't know you INFJ 's had it in ya...Yay!

but ya know Zlurgh, the Brazilian, waz him name, Ton Dias, is right, what with all them apps being written that you can down load, throw in a chunk of wood and spew out a less~of~a Paul or a mangled Fender, why that only leaves the artistic element left for the more ummm... intuitive artists like us INTPers to make that chunk of wood interesting. And ya, me be seein your efforts in that area...not bat, not bad at all Zlurgh. Keep at it. You'll get there...maybe...in time...god willing.

Bottom line is a semester or two at any community college and you should be A1 good enough to go at CNCing a solid body and accessories... carving like Ton Dias does gonna take a few years at the least. Now what were you saying Zlurgh?


blessings
?adma


PS: Sorry Zlurgh, just had to take a shot at ya...nothin personal of course...just wanted to rattle your cage and let you know ?adma still loves ya.

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Yo, Ton Dias,

Your skills at chiseling wood are very, very good...and you know that.

However there is a big difference between well executed hand fit and finish and CNC work.
When well done you should not be able to tell the difference...and thats the difference!

As said, your carving is A1, your fit and finish ain't....at all...no way.

So please be so kind as to not knock the guys who can and do with what ever the tool they be using to get it done, cuz dude...you ain't quite there yet. Entender?


blessings
?adma

PS: Oh ya, did me mention ...nice carving!

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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I like these Ton, your carving style is dynamic and evocative. I like how it's a bit rough, which to me makes it feel alive and emerging from within the wood. It may not be refined enough for some folks but I think it shows a lot of personality and expresses your vision and where you are as an artist at the moment.

Just keep telling yourselves that.

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I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

Yo, Stock...the one in the middle, ya with the pretty blue in the upper half ...use it ...your yawing all over on this one.

First ...Please quote me were Padma made a single comment re: boys body work. Sorry dude it don't exist. You know it and me know it but you can go waist your time trying to find it.

Secondly, me tongue and cheekie CNC comment was to rattle me buddy Zlurghes cage... so shape up soldier and fly straight.

Besides it still ain't your week.


blessings non the less.
?adma

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Ya sure Todd whatever...oh by the way ...can me interest you in some Mongolian spruce...800 years old, from the Gobi desert . Stiffer than Viagra.

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Beautiful carving Ton!
I like how the horses look like they have human features and personalities.
Great work!
Dan

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