Official Luthiers Forum!

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Yes!...is true! Me gonna build an arch top.

Ok dudes...here we go...

A 17" carved topper for me Chilean curendero buddy who sings the Icaros with an angels voice and is one heck of a jazz picker too.

This ain't gonna be no copy of a Benedetto or D' Angelico.
Yup, its another Padma Built Special.

Using a 50 year old White Kermodie Spruce top from the Mario DaCosta over at http://sprucetonewood.com/, thank you Mario!
The neck back and ribs are from me very own spalted, wormie holed White Birch thats been air drying in me yard for 10 years. Trim woods gonna be white holly from Jesse Burge, walnut, maple or sycamore and topped of with some pear burl. Basically she gonna be a deep honey burst blond and finally dressed in gold hardware. Might even hang a hummmmmmmmmmmbucker off the end of the fretboard.

But wait for this dudes...its gonna be a bold on! With a zero fret too.

Ok lets get started....

First me needed to rip some birch for the back and ribs...see this is how we did it the old fashion way, but only because me big band saw blade is busted and it takes forever to order one in.



Bendin up the ribs with a strip of flashing to prevent the grain from breaking out which happens of fancy grained woods or holy woods bless by worms. Yup thats a BBQ started shoved in a tail pipe...me no bother with any fancy temp controls....just plug her in and let her rip. See..no fancy bender needed.




Letting the ribs chill in the mold for a few days before installing the kerfed linings.








Jointed and gooed up the back, layed down some mystical chicken scratchings of cosmic import and started carving.

Here you can really see the quality of dis spalted holy birch.





This here is a scorp...A1 for removing material fast!





The carving bench...




listening to what she has to say...




This package of White Kermodie arrived from Mario DaCosta and of course me just had to joint and goo her up asp.









Me like using white goo for jointin plates




put her to sleep for 24 hrs....








Here is the difference in how me makes the neck joint. Virtually everybody adds this neck extension block to the neck...Me don't like this idea at all and prefer to make the entire neck from one piece of 3 inch stock, believing this construction to be far stronger than the "add on" neck extension. It is also a heck of a lot harder to cut the tenon in a angled corner for a one piece neck joint, so stay tuned for that part of the build.





Band sawing the one piece neck from 3 inch birch...








Next up is the carving of the White Kermodie top plate. This part of the thread will be covered in step by step details so you dudes get an idea of what its all about. During this carving me will go into how to make your own mini, curved bottom, hand and finger planes from an old file and a hunk of wood that will work just as good, if not better than the fancy shmancy store bought specials. So keep loggin on to see where we is all at with the




Carving of the White Kermodie top...




Blessings
Padma

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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this is very cool, Duh.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

I enjoyed those photographs....a good vibe goin there.

M.

Holy birch, that's a big hunk of wood you're bandsawin' there! What about just laminating a heel on a long stick? Ought to be just as strong (and just as painful to cut the tenon).

Your side bender looks just like mine The headblock looks a little crooked though... are you doing an off-center bridge of some sort?

Love the wormholes.

Lookin' forward to the top carve. I need to start making wooden planes. Lighter weight, easier to true up (not paying 100 billion dollars for one of those pre-tuned jobs), and steel is annoying anyway because it reacts with my sweat and makes black that gets all over the wood. Love my little one from Stephen Boone

I like it

Only in India, and only if you a Hindu.

Laminating??? ...long stick??? NOT!
Go back and reread what me wrote about me beliefs on construction.

Ya, a lotta rib benders look just like mine. Cant quite figure that one out yet.

Crooked? Crooked! Dude you talking at Padma here...
Me is as twisted and bent out a shape as they come and besides, the ribs don't know nothin bout being crooked and don't give a shift anyways. Crooked! Ya right!

Holy wood blessed by worms is where its at. Is all me got anyways, so its just perfect. Besides the curendero loves the symbolism.

Ya, me hear tell that Stephen makes A1 first class brace shavers and so will you after reading me "how to post" coming up in this thread. Stay posted.

Now a word from our sponsor.

"Get your copy of Padmas "How to String up your Guitar"
This book covers such topics as "stings" and "how to tighten them"
along with a ton of other useless information.

All for $20, cash, in an envelop to
Padma
C/o dis here web site.

blessings
Padma


Ps. sorry no COD'S.

Pay Pall and credit cards are not accepted.

ORDER NOW!



@ "brazil66" Thanks Michael...you complimentary copy of me book is in the mail.


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_________________
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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Ya right!

Seriously dude...

Go take the Red PILL!




non the less

blessings
Padma

_________________
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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Padma, I can't wait to see how this build progresses. How long did it take you to resaw that wood by hand? I resawed some mahogany for my first guitar that way and have decided to never do it again

Yes! Amazing! I love watching Padma build. PM sent for a copy of the book. Cant wait to watch this build.

Good point. Judging by that big pile of bovine based spaghetti sauce which is now in my belly, I'm not a very good Hindu. Edited.

And on laminating, I'm talking more like this:

That's a long 1x3" neck blank with L shaped heel block glued on a few inches from the end. Then cut slots in the sides, round it all over, and just as good as one piece but only needs a 1x3" stick of quartered straight grain for the shaft. Your diagram looks like there's some end grain joint for the extension, with only the fingerboard and a little side grain of the heel to hold it on... definitely don't want that. This, the extension is part of the main stick, and heel has a nice big long grain joint, no way it's gonna break right on the glue line unless you boil it a good while first.

'course, this extension goes inside the body, but same idea for outside. Actually I'll prolly do the same thing when I get to building an archtop, but cut the slots in the heel block before laminating on the long stick. That'll save me cutting that nasty tenon, and the laminating makes it possible to cut the slots without cutting into the shaft, and prepare a flat ledge for the top to glue to without the extension being in the way. Yup, I think that's how I'll do it. Then I'll cry if it ever needs a reset. Or just shave the bridge a little shorter.

Yo, oval,

Patience is a virtue and me got a short attention span, not to mention every vice know to man.....
and...
You cant wait? Right!

Me Ester Lilly build took over a year...me quick and dirty two mando builds took over 3 years...me Turtle back and NO NOthing Build been in the shop for long time way back when so long ago me don't remember...the point here is don't be holding yer breath" but the goal is to present it to the Curendero in ceremony this coming October 20 th...so keep your fingers crossed.

"How long"...dude you gotta be pulling me leg...the only reason me know what time it is is cuz me computer came with this stupid clock in the right hand corner and me don't know how to turn it off.
Me started sawing it about a week or so ago, and every time me walked by it me push the saw for a bit till me got tired. Then a funny thing happened...one day it was in two pieces. So sorry me don't know how long it took...Umm tell me...how do you measure time any ways?
Not that it really matters as me don't much use measuring devices anyways other than when it comes to fretting, and the bridge placement is done by ear not to some mystical number calculated from the 12th and found in some book by some loofier.

Keep it simple, you'll live longer.

Glad you likes me nightmare.

blessings
Padma

_________________
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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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It looks like we got ourselves another loofier the Padma build to keep our minds active.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

Thank you Dennis for your clarification on laminating a neck.

To make things perfectly clear.

I, me, Padma,
don't do laminated neck heals.

Nor do me build arch tops with classical neck joints.

However Dennis, me do accord you your privilege to build as you wish.



blessings
Padma

_________________
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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Whoah Padma whats this archtop? Enough of this nonsense you be goin mainstream, this is not unusual enough for you and if you keep it up I'll write another tune about you.

Steve

Yo, Steve

Mainsteam? Who me?
No way Hose!

Just cuz me only post me "Off the Wall" builds don't mean me a "one trick horse" ya know.
Besides...me thought me should post dis one just to remind the faithful that me still know how to build em. And like me said, it ain't no Benedetto, L7 C, or Epiphone.... its a Padma Special. So there


non the less
blessings
Padma

_________________
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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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I always love Padma threads. Ya just can't help but smile. Can't wait to see more progress on this'un.

Me did just that.

Look what it got me.


blessings

_________________
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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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The only red pills I ever saw would make you sleep, and then when you woke up for several hours you would slur your speech and think that it sounded very cool and that you had achieved a certain hipness of attitude.

Whatever heals you is good, lam or not. IMO. As for joined neck extensions, nothing turns on it. The joint has hardly any stress, and I've never seen one that failed. However, one should follow one's aesthetic.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Gee Howard,

maybe you should try the blue one instead.

Aesthetics eh. Well how bout that...who would a thunk. Aesthetics. hmmm

Well me don't like blocked up heals or extensions...aesthetically me thinks they work quite well for someone not prepared to invest a few extra $ into a more visually appealing build. Or for dudes who spray paint to hide their craftsmanship.

Archtops aren't cheap builds and a few bucks for an extra board foot or two is worth it.


Blessings

Ps Seriously Howard, try the blue one.

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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You mean these?

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Q: What do you get when you cross Rogaine and Viagra?

A: Don King!!

Are you going to take the time to paint them all red?

Never trust the "pharmacist" who pushes the blue pill.

Ya, them ones...grind them down, steep them in hot water 45 min...brush on both sides of a weak top. Stiffens her right up.

Also good for soaking the ribs in just before bending. As the wood bends, the heat dryes out the stuff adding extra strength to thems rib...helping them hold their position.

other then that, is bad white man medicine...do not take internally.


blessings

_________________
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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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I always luvin readin up on these here post ! It inhances my edumacation !

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