Official Luthiers Forum!

Happy Saturday! I'm having a rare none rushed morning and it seems like a good time to start one of these.

I'll start! Oregon Myrtle/Englemann parlour with a Curly Maple neck. This is a commission for a really great guy who has a very impressive stable already. I'm feeling fortunate that he wanted one of mine and was a great motivator to some of my cleanest work yet.

This has a black/Rosewood/black layup throughout. Other than the neck, with I used veneer, black fibre layups are an easy and inexpensive way to make an instrument very unique. I'm very happy with this one.

Thought I would mention that I have recently switched from CA to Titebond for bindings. There will be no looking back!

Enjoy The Day!

It would't allow me to delete my first 2 attempts with a new resized. On my screen anyway : )

Nice!
Level sanding build coats of finish here .......Boring, but necessary.

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Western red cedar and cocobolo OM. Will stay with me. Binding glued on with CA. Bad pictures

Beautiful guitar, Danny. I just finished clamping up the sides to the top on my current guitar. The back goes on in a couple hours.

_________________
Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

That Oregon Myrtle looks amazing.

I am waiting for epoxy to cure one a falcate braced WRC classical guitar with Osage Orange back and sides.

_________________
http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

For me, padauk dust. dang, that stuff is relentless.

_________________
Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement.

The last 2 weeks have been all about shop efficiency upgrades. The first upgrade was a sanding downdraft table saving time in shop cleanup and creating a healthier environment. Second improvement was to my go-bar decks... basically providing better access. Third was to update my material storage providing more floor space. Fourth was to add better lighting and more receptacles, and finally to build a new spray booth! I realize the photo order is backwards from the description, oh well....

Best, M

Nice looking shop you got there!

If you're ever in the neighborhood, stop by...

Your jigs look better than my guitars

Hope you’re well.

Steve

Thanks, and back atcha..!

ETA: I'd like to add that your guitars are pretty dam* sweet!

Final dimensioning, sanding and inspecting before bracing. Repaired a small dent



installed a cutaway head block into Malaysian Ebony/Mahogany laminated rims.

Put two more machines on mobile bases and started making braces. busy day for sure. Also bending some sides and laminating one set of them and bracing up one of the backs before bed. Its been a very busy day.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Geeesh. People and their massive workshops. I’m green with envy. I do a little two step dance every time I step from one jig or tool to another just to get passed or over stuff. My shop is a free standing structure, but no bigger than a one car garage.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Finished up a refret on a 1944 D-18, a half dozen top cracks (mostly the Thompson-style spruce reinforcements inside the body - sometimes smaller hands ARE a benefit). Binding and shell work and much of the cleanup on two of the three 42-style 12 fretters in progress...other than the 'goop' for the ivoroid joints (ivoroid shavings in lacquer thinner), everything in CA...very, very quick and tight, and cleanup seems about as easy as hide or fish, assuming things get properly shellacked. Tops from Mr. Arnold and BRW and curly mahogany sides/backs. I have a Huss and Dalton refret and another couple of top cracks waiting for me when I get back down next week, but the break from repairs working on the 42's has me itching to get my 0 finished up.

With 4-5 luthiers and students working, even large shops feel pretty crowded! I almost stayed down to work tomorrow, but with three bodies already in to work on a student closing of a body, time to take a break and enjoy a quiet Sunday.

_________________
For the times they are a changin'

- Bob Dylan

Woodie those 42's are sweet

Here's what we worked on yesterday. Just need to dial in the wheels.
Of course I was the helper. Grandson was the BOSS.

_________________
Say what you do, Do what you say.

Pretty cool! Lovin the purple!

I'm looking forward to my grandkid being a tool user like my daughter. For instance, teaching them the effect of a bench vise on a GameBoy...

Cheers

Purple is for Kansas State University, We live in the home town of Kansas University.
The Grandson parents went to K State and his other Grandad went to KU.
I just set on the sidelines and watch.
Like the Game Boy vs Vise reference, so far we haven't had that problem.

_________________
Say what you do, Do what you say.

Double side Birds Eye Maple/IRW OM.

_________________
It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

A baritone uke commission. Dinner Honduran back and side's. Dinner redwood top. And a U.S. spec build with Chechen rosette.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

_________________
Tony Thatcher
Bozeman, Montana

Darn auto correct! Sinker! And GS!

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

_________________
Tony Thatcher
Bozeman, Montana

I might be in a month or so Michael. Your shop is looking great!

PM me if you are and have the time to stop in.

Thanks

Wow! The winter doldrums are being beaten down here! It's so great to see the quality of workmanship happening these days. Not to mention the inspiration and innovation. I've noticed a few "better ways" to get the pig clean (remember that!). It's a good reminder of the wonderful little community we have here. Aren't we fortunate!

Keep them coming!

Finally back to work on Carpathian spruce, birdseye black limba SJ.


Alex


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

_________________
"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker