www.KitGuitarsForum.com

FWIW, I think that this forum is one of the best things around on the internet for guitar builders and would-be builders, and I thank Bill for starting it and John and Diane for keeping it chugging along.

When somebody asks me about what's involved in building a musical instrument, here is where I send them. There isn't a more helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable bunch of people on the internet and, best of all, there is no animosity at all for first-time builders. We were all first-time builders at one point, and thankfully most people on this forum haven't forgotten that.

As for me, instrument making comes and goes. There were years when I started nothing. Now that COVID-19 has kept me confined to my home and workshop, there's a spate of instruments that I'm either rebuilding or starting from scratch ... a tenor ukulele kit from Stew-Mac (hey, they were on sale and I heavily "customized" it), an Army-Navy style mandolin, a mandola whose soundbox I was never really happy with, and a 000 guitar. I've also re-strung a concert ukulele so that it has standard mandolin tuning ... a "mandolele"? And I'm seriously considering building a thicknessing sander.

This is what too much time on your hands leads to.

JLT wrote:... best of all, there is no animosity at all for first-time builders. We were all first-time builders at one point, and thankfully most people on this forum haven't forgotten that.

I find, and I suspect most people do, that building a guitar can be quite a humbling experience. I don't think anybody ever knows, completely, how to build a guitar. There are always more questions. And there is always the thought when working on a guitar, in my mind at least, that when I least expect it something completely unforeseen is going to rise up and bite me. When somebody asks a question, or describes a disaster that they need help getting out of, my thought is nearly always either, "I had that same question once," or "I had that same thing happen to me, only worse." We all need help, at one time or another.

Well said Maine.

"When somebody asks a question, or describes a disaster that they need help getting out of, my thought is nearly always either, "I had that same question once," or "I had that same thing happen to me, only worse.""

What I think is - I never make the same mistake twice because there is such a broad array of mistakes to make, who make one twice. So I am going to pay attention to the answer if I haven't made that particular mistake yet.

And remember, it's not a mistake unless you can't fix it

Ed

From Guy Lautard in one of his "Machinist's Bedside Reader" series:

"The best craftsmen never seem to make mistakes because they are masters at recovery and cover-up, and keep quiet about it."

MaineGeezer wrote:From Guy Lautard in one of his "Machinist's Bedside Reader" series:

"The best craftsmen never seem to make mistakes because they are masters at recovery and cover-up, and keep quiet about it."

ain't it the truth! There are no mistakes, only learning opportunities.

MaineGeezer wrote:From Guy Lautard in one of his "Machinist's Bedside Reader" series:

"The best craftsmen never seem to make mistakes because they are masters at recovery and cover-up, and keep quiet about it."

Man, I need to dig out my copies....love that series. Thanks for the reminder.