Acoustic guitar kit recommendation

Questions and answers for beginners. If you have a question, so do most other people.
Post Reply
phavriluk
Posts: 554
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2012 9:49 pm

Re: Acoustic guitar kit recommendation

Post by phavriluk »

Heads up: body taper has nothing to do with neck angle. The soundboard is at right angles to the body, the taper is generated at the bottom.
peter havriluk
koolimy
Posts: 87
Joined: Fri May 08, 2020 3:59 pm

Re: Acoustic guitar kit recommendation

Post by koolimy »

Doh! Thanks for letting me know. I have a ton to learn!
Diane Kauffmds
Posts: 3246
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: Acoustic guitar kit recommendation

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

koolimy wrote:I really appreciate everybody's response here. I apologize again for posting two of the same topic. I will ask the administrator if it is possible to merge these two threads, as they both contain a lot of helpful information.

I will probably definitely go gramil and chisel, as it would suck massively to destroy my guitar with one mistake!! And I appreciate the PSA about sharpening the tools. I do not want to risk surgery, especially in these times.
No problem at all. Taken care of.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
MaineGeezer
Posts: 1711
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 12:14 pm

Re: Acoustic guitar kit recommendation

Post by MaineGeezer »

If you do go the gramil route, practice a bit first on some scrap. And try to get in tthe mindset where you don't even think aboout time. I find it very meditative. If I can imerse myself in the process and ler it take as long as it takes, I do a lott better. Actually, that is true abbout every aspect of building a guitar.
Don't believe everything you know.
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
When things are bad, try not to make them any worse, because it is quite likely they are bad enough already. - French Foreign Legion
koolimy
Posts: 87
Joined: Fri May 08, 2020 3:59 pm

Re: Acoustic guitar kit recommendation

Post by koolimy »

Thank you for merging the threads.

Regarding the gramil, I will try to take the time and practice a bit on scrap. I too have found that many aspects of building a guitar, such as sanding to prepare for a finish, are meditative and relaxing.
tippie53
Posts: 7011
Joined: Fri Mar 03, 2006 7:09 pm
Location: Hegins, Pa
Contact:

Re: Acoustic guitar kit recommendation

Post by tippie53 »

there is a slight angle on the top to accommodate neck angle. I use 1 1/2 degree but only on the top where the extension comes on. Without it you end up with low string height or the dreaded 14th fret hump.
There are 2 ways to do this one like I do and also you can put a radius on the transverse brace to pump the top up .

your statement is correct that the top is pretty much square to the sides as the amount you need for that angle is pretty slight
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
Authorized CF Martin Repair Center
president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
koolimy
Posts: 87
Joined: Fri May 08, 2020 3:59 pm

Re: Acoustic guitar kit recommendation

Post by koolimy »

Update:

Hello, I chose to order the Long Scale J-185 kit from Mr. Hall with Cherry B/S. I have to apologize to Mr. Hall because I was waffling and changed specs after agreeing on Mahogany for the back and sides. I hope he can forgive my indecision.

I chose the J-185 based on the recommendations here on the forum. It seems best to build something I "want" to build, rather than something I "ought" to build. I may be in for a bit more trouble than I expected because it seems that there are more things to consider than just the long scale, including the fact that the top is completely flat.

It won't come for a while but I am not in a hurry, so it doesn't matter much. I hope I can get something resembling a guitar out of this one!
Morecowbell
Posts: 280
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:51 am
Location: Fishers, IN

Re: Acoustic guitar kit recommendation

Post by Morecowbell »

I think you'll enjoy your choice, and also the support you'll get from John and the forum. I'm in the middle of my first build and am finding all of the steps fascinating but there's also a lot to learn, and that's where John and the group are invaluable. There are a lot of steps and often a lot of ways to accomplish the task, so its great to have the variety of perspectives on the forum.

Keep us posted on your progress!
"Facts seldom sway an opinion." - John Hall
"The difference between theory and practice is that in theory there is no difference." - Van de Snepscheut
jread
Posts: 560
Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2019 9:52 am
Contact:

Re: Acoustic guitar kit recommendation

Post by jread »

I am a bit late but I like this thread and am going to add a few thoughts on the OP's question when starting out. What size? I don't want to be TLDR but so my short opinion like others above is that if we are focusing Martin body types, then it seems to me that the OM or 000 is what fits your original profile. Just scour youtube and reverb and you will get a feel for the one that suits you and drives you to build it. And around these parts, the experts are adding a little depth to OM's. That sounds interesting! I just completed an all mahogany 0 body size with scalloped braces and boy howdy is it loud and rings like a bell. It is much different than my 12-fret mahog dred kit which was my 1st. Totally different but I don't think volume is what I would say is it. Rounder, less snappy bass tones filling the room from the dred but not louder.

Here's something you may realize as a noob as I didn't. Youtube video demos are actually quite good to demonstrating the tonal qualities of things like this. So may comparison videos showing mahog vs. rosewood or body sizes, torrefied vs new. Here's the thing, I didn't realize how much MY guitars would sound like theirs. I am thrilled and driven to build more because my 12 fret dred sounds just like I wanted it to after listening to Norman Blake for hours while building it. Same with my 0-15 copy. Darn if it doesn't sound just like an 0-15. lol. why am i surprised? Idk, but I'm happy with them. So find the type of guitar that calls to you. If you build it, it has a good chance of finding a similar sound or at least I got 2 for 2 lucky so far.
koolimy
Posts: 87
Joined: Fri May 08, 2020 3:59 pm

Re: Acoustic guitar kit recommendation

Post by koolimy »

Morecowbell wrote:I think you'll enjoy your choice, and also the support you'll get from John and the forum. I'm in the middle of my first build and am finding all of the steps fascinating but there's also a lot to learn, and that's where John and the group are invaluable. There are a lot of steps and often a lot of ways to accomplish the task, so its great to have the variety of perspectives on the forum.

Keep us posted on your progress!
Thank you! Hope your build goes well too. I will need as much help as I can, so I will be leaning heavily on this forum and Mr. Hall.
Post Reply