Guitar #4, I hope

Take us through building your guitar step by step. Post pictures and tell us what you're doing.
phavriluk
Posts: 554
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2012 9:49 pm

Re: Guitar #4, I hope

Post by phavriluk »

looks to my ignorant intuitive eyes:

Kinda' a default x-brace using the bridge plate to stabilize the 'x'.

Overbraced above the soundhole

Huge bridge plate

Lots of unsupported areas below the soundhole.

No idea about what degree of bracing the top needs - - - finishing such unsupported areas might be an adventure
peter havriluk
MaineGeezer
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Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 12:14 pm

Re: Guitar #4, I hope

Post by MaineGeezer »

Here is how the bracing ended up. I may modify it slightly, but I'm reasonably satisfied with it. The top sounds fairly responsive when tapped...I think. I am not particularly knowledgeable in interpreting the sounds of taps. I may take it over to my friend Carter and see what he thinks of the responsiveness. I do get several different, clear tones as I tap in different places, which I think is supposed to be Good.
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phavriluk
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Re: Guitar #4, I hope

Post by phavriluk »

Sure is purty!
peter havriluk
Diane Kauffmds
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Re: Guitar #4, I hope

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

I like it Steve; it looks great.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
MaineGeezer
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Re: Guitar #4, I hope

Post by MaineGeezer »

Here are the end blocks, close but not to final height or fully sanded yet. I still need to decide how much, if any, I'm going to add to the body depth.
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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
Diane Kauffmds
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Re: Guitar #4, I hope

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

I think you'd appreciate the roundness that more depth brings to the OM.
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
MaineGeezer
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Re: Guitar #4, I hope

Post by MaineGeezer »

Carter came by this afternoon and looked at the top. He tapped, listened, and suggested that I:

1.Thin the braces more, but take as little as possible off the height, except:
2. Taper the height of the curved braces more, and
3. Cut the end ramps farther back.

So, I've been working on doing those things, and it does seem to ring better than it did. I thought it was pretty good before. I guess experience lets you know what the potential sound of a top is, and lets you know that you aren't there yet.
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
nkwak
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Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2010 9:55 pm
Location: Pittsburgh PA suburbs

Re: Guitar #4, I hope

Post by nkwak »

For something you weren't sure you were going to start you're making incredible progress!

BTW, I don't know if you watch any luthery stuff on YouTube but there's a gentleman from Canada named Monty McKinnon who started up a channel at the behest of his son who Peter who has had some success on YouTube himself with his photography channel. Monty struggles with a palsy but his grown son lent his photography skills, some equipment and focused marketing expertise to set up his dad's shop as a sort of studio and some video editing pointers - along with an intro reel for his videos and the use of his young grandson sometimes for steadier hands.

That being said, Monty does more talking than working on camera but over the past month or so he's put together a set of rims and glued on the back. His current build is a bit ambitious though with an arm bevel and sound port. He's barely started the soundboard so far.

I'd say you're doing a little better than he is! I can't wait to see you close the box! Keep up the good work.
~ Neil
MaineGeezer
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Re: Guitar #4, I hope

Post by MaineGeezer »

Carter profiled and bent the sides for me, and loaned me his OM mold. The extra 1/2" of body depth does not look out of proportion. I think it will be okay.

Here is a very cluttered photo of gluing the end blocks in place. Organization is not my strong suit.
Note the screws through the ends of the mold holding the blocks in place.
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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
MaineGeezer
Posts: 1711
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 12:14 pm

Re: Guitar #4, I hope

Post by MaineGeezer »

Gluing on the back, which
+is on the 15' radius dish under a pile of assorted Heavy Things. One thing about having metalworking as a hobby; when one needs a collection of Heavy Things, they are generally easy to find.

Before I glued this, I turned off the lights and put a flashlight inside to check for gaps between the back and the sides. Gluing it this way does require that the sides have a really good match to the radius dish, as there is no way to apply localized pressure to the back to close any small gaps.
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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
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