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I basically followed only the deflection testing part of this article:

https://www.portlandguitar.com/blogs/fe ... ng-science

I emailed Max and he confirmed my target specs:

2 degrees bridge rotation with a 1 3/8” drop, compared to the unweighted measurements. Weight and outboard distance= (5lbs@24”)

Again, these results were obtained using exact Martin D28 1937 dimensions (John Arnold’s drawing), with no changes whatsoever. Perhaps I lucked out, but regardless I would feel comfortable eliminating the testing on future instruments.

I don’t like the look of a cutaway but I’ve done few. My 1st two i bent by hand over a bending iron. They are tricky to get the curve right but I’ve not broken any sides yet.

After those I got John’s bending machine and they are as easy to bend as without.

Some players love those frets and want access to them so I’ll do the cutaway if that’s what they want. My buddy in the photo travels the world playing this build on stage.

Note in the photo the block is in backwards. Not glued in just a caul at this point.

I find the whole idea of quantifying the sound of a guitar intriguing. Experienced builders seem to figure it out over time by feel and trial and error, but when I see the approach of someone like Trevor Gore it appeals to that part of me that would like to have some guidelines and maybe shorten the learning curve.

As I braced the top and back I did some recordings (in audacity) of tap tones to see if I could learn anything, and I didn't get very far! Deflection testing seems simpler and easier to grasp. I've been thinking about the Trevor Gore books but price and sheer volume of information have held me off, and then I bumped into Left Brain Lutherie (David Hurd) and have that on the way from Slowpicker. Seems to be something of a precursor, looking forward to what it has to offer.

John H -

Probably a stupid questions but what do you use as a tuner for your tops & backs? I wouldn't think a regular guitar tuner would be sensitive enough to pick up the pitch, or is it?

Thanks!

Clay

P.S. Started reading "Left Brain Lutherie", the author is not someone you would want to sit next to on a plane :-)

snark tuners at the sound hole

tippie53 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 06, 2022 9:35 am snark tuners at the sound hole

Any videos showing how this is done? Or is this video in the making?

Thank You, Interesting method of tuning...