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Post by Glen DeRusha on Dec 5, 2008 21:03:08 GMT -5
I glued on my vertical strips to the sides between the kerfing. And I started on a clamping block and a sound port reinforcement plate. Test clamp 6 times and glue once. An old violin maker told me that. I'm probably doing this wrong. I could put the little plate on first and then the kerfing. It might look better then putting it between the kerfing. This way kind of gives it that handcrafted in Vermont look. ;D This isn't the one. This is the other guitar that I am doing. Did I forget to mention that I am doing 2 of them? The back is ready to have the braces carved. I guess skewing the braces like that is the wrong thing to do. I guess we will find out "why" shortly. I asked a few folks why it wouldn't work and no one could give me an answer as to why it won't. I have a few ideas of my own as to why it won't. But that's another story. ;D Glen
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Post by Glen DeRusha on Dec 6, 2008 20:21:09 GMT -5
Had to load somebody's "STUFF" into a U-Haul today. Not much shop time. Did get to do some carving though. Carved the top down to this. And then added the scallops. These backs are easier to carve then the tops. ;D Glen
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Post by Glen DeRusha on Dec 6, 2008 22:24:54 GMT -5
I carved the ends of the little vertical strips on the sides and did a little sanding on the vertical strips and kerfing. Good night everyone! It's been a long day. Glen
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Post by Glen DeRusha on Dec 7, 2008 21:25:06 GMT -5
Hi everyone! We got the U-Haul full of "STUFF" taken care of today. That's probably all I need to say about that. Here is an old top carving video of mine. You would probably have to be pretty bored to sit through the whole thing. luthiertube.com/video/210/000-wI had Henry out in the shop tonight. We were working on the slope shoulder dred back. I got to sanding the radius on the front and back of my sides in the hollow radius form. Glen
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Post by Rhapsody on Dec 8, 2008 6:19:42 GMT -5
Wow! I had never seen a guitar's innards before! Absolutely fascinating! How do you know it's going to have the "ring" or the sound one likes in a guitar? Is it based on tradition, experience, or trial-and-error once it's been strung? (Henry has quite a hat collection going for himself! That boy is adorable!)
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Post by Glen DeRusha on Dec 8, 2008 23:03:24 GMT -5
Henry loves his hats. ;D A guitars innards are fascinating. They are to me anyway. Looking at pics is cool. Picking up that top and feeling it is really cool. You can fee how heavy it is "not". You can tap on it, scratch on it, drag your finger tips on it and listen to what it sounds like before you glue it onto the box. Really cool stuff. "How do you know it's going to have the "ring" or the sound one likes in a guitar? Is it based on tradition, experience, or trial-and-error once it's been strung?"Sorry about putting your quote in hard to read pink. That is a good question. Are you sure that you are not a guitar player? ;D Actually I don't know what one is going to sound like exactly. One time I built 3 jumbos, all the same size, using all the same woods, all braced the same, etc. Each one had it's own voice and feel to it. They all sounded like jumbos. Each just a little different. Someone else might be able to build 3 that sound and feel exactly the same. I can't do it. I'm not that good. ;D I don't know what tradition, or traditional is. I try not to build anything standard or normal. I like to be a little bit different then everyone else. And there are a lot of other builders that are doing the same thing. I have done, and still do a lot of trial and error. I talk to a lot of builders and find out what works for them, and what doesn't. Then I build one one way, and build one another way, and change nothing else and see what difference it makes. I'm sure a lot of other builders are doing the same thing. There are thousands of things that you can do, or not do, to change the voice and feel of a guitar. There might even be more. There might be hundreds. That was a big, big question that you asked. We could talk about that for days. But in the mean time, we are going to try and finish this prototype so we can find out what it is going to sound like. ;D I lined up my top to the sides with my little control blocks so I can start the long tedious process of notching the kerfing for the top braces. Thanks for looking. Glen
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Post by Rhapsody on Dec 8, 2008 23:24:00 GMT -5
"Voice." That's the word I was searching for. I'm not a guitarist, but I've heard a lot of guitars, and I know that I like the sound of some guitars and not others. Some seem to have a "ring," while others have a sound that is muffled, or flat....no ring. Some sound "bright" in the mid-ranges, others sound boomy and bass-y. I guess that's what confounds me--so many sounds to cater to so many "ears"--from one instrument type. I usually love or don't love a guitar by the sound of the harmonics...probably not a very good way to listen. You knew exactly what I meant by "tradition"--following prescribed dimensions and standard bracing---and you end up with a guitar that has a good voice. (As a computer person, I'm used to prescribed steps, details and logic in programing.) I wondered if that's what a luthier does---or if there is some experimental, or even emotional/spiritual "feeling" the builder has during the process of working with the wood that leads towards trying this or that in the process of creating the voice of the guitar. (Looking at Henry's long, graceful fingers working with that wood looks kind of spiritual to me...) The trial-and-error thing is a surprise! I would think that the effort and patience that goes into working with the wood only to try this and try that...reject it and try something else would be sad, somehow. So what is "tapping?"
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Post by Glen DeRusha on Dec 9, 2008 0:08:33 GMT -5
So what is "tapping?" That's it. If you take a board of oak, and a board of honduras mahogany, beat on them with a hammer, rap on them with your nuckles or tap on them with a piano hammer or something, you get 2 different sounds. The oak has a dead thud to it compared to the mahogany that has a ring to it. We don't like to use wood that has a dead thud to it on our guitars. I haven't built a guitar out of oak yet. but I'm thinking about it. Glen
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Post by folkstrum on Dec 9, 2008 0:34:44 GMT -5
So what is "tapping?" That's it. If you take a board of oak, and a board of honduras mahogany, beat on them with a hammer, rap on them with your nuckles or tap on them with a piano hammer or something, you get 2 different sounds. The oak has a dead thud to it compared to the mahogany that has a ring to it. We don't like to use wood that has a dead thud to it on our guitars. I haven't built a guitar out of oak yet. but I'm thinking about it. Glen Steve Saville over on AGF ("Steve S"-was a member here briefly) built one out of white oak. I'm not sure, though, if that was the top-wood. I'm thinking not). I haven't heard much about it since. You could PM him there though, and see how he thought it turned out. IIRC, he likened it a bit to walnut.
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Post by Glen DeRusha on Dec 9, 2008 14:01:57 GMT -5
following prescribed dimensions and standard bracing---and you end up with a guitar that has a good voice. I would call that factory built. or if there is some experimental, or even emotional/spiritual "feeling" the builder has during the process of working with the wood that leads towards trying this or that in the process of creating the voice of the guitar. (Looking at Henry's long, graceful fingers working with that wood looks kind of spiritual to me...) I would call that handbuilt by an artist.I guess some builders take it to a more spiritual level then others. Our friend Padma on a building forum talks about putting away your tape measures and calipers and listen to the wood. The wood will speak to you and tell you what it wants. You just have to listen to it. T. J. Thompson was on the radio one day saying how he can tap on a piece of wood and hear the music in it. Some pieces are more musical then others. I know another builder who when he goes to buy tone wood, goes through the stacks of wood, meditates with it, does the laying on of hands and buys the pieces that speak to him and tell him what they want to be made into. He's not building just guitars. He builds lyres, harps, harp guitars, etc. He doesn't sell his instruments either. I'm a listen to the wood kind of guy. I'll admit it. I tap on my tops and my brace wood and match up the pieces that I think should go together. I don't think that I could build by the numbers. I couldn't take a top and sand it down to .115" thick and call it good. I would have to pick it up, see how heavy it was, flex it, tap on it, etc, to see what was in there before I started to put braces on it. ;D If I had to build by the numbers I would probably have to take a couple of sessions with Dr. Phil. ;D You ask some great questions Rapsy! Are you sure you don't want to be a guitar player? ;D I did work on the box a little bit. Were getting ready to close up the box. The back is on. After the back dried for a couple of hours. We looked inside and, it's starting to look like the Barbie Dream House in there. ;D The top is on now. Soon as that dries, it will be a box. Glen
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Post by Glen DeRusha on Dec 9, 2008 19:22:03 GMT -5
My box is unleashed! ;D Glen
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Post by Rhapsody on Dec 9, 2008 21:45:40 GMT -5
Wow! A musical cyclops! I'm glad you're not the factory-made type of person. *nods* There is something so appealingly romantic, ethereal and aesthetically compelling about "hearing," sniffing and "feeling" the sound in the wood that will produce the music that people like me try to soak into every pore.... This thread has been an absolute joy to follow for someone who knows nothing---like me. It's very generous of you to share this whole experience with us! I don't want to try to learn to play guitar. Last year, I really, really was convinced I wanted to learn to play a dulcimer---it was my New Year's resolution for this year. (I'm thinking that since I haven't purchased the instrument yet, things are not looking good for learning to play in the next few weeks. ) I was given some good advice (from Sandy) on what to look for when purchasing the instrument, but I got cold feet. Maybe I can repeat the same resolution for next year....and get more serious about it. The only instrument I've ever played is clarinet. I don't know---but you are certainly an inspiration, Glen! You and that cute little Henry of yours!
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Post by Glen DeRusha on Dec 12, 2008 15:42:45 GMT -5
Thanks Rhapsody! We try to keep the entertainment level up a little bit. I did put in a couple of butt wedges. Here is a blurry pic of them. Now we need to route some binding ledges and start on some binding. Don't mind the messy shop. We live there. Glen
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Post by Rhapsody on Dec 12, 2008 23:12:33 GMT -5
Wait a minute! There are TWO of them? *scrolls back up the thread*
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Post by Glen DeRusha on Dec 13, 2008 20:54:59 GMT -5
Long story about why there are two of them. Here are the sisters. The slope shouldered dreadnought is on the left, and the 000 12 fret is on the right. The short story is that we wanted to wedge shape the dred body to make the drivers side skinny like a 000 for playing comfort. We did route the binding ledges. Made some binding. Temporary taped it to check for fit. That is a little strip of ebony perfling in there. Started gluing it on. One down and one to go. Glen
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