Official Luthiers Forum!

It's the Romanillos plan from GAL, one of the sponsors here. Most of the plans being discussed are available there, except for the Bogdanovich/Hauser.

_________________
Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Jim is right. I used that plan and the Courtnall book. I love the plan. I also had a lot of help from folks here on this forum. Check some of the posts from "Shawn", in the archives, on "Romanillos". Also David LaPlante, Joshua French and Colin Symonds gave me a lot of specific information that was extremely helpful. The biggest problem is cases. It's too small for any standard case. Most are made for 14 1/2" or 15" lower bouts.

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I think Hiscox makes one or 2 with a 360 LB.

_________________
Build log

Another vote for the 1888 Torres plan (114). One mod I made is to dome the lower bout to 3 - 3.5mm. That way I did not have a problem with fingerboard transition at the body, nor did I have to thin the fingerboard toward the body. I kept the neck on the same plane as the body on the solera. I'm really happy with the results.
You can see it on my site: www.likekestrings.com

_________________
A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

Oh yeah, books. I'll agree with Waddy, I like the Courtnall book a lot. He does have some areas there that are a little strange, though, like sawing fret slots after the fretboard is tapered (I'd prefer to have a perpendicular edge to register against, myself). The book provides a lot of information about a number of important builders and their builds, along with the general how-to, and that is an important part of the book's attraction.

I like the Bogdanovich book too. It provides a discussion of a mold system that introduces the concept of a lower bout top that falls away from the plane of the upper bout. This is an important part of the Romanillos guitar, and it is easy to adjust the design of the Bogdanovich form to use the feature in the Romanillos design of having the top be inside the sides, which then don't need the fall-away taper done before they are joined to the top. (Tapering the sides to match the top arch the way Bogdanovich suggests it is work.)

Jim

_________________
Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Thanks Waddy,

I use tissue paper backing on my spalt rosette wood. Not kleenex, but tissue you wrap stuff in. Very thin, takes the glue well, and combines to hold everyting intact while cutting. I am cutting with a knife edge roseete cutter (manual) and it works fine.

_________________
Here is what a Parlor Guitar is for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEa8PkjO6_I

Here's the finished rosette. I cut the spalted maple on my laser - no need to back it with anything. Do you guys flood the spalted stuff with super glue to make it more robust prior to cutting it out?



Yay for Zipflex!!!

Now it's time to move on to the patches and bracing...

Cheers,
Dave F.

_________________
Cambrian Guitars

"There goes Mister Tic-Tac out the back with some bric-brac from the knick-knack rack"