Official Luthiers Forum!

Thanks! I normally just wing it when it comes to spec guitars, but this one I actually had somewhat of a vision.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

I showed that bridge to Kevin Ryan and he praised the originality of the design....inferring that it was mine. I let him think that a few days before I told him it was Johns'. It truly is a stunning bridge design, John.

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I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

Well nothing too exciting, a couple of OMs ready to go to finish and some repairs. Getting ready to carve the top on an archtop. That's a unique bridge John. I like it. Are all your bridges going to look like that now?

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

I've still have a dozen or so orders for my more vintage style with the rectangular bridge, but ones in the future will indeed be this style. Stuart milled ~20 of them for me, but I'll probably get some more made up when I have a bit of extra money.

As for the originality of the design... it is somewhat, but it is based on designs I liked, as well as my own older belly bridge. I, for sure, can't take all the credit for the design. I took the footprint of my old bridge I've used for the past 12 years or so to start with. I made the saddle slot wider like I've seen on Doolins bridge. It's a 3/16 saddle width. Slightly smaller than the 1/4 that I think Ervin uses. Then I made the profile a 16" radius so the part of the saddle sticking up from the bridge would be even for the most part. The idea for the scoops came from Ervin Somogyi. They are smaller and more angular than what Ervin uses, but I can't take credit for the idea in the least. After the fact I found out Mario Beauregard uses a somewhat similar style too, but his "scoops" are vastly smaller different footprint ect.... So basically it comes down to taking elements I've seen, as well as my own parts and morphing them together. I wish I could take all the credit, but gotta give credit where credit is due.


It's these designs merged:

Ervin Somogyi:



Doolin:



Beauregard:



Mayes:

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

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.
we all have to agree that Somogyi is so insipirativ.......

After seeing other builder’s first guitars I do not feel worthy to post this! This is my first guitar build which is a 17" archtop. I've made many mistakes and have learned from all of them. Hopefully I won't repeat them on my next build which is in progress. I'm sure I'll make new mistakes and learn from them as well and will be a never ending learning process for me. The hardest lesson was routing for the binding. I ended up chiseling out my first attempt, rerouting and cutting my own Black Walnut binding which looks OK at best. I've started building my own binding machine similar to the Universal Binding Machine sold by LMI . I have also built a side bending machine that will utilize a slide in solid mold which will help bend the figured sides that I could not bend on the iron without having them fracture. My biggest sin on this build has been being impatient. I've worked through my mistakes and just want to get this one done! I am taking twice the time on the next build trying to be more precise. I’m in the process of finishing my first guitar and here are a few pictures. Seeing the work everyone is doing on this form has been a great inspiration and resource for me. Thanks!

I'm working on an EIR/German Spruce. It is going to have Bloodwood binding. Managed to get the braces carved and the box together yesterday.

Neil

Neil,

Did you take off some spool clamps for the picture or are you really just using such few clamps to close the box?

IMHO, you've got some pretty large portions of the glue joints that don't have enough pressure on...

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Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

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What am I building? A 3D model of my scroll/neck so I'm ready when I get my CNC up and running. Still have to smoove out the transitions/blends but I can't quite get them right, that's why there's the gaps in there.

Unfortunately, I haven't made any sawdust in months.

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http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com

John I thought that bridge looked familar! I had no idea it was going to be done out of ivory! Beautiful.

Mike

Indeed! Got some others made too, Ivory, Brazilian, African Blackwood, Ebony.

Thanks for helping with the CAD surfaces!

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

I think it's screaming for a black or otherwise dark saddle.

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http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com

You are one busy man John!
Like the "bow-tie" inlay on the back of the dread - cool!

I have started another electric - based on the LP shape but with a top cutaway and reduced the back thickness to 1 1/8":

Assembling #100 which is a short scale (24 3/4") narrow neck (1 11/16") classical guitar.

Congrats on #100 David!

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Yes, congrats David! I'm looking forward to seeing this one done.

I'm doing some finishing work, including an "ice tea" sunburst on a pernambuco dread. Here it is, with another dread and a 00, after some nitro clear coats.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

I'm working on a redwood and figured mahogany. Today I worked the top to the target stiffness and developed a bracing layout clearly influenced by Ervin's The Responsive Guitar. Here's hoping

Wow! Some very nice work being done by lots of great luthiers!! Keep up the good work chaps!

I've been working on an SJ cutaway. Customer asked me to make her a nylon string large-ish body cutaway guitar with some specific wood. I decided on an SJC with a fan braced top. The top is lutz and the b/s are black hearted sassafras. I'm making the guitar with a kind of Yin/Yang derivative theme which the customer likes. Just finished gluing the binding/purfling on and scraped it level. There are a few gaps to fill, then on to the neck.







Enjoy!
Dave F.

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Cambrian Guitars

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

^^ love that rosette and tail graft!

I have been watching that Pernambuco guitar as it comes along Arnt, the burst looks very fine on it.

I imagine it must be a nice feeling to be working on #100 David! It is looking good as usual.

Todd, it is nice to see some photos of your repair, I imagine the owner will be so happy with the perfect match and repair work. I don't envy you with the tint matching but I bet it will look great also.

I have been slowly building out an extension area for another small room in my building. I am excited to move a bunch of new tools I have recently purchased in there and get them all tuned up and helping out. I have 2 guitars in the beginning stages, a Cuban mahogany/Red Spruce smaller guitar and a Swiss/Cocobolo mid sized guitar that I am excited about, I will be trying some new things out with the Swiss/Coco.

I handed off last night a spec guitar that I sold to a local player and I am very excited for him to have it, he played for a while last night in the shop and it sounded like a great fit for his style, we were both very happy with the situation. I intonated it for his non standard tuning and it is off to its new home! I took some glamour shots when I put it up for sale and here they are.









more info and photos (and sound clips) are on my site here if you are interested:

http://legeytguitars.com/2011/03/23/mod ... -for-sale/

Thanks!

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

+1

Your models look very nice Burton.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

this is actually a bit of an old picture. I have since sprayed spirit varnish on the body and inlayed the fretboard with a traced picture of my recently passed dog "Hopper", who ran in front of a train in November. I'm having a hard time with the varnish finish, which I let dry for a week and sanded with 500 grit wet and dry paper, only to discover unsightly palm print and rug texture marks all over the finish. Thought I'd waited long enough before sanding. Just sprayed another coat today and am out of violin varnish. I got this stuff to try because they were out of lacquer at Japan woodworkers. It's Behlen violin varnish and quite expensive.

Otherwise the guitar looks good.

Can't believe the damage from that hail. We had some here in San Pablo, which I thought was pretty big at about corn size, and happens once in a lifetime in these parts.

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"Preoccupation with an effect gives it power and enhances the error"
from "Your Owner's Manual" by Burt Hotchkiss.

I have used Behen violin finish on 2 violins and it has taken 3-4 weeks before it was hard enough to avoid the finger prints and the like. On my last violin I had the problem on the top where I had more layers of finish applied to get the sunburst the way I wanted it. This was after 2 weeks. I let the violin sit for another 2 weeks and was able to sand the prints out and polish the finish.

I would switch to spraying 1lb or 2 lb cut of shallac, if you want to spray a spirit varnish.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Wow guys, lots of good things are happening in your shops, the coolest thing about this forum is the sharing of each others builds.

Todd I love seeing your repair projects

I have started on the rosettes for the guitars I started the thread with, I think this is one of my favorite tasks.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866