Official Luthiers Forum!

Howdy, I'm Rich Middendorf.

Having lurked on this forum for the last six months or so, I figured it was time to say hello. I live in Manhattan in a small apartment, so I often drool at your workspaces. And I am just amazed at the craftsmanship and creativity of the members of this forum. I'm in the market for a house in the country now and hopefully I will have a shop of my own within the year.

For your amusement and maybe horror, I've posted a link to photos of the project I've been working on for about 8 months. I rebuilt an old 1910 Lyon & Healy student grade guitar in my bedroom—much to the dismay of my very tolerant wife. I learned most of what I needed thanks to your generous sharing of knowledge. I learn something new every time I visit the OLF.

In any case, I welcome any and all opinions, good and bad. That's how you learn.

Thanks again for letting me view your artistry from afar.

Photo link: http://web.mac.com/middas/iWeb/Site/GuitarRepair.html

Hi Rich , i thought I would say hello since we are neighbors ( practicly that is ) my name is jody , I live about 60 miles north of manhatten in orange county ... right now its a buyers paradise if your looking for a house around here ! I might even sell you mine ! LOL seriously there are alot of homes forsale , many people live here and commute , as I am about ten minutes from the train station!
welcome to the forum, your work looks nice ... and your wife must be a saint! Jody

Rich nice job on the restoration and welcome to the OLF!!!

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Ann Arbor Guitars

Hi Rich, glad to make your acquaintance. Sounds like you've been around the OLF longer than me, even though you just posted for the first time.

Your restoration job looks great. I always marvel at how people with "it" (common sense, nouce, smarts, whatever it's called) manage to find a way to acheive their goals despite not having every tool/facility at their disposal. My hat is off to you sir! Well done!!

Sounds like your wife is a keeper, just like mine (she tolerates stacks of hardwood in the main foyer of our house, plywood sheets in the kitchen, and no garage for the car/s!). I wish you luck finding a nice house with a LARGE workshop.

Cheers,
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"

Building a guitar is one thing, but taking one apart, re-bracing it and then putting it all back together and having something that is worth playing is just plain neat!

Well done on both the rebuild and the pictorial!

Welcome to the forum!!

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Reguards,

Ken H

Welcome to the OLF, Rich. That's a really nice, major repair, photo presentation. Excellent work.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Rich,

That's so cool . . . resurrecting a parlour in a parlour That's a lovely little guitar and great improvisation techniques that you used in such a small space that you had available. I like the way that you re-cycled where you could. You've got to love the character and tenacity of these old guys that have managed to survive so long and it must feel great to have given it a new life and to play it today. I'd love to hear how it sounds if you have done any recordings.

Welcome to the OLF!!

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Welcome to the forum, as you say there is a lot of good information to be had here, and a lot of experienced guys willing to answer any of your question.

You certainly jumped in with both feet on the restoration. But bringing an old guitar back to playable condition is a worthwhile undertaking. As a restorer of historic instruments, I was a little sad to see the original bracing pattern replaced with an X brace though, but you did save a nice little guitar.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

First let me say thanks for the encouraging words. I loved every minute of this project. I restored a 1775 house in Connecticut from 1989 to 2002. That too, was a labor of love that gave me lots of learning about wood and hand tools.

To Colin, I understand your wish to stay true to the instruments original structure. I spent some time wondering what I should do. It was just that I felt the original bracing was woefully inadequate for even nylon strings. There was just a 1/8" X 1" strap across the belly that was supposed to act as support and bridge plate. It was so chewed up someone glued a piece of maple where the spruce was broken. I couldn't put the box back together without rethinking the support. And at that point a lot more bracing is no different than a little more.

Had this been a valuable instrument I would have stayed true to the original construction. I think this grade of guitar was churned out on an assembly line. The fret board was dyed maple or poplar, and so cupped and soft it crumbled. You can still see the plane marks on the belly and none of the bracing was square, even the neck block is off center. Still I love the old wood.

Thanks again

Rich, don't for a minute think I was being in any way critical, as I said you did a mighty fine job of bringing an old guitar back to life, something for which you should get the highest praise. I just think in the way of a restorer who will look at the guitar in 200 years or so when it's a cherished rarity in the museum, because of your work it may be the only example that survives that long!

Looking at your bracing pattern, I restored to playing condition a guitar with a similar pattern. This one though was a London made guitar from about 1780, which when finished was one of the sweetest sounding guitars I have heard.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Nice old guitar Colin. Hard to believe a 200 year-old guitar can still make music. I see what you mean about the bracing. Not much to it. I supposed the top was thicker and strings weaker. I love how the frets were continued onto the top. Do you suppose those were really used or was it a transition detail?

Thanks again for the info.

Rich