Official Luthiers Forum!

Every year I ask OLFers what your 2009 guitar building goals are.

Although we are still in early December I have been giving my own guitar building goals a lot of thought and as such thought that I would share them with my OLF pals. I also would like to hear your guitar building goals and I am sure that many other folks would too.

1) Learn by doing and repetition seems to be a very good teacher at least for me. So I plan on building as many guitars in 2009 as I can.

2) Improve or perhaps even establish efficiencies in how I build, do some batch building and making of parts.

3) Backfill and learn much more about wood working skills. When I started building guitars I was hell bent on building guitars and things like learning how to use and set-up the tools that we use took a back seat...... This was not smart on my part and counter productive as well not to mention the safety concerns too. So in 2009 I want to tune in more to info on using the tools that we use properly, setting them up, and best practices for working smart AND safe.

4) Try out some new body shapes and sizes that I design and have been thinking about.

5) Seek out some of the pros that I know and obtain some formal Lutherie education.

6) Last but never least - have a great time with it all. I love building guitars and have loved guitars in general since I was a very little kid.

Lets hear what your guitar building goals are for 2009?

Thanks!

My 2009 Goals will be as follows:

1- Same as Hesh's #3. I have a lot of power tools that I would really like to learn more about so as to maximize their performance and life.

2 - So far it has taken me a year to a little over a year to build a guitar. I'm currently on #2 which will be finished early January, but I really want to build more in 2009. I would be happy with 2 guitars in 2009, but more would be great.

3 - After getting to where I'm at on guitar #2, I have a much better understanding for the setup on guitars. I'm sure I still have a lot to learn, but so far I'm REALLY pleased with how I've set up #2. I would like to go back to #1 and tweak the setup to get it to play as nicely as #2.

4 - I would like to get better with French Polishing and I would also like to try a spray on Finish of some sort.

5 - And lastly..... I need to clean my shop. If Hesh were to swing by I would be too embarassed to even let him near my shop. Seriously...I want to clean my shop and better organize things. I'm sure it won't be anything near as nice as Hesh's, but this is a big time priority for me in 2009.

_________________
Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

1. Learn to build a guitar not the joke I'm working on now.
2. Fit & finish is were I need to improve, looking at the 1st strip of binding I've glued on
3. Learn by building more I'd like to do 2 a year
4. Be tidier and more organised


I'm sure there's loads more I just can't think of them

_________________
Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

Build and sell at least 50 electrics.

Finish my acoustic I've been building for myself for the past year and a half.

Finish of my Uke that I've been building for myself for the same length of time.

Film a new DVD on dance moves.

_________________
John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

1) learn patience
2) learn patience
3) learn patience
4)... you get the point...

I KNOW how to be patient. Many will tell you that I'm the most patient person they know. They haven't seen me build something. I just gotta' get it done so I can try it out. Thus my stuff comes out okay, but I know it can be better. Now that I've got a couple under my belt, maybe I can slow down, and make them look like I know I can. Besides, If I ruin the piece of quilted maple I've got coming, I'm really gonna lose it...

_________________
Rob

Ditto... I also need to learn patience.

Other goals for me:

1. Increase collection of tools.
2. Start building up a collection of wood.
3. Start working on #2 and hopefully #3.

I allow myself to get sidetracked with other projects too easily. This year I've completed two amps and a strat, but my goal was to complete an acoustic.

2009: Finish two acoustics.

Is it that time again...already?! OK, here goes:

1. Build a classical guitar.

2. Build a guitar with a WRC top (could be the same as 1., above).

3. Start testing/measuring properities of guitar tops using David Hurd's "Left-Brain Lutherie" techniques.

4. Build a guitar using results from 3., above.

5. significantly improve my photography skills.

6. Set up website incorporating results of 5., above.

I think it will be necessary to double up on some of these to get it all done.

_________________
Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

Finish 2 & 3
Start 4 & 5, possibly more
clean my shop a little, so I can move in there.

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Improve my building and learn to sell!

_________________
http://www.PeakeGuitars.com

Build a mistake free guitar ... LOFTY ... but a guy has to have goals, right?

_________________
tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

I hope to build 2 mabey 3 in 09.I'm looking at 1 out of Ash.1out of walnut.Then if i have time,1 out of quilted maple.It might be wishful thinking as i build all of guitar, except tuners of course, on each one.I won't have other peoples work in any of my guitars,so they take longer to build.I also hope to have the time to do some fancy inlay work on one of them, so i will have to cut and lap shell for that one which will be very time consuming .I also hope to get my new shop set up in 09 as well,so i have my work cut out for me this year.

Well,...............................get my shop situated and,............................um...............maybe....................just maybe............................................actually begin building!

_________________
DES - Farwell, MI

I have a few goals also. First, I only have five months to work on them as I'm due to be mobilized with the army for the second time in five years.

1.) Finish the two guitars I started.

2.) Learn how to spray lacquer.

3.) Become an expert on French polishing.

4.) Maybe someday use a chisel without gouging the tip of my thumb. I have my DNA on everything I've built. Wonder if they studied Stradivari's violins they could find his blood on one of them. Someday someone could clone him and he could tell all his secrets.

4. ) Find a woman who loves guitars and music. (that's a lost cause.)

_________________
"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins

I'm for sure going to be building a classical with Robbie O'Brien's help at RRCC. In the basement I've got a couple steel strings and a ukelelele I'm working on and I now have 3 friends asking to purchase materials with which I can practice. They're still figuring out the particulars. My long term goal is still to build a cello, but I can't imagine that'll be in 2009.

And hopefully, I'll take a break from tool buying and spend more time tool using for a while.

_________________
Mike Lindstrom

More, More, More!!!!!

_________________
Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Well, seeing that I have not built a guitar yet, I have a few simple goals for 2009.

1. Get more in depth in my research and get a good grasp on what it takes to build a good guitar.

2. Start my first guitar, and finish it

3. Learn from the mistakes I made in my future first build and improve as much as I can onto a second.

4. Have fun and don't lose my patience!!!!


Josh

1. Finish the black limba PRS style electric the I just recently started on.
2. Build a multiscale electric.
3. Try my hand at my first acoustic.

_________________
________________
Jeremy Vonk

Keep Learning for sure !

Finish the 6 guitars I have on order.

Take in the GFA Convention in June.

Finish a steel for myself.
It's been hanging in the shop for 2 years !!!!!

Enjoy life and this great guitarmaking community

MIke

_________________
Mike Collins

Buy more wood so I have something to post on the next "Show us your Stash" post

Clean my shop!!!

Build, build, build (and hopefully sell a guitar or 2)

_________________
John Ressler

Can't say anything except to strive to be a better builder. There are so many elements that still need a lot of improvement.

(1) Get out from under an external, overgrown professional service obligation that keeps me out of the shop (not to mention away from the time needed to be productive at work) so that I can go there.

(2) Finish the projects sitting in the shop before I start anything new. (This by itself is 2 years worth of work if I could find the time to get there - no joke.)

(3) Get French Polishing right (seems to be a frequent theme!)

(4) Try a sprayed finish for the first time (other than rattlecan nitro), using my cheapo HVLP sprayer kit from Woodcraft, on a couple of projects that I REALLY HOPE will be done in January.

_________________
Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

#1 - For sure try to get a spot on John Mayes upcoming dance dvd.

#2 - Unlike Chuck I want to leave more blood on anything I build so customers know what has gone into it.

#3 - I met my 2008 goal of building a new shop. New goal is to figure a way to convince my wife that free time should be spent working on my projects, not hers.

#4 - Finish the recently started parlour guitar.

# 5 - Carve an "A" Style mando and an archtop.


Happy Upcoming New Year,
Danny

I need to learn to be more patient too. It seems most the mistakes I make are
usually from being in a rush. I want to make some new shapes in 09' and experiment
with different tonewoods. And get that drum sander I want !
And keep on learning !!

_________________
Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Well i'm just starting my first build so I would like to take my time and learn how to build them properly. The other thing I want to work on is keeping my shop cleaner so I am going to try to do it more like Hesh does.
Mike