Official Luthiers Forum!

Do you play your newly built guitars before the finish is applied to hear the difference in sound? And those that have.Did you find a big difference in sound before and after?

I string mine up before I finish. I use those hollow screws thru the bridge pins (Stewmac). Mainly I'm checking intonation and neck angle and feel to make sure I've got it close. On my archtops it's easier.

As for sound... it's really difficult to judge. I notice changes for the first month a guitar is strung up. It's really difficult to isolate the effect of finish from everything else. Just my opinion....

I did that on the first two or three that I built. For beginners I think it is valuable learning, you can carve some bracing and thin the top and learn a little.

However the changes in sound when you apply finish and properly glue down the bridge and fretboard are significant, so it's not what I do anymore.

_________________
David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."