Official Luthiers Forum!

Here's my #1 guitar build -- this was done mostly from scratch.
The only pre made wood parts were the fretboard blank and bridge

Body and neck are cherry.
Binding is Peruvian walnut
Purflings are Maple/Cherry/Walnut veneer

Top is Lutz
Rosette is Cherry, Maple, and Walnut.

Body style is mostly a Ditson GC... that expanded a bit in the waist and lower bout.
14" lower bout, 10 1/2" upper bout, 10" waist.
24.9" scale.

This thing sounds great and is fun to play. Very "Big" sound from such a small guitar.
Bracing was posted about 2-months ago for a critique... I tried to keep it light, and I think it paid off.






Thanks

John

Thats one original looking guitar in my eyes, Way to go ..

Lars

John,
I remember you mentioning the Ditson GC pattern. Youv'e made some slight alterations. Very nice.
I am interested in that pattern, I've been trying to get a tracing from a fellow who owns an original, but so far, no cigar.
Congrats!
D.

_________________
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008907949110

She's a real beauty. Sure love that cherry. How is cherry for sound?

"Original"..... That must be a nice way of saying "Hmmm, that is an odd body shape"

The guitar you plan is always done exactly to print..... The guitar you GET ends up being all the little things that didn't come out quite right.... The body shape ended up being what I bent the sides to. I think I took the sides out of my bender way too soon -- and ended up with the wide waist and funny shape lower bout.... but it is hard to change that once the linings, head block, and tail block are in.

I didn't actually notice how far off of the "Pattern" it was until I was installing my bindings. I "Correctly" bent the bindings on my bender so that the correctly fit my form and mold.... Not even close to fitting the body.... and had to hand bend them to fit the funny body shape.

Luckily, Al Carruth's "Guitar Shaped Things" dictum is right... "If it Looks like a Guitar, It will Sound like a Guitar" It definitely sounds like a guitar...

Thanks

John

I don't have anything to really compare it against other than factory guitars...
That being said, it sounds "Warm" and "Full" -- not "Boingey" or "Twangey" or "Jingly" to me.... but that could be from many other things like the Ebony bridge, Maple bridge plate, or the spruce top that was cut from an old spruce timber bridge beam that fell down ~40 years ago (or so I am told.)

It is currently my favorite guitar ever.... but I am sure everyone says that about their 1st real guitar....

Thanks

John

Very cool, congrats
I shied away from bending sides on my #1 and ordered them pre-bent, so hats off from me for doing that! I'm planning on trying it on my next guitar as well.

btw, my favorite guitar at the moment is the one that's darn close to completion

Christian

Well done John. For a first instrument from scratch that looks excellent. But I have to say that is an odd body shape.

But then, that's only my opinion, and that's only worth what you payed for it.

I like it. Good clean workmanship.
Did you use an outside mold?

Good job John. My first was a scratch built OM out of some cherry I had left over from a furniture project. Makes a beautiful looking and sounding guitar. Loud! I have to say the top on my number one was somewhat of a boat anchor in regard to my bracing. I had built that one using the Kinkhead book and worked some of it off of Cumpiano's book. After that I opted for the course at ASL with Charles Fox. I'm contemplating removing the top from #1 and shaving the braces down considerably. It sounds good but could stand to be a bit more free. Anyway, that's a bit too much on my first this is about yours which I'm sure sounds much better than mine with all the help from fellow OLFers. Congrats on a job well done.

_________________
Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

I did use an outside mold *Briefly* My mold is a simple 2-layer of plywood deal -- not like several of the beautiful creations I have seen here that enshroud the entire body. The mold is actually the correct shape/size for the plan... so the body didn't fit back in the mold once everything was glued back together.

I did the gluing on a workboard without the body mold. I roped the top and back on the workboard using clamps and bungee cord.

Thanks

John

John,
I like that body shape a lot. I like the whole deal in fact, wood choice, purfling, rose. Congratulations on being adventurous.
Walter

_________________
Walter Lay
"It's taken me so long, but now that I know
I can see. All that I do or say, is all I ever will be"
- Billy Joe Shaver

John, I would be very proud of this guitar!!! It awesome that you did so much yourself. (I opted for a kit on my first) Very good job. I would love to hear what the cherry sounds like......I'll bet it's great!

_________________
Formerly known as Adaboy.......