Official Luthiers Forum!

So - Guitar #5 is turning out to be tougher than all the others put together......

On #1 I was so focused, and so aware of not knowing ANYTHING that I made mistakes, but the things that went right kept me on track. #2 and #3 were incremental improvements, and I built #3 and #4 simultaneously - and they're pretty good guitars - and the action's even pretty good.

On #5 I've done the following.............
1. Bent one of the sides backwards, so I had to, ever so gently and slowly, rewet and rebend. Shockingly, it worked.
2. Overcarved the laminated neck so I had no choice but to cut the outside portion off, plane it ever so close to the laminate, then fabricate another mahogany "wing" to repair the neck. So far I haven't screwed that one up.
3. Bending the ebony banding was a trainwreck - bending machine is necessary if I ever try that again (went the hot pipe route - even with foil, a flexible metal backing, etc. . The ebony was laughing at me as it went, crack, crack, crack. Solution to that one was to buy the bent ones from LMII..... which wasn't too bad except I mis measured my binding ledges - measured them perfectly for the binding, and neglected to include the purfling... So far, I don't think it's terminal - I really don't want to reroute these bindings and buy more prebent ones.

So, you get the picture. I'm choosing to look at the bright side - the next one's gotta go smoother.

I love building guitars...

Sounds like you're learning a lot with this one!

As long as you remember what you screwed up on when you build the next one...

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

I think we've all had (or will have) builds like that. One I built comes to mind - seems I had to do everything on that guitar at least twice, including bending sides since I bent one wrong, had to use another top after a pitch pocket showed up (which I didn't see when candling), while thicknessing after doing the rosette, then stripping off the bracing of the second top because they were placed wrong. replacing some back braces because I cut them too short, then the owner bailed on paying, then he was back on. It turned out fine and he was happy. The next one built itself. In my more contemplative moments, I consider it paying dues. In my less contemplative moments, well...

The volumes of reject parts that Martin has sold - don't forget to count their kits - might give you a hint of what they, with their industrial-engineered processes and CNC must still have to deal with.

Keep building.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

I forgot! I had to remove the braces from the back on this one, too - maybe due to changes in humidity, it was developing a reverse arch! Plane them off, then start again....

I must have blocked it -

Well, this guitar is certainly teaching me something - thanks for the encouragement. Encouraging to hear I'm not the only one who makes these kinds of errors.

I remember the "100hr syndrome" when I was flying and the "chief resident syndrome" in surgical training. In both cases you are far enough along in your learning curve that you get pretty impressed with yourself. It's definitely when you are at the highest risk to get into big trouble. (Usually trouble you didn't even know existed.) I think it applies to guitar building too. We've all been there.
Terry

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

The one I just finished was sitting on a box leaning against the wall in my workshop/garage. While pushing my motorcycle into the garage after a ride it got tangled up with the bicycles already parked. The motorcycle fell over and crushed the guitar. The BMW cylinder head landed right dead center on the sound hole. Those BMWs are HEAVY. Luckily, I guess, the guitar cushioned the valve cover and prevented any scratches.
Dang It! Mikey

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The Biggest Little City, Nevada
www.hammondguitars.com
I love building guitars!

Oh man Corky, hang in there! I have had something happen to me on every single guitar. People always say there comes a point when they get easy, or at least one does once in a while but I have never had one go smoothly start to finish. It makes me crazy sometimes. I have found too (and others have said this also) that when I am really getting mad I have to stop immediately and close up the shop. I have ruined things far worse than they were by trying to fix it right away. Usually when I come back to it later with a level head it goes well. Also, in the time spent between the mistake and the fix I usually think up a better way to do it. I am sorry this is happening to you! You will not regret pushing through it.

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

It's the journey. The guitar is just a bonus. On my 5th instrument I thought I had invented concurrent build/repair.

You mean I will still have problems on #5?
Lets see..... still on the top of my first build; I flooded my Rosette with CA glue to be informed I now have a top that is a sunburst canidate because of the "glow" that happens where I spilled onto the Lutz. Then, not having a clue what radius to use I guessed use the 20' for the top. And I radiused every brace. I am now chiseling off the braces I made to make new ones and to use a 28' and only sand the X brace to match the curve. I'll use the 20' on the back but have been told when the piggy bank is replenished I want a 15' radius for the back.
I figure if I start over every time I screw up I will run out of wood!
Can't learn this stuff in a class. They just show you how to do it right lol. To screw up this grand is a ummmmm great learning experience

I didn't wait that long - I started the concurrent build/repair with my first. As soon as I finish the last repair then I can start the finish/refinish process.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

If I ever get completely though a guitar with a screw up I'm going to quit building.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

I still have challenges with #21. i agree the trip is the joy, the guitar the bonus. When i see myself making mistakes it is time to down tools and have a break. Come back another time when I'm fresh. Even the most delicate surgery is about dealing with the surprises that come with any procedure. Same with lutherie, painting, music, sports... name it.

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Greg
http://garibaldiinstruments.com/

A good friend of mine told me once, "guitar building is not about not making mistakes but how good you get repairing them"!

Isn't that the truth?

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Hey Corky. Thanks for the post. I recently had to rebend sides for #6 and while it came out okay I was still wanting to and cry . But it is challenging to make it all go better .

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Ron

Corky,

As you're seeing, you aren't in it alone! Everyone's going down the same path.



Well put, YJ!!

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Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC