Official Luthiers Forum!

This is a great forum. I tried to look up this question in the search thing, but didn't have any luck probably because of my lack of understanding it. Anyway, I am building my first guitar from scratch. As I understand it, many high end luthiers use hide glue on many of the guitar joints. For my first guitar, I was just going to use the titebond AR glue from stewmac for everything, and then maybe learn how to use hide glue on a later guitar. Is my thinking flawed? Thanks.

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Always remember you are unique......just like everyone else.

What's a "high end luthier?"

Anyways, titebond is just fine. There is a lot of technique and learning to do with HH glue. Maybe not your best choice for your first build.

Mike

Thanks for the info. I was going to ask about that LMI white. Is that as good as titebond AR? Does it creep? I really appreciate it. I have been looking at a bunch of the members websites here and I cannot believe the amazing quality of the guitars you people build. (Yes luthiers, I called you "you people").

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Always remember you are unique......just like everyone else.

LMI white glue is EXCELLENT.

Mike

first few builds...the white stuff they sell at the local hardware store.


blessings
the
Padma

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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I'd recommend LMI white for everything but the fretboard-to-neck-shaft joint, for which I'd recommend slow setting epoxy. If you're not familiar with the use of epoxy, educate yourself about it - the West System web site has a lot of info. LMI carries Smith All Wood epoxy, which I've never used, but plan to try soon. That might be a good choice.

You will probably also want to use CA (super glue) for some things. Many of us use it for the rosette as well as for binding the instrument, not to mention all sorts of repairs (and there's always some repair work involved in building, as things will go awry). Again, some education in the use of CA is in order, especially if you decide to use it for binding.

As Todd S implies, make sure all your glue joints are well-prepared and well-fitted. That's more important than what kind of glue you use.

With a lot of care, patience, perseverance, determination, and education, your first may well be a very, very good guitar in all respects.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

I'm an "intermediate newbie" having completed my fifth recently, so I know where you are.

All great advice above. If I were building my first now, knowing what I do, I'd use LMI white. I'm using HHG now, and I really like it, but you have to work very fast (at least with my setup), so for me its less forgiving than LMI white.

CA (Crazy Glue) is very useful, as Todd said. If you do use it on the rosette, be sure to seal the top (and the rosette channel) first, with shellac, as CA will run into the grain, and stain the top. Also, WEAR EYE PROTECTION. A couple of drops of CA in your eye is not something you want.

Go for it! Completing the first guitar is a wonderful milestone.

I say, use what you want, but do not be concerned about using hide glue on your first, if you want to. I did, and found it to, actually, be easier than most other glues, except for having to heat it up, and work a little faster when gluing. If you practice your glue-ups, which you should do anyway to make sure your joints are good, the next step of applying glue and clamping are pretty simple. Hot Hide Glue is not hard to use, and too many folks give it a bad rap, usage wise.

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Waddy

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