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| Plan for Gibson Nick Lucas Special http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=28905 |
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| Author: | Greenman [ Fri Sep 03, 2010 8:05 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Plan for Gibson Nick Lucas Special |
 I would like to build a guitar based on the Gibson Nick Lucas special. Does anyone know of any plans out there. I think I read somewhere it was based on an L1 shape. I don't know much about Gibson models and the difference between the L series but I am willing to be enlightened. What type of bracing did this model have? I know some of the L series used ladder bracing. I don't think I am interested in that. Thanks Bill-the Greeenman
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| Author: | Mark Mc [ Sat Sep 04, 2010 1:27 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Plan for Gibson Nick Lucas Special |
Hi Bill The Nick Lucas model was based on the L-00 pattern, but it is deeper (roughly drednaught depth, 4" at the neck block and 4.5" at the tail block). Over a production run of about 12 years Gibson changed the timbers used and the bracing a number of times. The best bracing to use is a standard X-brace. As you have suggested, I think the ladder bracing is best avoided. There were versions with 12 frets to the body, 13 frets and 14 frets. Many people believe that the 13-fret design was the best. I built a 13-fret L-00 last year and it turned out really well. There are lots of L-00 plans available. I got one from MIMF and made the body deeper. You can also buy them from Stew-Mac, and maybe from LMI also . There are also free plans for a L-00 at Christophe Grellier's website: http://www.grellier.fr/plans.php?lang=en All of these are for a 14-fret neck joint but you can adapt them to a 12 or 13 fret join if you want. I didn't make a faithful copy - for instance mine has a slotted headstock. Some details of how it turned out are here: http://fretsnet.ning.com/forum/topics/nick-lucas-l00 cheers Mark |
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| Author: | David Wren [ Sat Sep 04, 2010 6:42 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Plan for Gibson Nick Lucas Special |
Here's a great page on the history of the Nick Lucas Special http://nicklucas.com/guitar-gibsonNickLucasSpecial.html. I tend to think of this model in terms of the pre 1929 body shape for some reason ... possibly because of promo photos of Nick are often with this shape. I have a tracing of the body shape from this time period, and build a model that is derivitive but with my own bracing pattern. If you just need the body shape, I could pop it in the mail to you. |
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| Author: | Tim L [ Sat Sep 04, 2010 9:33 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Plan for Gibson Nick Lucas Special |
GAL plan #55 by Kenny Char. Scaled drawing from a restoration he was doing. |
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| Author: | TimAllen [ Mon Sep 06, 2010 12:22 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Plan for Gibson Nick Lucas Special |
I have all three of the plans mentioned and can say a bit about each of them. First, the Grellier plan is not a version of the Gibson L-00 or Nick Lucas. It's more like a Martin 00. It does not have the distinctive narrow waist of the Gibson--it's 8 3/4" rather than 8 7/16" (GAL plan). Its lower bout is 14 1/4" rather than 14 13/16" (GAL plan). The Grellier 00 is also more heavily built--two tone bars per side, .10 thick sides, etc. That said, the Grellier design is lovely, I think, and the plan is quite detailed. I have not built from it yet, but I have had a copy shop print out a full-size plan, and I have built a mold using his shape. I'll probably brace it a bit lighter (not that I put myself forward as an authority on this!). The MIMF plan includes sufficient detail to build a guitar. It states that it is not historically accurate but does not describe the modifications to the original design that were made. Anyone who builds from thie plan may be interested in knowing that, though the plan does not show any braces around the soundhole, the guitar should not be built that way. Mark Swanson, who drew the plan, has stated on the MIMF that he assumes that users will know that there should be soundhole braces and will design their own. The GAL plan, available at http://www.luth.org/plans/archtop.htm, includes very detailed drawings and measurements along with color photographs of the particular Gibson that was the source of the dimensions for the plan. There are also comments on the guitar, and information on joints that fail and suggestions for improving them. The plan is a bit pricey at $25 for non-members, but well worth it IMO. |
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