Official Luthiers Forum!

Hey guys, I finally finished my first. It's standard archtop stuff...sitka spruce top with maple back, sides and neck.
Jason

Good job, jason... looks pretty nice!

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

The guitar looks great Jason. How bout some more pics, headstock, neck etc. and some specs on how you did the burst.

Looks super, Jason. Nice work!

Way to go Jason! You have to be pretty happy with that. A couple more shots would be great.

Danny

Great job Jason!

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Jason you did an amazing job. She looks gorgeous and I bet she sounds just as good. Congrats!

-Jake.

Is this your first guitar or your first archie? If it's both, a double congrats for for jumping in the deep end right off the bat. Looks really nice, lets hear about how you did the finish, how you carved the top and, back, and some pictures of the neck.

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

Dang fine job!
How'd you like carving half a tree? I could never rationalize a guitar or mandocello. Never got larger than a mandola.

Congrats Jason! A great job.
Look forward to details.

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Dave
Milton, ON

Thanks guys. Terence, it's both. I pretty much built it along Benedetto's book but I arched it quite a bit differently. I carved it more along the lines of a cremonese violin with the top being a taller arch than the back with a flat or table. The back is carved with a curve from tail to heel. I just went at it with planes until it looked right. The bracing is also more or less based on a thirties Gibson. Parallel braces that actually splay out towards the neck and close towards the heel.....just enough room to squeeze a Charlie Christian pickup in it with the braces still falling under the bridge posts. For the finish I sealed it with shellac then sprayed tinted one-pound cut for my colors then went with EM-6000 for top coats. Spraying the tinted shellac was pretty tricky especially with the darker colors. It's a freaking cannon and I mean LOUD. It could stand to have a touch more bass but it is a 16" and that could maybe open up some. All in all I'm very happy with it. I'll post some more pics later.
Jason

First huh ... hmmm .. archie, cutaway, burst ..... that would scare the hell out of me to have tried ....

You must feel amazing to have it come out so nice - that is a really excellent looking guitar, astonishing for a first effort ... so where to now ????

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Fantastic, Like Tony says, you really pulled out the stops and the result is marvelous! I love the burst and the maple and the shape, too.

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

CLASS!

mmm...very tasty. That's a great looking sunburst

Well done, Jason!

Ken

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http://www.casperguitar.com

Ha...Yeah, Tony I'm dense like that . With maple bindings to boot. I won't be in a hurry to use wood bindings again. Here are some more pics of the neck, headstock and a better picture of the color and arching. Thanks again guys.

Jason: Your First.....!!!! Your First Archtop....!!! Give us meer mortals a bit of a break...!!! Tell us you have been building violins for 30 years or a woodworker since you were 5 years old. You have dug yourself into a hole....what do you do for an encore...? CONGRATS....!!
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Beautiful work, Jason. I wouldn't have a clue how to build an archtop. Love it.

Chris.

I wish my first had looked this fine!

Some more of that delicious looking chocalate!
Nice work, Jason. Don't quit now.
Nelson

Nelson, don't worry I've got the back roughed out already for number two (17" archtop ES-250ish maybe a Charlie christian pickup). I'm honored you and Dave Stewart posted. I admire both of your work and really need to pick both of your brains. Thanks again all.
Jason

That looks incredible! I hope mine turns out half as nice when I finally finish it.