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A couple recent rebuilds
http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=29859		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Phillip Patton [ Wed Nov 10, 2010 12:58 pm ]
Post subject:  A couple recent rebuilds
As I progress in my guitar building, I've found that there are things about my earlier work that I just can't stand. :D Recently I decided to fix some of those things on a couple of my early ones.

My first steel string (viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=25610), which I later converted to a 12 string (viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=27640), needed a new neck. The one it had was maple, which just made it too heavy, and the fingerboard was osage, which just doesn't look great.

So I made a new neck out of mahogany, changed the fingerboard to ebony, made the nut 1-7/8" instead of 2", and used a different design for the headstock.

While I was at it, I improved the neck angle (still not perfect), and removed a lot of material from the bridge. The result is a much more sensitive (responsive?) instrument. It's also louder, and sounds better in general.

Some pics:

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

It's still kinda ugly, but sounds great. [:Y:]


I'll talk about the other one I reworked, but I need to take some pictures first.
Author:  Barry Daniels [ Wed Nov 10, 2010 1:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A couple recent rebuilds
Some elements look good but I have to comment on a couple of things. What's up with the knife edge saddle? Were there intonation issues? Expect some string breakage on that. Also, the third pair of strings is backwards. Was that on purpose?
Author:  Tom West [ Wed Nov 10, 2010 1:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A couple recent rebuilds
Phillip: I had the same questions re the saddle and intonation as Barry.It should be set up for each individual string rather than each pair. Think you have the G strings ok but your D,A,and low E pairs are reversed. Think Barry was looking at the picture the wrong way.
Tom
Author:  Phillip Patton [ Wed Nov 10, 2010 3:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A couple recent rebuilds
Barry Daniels wrote:
Some elements look good but I have to comment on a couple of things. What's up with the knife edge saddle? Were there intonation issues? Expect some string breakage on that. Also, the third pair of strings is backwards. Was that on purpose?



Hi guys,
There is a method to my madness. ;) Yes, when I first built the guitar, I neglected to add the compensation when I located the bridge. I was hoping to compensate each string like you're supposed to do with 12's especially, but there just wasn't room. I even expanded the saddle slot 1/8"....

As for the strings being backwards, I've tried it both ways, and found that I tended to pluck the octave strings more than the regular, so I'm going to try it this way for a while, hoping for a more balanced sound.

Thanks for your comments,
Author:  Andy Zimmerman [ Wed Nov 10, 2010 8:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A couple recent rebuilds
Nice guitar. I too have gone back and revised some of my early work. One of my best guitars is an old parlor that was acoustically terrible. I put a new top on and it is a completely different guitar.

As far as 12 strings go, traditionally the octave string is above the standard string. Interesting that you are trying some the other way.

Also, do you have any buzzing??? The reason why I ask is you have very deep nut slots.
I try to have my wound strings sitting about 50-70% in the slot and 30-50% in the slot.
The non wound about 80-100% in the slot.

As far as string compensation goes, you can individually compensate with a bone saddle on a 12 string but it takes a bit of work. I use a 3/16th wide saddle to have more real estate for this.
Author:  Howard Klepper [ Thu Nov 11, 2010 9:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: A couple recent rebuilds
Nice bridge pins. Where'd they come from?
Author:  nickton [ Fri Nov 12, 2010 4:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: A couple recent rebuilds
Looks really nice for an early guitar. Doing a 12 string kinda scares me. I had a Harmony 12 I did a neck re set on and cut a new nut for. It sold on ebay a while back (can't even remember how much for). It looks to me like your paired strings are pretty far apart. Maybe this is correct I don't know.
Author:  Tom West [ Fri Nov 12, 2010 5:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: A couple recent rebuilds
Howard : LMI has pins like those.
Tom
Author:  Phillip Patton [ Fri Nov 12, 2010 8:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: A couple recent rebuilds
Andy Zimmerman wrote:
Nice guitar. I too have gone back and revised some of my early work. One of my best guitars is an old parlor that was acoustically terrible. I put a new top on and it is a completely different guitar.

As far as 12 strings go, traditionally the octave string is above the standard string. Interesting that you are trying some the other way.

Also, do you have any buzzing??? The reason why I ask is you have very deep nut slots.
I try to have my wound strings sitting about 50-70% in the slot and 30-50% in the slot.
The non wound about 80-100% in the slot.

As far as string compensation goes, you can individually compensate with a bone saddle on a 12 string but it takes a bit of work. I use a 3/16th wide saddle to have more real estate for this.



There is a little buzzing on the "b" strings. I just haven't got around to finishing the nut, but I intend to.

Yes, I was hoping to individually compensate, but since I neglected to compensate the bridge, there wasn't room. This saddle is 1/4" wide.

I forgot to mention, the saddle is carbon fiber, and the nut is G-10


nickton wrote:
Looks really nice for an early guitar. Doing a 12 string kinda scares me. I had a Harmony 12 I did a neck re set on and cut a new nut for. It sold on ebay a while back (can't even remember how much for). It looks to me like your paired strings are pretty far apart. Maybe this is correct I don't know.



Thanks! I'm working on another 12'er, which will certainly surpass this one. ;)

I set this guitar up to play in c# standard tuning, like Leo Kottke tunes his a lot. Hence the strings further apart.



Howard Klepper wrote:
Nice bridge pins. Where'd they come from?


I got these from Grizzly, who no doubt got them from LMI. :)
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