Official Luthiers Forum!

Well, my Martin kit came in, but I still need plans. Where do I get them. I see that LMII and STEWMAC have plans that say "Similar to Martin OM" but does that mean that they will match up to the kit?

Where would you guys get a set of plans for a Martin OM kit?

I'd start here, because they're free

http://www.grellier.fr/plans.php?lang=en

Kevin Looker

Ps
Yes I've built from them & I'm happy with the results. Take them to a blueprint shop for full scale printing.

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

"Similar to Martin OM" is just a cover your *ss sort of line. Those plans and the free plans you can find will meet your needs.

Kinkos have large format printers that will print the pdf files you find on the web full size. I usally get a few copies so that I can cut some of the copies up.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Thanks guys! Huge Help!

+1

In addition to being free, TMK they are also the most accurate/true OM plans available with respect to bracing.

I buy printed plan from LMI and the like because I don't trust printers will print an accurate copy... plus the cost to print something that big is probably almost the same as what LMI charges for their printed plans, at least I know the stuff they have works.

They only say "Similar to OM" so Martin doesn't sue them.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Well, these plans have been printed on the same kind of printer, one day. From a pdf or from a original scan, it's the same. It's even worse from an original paper plan because you have the error margin of both the scanner AND the printer.

That said, that why I never use any plan directly. I use plans as a reference, and redraw mine by hand. You can't have more precise than that.

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

So, your plan is off by a mm, why do you care?

I think you are stressing over variations that will probably be less than what you end up with during an actual build.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

The plans by Scott Antes from LMI are in fact only "similar" to Martin's OM/000. The dimensions are somewhat off, so if you want an "OM" that's the same body shape as Martin's, they are only an approximation. (The spacing for the tuners that is shown on the headstock plan will also result in the strings interfering with each other, as I found from experience.) You can find a template here: http://www.waldronmusic.com/product_inf ... f08iep4dg7 that is fairly "exact" I believe. John Hall is another good source.

Joe