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Sorry for the long time between posts... been busy with other stuff.



I have begun to install the frets... but fretting over the body has proved to be difficult. I used a block of wood as a support and its clear that it's inadequate for this job. So I will need to wait and find some lead (which is difficult in Taiwan because guns are illegal in Taiwan) and make myself a "fret dolly" before I break something.

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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

I've never seen a "lead" gun? Are wheel weights illegal in Taiwan? Plumbers use lead, try a plumbing supply house.

Well I only say that because most people would go to a gun shop to get lead shots, but those things are unobtainium in Taiwan (and very useful for a variety of things). I can get wheel weights and blocks of lead, however I feel antsy about melting/casting them because of lead poisoning... however we solder stuff all the time and that has lead too...

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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

Making the bridge today....



















Not quite done, need to cut the saddle slot, and then profile the top of the bridge. This will be a tailpiece bridge but I can't make it really narrow like a real tailpiece bridge, because there are holes in the soundboard since the guitar used to be a pinned bridge... so the bridge needed to be large in order to cover 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

Dressed the frets:



Installed the tuner backward (oops)



Almost finished



finished pyramid bridge

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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

Tia, FWIW I always make the body frets wider and glue them in so as not to break anything. They still need to be hammered but just not as hard, just a tap or two. I use a block of steel for that purpose.

One fret had to be glued down, because it just would not stay in the slot no matter what. I wicked CA into every fret after that... the fretboard wood is of an unknown rosewood looking material, but its very splintery... it doesn't take much to chip the fingerboard. I hate it with a passion.

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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

Almost finished, just need to dial in the final setup (the owner requested a much lower tuning than standard tuning, so much adjustment is needed). The bridge isn't glued down, but held in place by the string, so I can move it to correct the intonation.



This is what it looks like before:

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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

Check out a scuba shop next time for led shot. Most sell bags of shot for the weight belts

Nice looking restoration

They have solid blocks of lead for weight, but not shot bags. I have seen steel shot bags though...

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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

Tai, you've done VERY well on this project.
Color me impressed!

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Tai, I think you did a great job, too. The customer ought to be very happy with it. I love that well-worn, obviously vintage look. I'm glad you were able to keep it looking that way. Good job on the bridge, too.
Patrick

If you've got the bag, sand works nearly as well as lead or steel shot, and it's cheaper!
I bet you can even get it Taiwan

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A man hears what he wants to hear, and disreguards the rest. Paul Simon

Yeah yeah just take a trip to the beach, you can write it off as a business expense

Good job Tia you have risen a guitar from the dead.

I think it's a good idea to tune a 12-string down a bit in most cases especially one that has been through that.

BTW I have a late 1800's Washburn mandolin that I refretted and the fret board is very similiar to how you described. It flaked really easily.

Well done!

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Yes, it's been tuned almost a whole octave down. The owner provided some really heavy string and tuned it dropped A (everything dropped about 8 1/2 steps)

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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

Hey, Filippo,
Very nice looking tool--as are all of your jigs and fixtures, etc. But how about showing me how that thing works? Seems like something needs to go inside the axe via the sound hole, but I can't figure out from the angle of your picture what is going where. Sorry to be obtuse.

Patrick

Just click on the link in his post.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I really like how the color of the sound board came out. Well done Tai.

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC