Official Luthiers Forum!

Hello all and welcome to my innaugural build. After scouring the interweb left and right for months I have realized that there is little information on the Selmer Maccaferri guitar. This guitar build will hopefully answer many questions for the aspiring selmer builder but it'll have its fair share of challenges 1. I have to finish this guitar in time for the San Diego Fair. 2 I've never worked with Chocolate Mango which after seeing it, it's a bit spaulted and 3. I've never built a maccaferri guitar before.... Anyways should be fun!


-Sean

sweet, i love chocolate... and macs! i´ve been postponing a selmer build for quite some time now, mainly because of the hassle of building the molds for the laminations. looking forward to see your progresses - i´m sure there will be lots of things to pick up!

all the best,
Miguel.

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member of the guild of professional dilettantes

I've built one and it was a blast. Such a cool guitar building experience. I want to build more once I get set up. Be prepared to be stumped on anything you know about building guitars if like me all you ever built was classical and steel string, or electric maybe.

I had some good advice here from many including Michael Collins who's book I purchased and was of a great deal of help. I've not seen him post here in a while but you can find him on the Net.

The thing that bugged me out the most was how to do the pliage. I knew I could not do it the way Collins does and others that you can find online. I came up with another simple method that worked. I also built a simple open faced work board, a solera if you will, to suit my style of building.

The one I built sounds...okay... but I'd like to build a few more to gain some experience. They really are fun guitars to build and really fun to play.

Keep us posted

Thank you all for the support! Today I've decided to update on what little work I have currently I am preparing the soundboard for the 6 degrees Pliage that is steam bent and I will also start to join the backs together, should be fun. Expect to see a few pictures in the following days!

-Sean

will you laminate or use solid wood for the back and sides? just curious.

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member of the guild of professional dilettantes

I will be using solid wood, to be honest I don't like the laminate process. It'll be 100 year old spruce from Martin and Quartersawn Chocolate Mango, 5 piece walnut and maple neck with an ebony fretboard and Sitka spruce bracing.

Looking forward to seeing the construction pics.

Lets get Planin!

Alright these photos should satisfy the curiosity a bit longer while i cut out the bracing, and bend the sides, oh i almost forgot i have to finish the neck!

Thanks for the support guys, so a weekend update... I cut out all of my bracing I'll be using Sitka Spruce and mahogany for the neck and heel block. As far as the guitar neck I'll post more pictures once it's roughed out but it'll be a walnut and maple neck.

Sorry about the long break guys i've ben terribly busy with other projects. Anyhow heres the guitar neck roughed and ready to go and my pile of braces for the Selmer... funny enough the pile looks bigger in person.

Sean,
I have no idea what you are doing, but your long plane should do it well.
Your lumber looks amazing!
Dan

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

Hey sorry guys for the long two week break ive been building my new shop but i have been working on my Maccaferri! So far ive thinned down the Top to 2.1 millimeters and the back and sides to 2 millimeters. I bent the sides by hand and honestly i dont know why people dont bend guitar sides that way it is such an enjoyable and relaxing experience doing this by hand. Last week i cut 2mm thick strips of Maple and Ebony that ill be using for the rosette. I also the scarf joint and began planning the dovetail joint on the Walnut neck. For the Fretboard, Headstock,Bridge, and binding i decided to use Mexican Kingwood (Camatillo) which is in my Unprofessional opinion the most beautiful wood in the world. anyways thanksfor the support and cheers guys! enjoy
-Sean

Heres the future Binding material

Rosette material... just look at how thin it is!
Heres my Fretboard with the frets being calculated
Heres the sides, and lets play Spot the Mistake!
Mango has got to be one of my favorite woods and one of the most beautiful. Super resonant and very easy to bend!
Heres the neck, fretboard and Trussrod!
Bent sides 1 week after bending

A super Kustum Guitar pick for the Maccaferri Jazz sound (actually just a piece of ebony i cut to resemble a pick)
More Camatillo!!! this is my headstock its rather tame considering the species.
Well heres the update, Thank you very much for the support and advice from everyone and plan on more updates from the Adventures of Sean and his Plane!
Cheers!!

I love watching this Seanspqr_1 but....

As a bike racer and avid pro cycling fan... Livestrong?


Ok ok I know good cause and all but... Damnn if that guy didn't disappoint me and so many many many fans

Keep the pics coming I am looking forward to seeing this one through.

Yeah I know what you mean I used to be a downhill mountain biker, honestly though I doubt there's 1 pro cyclist or even athlete who hasn't taken a steroid or enhancement.

Great progress, looking forward to seeing this come together!

Rob

Sean, you have a talent for taking unusual yet fascinating photographs. Some have very abstract compositions that would sit well in an art gallery. I can't wait to see more. Please post as many photos as you can

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

Hey guys, heres a weekend update i braced the back and tomorrow ill be gluing up the tail and heel block to the sides as well as trimming them to size, hopefully i can also start and glue up the rosette and start the Pliagé or 6 degrees bend on the soundboard as well as bracing the soundboard. dang no matter how much work you put into an instrument you realize theres a whole lot more.

Love this pic. The randomness of a fingerprint with the wood curls. Only the maker has a mark!

wednesday update, i need to finish this guitar by May 2nd so we'll see. i glued up the tail and headlock and installed the back kerning. i was going to glue the back but i don't have spool clamps so i won't until i make some

Keep it coming. Looking great.

yeah, looking good. good luck with the schedule!

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member of the guild of professional dilettantes

Man, this build thread makes me hungry. Chocolate and mango, OK. Keep up the tasty work! It'll be nice to see how this one turns out.