Official Luthiers Forum!

Its been awhile since I've posted my building, I think that the last project was my viola da gamba. I've not been completely idle since then, however work and life have been busy, and my wife has issued an edict "No more guitars till you sell some!"

Like everyone else here, I really enjoy a good build log. My apologies for not providing a build log for this guitar! I will make that up by posting some of the build photos in this thread.

This was "supposed" to be just a quick and simple guitar to explore what a Lacote is like. However, I have trouble leaving well enough alone, and it all started when I was doing my research and came across a stunning example of Lacote restored by Sinier de Ridder. Well, that was that because once an idea is thought it cannot be unthought. I started this guitar in early 2015, so that makes almost 2 years of build time, yikes! But I did finish the viola da gamba that first year, so not too bad.

I also had a nasty set back as lack of humidity control last winter allowed a nasty crack to develop in the soundboard and much of the bracing glue let go when it got really humid over the summer. So, the only real option was to cut out the top and make a new one, rosette included. And, to make this even more interesting, I had to do this so as to not remove my binding and purfling!

I also want to thank my friend Scot Tremblay (Roseberry Guitars, Victoria BC) for his invaluable assistance in providing insight and details for the Lacote style of guitar.

Size wise, it is comparable to the Torres FE18. Top is Lutz Spruce, body and neck is Maple. Fingerboard, headplate, and binding is Indonesian Rosewood. The light coloured wood is Aspen because it is near white and of very uniform grain. Tuners are cheap Rubners that I scavenged from one of my other guitars. They can be replaced later, but for now, the economy of not spending any new money was a greater priority.

First, before I get into the sordid background, here are photos of the completed guitar.

Yes, I know that the tuning machines are mounted backwards of standard, this was the only way that they would fit on the head made to the original proportions.

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Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

Making the rosette. Make a log of black and white, make a jig for cutting the zig zag, glue them all together into a ring, make a channel in the top, glue in a bunch of black and white strips to make circles, leave the right amount of space for the zig zag, glue in the zig zag, flood the channel with black pigmented epoxy, sand smooth

_________________
Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

The first time that I made the rosette I realized that I had left too much space for the zig zag and it kind of floated in space. With the re-top, I had an opportunity to correct that and the zig zag fits as per the original, and the lines have better joints.

Yes, I kept the first rosette, just in case I ever use it in the future.

_________________
Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

Then I had to deal with the nasty crack.

After the new top is made, it is attached to the old top, lightly glued to some cedar space block, the it it routed to size using the same router bit combination that I used when cutting the purfling channel.

After some heavy breathing, I dedicate myself to cutting out the old top. Zip it out with a small diameter router bit well clear of the lining, then cut out the remainder very carefully right up to the purfling.

I breath much easier once I confirm that the new top drops right in!

_________________
Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

I decide to stain the new top to more closely match the look of the original guitar. I did not colour my first top. While I did like the look, I was trying to get the feel of the original.

Yes, I did make the neck separately using bolts as the steel string guitars often do instead of an integrated neck as is usual in classical guitars. I did this because of the way that the purfling and binding all work around the heel. I thought that it would be easier to line everything up, and just have room to work, with the neck off of the body.

_________________
Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

Lovely work Douglas, as was your Viola da Gamba.

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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.

That's a sweet looking guitar. I've retopped two but replaced the binding on both. Very well done.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Beautiful guitar and a job well done
Too bad about the humidity problems, but a great save on your part

Thanks, Colin. And thanks for remembering the viol!

_________________
Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

Thanks, Tim.

Yeah, that humidity situation is a bummer. It bit me on the viola da gamba as well. One of the real challenges of projects which take a long time from Inception to completion.

_________________
Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

Well done, Douglas! Your work always inspires. The "white" rosette (as it appears in the photo before filling in the black spaces) might be an attractive variation. Thanks for sharing!

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George :-)

Its been awhile since I've posted......but when you do, you make a grand entrance, Douglas!
Another beautiful instrument!

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Great!

Thanks, George! I always feel like I work in a vacuum, it is nice indeed, to know that my work inspires.

The inverse version of that rosette is, indeed, on my "to do" list. It is an idea that occurred to Rene Lacote back in his day, too. Here is an example of the rosette from 1830. Nice indeed.

_________________
Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

Thanks Alex!

Once my extensive home renovations are completed I expect to have some time open up for more of my own projects. These days I have to steal bits and pieces of time away from work. As many who know me are aware, my work is building and repairing wood canoes, and my guitar building shares shop space with the canoe building. While most people take coffee breaks to drink coffee, my breaks can be used to bring guitar projects forward.

_________________
Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

I really like that! Beautiful instrument.

Wow!

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

Is this possible???

Another very cool build Doug! Manitoba certainly can be the land of extreme humidity fluctuations eh. Thanks for sharing that and sorry about the extra work.

Cheers,
Danny

Well, the current load of home renovations!

We've just had the roof, fascia, soffit eaves, and driveway done. Now I am ripping out the 40 year old carpet and replacing it with cork. While I am at it, I am adding insulation to the exterior walls and re-drywalling and painting, because, well, just replacing the entire flooring isn't enough work...

_________________
Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

Thanks for showing how you made the rosette. And how you replaced the top. That's an approach that's new to me.

Beautiful guitar too.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

Thanks, and you're welcome, too.

This is the first time that I used this approach. I found it online after some research. It worked surprisingly well! It scared the heck out of me to do it. The new top dropped right into the space of the old one as the guitar was the exact pattern used by the router bit used for the purfling. There was just a minor amount of tweaking required. Glued back into the guitar body you would never know that its been retopped.

I have confidence to do this again if ever required. But I hope that its never required!

_________________
Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

That re-topping technique could be its own thread. I don't fully understand how it was done from the description, but I'm very interested.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't think that I took enough photos to do an entire essay, I was too distraught over the problem and wracked with concern over executing it properly.

The basic idea is this:

-Prepare the new top except for bracing, and cut it to about the size of the guitar itself.
-glue as series of thin softwood block around the perimeter of the guitar, just inside of what will be taken off.
-glue the new top onto the little blocks so that it is sitting just above the old top.
-using a router with your purfling bits set to the same cutting width as was used for binding the guitar, route around the guitar top just as you would for routing your binding/purfling.
-cut out the old top inside of the lining and carefully remove the top remains. Clean the top residue right up to the purfling.
-brace the top
-the new top should drop right into the cavity
-glue the new top in
-proceed with the finish

_________________
Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/