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 Post subject: Re: Starting Over
PostPosted: Sat Jun 20, 2020 5:48 am 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2013 10:00 pm
Posts: 980
First name: Josh
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Beautiful work!


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 Post subject: Re: Starting Over
PostPosted: Sat Jun 20, 2020 7:47 pm 
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Mahogany
Mahogany

Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2015 11:23 am
Posts: 53
First name: Adam
Last Name: Schultz
City: Calgary
The engraving of those inlays is amazing. I’ll have to give it a try someday. Thanks.


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 Post subject: Re: Starting Over
PostPosted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 10:43 am 
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Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 8:50 pm
Posts: 2246
Location: Seattle WA
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro
Thanks for sharing, glad to hear you are better!

Pat

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 Post subject: Re: Starting Over
PostPosted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 11:19 am 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2019 4:50 pm
Posts: 1091
Location: Goodrich, MI
First name: Ken
Last Name: Nagy
City: Goodrich
State: MI
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I just noticed that your avatar is an engraving. Nice. It's good that you can add things that you enjoy making, and have skills at, to your instruments.

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Why be normal?


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 Post subject: Re: Starting Over
PostPosted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 12:50 pm 
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Mahogany
Mahogany
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Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 9:00 pm
Posts: 75
Old mountain man here too, about 4 mountains to your north on the south fork of the Holston River. I'm currently building a 00-28 herringbone guitar. I didn't realize that I was so close to so many fellow luthiers. Your inlay work is absolutely top notch.


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 Post subject: Re: Starting Over
PostPosted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 2:21 pm 
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Koa
Koa
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Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:14 am
Posts: 1011
Location: Newland, North Carolina
Thanks everybody for the nice words. The guitar is sitting for another few weeks letting finish cure before I do a final buff out/gluing up neck and bridge. Came out looking OK for the first one out of the shop in years. Hope it sounds and plays well too.

I started a new project a few days ago--this one is based on an L-00 with a mahogany top, a cantilevered neck and a Van Eps style flush fret/scalloped fretboard. I had an L-00 years ago that Fred Van Eps had modified for it's owner with one of his flush fret scalloped boards, and it's the best playing guitar I ever had. I've built several banjos with this style board and they all play great. I had bought this mahogany from Walter Lipton back in the 80's with the intention of building what I'm finally building now.

I'm building this one the way that I originally learned back in the 70's--built on a Solera with no mold and Tentellones joining the top and back. Seems like for archtops, I like using molds, but for flat tops I'm more comfortable building Spanish style.

Dave


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 Post subject: Re: Starting Over
PostPosted: Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:33 pm 
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Koa
Koa
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Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:14 am
Posts: 1011
Location: Newland, North Carolina
Well, working on another new guitar I've had to accept that age and neurologic problems are probably going to keep me from being able to do the engraving I used to do. I have hand tremors and eye problems that make it really difficult if not impossible to draw accurate lines to follow in engraving, not to mention the engraving itself. I've (unsuccessfully) tried twice to make a headstock plate with nice engraved pearl that are just not nice enough to include on my current build. Going to have to scale it back, and that's OK. I'll keep trying on practice plates to get my engraving skills back up to snuff, but not on instruments. At least the building part is OK, since it doesn't rely on the really fine motor skills, which while gone right now, at least aren't keeping me from doing the rest of the job.

I think that it's a good thing to recognize and accept where my limitations are and where it is that I can still succeed. To be building at all again is still a really uplifting feeling for me, Just learning the new rules of the road and adjusting.

Maybe the fine motor skills will come back and maybe they won't, but it really doesn't matter that much as long as I recognize and accept where the problems/strengths are and deal with them accordingly. I'm not willing to put out an instrument that I'm not proud of. Sure glad to be building again in whatever state!

Dave


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 Post subject: Re: Starting Over
PostPosted: Tue Jun 30, 2020 9:49 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:20 am
Posts: 5924
Have you ever considered using a reducing pantograph engraver? You could still produce original art work and use the machine to engrave it at a smaller scale. That might allow you to use the motor skills you have to make the fine engravings you want to make. CNC has displaced them in commercial situations and you can find used machines on eBay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4E8j0uyK5M


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 Post subject: Re: Starting Over
PostPosted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 8:00 am 
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Koa
Koa
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Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:14 am
Posts: 1011
Location: Newland, North Carolina
Finally got it strung up today. Certainly had its share of starting over boo-boos, but it's all coming back now. I'm happy with it for a "first effort." The Royal Lac came out nice--think I'll continue to use it.

Sounds good for having just been strung up. A couple of days under tension and we'll see what I think. Action needs adjustment--I'll work on that later today.


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 Post subject: Re: Starting Over
PostPosted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 8:08 am 
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Koa
Koa
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Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2008 6:19 am
Posts: 1322
First name: Richard
Last Name: Hutchings
City: Warwick
State: RI
Zip/Postal Code: 02889
Country: United States
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
And so you should be. Looks like a good one.

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Hutch

Get the heck off the couch and go build a guitar!!!!


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 Post subject: Re: Starting Over
PostPosted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 8:34 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:20 am
Posts: 5924
That's a Beauty!
I like the proportions of the 12 fret neck guitars and that one is really nicely done.


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 Post subject: Re: Starting Over
PostPosted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 8:36 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Tue May 13, 2008 10:44 am
Posts: 6232
Location: Virginia
Just coming back to this thread I missed all the inlay and graving stuff, that's a fantastic skill you have there.

Great looking guitar too. It's amazing how fast they mature once you put the very first set of strings on. I pretty much string them up, play a few chords, then hang it on the wall with a ToneRite till the next day making no judgement at all. Within 3 days the true tones start to come out, the tones that should be with the guitar for life, it's character.


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 Post subject: Re: Starting Over
PostPosted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 10:16 am 
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Contributing Member
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Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2008 11:36 am
Posts: 7240
Location: Southeast US
City: Lenoir City
State: TN
Zip/Postal Code: 37772
Country: US
Focus: Repair
I like the 12-fret slot head, just looks good! I don't have one because I play a fair amount over the 10th fret but maybe I'll make one cause they look so good.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"


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 Post subject: Re: Starting Over
PostPosted: Fri Jul 31, 2020 10:36 am 
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Koa
Koa
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Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:14 am
Posts: 1011
Location: Newland, North Carolina
I'm afraid most of my guitar playing stops at the 5th fret, and I've always liked 12 fret slot heads too...

Dave


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 Post subject: Re: Starting Over
PostPosted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 7:18 am 
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Joined: Fri Jul 10, 2009 4:44 am
Posts: 5397
First name: colin
Last Name: north
Country: Scotland.
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro
SteveSmith wrote:
I like the 12-fret slot head, just looks good! I don't have one because I play a fair amount over the 10th fret but maybe I'll make one cause they look so good.

Ain't no law against slot head 14 fretters!
Even with a cutaway....

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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.


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 Post subject: Re: Starting Over
PostPosted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 7:31 am 
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Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2008 11:36 am
Posts: 7240
Location: Southeast US
City: Lenoir City
State: TN
Zip/Postal Code: 37772
Country: US
Focus: Repair
That's true.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"


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 Post subject: Re: Starting Over
PostPosted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 7:33 am 
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Contributing Member
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Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2013 10:52 pm
Posts: 2953
First name: Don
Last Name: Parker
City: Charleston
State: West Virginia
Zip/Postal Code: 25314
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I prefer them the you made this one, Dave: no cutaway, 12 (or 13, my fav right now) frets clear of the body, slotted headstock, pyramid bridge. Lots of guitar styles can be beautiful, but this style is what I personally prefer. Really nice looking! I hope the sound and playability come out the way you want.


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 Post subject: Re: Starting Over
PostPosted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 7:36 am 
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Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2008 11:36 am
Posts: 7240
Location: Southeast US
City: Lenoir City
State: TN
Zip/Postal Code: 37772
Country: US
Focus: Repair
Colin North wrote:
SteveSmith wrote:
I like the 12-fret slot head, just looks good! I don't have one because I play a fair amount over the 10th fret but maybe I'll make one cause they look so good.

Ain't no law against slot head 14 fretters!
Even with a cutaway....
And I have a 13-fret 000 on the bench and haven't made the neck yet. Hmmmm

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"


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 Post subject: Re: Starting Over
PostPosted: Sat Aug 01, 2020 8:17 am 
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Contributing Member
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Joined: Sun Feb 17, 2013 4:58 pm
Posts: 1449
First name: Ed
Last Name: Minch
City: Chestertown
State: MD
Zip/Postal Code: 21620
Country: United States
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
bb

I'm a fan of the simplicity of this instrument - just a fantastic head inlay to spice it up. 12 fret mahogany OOO is hard to beat. Great job.

Ed


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 Post subject: Re: Starting Over
PostPosted: Sun Aug 09, 2020 12:20 pm 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Thu Jan 11, 2018 9:19 am
Posts: 297
Location: St. Charles MO
First name: Karl
Last Name: B
State: MO
Zip/Postal Code: 63303
Country: United States
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Hey, God's Speed on your recovery, wishing you a fantastic and continued "Starting Over" and thanks for the instructional post.

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Measure Twice,

Karl B.


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