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PostPosted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:31 pm 
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Koa
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Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:51 am
Posts: 1310
Location: Michigan,U.S.A.
Focus: Build
Status: Professional
Glad to see you back! :) I missed reading your many posts.And that guitar looks great. [:Y:] Keep um coming.


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 5:10 pm 
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Cocobolo
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Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2005 8:30 pm
Posts: 497
Location: United States
Status: Amateur
Hesh,

This beautiful guitar is another example of your dedication, hard work, and ever increasing skills.

I too am trying to get better at setups. Recently, I had the opportunity to watch Kathy Wingert do a complete fret job and final set up. Evidently much of what I learned immediately fell out of my head because I butchered the redo of my favorite ukulele. Originally the fret job and set up was passable but I think I have found a way to make it worse. I will know when I get a chance to complete it. The only time my skills are challenged is when I need to use tools. [headinwall]

Philip

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 6:32 pm 
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Joined: Sat Dec 30, 2006 3:20 am
Posts: 2593
Location: Powell River BC Canada
First name: Danny
Last Name: Vincent
Spot on and top hole as my British buds use to say. It all looks great. And good for you for getting DC to point you in the right direction. There is little nicer in life than playing a great sounding and well set up guitar. And I know I should be asking something more pertinent to set up but.... How do you get your nuts so shiny. :) I tried buffing mine on a felt wheel but found it to be a little too aggressive.

Good to see you back!

Danny


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 9:51 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2007 3:21 pm
Posts: 3445
Location: Alexandria MN
Any setup pearls you'd like to share Hesh?
TJK

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 10:34 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2005 9:51 am
Posts: 2148
Location: San Diego, CA
First name: Andy
Last Name: Zimmerman
City: San Diego
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Zip/Postal Code: 92103
Country: United States
Focus: Build
Welcome Back
In your apprenticeship, was there one thing that was an eye opener with regard to set up?

"A WOW!!! I always did this wrong. This way is much better" moment

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PostPosted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 2:11 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 7:50 am
Posts: 3152
Location: Canada
Welcome back Hesh...Glad to see you here again! I don't even what to hear about what you are learning with David...I remain SO Jelous!

Shane

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PostPosted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 3:20 am 
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Koa
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Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 8:26 am
Posts: 1041
Location: sweden
First name: Lars
Last Name: Stahl
City: Stockholm
Country: Sweden
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Beautiful my friend. [:Y:] [:Y:] [:Y:] [:Y:]


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 6:00 am 
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Old Growth Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:49 am
Posts: 13635
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
First name: Hesh
Last Name: Breakstone
City: Ann Arbor
State: Michigan
Country: United States
Status: Professional
Many, many thanks everyone!!! :)

I'll try to answer as many questions as I can here and my apologies if I leave any out... :(

Robert - great to hear from you too my friend - I have guitar 18 on the bench right now and this count does not include the initial 2 kits that I built when I started building.

Darrin - yes I thought that my set-ups were pretty good prior to having the opportunity to learn some proper methods from David. But in reality although my set-ups played ok there were problems such as nut slots cut too low, loose frets, incorrect string spacing....

Chris nearly every tree that I planted last Sunday was a Colorado Blue Spruce, not good tonewood and not fast growers but a species that thrives in my climate. They are not very blue anymore either - what's up with that.... :D

Jordan please see my final comments here and more importantly KNOW that you are a very valued addition to the forum - I read every post that you make and you have helped me a great deal too! [:Y:]

Gabe - Alien abduction laughing6-hehe laughing6-hehe laughing6-hehe Reminds me of South Park when Cartman got the anal probe..... :D

Todd - the answer to your question is in David and Jordan's comments in the gluing frets thread - I now fret with exactly the method that they both described. Using the razor blade as a scraper goes very fast and it's a back and forth motion - works great as does leaving the frets clamped in a "Jaws" press while wicking in thin CA. Be careful though to not get excessive CA near the edges of the board where it can run off onto the neck and finish.

Danny - yeah shiny nuts.... :D Micro-mesh and 10 minutes will do this or David has a dedicated 1/3 HP wall mounted buffer with some kind of compound that will shine up nuts and saddles in seconds. Thankfully this buffer is mounted at chest height..... I want one! :D

Terry and Andy - Pearls and Wow moments - Absolutely and here it is:

Ego can get in the way of becoming a better builder.... Many of us, certainly me, got involved in guitar building as an aside to what we do or did for a living and our primary income source. We may have some successes early on and it's not all that difficult to set-up a guitar that will pass muster with someone that is in awe that a human actually hand built the thing. While drowning in our own pride and feeding our egos I think that it is entirely possible to fool ourselves that our work is far better than it really is..... Please KNOW that I am speaking of myself here and no disrespect is intended toward anyone nor am I attempting to discourage - I don't do that!

These guys like David and Jordan who make there living with guitar repair are really some of the giants among us and we are VERY fortunate to have access to them here. This of course includes Al C., Howard, Kevin, and many other OLFers who are better known as builders too but are the real pros among us.

If you want to eventually sell your guitars there is an expectation that your work will be top-notch in all respects and this includes set-up and everything that plays into a decent set-up such as neck geometry and many of the methods that we use to build the guitar as well.

For set-up there are specific methods and measures that will provide you with repeatable, decent results every time. It behooves all of us to learn these techniques and if at all possible learn them from someone who does this for a living.

Guitar repair and new guitar set-up is an art and it's not for everyone... Although it's possible to learn the methods that the pros use there is also a "feel" and in some cases natural ability that combine with an analytical mind, experience, and an inherent, ingrained personal standard for quality "craftsmanship" that all combine to produce excellent results and these excellent results equal real value for the customer.

It IS all about the player, Rick is right, and your set-up is your instruments human interface and will be the most telling thing, for better or for worse, when your guitars reach the hands of an accomplished player.

If you have the opportunity to spend time with a pro do so. If you don't have this opportunity find a pro and create the opportunity for yourself. Never, never, never miss an opportunity to network with the pros here and not here and get your guitars into their hands for constructive, honest critique. You will learn tons.

Forums are two dimensional in that we cannot play what we see. We can't really hear them either. Only time spent in person with a master Luthier will provide you with a real report card as to how you are doing.

I cannot express enough how very much respect I have for some of the pros here and after working with David my respect for him and others has only increased.

Was I fooling myself? Yes - I needed to learn some fairly basic things and I still need to learn more things than I can even know right now. But I am going to work at and keep on pushing toward my personal dream of becoming a good builder. That's all I can do and to be truthful that is all I really want to do too. I love guitar building to life!

Thanks again everyone!!! :)


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 6:46 am 
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Cocobolo
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Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 4:29 pm
Posts: 188
Location: Australia
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Hesh good to hear from you.
I have found setting up to one of the most time consuming and frustrating aspects of building but next to tone it is the most important for me. Good on you for taking the time to refine your methods. That Cuban Mahogany looks stunning. love to hear a clip even "Smoke on the Water". [clap] [clap] [clap] [clap] [clap] I'm truely shocked to hear that you are building a Dread. :o Keep up the good work.

Regards

Craig


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:43 am 
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Koa
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Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 11:21 am
Posts: 805
Location: United States
First name: Jim Howell
Good to hear from you my friend! Sweet guitar -- your mules are looking better than my quarterhorses! :D

I'm also envious of your time spent with David. He is an incredible teacher.

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Charlotte, NC


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:12 pm 
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Cocobolo
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Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 5:21 pm
Posts: 251
Location: North Carolina
Hesh: Good to see you back and posting. I am sure that this was time well spent. I don't have a Pro to spend time with, but just got Kent Everett's new DVD on setup so hopefully that is a step in the right direction.

Greg

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PostPosted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:28 pm 
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Hesh,
Good to hear from you and nice guitar BTW.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:12 am 
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Koa
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Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 8:05 pm
Posts: 1567
Location: San Jose, CA
First name: Dave
Last Name: Fifield
City: San Jose
State: CA
Zip/Postal Code: 95124
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Hesh? Hesh who? ('bless you!) :D

Was beginning to wonder what happened to you sir... Eat Drink
Glad to hear all is in the ok realm, and nice to see that you've been productive - that is one NICE looking guitar there! [:Y:] [clap] [:Y:] [clap] [:Y:]
I have some of that Cuban Mahogany from Uncle Bob stashed away. Now I see how fantastic it looks with a finish on it, I'll be sure and use it soon!

Like Greg above, I bought Kent Everett's "Adjusting a Steel String Guitar" DVD. With taxes wow7-eyes done, I may now have time to study it, and the DVD from John Mayes that I still haven't looked at yet....

Cheers,
Dave F.

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"There goes Mister Tic-Tac out the back with some bric-brac from the knick-knack rack"


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:21 pm 
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Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2006 2:35 pm
Posts: 2951
Location: United States
First name: Joe
Last Name: Beaver
City: Lake Forest
State: California
Focus: Build
As always a great guitar!!! I really like your new style (new to me anyway since I'm not here much anymore). I love the new three piece neck design, the lenghtening of the head stock, and of course the wood! The fit and finish is tremendous as always [:Y:] [:Y:] [:Y:] maybe even better than before.

Lovley creation that's bound to sound great.

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 5:55 pm 
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Koa
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God, what a slobber fest...Hesh, just cut to the quick please, what did you learn to do that you werent doing so well? Give us the technical skinny, share your wisdome, depart some knowlege......and Welcome back!! 8-)

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 9:30 pm 
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Cocobolo
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Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 6:35 am
Posts: 211
Hesh
That has such a refined look to it. I am impressed! [:Y:]

John


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 1:41 am 
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Koa
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Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2005 4:49 pm
Posts: 1209
Location: Ukiah, CA
Another sweeeeet axe, Hesh. That's some killer cuban mahogany, too. Good to have you back.

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clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com


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