Official Luthiers Forum!

Glad to see you back! I missed reading your many posts.And that guitar looks great. Keep um coming.

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.

Philip

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aka konacat

If you think my playing is bad you should hear me sing!
Practice breeds confidence and confidence breeds competence. Unfortunately, I'm stuck in practice.

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

Any setup pearls you'd like to share Hesh?
TJK

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

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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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

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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Canada

Beautiful my friend.

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....

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!

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

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.... 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!

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!!!

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". I'm truely shocked to hear that you are building a Dread. Keep up the good work.

Regards

Craig

Good to hear from you my friend! Sweet guitar -- your mules are looking better than my quarterhorses!

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

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Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC

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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Greg Hatcher
North Carolina

Hesh,
Good to hear from you and nice guitar BTW.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Hesh? Hesh who? ('bless you!)

Was beginning to wonder what happened to you sir...
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!
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 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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Cambrian Guitars

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

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 maybe even better than before.

Lovley creation that's bound to sound great.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

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!!

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Here is what a Parlor Guitar is for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEa8PkjO6_I

Hesh
That has such a refined look to it. I am impressed!

John

Another sweeeeet axe, Hesh. That's some killer cuban mahogany, too. Good to have you back.

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