Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi everyone,

this is my first post and I'm glad I came across this forum. There's so much information I could absorb and that I can hopefully put to use for my next guitar.

I'm just about to start finishing my second guitar. Both designs of the guitars were basically driven by my "needs" as a player. I play steel-string guitars since twenty years and have once in a while played classical pieces on my steel-strings.

So my first guitar was a redwood/walnut nylon-string based on the 1937 Hauser. Since I always hated classical guitar necks as a player, I made my own "custom neck" with 48mm nut width and a neck thickness close to my Taylor steel string. The guitar turned out quite nice (for a first one), maybe a little overbuilt, but carbon strings really made a difference in improving the sound. I really enjoy playing it, however I still grab my steel-string more often, simply because it fits my playing style more.
My second built is a sitka/bubinga OM - the woodworking is basically completed. I know it will fit my playing style much more than my nylon-string guitar. I will have much more experience to give a somewhat qualified judgment about its sonic qualities, and I will play it more often.

However...I did enjoy building the nylon-string more. It just seemed to be somehow more organic. I can't really say why... the construction of the guitar as one piece with the spanish heel perhaps...or the use of a solera instead of an outside mold? Maybe it's just the sentimental value of it being my No. 1 - really, I don't know. I can't make much sense of it rationally.

My next guitar was "supposed to be" a steel-string again. But sometimes I'm having second thoughts. While as a player I'm much more drawn towards steel-strings and I feel more confident evaluating steel string guitars, I sometimes think that if I enjoy the building process more, then maybe I should be focusing on classical guitars.

Not that you can answer that question for me, but I'm really interested in why you build the kind of guitars that you build.

cheers, Christian

Welcome to the list Christian, another Canadian on board is always good. I build what interests me, so far a 000/OM cutaway, a dreadnought, a Small jumbo based on the Martin J style, a 000/OM sized non cutaway and a Manzer style wedge built with the same outline shape as the Jumbo. What is next is up in the air, but I am thinking of a hybrid nylon string, or a om sized wedge and a archtop is also in my future.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

Well the first few I built as is typical were for myself. Then as I started building commissions I built what the clients wanted. Naturally that is mostly Steel String OM, SJ, MJ and dreads. Roughly 3/4 of all my builds are SJ because that what the clients lean towards. The other quarter is split mostly between Dreads and OMs. That said my new MJ is starting to take off a bit. In conclusion I build what I build according to demand and experience.

I mainly build after guitars I've played that impressed me.

Loved the Martin Dreds, so build one.

Loved a Collings C10, so I had to put the L-00 style Gibson in the lineup.

Owned a Martin 000, Sitka and Rosewood, so it became a staple for me.

Played a Bourgeois slope shoulder Gibson, and was impressed totally with the fit and finish, it was beautiful, so it sticks in my mind to offer a slope shoulder Gibson type should someone want one. Georgeous and evidently a bunch of folk like 'em.

Grand Auditorium, check, copied right off the Taylor I purchased my son a few years back.

OSJ, is a model copied off an Olson SJ 1983, which is probably a copy of something else? The bridge always reminded me of a Guild. My oldest wanted one with a cedar top, and rosewood, sounds great.

So we are all junkies of guitars past mainly. Why reinvent the wheel, just get as close as you can to some old master luthiers and make some dust, yeehaw!

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

I build whatever my friends say they want. It's all early learning process at this point.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Nothing terribly scientific.

I'm definitely not building guitars for me to play.. at least not right now. I own some really nice playing guitars that fit my needs rather well. Some day I Might be good enough to build better guitars than my collings dread. Until then, I'm just building whatever... and just for fun.

I'm one of those guys that likes to take things apart to see how they work. Since dismantling a Collings dread was probably unwise, I decided to try my hand at building guitars to try to satisfy my 'how do these things work?' curiousity.

My fist build was an OM kit, that seemed like a nice general place to start. I've started on my first of 3 dreadnoughts, which will be experiments in 'how loud can I make an acoustic guitar without using a pickup?' - inspired by my Collings dread ). Somewhere in there, I'm going to build a Rick Davis Concert Mini Jumbo with a wedge and cutaway. This is all about learning, so I chose something 'different'... to get some experience with the techniques while I have Rick at my disposal to help prevent catastrophic mistakes.

Jim

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Jim Hansen

Definitely early days for me, only on number two, but decided to use woods/body styles that were not present in guitars I already owned - basically for me/familiy to play, to get something different to what was available off the shelf. The second is using the same body shape but different materials and and also to learn different techniques eg laminated neck and more intricate rosette. Its also going to be a 'live' tool so will feature a pick up etc.

That for me is the fun, building for adding to the collection and eventually for relatives and friends - as it is, and will always be a hobby, I think it gives you the freedom to do as you please and experiment. Whereas I guess the pros build more to customer requirement and specification - unless they get so far up the ladder that they are sought out for their unique standard models. A question for the pros; do you ever find it restricting building customer orders when they request Dreads, OOOs OMs SJs etc, when you have your own unique shape that has your personality ingrained in it? Or is it just amazing anyway just builing the very best you can and seeing the jaw dropping joy on the customers face when they strum or pick that first chord? (That must be a darn good feeling )

Or, maybe, you could just invite someone over to pound on your finger with a big hammer!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I'm a novice as well. I'm currently on steel string #5. So far I've built the guitars that I like to play, more or less, two Dreadnoughts, two 000 sized, and #5 will also be a 000. My daughter (4 years old) is also bugging me to build her one - perhaps I'll use some undersized dogwood I've been keeping for something small. All steel string - all built more or less according to Martin plans. But I find I crave some artistic creativity, which I satisfy through headstock shape, saddle shape, inlay, etc.

Figuring out what I want to build next seems to be a pretty intangible thing. And I change my mind often before I get there.

One thing I've noted - if I'm building for myself I end up being more careless than if I'm building for a friend. Knowing that someone else will end up with it gives me a level of focus that I lack while building for me. I do fall in love with them after they're built - tough to hand them off. But... it's a rush seeing my friend's/sister's/whoever's face when they open that case.

I build only Selmer style guitars. Mainly the long scale oval hole model. I build these mainly as I am crazy for Django Reinhard music and other styles of guitars just don't sound right playing in that style. Considering the amount of time I have spent researching the construction of the originals and making jigs and forms, I have no desire to build other styles of guitars. Surprisingly, there is a huge variation in sounds you can get out of this style of guitar with subtle backing/thickness/wood-type variations. For the foreseeable future, this is what I am gonna keep doing.

Christian,
It is likely that as you build more instruments, your questions will slowly be answered. I think this is one of the things that drive us to build more than just one.
There are many modals and sizes to choose from but even more if you like inventing a few of your own.
I am one from the DIY camp and have only re-produced the same design a few times in over 25 stringed instruments. Aside from the commissions, most are built for myself and each newer build comes closer to an ideal for me personally. As I learn more detail technique, my personal specifications change and become more refined.
I must warn you though because the journey is endless!
Welcome to our support group.

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Wade
Nashua, NH
http://www.wadefx.com

Thanks for the warm welcome to your support group and for all the answers.

I've been thinking about the best way to learn recently as well and I'm still wondering whether it's better to stick to one body shape and tonewood combination and try to improve with each iteration, or whether just use all kind of shapes and woods... no idea...probably the best is to just


I noted that too - the "carelessness" when building for myself... I tend to be quite anal when doing something for others, but for myself, "decent" is often good enough. That's why I think a guitar swap (read about that in the last rctonewoods newsletter) is a fantastic idea for novices (at least for novices like me), because I'd really strive to do my absolute best.

Christian

I totally agree. After building 4 guitars on the same shape and bracing style, I was too surprised by the big variation in tone from very very slight building and wood variations. So right now I don't feel the need to build different shapes or use different bracing patterns to try meet a customer requirement. A single design seems to offer quite enough buttons to push (or strings to pull), maybe still a lot more than we can control.

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Build log

I build classicals because that is what I play. This gives me a good sense of the sound I want and a basis for comparison. I am also working on a nylon string small body narrow neck guitar as a collaboration with a long time musician. I am prototype #3 for a guitar that needs to be smaller than her 1895 Martin but sounds as good as hers used to sound before it was dropped. It is an interesting challenge.

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GEO
perpetual beginner