Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi everyone, this is my first post, so I will introduce myself.
I'm a beginner builder living in British columbia. I have no woodworking background before jumping into guitars.
I've been at it for about a year and a half, I'm just finishing my fourth. Two classicals and two steel-strings.
In May, I will be attending the summit school on Vancouver island to build my first archtop. I won't be building another guitar until then, so I'm looking to do some reading, and I'm looking for suggestions.

This is my library so far.
Guitarmaking Tradition and technology
Understanding Wood
The Luthiers handbook (Siminoff)
The Guitar Player Repair Guide (Dan Erlewine)
I also have a few books on basic cabinet-making, tool care etc.

I've been thinking about ordering Benedetto's book, to prepare for my first archtop. But I'm also intrigued by Ervin Somogyi's new book. I'm less interested in the procedural aspects of guitarmaking and more in the "why" of making good instruments. I'm willing to shell out the money if it will help me make a better instrument eventually.

Please reccomend anything that you think would help refine my understanding of guitarmaking, I'm really curious if anyone has found anything off the beaten path that has helped them.


Since the is my first post, It's only fair that I show my work a bit.
This is my first guitar. I built it last summer with nothing but hand tools. (Fine, I used a power drill once.) I brought the wood home from the hardwood store on the back of my bicycle. I cut the binding and rosette lines with a hand saw (I don't want to tell you how long that took!) I bent the sides over an iron pipe that I got for a dollar at the army surplus store, he told me it was out of an old toilet.

Again, no woodworking experience, no help from a pro....ok, enough stalling. (be kind)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_w9wPdE4-cSc/SkBwu4_cqSI/AAAAAAAAABo/5CrGSQsE6uo/s1600-h/IMG_3575.JPG
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_w9wPdE4-cSc/SkBwRcSU-gI/AAAAAAAAABY/sCTmQB4xVu4/s1600-h/IMG_3574.JPG
(These are large pictures, I couldn't get them smaller.)

When I get pictures of my later guitars, I will post them.

Thanks!

Yo, Mike,

Welcome to OFL.

Were in B.C. are you?

Benedetto writes procedural, step by step, not much philosophy of building but is still a good read.

Sounds like your looking for something like "The Sublime Secrets and Mystical Mumbo Jumbo of Luthierism" by myself, the Padma. Just stuff $20 in an envelop to the Padma C/O this here web site and I'll put you on the back order list for when me gets around to writing it.

In the mean time...keep doing what you been doing. Looks good to me.

blessings
the
Padma

_________________
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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


.

I will gladly pay $20 for anything with a name that awesome.
I should clarify, when I say "good", I don't just mean sound, but also strength and looks. What I liked about parts of Guitarmaking: tradition and technology was that it explained not just how to do things, but why they should be done as such, for whatever reason. I've thumbed through a few books that seemed more like instructions for one build with little explanation of why we are doing things this way, I do not want a book like that. I'm trying to start thinking outside of the box a little.
Thanks.

The Benedetto book is very good. As are the Somogyi books.

It seems to me for a new builder's early work getting the construction right is the first goal. Getting the geometry right and the construction consistant is the first order of business. After that you can/should concentrate on making better sounding instruments.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

I really liked the Benedetto book as well as Cumpiano's book. If the Padma is willing to sell his secret incantations for $20, I would jump on it!

Nice work on that guitar, it's obvious you put a lot of time into it..very cool.

Trev

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http://www.PeakeGuitars.com

Hi Mike,

I would strongly recommend " Classical Guitar Making" by John Bogdanovich. It can be had from a lot of sources (like Amazon and Stewart McDonald) and is reasonably priced. It really goes into detail on the design and building parts with over 300 color pictures. Also, it has lots of info' on tools, making very useful jigs, templates, workboards, etc.

Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

Mike - Since you are headed towards an archtop, I think Benedetto's book is an obvious choice. It has always been my favorite among the how-to-build books, and I haven't even tried an archtop yet. His videos also add a lot of info on tool usage, how the jigs work, etc.

Ervin Somogyi's books are a very enlightening read, but they aren't going to give you much direct info that is applicable to archtops. He does go a long way towards explaining how your steel string and classical flat-tops function differently, and what is being sought for in each case.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

Just my $0.02- Siminoff's book may help you in your later builds, but I would not feel the need to use his (complicated) methods early on. You do not need a strobe tuner and elaborate tuning jigs to make a good sounding guitar.

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It's not the miles ahead, it's the stone in your shoe


In Markham,Virginia

This is really great everyone, thanks for all the suggestions.



Yes. I like this book a lot because I found that It gave me a better understanding of how different choices may change the tone of my guitar. But I could tell that putting much of it into practice was beyond my skills for the moment.



Between this website and this forum, I think someone could build a guitar without ever cracking a book. It's watching these videos and reading this forum that makes me want to read and learn more, so that I can contribute to the higher order discussions that are happening.

I'm going to pick up the Benedetto book for sure, and I think I'll pick up one of the classical books mentoned.
Thanks everyone.

Just as another option Frank Finnochio is an outstanding teacher. He offers a 9 day workshop for archtops.

http://www.finocchioguitar.com/home.html

Richard

I absolutely second that. Frank is an outstanding builder and a gifted teacher. I have not taken his archtop class, but I have done quite a bit of training with Frank and cannot overstate its value.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Thanks for sharing this website - I've watched the first two videos and thoroughly enjoyed them!

So much to learn!!

Mike

I guess the recession is really over.
With travel and accommodation, $10K+ for 9 day course....
Whew.

John

That is a little rich for my blood right now. Still, thanks for the tip, Maybe I'll start saving my pennies.