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Phillip Patton
PostPosted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 4:45 pm 
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Location: Northeast Indiana
First name: Phillip
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City: Yoder
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Zip/Postal Code: 46798
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Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Hey all!
Right now I'm making a steel string guitar for myself, and I'm trying to keep costs down as much as possible. I find it to be a fun challenge to try to make as good sounding a guitar as possible for as little money as possible. Or I'm just cheap. idunno :mrgreen:

Anyway, I'm using western red cedar from Menards for the top, and quartersawn mahogany (from Menards) for the back and sides. The neck will be Menards mahogany also. I'll probably use osage orange for the bridge. The only parts I'm getting from out of town are the soundboard braces (spruce), and the fingerboard (rosewood). Also the purfling, tuners, truss rod, rosette, etc. I'll probably use walnut for the binding, and osage burl for the headstock veneer.

Some pics of what I have so far:

Image

Image

Image


I started making a desert ironwood radial rosette, but then decided I wanted something that would contrast more with the cedar.

Image

Image

Stay tuned.

Phillip

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Haans
PostPosted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 5:02 pm 
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And a very nice start you have, Phillip. From my point of view, I like your rosette better than the radials...
Keep up the good work, and take your time. You will be rewarded with a very nice guitar!
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Jim Kirby
PostPosted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 5:40 pm 
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That's beautiful stuff! Plan sounds good.

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Bob Garrish
PostPosted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 6:13 pm 
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Interesting choice not bookmatching the top. It does give it a pretty neat look having the offset streaks, though.

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Hesh
PostPosted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 6:31 pm 
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Great looking progress Phillip and my hats off to ya too for the frugality!!! [:Y:]

I've never been to a Menards but there is one in Toledo near where I live now so now I have another reason to check it out.
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douglas ingram
PostPosted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 7:07 pm 
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I'm heavy into frugal lutherie, and I must say I like how yours is looking so far!

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Pat Hawley
PostPosted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 7:11 pm 
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OK, I gotta ask.

Did you mean to not bookmatch the top? Not that I think it looks bad - as Bob pointed out, it's interesting. But I am curious to know if it was one of those things we all do at some point like bending two upper sides.

I applaud your frugal approach - I get a kick out of that as well. Something about turning low value material into a high value finished product.

Pat

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the Padma
PostPosted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 7:23 pm 
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Yo Phillip

Yer my kinda guy buying at Menards and all but hmmm...why didn't you get your spruce there as well? Like they have 2x6 which are usually spruce.

Just wondering.

That hog looks rice nice. Me often wondered why everything has to be book faced. Good for you.

Blessings
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K.O.
PostPosted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 7:28 pm 
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I like it,I sort of feel you might have done it on purpose, makes a four piece top look two piece board matched as a nod to its budget heritage.

Easy to be wrong though ain't it...

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John A
PostPosted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 8:09 pm 
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No Menards around here - no cedar that looks like that either ! I think you are working with some pretty nice woods, and it will be hard to distinguish from the "premium" wood orders.

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WaddyThomson
PostPosted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 9:15 am 
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Good choices, and nice work, so far. Stay with it, take your time, and enjoy the process. Oh yeah, keep posting progress!

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Hupaand
PostPosted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 12:01 pm 
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You didn't say how much it cost. My cheapie was an all mahogany, including bindings, with no rosette. It's turned out to be one of my favorites.
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Quine
PostPosted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 12:30 pm 
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Looks like nice wood. The frugal luthier idea makes more and more sense to me these days
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Phillip Patton
PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 9:46 am 
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Thanks for all the comments fellas!

I'm guessing I have about $10 of materials in it so far. [:Y:] The greatest expense will be the tuners.

The cedar is from a 4X4 fence post, so the top is made from 5 pieces. I could have made it look book matched, but I would have had to have another seam, and I just decided to take the easy way out.... As I said, this one is for me, and I don't care if the top is book matched.

Here's another one I made with the same cedar:

viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=27979&hilit=all+cedar+guitar

Today I'm bracing the soundboard. The bracing is scrounged also, though it didn't come from Menards. It came from Grizzly. It's the scrap wood they use to protect kerfing when they ship it. Really nice stuff. bliss

Image

Image

Image

Image

Any input you all want to make as I work on the bracing would be appreciated. :)

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Phillip Patton
PostPosted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 3:49 pm 
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Well, I've made lot's of progress, but messed up the purfling when I tried to bend it, so kind of stuck until more arrives... But here's some more pics:

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

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The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price has faded.

https://hoosierbladesmith.wordpress.com
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Phillip Patton
PostPosted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 4:34 pm 
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Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
More pics:

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

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http://www.pattonblades.com

The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price has faded.

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unkabob
PostPosted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 8:51 pm 
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I am not alone!

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Cocephus
PostPosted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 8:52 am 
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Whoa!
It looks as though you have it going on, dude!
Very fine work!
And I thought I was one frugal SOB.

Now, what`s this about Menard`s having mahogany? That`s a new one on me and I mean to tell you that I`ve talked to every retail center and lumber yard around 3 counties and I get the look like I`m from Mars or something! The best I can get is dunnage.
Must have info. PM please!
Coe Franklin

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the Padma
PostPosted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 12:55 pm 
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Most lumber yards / building centers carry Hog, and don't even know it...ask for door jambs.

blessings
duh Padma

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Terry Stowell
PostPosted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 2:18 pm 
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the Padma wrote:
Most lumber yards / building centers carry Hog, and don't even know it...ask for door jambs.

blessings
duh Padma


Mahogany door jambs? Really?
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Phillip Patton
PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 7:49 am 
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Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Cocephus wrote:
Whoa!
It looks as though you have it going on, dude!
Very fine work!
And I thought I was one frugal SOB.

Now, what`s this about Menard`s having mahogany? That`s a new one on me and I mean to tell you that I`ve talked to every retail center and lumber yard around 3 counties and I get the look like I`m from Mars or something! The best I can get is dunnage.
Must have info. PM please!
Coe Franklin



I heard about Menards carrying mahogany from someone here on this forum. I didn't believe it either until I checked it out.
I sent you a PM with more details.

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http://www.pattonblades.com

The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price has faded.

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Phillip Patton
PostPosted: Thu Aug 19, 2010 5:09 pm 
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Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Some progress:

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Just have to shape the neck, and sand the body a little more, and I'll be ready to start spraying!

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Phillip Patton

http://www.pattonblades.com

The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price has faded.

https://hoosierbladesmith.wordpress.com
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John A
PostPosted: Fri Aug 20, 2010 7:40 am 
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Looks awesome !

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mtracz
PostPosted: Fri Aug 20, 2010 1:28 pm 
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Awesome, for sure!!!

You inspired me to look for a Menards. I found one near home and scored some of the same cedar and mahogany.

Thanks!!!

_Mike

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John A
PostPosted: Fri Aug 20, 2010 2:08 pm 
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No location around me....


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