Official Luthiers Forum!

Martin spruce tops seem to always have these tabs (“ears”) at the waist. I’ve assumed they are somehow used for aligning the top when it is glued to the rim. Can anyone confirm that, and/or shed any light on what the process in which the tabs are used looks like?

Yes, I believe so.
Used that system in building classes.
Vertical rods were fitted into holes in the base board used for gluing top & back onto the rims.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Thanks Colin. That's what I figured but I wasn't sure.

I always thought it was the better to hear you by....

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"Preoccupation with an effect gives it power and enhances the error"
from "Your Owner's Manual" by Burt Hotchkiss.

What's that you say? Sorry, my ears have broken off......

not even close. The ears are there for jig location for the production setting of rosette cutting and sound hole then gluing in the braces . After that they are useless. The hole on the neck block locate the top with the holes in the top near the neck The jigs used to cut the kerfing along with the neck block holes locate and square the top.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Come on now, you can say they were close. Initially it was thought that they were used for alignment purposes and that's just what they are for. Just not for glueing the top or back to the rims...but could certainly be used for that.

I was going to say some smarta$$ comment about you and your love for Martin and all things Martin John, but I like you and though it might be taken the wrong way

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Here we go, get ready for another episode of As The Luthier Forum Turns..............!

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Old growth, shmold growth!

I thought the ears were there so you could hold the top up in front of yourself without obstruction and parade around in front of the wife and kids shouting as loud as you can "WOW!! Look at that rosette!!! I did that..Me!..Moi'...that's right, Mr Can't Even Change a stink'in light bulb!! Ha!.....Ha! Ha! Ha!.... See it, weep and bow!!! you lot!...I'll be back later with another bit."

Anyway, I am hoping this topic goes south too, hasn't happen for quite some time and the place is getting a little stale.

Cheers

Kim

Oh heck no. Not from me anyway. I really do like John. He is an amazing contributor to this craft and I would honestly never bash him or his love of the guitar in general or of Martins. He's taught us all alot and he gives way above and beyond.

Please don't read anything other than a friendly nudge from me to John. I honestly love the fact that he's so passionate about all things guitars. AND, he really knows the ins and outs of the way Martin does things, which can be VERY helpful.

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

You've already taken it south, simply based on your location Or are we South and you're North...?

Kim, I just have to say.....that little character you're using as an avatar is rather freaky. Who is it?

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

actually the ears are missing the piercings , don't you think a nice nut and bolt would look good ? now who can some with a better use that that LOL
a few tatoos and we are on the way
you all know I do have a cents of humur

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Un freakin believable !!!!

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"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins

Kind of ironic you should mention North and South Rod, the little guy in my avatar is an animated take on none other than the the "Dear Leader" of the Peoples Republic of North Korea, Kim Jong-il. In light of my standing of late as a statesman and diplomatic leveler of turbulent sea at the OLF, I thought the effigy was would make fitting representation of that status.

Cheers

Kim

I ALMOST posted a picture of Ross Perot, but I stopped myself because someone might think I was making a political statement.

Not to pick a fight, but I don't think that cute little Kim Jong-il avatar is animated - it's a photo of the marionette of his character from the movie Team America - World Police (make sure you watch the uncut version if you're going to watch it).

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If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason. - Jack Handey

Hey John, thanks for correcting me on that, and tell me something, does Martin just rely on the two holes at the top near the neck joint to align the soundboard at the bottom as well?

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Martin relies on the jig that notches the kerfing and the block holes to align the top. The ears I guess in a sense also do that as it aligns the top for the placement of the braces in the jig . In the old days before the laser cutter the holes also were used to locate the rosette and sound hole cutter but I think that is all done with the laser cutter.
Martin has place so many new jigs the last time I was out . They replaced all the molds with machined Aluminum molds in the last 2 years . I have a hard time keeping up

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Martin should have left the ears on this one......for ear rings.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

Good one Woody

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I thought the "Ears" were really brackets that they used to mount the "Tone Adjustment Mechanism" for the voicing of the finished guitar....

Turn the knob to "Vintage Mojo" and then cut off the brackets - and you have a 1938 Dread.... Turn it to "HPL" and then cut if off and you have a new little martin...

Thanks

John