Official Luthiers Forum!

just taking a moment to say hi and introduce myself...

I've been woodworking off and on since grade school, but only in the last 5-6 years had the means and the space to build a real shop. I've also played guitar off and on since grade school, and always had a desire to build guitars. Granted, I'm really not much of a woodworker or a player, but that never hampered my desire

So, I've finally built an adequate shop and hope to start my first project this spring. I've learned tons about woodworking and other hobbies from forums in the past and - now that I felt I was ready to dive in to lutherie - have joined this forum. Naturally, being a total noob to this, I hope to be picking everyone's brain

I did order a few books so far:
"Guitar making" by Natelson & Cumpiano
"The luthier's handbook" by Siminoff
"Build your own acoustic guitar" by Kinkead

but, if anyone has more suggestions I'd love to hear them. Thanks in advance!!

Mike

MIke,
You are doing everything right. Desire, check, good books, check, joining this forum, double check.
Peruse the tutorials and archives there is a ton of good stuff there.
And welcome to the OLF.
Link

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Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.

Hi Mike,
welcome to the forum.
That's a pretty good start for your reading list, I've read the first two myself, and have built 3 OM so far from the Kinkead plans (altough I used thinner braces for the last two)
Feel free about picking brains, folks here really generous with info and suggestions, real willing to pitch in.
Colin

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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.

John Hall of Blues Creek Guitars offers a build tutorial.
So does William Cumpiano, the guy who's book you purchased.
Cumpiano's tutorial is a two week course, one on one, he walks you through the entire process start to finish.
I'm unfamilar with John Hall's tutorial and don't know the details.
As much as you know about woodworking, a tutorial would get you up and running faster applying them to guitars, and would familiarize you with the process, and give you ideas on how to lay out your shop, and use guitar-specific tools and techniques, from a master craftsman.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

wow - thanks for the quick responses guys.

Welcome to the OLF. You'll soon find there are literally hundreds of hours of information here to read and learn from.

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Bobby Masten

Welcome to the OLF. This is really a great community, the best forum I've been a part of. It's really kind of like a family. There seems to be a brotherhood among the participants. Of course we have our occasional family problem, and a few of those quirky relatives, but it works.

Don't be afraid to get started. My first build took me forever to start for fear of making mistakes. Mistakes are inevitable, but you learn from them, and learn how to overcome them. When you make one, ask for some help. The experiences the participants at the OLF have includes some really great mistakes and some really great lessons on how to deal with them. So ask and you won't get ridiculed.

I'm not one of those experienced ones, so I'll wait for you to make the mistake I just did and see what they say.

Darrin

Welcome mike ! Since you havent started yet maybe I can entice you over to the dark side and build Mando's I have learned alot here and you will too . Look forward to seeing your post !

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oh yeah, mandolins are on my list, as are resonators and maybe banjos some day. I also see myself doing some solid, semi, and hollow body electrics too, although I admit the acoustics are what I'm most passionate about.

boy, you guys really know how to welcome someone - I'm even more inspired that I was this morning!

I'm almost fired up enough to go clean up the shop!!!

Banjos? Pervert! Welcome to the OLF, with the rest of us!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Welcome to OLF mike. I too am a beginner (started my first in June) and this site has some wonderful information on it, great builders, and BEAUTIFUL guitars as well. I live just north of you in pulaski. maybe we could meet up sometime at an open mic or something.

Welcome Mike. Enjoy the addiction/obsession!

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

Your gonna love this forum. These guys are life savers.

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Gregg

Mike,

As I am also a relative newbie to this group, I must welcome you with the same warmth I was shown by other members of this forum. I have gleaned a number of valuable suggestions and building insights here. I have the Cumpiano book also and have used it as the my initial primer for my first build. I would suggest that you check out his website (http://www.cumpiano.com). He describes some important modifications to the techniques and processes of the book. My apologies if someone else has suggested it but multiple recommendations should justify its importance.

All the best in your efforts and read as much as you can before you begin. Sometimes it is the small stuff that can come back to bite you. I am just finishing shaping the braces on my first build and I have read and reread the processes described in the book. If you have question about something in the book, this is the place to get it answered. You will be surprised how authoritative and responsive this forum can be.

Oh, just a question, Your handle of muddlerman? You would not also be a fly fisher?

Ken

wow - again, thank you all for such a warm welcome. I've had so many questions already and yet keep finding the answers in the archives in here. I'm really regretting not taking this leap sooner.

geetarman - I live closer than you think. Just 15 minutes down 81 in Brewerton I don't know that my playing chops are up to an open mic night anymore, but we'll certainly have to connect at some point. my best friends these days are guys I've met in chats/forums. I can only see more friendships to come...

Ken - I started using Muddlermike as a handle back in 1998 on the "virtual fly shop" forum and chat - although I don't spend much time in there anymore I'm still and avid fly fisherman... good guess

When I was about fifteen I gave a black wooly worm a red streamer tail...
never failed to bring em in on the upper Truckee...
12" to 18" rainbows ...





Quirky relative...
Hmm...

Welcome

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LOL,

Not a guess, just a positive speculation based on many years of fly fishing. The muddler is a staple in the fly box of Missouri fisherman. A great fly to tempt those big browns out of the deep holes.

Post some pictures when you get going on your build. (learning that process here will be your next challenge.)

Mike,

I am sending a link that describes Cumpiano's revision to the box/neck connection outlined in the book. Read this before you shape your heal block. It is well worth the read and is much less stressful than the pinned neck joint. I did not find it before I did the shaping and had to create a jig to hold the neck securely to accurately drill the required holes in the tenon for the barrel nut. You can find it on the website, but not without some searching and reading of too small of print. However, your eyes may be younger that mine.

http://www.cumpiano.com/Home/Articles/S ... block.html

thanks - bookmarked. Just got my books today so I'll bear that in mind when I get to the heal block part.

muddlers ARE great flies, aren't they

Hey Mike - I have to like anyone with 'muddler' in their name! I'm a hopelessly addicted flyfisher, tyer and fan of the mighty Muddler as well.

Welcome aboard!

Hi Mike

Im new at this too, perhaps a few months on down the line and I bought the same books as you did. However I really wish I had bought the Kinkead book first and just stuck with that at least to being with. The Cumpiano is a wonderful book but quite confusing in some ways. The trouble is there are loads of ways of doing the same thing and no doubt in time you can explore, but first time building, I wish I had followed a simple and clear pathway set out as in the Kinkead book, even then it is complicated enough.

Welcome on board fellow victim I have a few more book suggestions for you. The classical book by JS Bogdonavich is an excellent resource with plenty of ideas for any type of luthiery, even if you don't build classicals. Excellent illustrations and a good quality book as well. If you really find you want to dive in and build mandos, Rodger Siminoff wrote a pretty good book on that. The Mandolin Project by Graham McDonald is my favorite though. Very well written, good plans, and it covers a variety of mandos. For electrics I love Building Electric Guitars by Martin Koch. Excellent resource. Shows you a dozen ways to do everything, even winding pickups. This forum though is at the pinnacle for information and inspiration though. Lots of talent here fo sho.

Mike,

As you can see, we can kill your build budget very fast just buying the books. However, that is the wealth of information you have at your disposal.

Yes, I still have the memories of 22" brown with my muddler connected to him. Released him

that's funny - all 4 of those books are already on my amazon wish list. I was browsing a lot this past weekend...

between the books and all the special tools I need, I'm not going to be able to afford the wood

Those interested in the Cumpiano neck method might find this interesting....
http://www.luthierforum.com/index.php?a ... howentry=7

And for bolts....
http://www.profhdwr.com/specfast.htm#kd

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Old growth, shmold growth!