Official Luthiers Forum!

I really liked this thread last year and was hoping to see another pop-up.

If you had goals laid out in last years thread or anywhere else (even just in your mind), let us know how you made out and maybe any important learning experiences you had in the process of working towards these goals.

Last years thread: viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=26118&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

Wether or not you had goals set last year, lets hear yours for this year! All forms of instrument making or anything relevant included, not just guitars.

Here are my goals from last year:



My goals for 2011:

1) Finally finish building my first acoustic guitar

2) Part of #1, to set up a spray system and possibly some sort of booth, and learn to spray nitro

3) Better my shop space and make it more efficient, including altering layout, benches, storage, electrical and lighting

4) Improve my resawing abilities and setup

5) Improve my sharpening abilities and setup. Move from scary sharp to stones

6) Build third and maybe fourth electric and try to sell these

7) Continue with acoustics, and maybe a classical

8) If I somehow find the time to do everything else and feeling up for a challenge, would love to try my hand at a violin, but this is unlikely. More of a goal for the future in general.

9) As always, increase my knowledge of this craft


Good luck to everyone with their goals!

I had no real goals last year, but the only real one I have for this year is to FINALLY build the Les Paul I've been wanting to build for like 3 years now. The guitar I have in mind, or rather the one I really want to build, will look a lot like a standard Les Paul but there are many twists (mostly aesthetics) that I want to add to it, and I initially wanted to draw plans for it and all but I just don't know, or fully understand, all the work involved in it to draw good plans... so I decided to get me the basic plans, build one "regular" and only THEN modify the original plans to get what I want. And I know I'm going to learn a LOT with this initial build.

So yeah, goal for this year: build one guitar. That's it. And I'll be REALLY disappointed if I don't succeed.

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Olivier Gauthier
Montreal, QC

Get a good web site up and running and figure out how to market (actually sell - marketing seems a lot easier) my work.

Chuck

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"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong"
- Joseph Chilton Pearce

2010: Expensive
2011: Spend less money

Edward,

Great idea!
Here are my goals from last years topic:



My goals for 2011:

1) Finish guitar No. 3 (Grand Concert), which I started 5 weeks ago. Lot of "first" for me on this one: Florentine Cutaway, Soundport, segmented Rosette, Coco back&sides, etc.

2) Build, finish and deliver my first comission! I will build a guitar for a major Singer/Songwriter. Probably a L-00 with pickup. She will get the guitar on her fall 2011 tour in Europe and play it on stage.

I didn't set any 2010 goals, so for 2011

1) finish my 12 x 12 workshop. I am probably a month, give or take, away from finishing this, so if I don't finish this by 2011 somethings wrong.

2) build 2 flat top mandolins for my brothers, and build at least 2 medium jumbo guitars (hopefully one Lutz spruce with EIR, one WRC with flamed maple back and sides)

3) work slow and safe. No rushing things and keep all fingers intact (still got 10 but a couple scars for a reminder to stay safe)

4) become better at violin so I can build one eventually and figure out if it sounds/plays nice or not

2010: No guitars finished.

2011: Finish some guitars.

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

2011 Goals
- Finish moving into industrial unit

* Finalize layout, make spray booth and UV finishing area
* Tidy up and move all junk out (old furniture/books/papers/electronics/etc.)
* Add permanent overhead wireless controlled dust collector pipe system
* Redo the main workshop lighting and add task lighting
* Finish laying tile in bathroom, hall, and kitchen area
* Build kitchen unit (sink/cupboard/workspace)
* Rewire music studio/office area
* Invest in a CNC routing machine
* Invest in a wide belt sander

- Build a double-top classical guitar
- Build a tenor ukulele (started this already - my woodworking buddy Bill and I are making one each - I'm teaching him how to build in my shop)
- Build a couple of archtop guitars
- Start incorporating my marquetry art onto (into?) my guitars
- Build at least 6 other guitars, sell at least 3
- Have more fun!

Cheers,
Dave F.

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Cambrian Guitars

"There goes Mister Tic-Tac out the back with some bric-brac from the knick-knack rack"

2010:
Set up shop and build my first steel string. Started mid-January, completed Oct 21.

2011:
Finish the 3 steel strings I currently have in progress.
Finish the violin I started 3 years ago.
Build my first electric.

That oughtta keep me busy for most of the year, unless I suddenly become much faster and less lazy than I am now. But I have lots more ideas if that happens

Almost finished my first - Maple and Spruce - parts are ready to assemble for #2 as well. I am happy with my progress.

goal for 2011 - finish the first two, move into a new house and setup workshop, start the next two, resaw some of the wood I gathered for #3 and #4.

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It's this new idea from recent decades that everyone gets a participation award. - MUX

Great thread Edward!

2010:
- No goals set

2011:
- Finish #1, which is a dreadnought for my oldest son
- Build #2, another dread for my younger son
- Build #3, a 000-12 for me (woo hoo!)
- Have fun

Stretch goals:
- Convert a storage room in the basement into a shop
- Have too much fun

2010:

Design body shape (Used G Thang for this)
Decide on neck joint (bolt-on, butt joint, adjustable)
Decide on bridge and headstock shapes (decided I liked the Ryan bridge and Jason Simpson headstock)*

2011:

Complete all the jigs I can before building (build the rest as I go)
Gather tools as I need them during the #1 build
Complete #s 1-5
See if Lance will let me change my user name; even though my wife picked it, it seems too pretentious to use it at this point

*I intend to come up with a more original headstock and bridge design, but I figured it was okay to start of with something already in existence and suited my tastes (I like the Martin belly and their headstock shape, but I like the Ryan bridge more (aesthetically), and while I like the look of the Martin headstock, I prefer a bit straighter string path from nut to tuning post.

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Finally escaped The Peoples' Republik of Massachusetts; I can smell the freedom in the air!

Last years goals:
1. Build at least 3 guitars a 000 cutaway, a size 0, and a Dred.
2. Add a paint booth to the shop.
3. Continue running my dust collection ducts to eliminate some of the flex hoses.
4. Get my downdraft table up and running (its all done, just needs the holy top).
5. Build shelves in the metal working corner.
6. Get some of the drawers built for the 25+ drawer spots I've built.

Got most of 2 guitars done. Did some repair work.

The rest of the stuff didn't get done, I've spent most of my time on home improvement stuff or working overtime.

I only have one goal this year:
Spend more time in the shop so I can get some of the stuff done.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I'm game - it'll be good to see this post next year to remind me of all the things I didn't get done

1. finish redesign of shop
2. make first acoustic

ok.... that's enough ambition for one year.....

Goals for 2010: Get through the year.
Goals for 2011: Change career (AAAAAAAHHHHH!), tough one.
Use up a yellow siris set for weiss # 5.
Use up a tazie blackwood set for # 6.
Figure out if I'm on the right direction with my git building.
Fillipo, what is that bird?
Red Breasted Flycatcher is close as I can get,
but probably wrong.

Cool thread, I'll bite.

2011 goals

Convince people to pronounce it "twenty leven" instead of "two thousand eleven"
Build an instrument with hide glue and learn how to use the stuff.
Learn french polishing
Get and carry out a commission for an instrument
Sell an electric instrument new to this year
Build maybe two or so instruments on my own (uncommisisoned)
Learn inlaying.
Finish getting things for the shop I'd rather have then not. Detail chisels, decent gouge, sealing iron, finger planes, and complete my Stickit abrasive collection
Most importantly, build an instrument that looks and sounds better than something available at any good guitar store.

Try to keep my 8 fingers and 2 thumbs....!!!
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

first year here. simple goal for 2011: finish my first guitar. even it it falls to pieces afterwards. then, start building a second one.

cheers,
Miguel.

edit: and i wish all you guys good luck with your 2011 goals.

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member of the guild of professional dilettantes

Heal my tennis elbow or have the operation (resolve the problem).
Make it to 2012 so I can get Medicare.
Build two mandolin orders and be done with them.
Finish several guitars I've started.
Make my 14K/yr limit.
Build a 12 string Mini-Jumbo.

Stay vertical.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

2011

Finish setting up my shop space.
Build my first guitar
Pray more for focus so I actually do the first 2 things

Thanks for the reminder on this fantastic thread that Hesh started last year. Here were mine.

"Great question, Hesh.

As I read it, I realized I hadn't yet figured out what my goals were this year, besides building more, and better.

1) Build at least one guitar where I've done sufficient prep work, and have worked smart enough that I don't have a single "DOH" moment. You know the kind - route the binding a 1/16th inch too deep, drop a chisel on the top, etc.

Hmm. Well, I can honestly say that I have FEWER "Doh" moments. Progress

2) Finish the three guitars waiting on the bench, and give them to their respective owners - and set them up so well that they want to play them more than what they've already got.

I think I completed two of the three (Of course, I've started two more..... )

3) Get some formal luthiery education."

Nope - still exclusively working through it with you generous folk. Hard to take the time away, with family requirements, etc. Aggressinvely focused on improving my techniques, however. Maybe that has to be enough this year.

For 2011 -

1) Sell a guitar.
2) Standardize my headstock and bridge designs. (I'm still in a state of evolution)
3) Document my process, and have a jig for each step that I am very happy with. Focus on repeatability of my process
4) Get serious about voicing. Document deflection, density, and frequency on tops.
5) Be maniacal about safety in the shop. I don't want to be posting one of those "Don't do what I did" pictures.... (and thanks to those of you who did. They keep me honest.)
6) Continue to hoard affordable and appealing tonewood when I can find it (OK, so that's not a resolution, but I had to put one in there that is close to 100% likely to be acheived.)

My wife keeps asking me when i'm going to sell something. I keep telling her i'm trying to refine my style and i'm making guitars for the kids. Every guitar I make, I try to do something new; like fretboard binding, which I am hooked on now, or pickups, or finishes, etc. I really would like to do a cut-away of some sort, and an arch-top electric. I have so many friends and family that want a guitar from me. I'd like to pump a bunch of them out, but they are going to have to wait.

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Jason Moe
LaCrosse WI 54601

DOH! No one explained that to me..... hmmm. Let me rethink that.