Official Luthiers Forum!

This is my first post in the forum and I am very glad to be here. I recently started a 2 day a week college course on acoustic guitar building by hand. It is going pretty well so far, I will post some pictures soon. I wonder are there any threads on here from people who have also made a. L-0 or L-1? I have a question already (sorry to start my first post with a question) and figured there maybe experts in here who can help. Is the top of an L-0 completely flat or radiused (dished) slightly? This is the point I got to then realised the plans don't say so I am wondering how to proceed. Any advice appreciated.

Unless you are dead set on replicating vintage conventions, you may be better off using modern methods. Use the shape and the bracing layout from your plans, and either build true flat top, or a top where all the braces are radiused. What does your instructor say?

I find that radiusing all the top braces to 28' and then gluing the top onto flat rims leads to a fairly acceptable body geometry as far as fingerboard plane goes. You do have to 'squish' the top down in the waist area, but this has never caused a problem for me.

Thanks for the great information.

I am studying at a college in London, UK, the main guy there is called Keith Graves, my tutor this year is called Bryn, I'm afraid I don't know his second name.
He said we could do the top completely flat or radius the braces and glue in place. I decided to do a little research and ask in this forum. Going on what you have told me I will radius the braces and have it slightly arched, it is an H brace pattern.
As it is my first guitar the experience of doing it this way will be valuable.

Here a couple of pics of the top , there are many more pics here http://s185.photobucket.com/user/wyzzy2 ... t=2&page=1

Pic 2

Disclaimer: I am not an expert, but I play one on television

The first L-0 and L-1 guitars were arched both front and back. About 1926, they were making the switch to flat top and at least several were made with an arch back but a flat top - I have seen one of these in my daughter's repair shop. Perhaps they were using up old stock?? After about 1926 they were flat - by flat I mean they were not carved, although they were slightly domed on the front and back. They were also made with several bracing schemes, ending up with X bracing. The Nick Lucas models were likewise braced differently.

Here is an early L-1 I built with X bracing. I copied the rosette off of the very early L-1's:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/7 ... 562735639/

I am just finishing an early Nick Lucas to the same body shape. Nick had one built in 1935 for a friend and since he liked the early shape the best, it is the early shape but with modern X-bracing, so there is a precedent for it if you want to do it. This set of shots will show how the scale length, number of frets clear, sound hole and bridge all changed through the years on the Nick.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/s ... 130471994/

This is a very satisfying size of guitar to play, and they sound great. And the round lower bout is my personal favorite. Good luck

Ed Minch

Simon:

Do you use that rosette cutter in a drill press or a brace?? Did you install the screw to adjust the arm or did it come that way? How do is work?

Ed Minch

I've built several...I radius braces to 25' and glue top first to rim , on a flat plate. open work board method...no exomold.

michael

Thankyou for your replies. I will radius the braces to 25,glue them to the top and then fit the top to the rest of the guitar, I am using an exomold.

Ruby 50 the rosette cutter simply fit in a hole drilled in the centre and is turned to gradually cut through the top, see this picture http://s185.photobucket.com/user/wyzzy2 ... ort=2&o=35