Official Luthiers Forum!

Yesterday I was able to go through some of my wood and cut some billets into sets. Saw blade lasted to the 3rd billet which is Bastgone Walnut. After 2 slices it was getting a bit hotter than I would like so it was time to stop. The billet is 45 1/2 x 9" and I began to wonder what the best use for this board would be. Would it be big enough for a Harp Guitar? It should yield several real nice guitar sets with wood left over, and actually could do both, guitar+ ukes and harp guitar. Would it be better off being used for gunstocks? Guess somewhere in there I would need to figure out what it is worth and can if I can sell some to pay for the billet and blade(s)? Anybody have any ideas?
A couple of pictures are below to give you an idea of what it looks like and the slices are sanded flat and fairly clean w/100 grit to .187. To remove the cracks on the bottom would remove maybe 3".
What do you think?




Tim

Definitely big enough for harp guitars. Might be a little short for the long side on a Dyer if 3" is unusable, but I'm not sure, and there are plenty of ways to work with shorter sides.

Bastogne is always way overpriced for my taste, but you could try listing a set in the classifieds here and see if you get any bites. Or perhaps sell through Gregg Miner's site http://www.harpguitarmusic.com/contact.htm, which has been out of wood for quite a while now. Not sure if he's really looking for more, but couldn't hurt to ask.

Thanks for your input Dennis. I'll send him an email and see where it leads. I noticed a couple other sites that sell wood for harp guitars. Probably wouldn't hurt to contact them.
I'm OK with leaving it as guitar sets also, that's how it all started.

Tim

Tim or Dennis (Hello Dennis), can you share those other sites that sell Harp Guitar back and side sets? I have built a walnut Harp Guitar but currently I am looking for rosewood sets.

Michael

Michael
The one I saw for back and sides was also harpguitarmusic.com. Appears the website has not been updated since 2012 and while prices are shown everything is sold.
Alaska specialty woods sells Sitka tops.

Tim

Oregon Wild Wood also sells tops now (redwood and Doug fir). And Gilmer has a couple nice mahogany and not-as-nice padauk back/side sets, although they're kind of hard to find being a few pages back now.

You could also check with James Ringlespaugh (member and sponsor here, http://www.exotic-lutherie-woods.com). Pretty sure he could cut you a 4 piece cocobolo back. Although 4 piece harp backs do have the extra challenge of the long joint up the harp arm.

I have the measurements for a Dyer style Harp Guitar:

Sides should be 5"x50", backs 8.5x39, peghead stuff and other, one 9x24

You will use some of the unused back to widen the harp arm.

Mike

Thanks for the measurements Mike. Beginning to think harp sets from this board would be either to short or very close to the minimal length needed, at best, for a Dyer style guitar.

By any chance has anyone seen the GAL plan for the Sullivan/Elliot harp? Would I run into the same problem there?

Tim

Well, a Dyer is a beast. What are your dimensions?

Mike the dimensions are at the top in the original post. 45 1/2 x 9 with slices at .187

I recently measured the Elliot/Sullivan plan and came up with minimum sizes: back = 8x36 + 8x20, sides = 4.5 x 42 (bass side) + 30 (treble) + 16 (bass arm) or two 4.5 x 46".

My best guess from measuring pictures of Dyers was that it would take a minimum 10.5x36 + 8x20 back and two 5x46" side pieces. I'd probably want them to be a little bigger to be safe.

And thanks for the plug Dennis . One of these days I need to saw up some sets and offer them in the classifieds.

Thanks James. This wood should probably work for the Sullivan/Elliot harp guitar. The boards are wide enough that the crack should not come into play for the sides.
The Dyer does look like it needs wider boards for the bass arm.

Tim

Lemme pull some harp sets and compare to my plans

38x9 is the smallest I would go with back, that does include harp arm, 45x5 for sides (the under arm is a separate piece that stops at neck block, the bottom side of guitar is 30", top is one continuous piece, 45". The harp arm needs a splice to bring to full width, but that is a very small piece. So it looks like you could build a Dyer, but you will have to be careful with side lengths. I would want a bit more on the side lengths. Then there is the harp peghead plate.

Here is the one I measured:

Note that the harp peghead is plated front and back, looks way better that way to me.

Mike,

Thanks for the pictures that one looks nice.
The Dyer is definitely extra large. Can't really pick up the arm splice but I think the plans call out for something closer to 10" wide plates which would mean a 1" splice on the arm side. The length may be the killer for making a Dyer out of the wood due to the cracks at the bottom of the billet. The Sullivan/Elliot plans may be a better option for both length and width. For right now the 4 slices I cut will stay stickered
Thanks for your help
Tim.