Official Luthiers Forum!

Could someone recommend a plan for an acoustic archtop, f-hole guitar. Most plans i have seen are designed around a pickup. I want to build a straight up acoustic.

One such plan is Robert Benedetto's plan--available through Stew Mac and probably other sources, too. I'd also recommend getting his book at the same time and perhaps his DVD series, too. I found that I understood certain processes better after watching his video demonstration.

I am sure other plans will be suggested.

Yup, I think the GAL has a D'Angelico plan too.

http://www.luth.org/plans/instrument_plans.html

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

I used Benedetto's book and DVD's to build an archtop last year and could have prevented some confusion if I had also gotten the plans. There were a couple of areas where exact plan dimensions would have helped.
Be advised that plans from stew-mac are based on a 25" scale as are the book and DVD. Plans from LMI are listed as being for a 25.4 " scale.

Thanks for this valuable link!

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+1 for Robert Benedetto's plan -- great design for pure acoustic or electric -- his book is a work of art, in my view perhaps the best guitar making publications of all time. Includes theory, tools, fixtures and processes. Be warned it is a time consuming project.

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

These guys have some plans;

http://ultimate-guitar-online.ultimate- ... cts_id=400

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Guitar Building = Continuous Improvement Process

I have a D'Angelico plan, too. I'm not sure it's the GAL plan, but it probably is. I bought it through mimf.com some years ago. It is for an enormous guitar! mimf.com also used to sell a somewhat generic archtop plan. It might be out of print. It was meant to go with an on-line course taught some years ago by Bill Moll. Because there are optional ways to handle some of the operations in building an archtop, those details were left intentionally vague.

However, if you acquire all these plans as I have (and as I continue to do whenever I see one), you will have a great resource library in-hand.

I'll emphasize the Benedetto book and DVD series one more time, because he demonstrates operations there that would apply to any archtop of any size.

The MIMF forum has a plan for sale that was drawn by Bill Moll.

No offense, but I was disappointed with my purchase of Mr. B's book.
Don't expect a detailed step by step guide.
Some pictures do not match the the text, vague instuctions, almost no discussion on tap tuning and theory.

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The book has a few holes in it but there really is nothing else out there detailing the building of a true acoustic archtop. I really like his approach to building the neck and use it for all guitar necks that I build. Bob's video tape series fills in some of the holes in the book.

I have always considered "Making an archtop guitar" By Robert Benedetto to be a masterpiece.

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http://www.cushmanguitars.com/.

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.
Mark Twain

Me too. Along with the DVD set I found it to be very complete and allowed me to build my first Archie with no real glitches, resulted in a very nice instrument, and got me hooked.

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

Actually, I thought Benedetto demonstrated tap tones and tap tuning the recurves extremely well in his video series. Another plus is that you can actually hear his guitar opening up and becoming very lively and responsive as he taps and scrapes. He also explains the different functions of the top and back responses as he works along. I found that to be invaluable, because I had no instruction and couldn't have otherwise seen and heard the process as it happened.

Again, this basic process would apply to any carved arch top, regardless of the starting plan. It's really informative to see and hear it demonstrated.

Robert stated in the book that tap tuning would require another book and his was the construction of an archtop guitar. He suggested that if you wanted to know more about tap tuning there were plenty of books on the subject, and for the purpose of his book,project, the tone should sound pleasant to you. that it shouldn't sound dead but ring and no buzzes from cracks. He sometimes would mention that a certain operation should raise or lower the tone.

I did not intend to bash Mr. B's book.
I should have stated that to an inexperienced builder such as myself, the book is not a step by step guide like the Cumpiano book, and I am puzzled about some building steps.
It sounds like I should buy the dvd.
Sorry if I offended anyone.
Dan

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I don't think you offended anyone. Just a difference of opinion, perhaps strongly held.

Dan, I don't think you offended anyone. I do hope you'll get the DVDs, because they demonstrate the processes in a way that the book can only describe. I had quite a few "aha!" moment while watching, as if to say: "Oh....now I see what he meant." I've been back to both the book and the videos (yes, mine are so old they're on video) many times.

Great!
Thanks fellows,
Dan

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