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Big fat belly bridges. Sure they're easier to clamp, but it only really needs to be tall in front of the saddle. Tapering the thickness saves a lot of weight, increases break angle on the strings, and reduces the stress concentration at the back edge of the glue joint. And if you route the saddle slot first and then taper the bridge blank from the back side, the slot gets tilted backward a few degrees with no extra effort.

Those silly linen patches over the X-brace

Though I'll be pilloried for it: bound fretboards. It is style over substance. There should be fret tang all the way to the edge of the fingerboard IMO. A special sub category are those who copy those weird Gibson binding nibs.

James, you may be right, but it's style that I love. I haven't done a bound fretboard yet, but I love the look of them.

Steve

[quote="James Ringelspaugh"]Those silly linen patches over the X-brace

How else are you going to turn what could be a view of nice tight joinery into something that looks like a pre-school craft project?

Thanks on the short grain thing. I never realized that. And hadn't considered the other things you mentioned Jeff. Thanks!

Another good thread. Thanks Hesh!

I agree, except I don't even think it's style. Few I have seen with the binding "nubs" done properly anyway.
I like wooden bindings/pocketed FB's or faux bindings with the frets tangs nipped and continued to the edges.
Find the fret tangs showing at the edges a bit unsightly.

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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.

I am pretty sure I wont be convinced to stop doing it this way. Most customers want it.


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Ken

Absolutely beautiful Ken!!!

Thanks Hesh.

16.999999 degree angle. I improved it.


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Ken

That's my kind of guitar - gorgeous Ken!

Hesh: Thanks for wishes and the same to you for 2016......................Where did the time go? Personal prejudice more likely then personal preference for me as to wood over plastic. I can't stand plastic. And I would argue that wood is just as good for the job intended (absorbing bumps) as plastic. Some folks might even argue that wood is better sonically. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
All the best.
Tom

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

On best or worst -- not sure where this fits in, but seems there would be a "better" pin hole pattern. In another post there is a concern for the issue of bridges cracking at the saddle slot. while I never saw one of those I did see many bridges that where cracked along the bridge pin line. I think Taylor at one time had a circular pin pattern to combat this and now Martin (on some models) run the pin holes on the same angle as the saddle to get off the grain line. Not sure what's better but it seems to me that straight along the grain can be problematic. Of course if the owner is jamming the pin against a mis-aligned string the pin becomes a very powerful wedge. Not sure if this has been mentioned -- I don't think many factories slot the pin holes so the ball can get under the sound board.

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

+1! That's a great one Ken. A pin line that is parallel to the saddle seems better in many ways.

Ok, along the lines of plastic bindings I would add ebony binding. Yep, heresy, I know.

Here is the thing, the intro class at Palomar College's Lutherie School is a Ukes building class. Every semester about twenty ukes get built. Invariably some students insist on ebony binding because it's what expensive factory ukes have.

At the end of the semester you see all twenty lined up. Usually the only way to tell the difference between the black plastic and ebony is the poor fit of the ebony binding.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a wood fetishist. It's just that a 1/16" x 1/4" strip of ebony is too small to really see anything "wood" about it. Flame maple binding, cocobolo, binding that matches side wood, all awesome! Ebony in binding is a waste of valuable and rare wood that doesn't add much to the esthetics of the guitar.

Let the flame begin!


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Hey Tom - Thanks for the understanding and if it's any consolation to ya I completely agree with one exception, those who make period correct instruments that are largely going for accuracy in what they are recreating. But beyond this I completely agree with ya, I like wood bindings too!

Agreed here as well. When I designed my bridge I did not consider break angles.....

No flame from me my friend and I completely agree. I've posted a number of times on the OLF through the years that when I used all black ebony bindings they ended up looking like black pl*stic under finish.... Something with some color such as Macassar would look more wood-like IMO.

You struck another chord though and pardon the unintended pun too. Your statement about using rare and limited woods got my attention. I know folks who get upset when they see pernambuco used for guitars. Seems the violin folks don't appreciate it much when we invade their rare and possibly endangered stash.

You can always slot the bridge to equalize the break angles regardless of how the pins are arranged.

I was not talking about break angle --- its regarding the pin hole pattern and how that intersects the bridge grain and the potential to weaken the bridge resulting in a huge lengthwise crack.

Seems maybe I am missing something if the break angle comes into play with those cracks?

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

Here's one that I've encountered a couple of times.

Producers that cover the neck bolts with a fragile label when the bolts need to be accessed at times and cranked a bit. Removing the label in the box is a bit of a pain and takes longer then it needs to but the labels are fragile. I'm able to get them back in place looking pretty OK but I would prefer a wooden plate or something with more structure to it to reduce the risk of tearing the label as the naphtha is working on the adhesive....

The same producer, who makes great stuff mind you I just have had a few nits... does not use any kind of head stock plate. As such the nut is completely dependent on the glue and the glue seems to fail more often than not. Take the strings off one of these babies and the nut falls off.... Again no biggie but for users/players when their nuts fall off at home they may not know how to reattach them.....

And my third consideration that's on my mind. It's crack season and I can't begin to tell you how many buyers in these cold, northern climates manager to purchase a guitar and get out of the store with NO ONE educating them as to the ravages of RH swings and how to use a guitar humidifier.... Of course we see them after the damage has been done and even though it's business for us I feel badly for the owners and instruments. Maybe, just maybe producers should throw in a $2 humidifier..... Just saying.....

For individual builders do you include a guitar humidifier with every guitar? I did and not only is it part of that conversation that one has to have with clients to educate them but if your warranty agreement also spells out what abuse is having supplied a humidifier with the guitar is added shielding from unwanted liability. More importantly... it just may save one of your creations from cracking. Why do you think that many power tools these days come with a cheap pair of safety glasses....

Great point about the RH swing, Hesh. Although I haven't sold any guitars to date, as they are not for sale yet, I try to educate all my friends and playing acquaintances about the evils of forced air heating, and the very low humidity levels that can be attained during the winter months, here in the great white North.

I bought a bunch of Planet Waves Humidipacks, but before that I used the cheaper drop between the strings humidifiers, and those worked great.

Factory built guitars might suffer dryness a little better, but I find that hand made guitars tend to move more with RH swings.

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

I agree the paper labels are a lame. On the upside, They serve as a tamperproof seal. letting me know someone has been here before and even suggest the quality of work depending on how mussed up they are.

And that begs the question, why do people brace in such high humidity? How many builders have ever gotten a guitar back with high humidity damage, as opposed to cracks from drying out?

Well Dennis, from where I'm from, if I waited to brace when we have a perfect 50 RH, that would give me a window of about a whole week and half in late May. It's usually 80+RH in the Summer, and -20 to -30 (Celcius) in the winter with forced air heating. I run the A/C and the humidifiers respectively to try and maintain a nice stable RH, but unfortunately, I can't do much about the weather!

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Her is a 1917 Dwyer Harp guitar with a split through all 12 pins, and out the end on the right side. In for repair at my daughter's shop in Brooklyn. Note that it is not along the same grain line.




https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/24382986142/in/dateposted-public/

Ed