Official Luthiers Forum!

Well, after building a few steel strings and apprenticing with a builder for about a year now I was asked by my playing instructor "when are you going to build a fine classical instrument?"

So I am planning on ordering the revamped Hauser '37 plans from LMI and do my homework for a fall build. Currently, I have several B&S sets as well as several soundbords I have collected over the last couple of years and was hoping to get some feedback on selecting a solid combination for my first classical build.

Note: All sets are of at least AAA quality

EIR WRC
Padauk Lutz
Imbuia Englemann (super light)
Black Limba Sitka
Mahogany

Any recommendations would be very much appreciated!

Ray

PS The neck will be Spanish Cedar.

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Guitar Building = Continuous Improvement Process

For a first or second build and a solid tonal combo I don't think you can beat IRW /WRC. opens up quick has the tone most classical players are looking for.

My favorite combo both tonally and appearance is Macassar Ebony/ sinker Redwood top. But I like the warmer tone of Redwood.

How about EIR and Euro spruce?

Eir and Lutz, no question about it! Or, Euro, as Robbie suggests, but you already have Lutz and can't beat it for the price.

Use cedar for other designs, such as a large Rodriguez. Use the uncommon B&S woods for future SS guitars.

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Build log

EIR for B&S definitely for a first. The 'classic' combination would be with European spruce (why second guess Hauser?) as Robbie said, but of the top woods you list the only one I would consider is the Lutz.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

The woods specified for the Hauser '37 are:
European Spruce
Brazilian Rosewood
Mahogany neck
East Indian RW bridge
Ebony fret board

Substituting EI rosewood for the Brazilian is acceptable (and understandable).
Spanish cedar (as long as the stock is not too soft and light) for the neck is ok.
Why bother making this very specific design if you are not going to use a good piece of European Spruce..? that is kind of what it's all about.
An alternate approach for you might be to get the Courtnall book and survey the 5 or 6 plans he offers which are far more generic that the Brune' Hauser '37.
If you substitute too heavily with different materials on the Hauser plan, you most likely will come out with a very nice acceptable instrument, but it may not have the characteristics for which this design is so well known and you will lose the learning experience that would serve you better on the next building project.
If you do decide to go specific with the Hauser '37 (buy the boxed plan with the CD and booklet) Australian Luthier supplies carries not only the correct rosette but they are the only source for the pale grey-green side purflings on this guitar.

Best!

http://www.guitarsbydavidlaplante.com/

Thank you very much for the insight!

I think I will go with the following for this build:

EIR (beautiful set from Steve at Colonial )

Lutz Spruce ( Shane's special stock from the '07 swap meet)

Mahogony Neck ( in stock but won't smell as nice when carving)

EIR Bridge (in stock)

Ebony Fretboard (in stock)

I will have to get in touch with Australian Luthier Supplies for the rosette and purflings though. (thank you David)

Well, it's off to Google to do my research and order my plans!

Thanks again,

Ray

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Guitar Building = Continuous Improvement Process

The neck should have a certain impact on the sound and overall weight so it is better to stick to the original as much as possible.
Weight and stiffness-wise Lutz is a good replacement for Euro. Just finished a Torres type guitar with a Lutz top and IRW and I am very happy with how she sounds.

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Build log

Dave Schramm carries the rosettes as well, he's in Clovis NM. In addition I believe he has an instructional video on building the Hauser guitar.
The purfling stock from Australia is a veneer sheet which can be laminated (along with the thin White .3mm veneer from LMI) to the bottom of the binding stock before stripping it out.
Best!

Dave Schramm's CD is very good. I have it, and went through it several times. It's all pictures and text, but is very well done. It has some good lists and resource information in it as well.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Funny you should mention David Schramm's site as I pulled many pics of his Hauser copy to get a good look at the over all decroative scheme used on the original. Is the binding Braz as well or some other sort of dark timber?

It's kind of odd looking at the new copies from David and Kenny Hill so shiney and new then looking at pics of the original displayed at the Met. Lot of miles on that one.

My first steel string had the same color but it was due to adding a ton of Amber tint

Ray

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Guitar Building = Continuous Improvement Process

I happened to have a copy of the '37 plan here at my office, and the butt strip and the back strip are rosewood. It does not say what the binding is, but I'm betting rosewood, and I think he uses rosewood to mean EIR, not BRW, which is specifically mentioned as B/S wood. You should get a copy of American Lutherie, Big Red Book Vol 2. It has Brune's write up on this guitar, and a lot of details not in the plan. It is a very comprehensive article, if you have not seen it. I can't remember the AL # that it was in, but can get that info for you, don't know if it's still available in the single back issue or not.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Here are some pics of my copy:
Sorry about the photo quality, the originals are too large to download here.....





The reason that I suggested the boxed set is that it has an excellent booklet with good photos of the original.
I used Brazilian rosewood for my copy with Brazilian rosewood for the bindings and a master grade German spruce top as well as Reischl tuners in the style of the original.

Burton and Elliott discuss the 1937 Hauser on P360....originally published in AL #21 1990.

First off, David that is an amazing looking build!! It must be a wonderful instrument to play.

I think I may also grab up Schramm's offering from his site to bolster my research and aid in jigging up for my fall build. It would be very cool (and educational) to have a few of us building our first classicals at the same time.

Thanks for the input on the bindings and I think I'll probably use EIR for those as well as the other trims. (BUDGET )

Again, thank you very much for the input and I hope some others get on board for a classical build!!

Take care,

Ray

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Guitar Building = Continuous Improvement Process