Guitar WIP

I don't know how you plan to finish the osage, do a search for one of Andy Atakach's blades with an oiled and flamed osage finish. Not sure how that would affect the sound but it's a really cool look. I kinda like the chatoyance that some osage has, it's a subtle wood that really needs to be studied carefully to note the character it has.
 
Here's the back glued together:

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Here I'm cutting the sound hole in the top. I used a cheap hole saw in a cordless drill. Actually went fairly well:

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I bought some cam clamps from Grizzly, but they're so expensive, and simple in design, so I'm going to make some myself. Making tools is half the fun. :)

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I just drew the layout of the braces on the soundboard:

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And here is the bracing kit I got from Grizzly. I'll have to modify them quite a bit to fit my guitar.


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You should just get the pattern of the braces, so you can just make them yourself too!

It's cool how you make a lot of your tools... chisels, power hammer, etc.
 
go mike said:
You should just get the pattern of the braces, so you can just make them yourself too!

It's cool how you make a lot of your tools... chisels, power hammer, etc.
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Yeah, I could have made my own braces, and I probably will on the next one, but I wanted to save some time on this project. I did take tracings of them. :)


Here is the bridge patch all ready to be glued onto the soundboard:

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This is the "caul" for gluing down the patch:

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And I've almost finished three clamps. This is just one of them...

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Phillip,

That is an awesome project. Knife making for a living has got to take some of the fun out of it, and moving to luthiery as a hobby is great.

I enjoy seeing you use non traditional wood for the instrument, here is a link to a discussion on using osage.

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=108647

I can't wait to see the finished product, too bad I won't have a chance to play it.

Since I recently was diagnosed with artheritis in my left hand, I've had to lighten up on the string gauge of all my guitars, I now use .010 on all my electrics and .011 on my acoustics, except my dobro, I'm using .013 on that one, have you decided what gauge you will be using in your instrument?
 
very cool. I just had 3 books arrive from Amazon yesterday on building an electric. I am sitting here working on scales. I am a rank (rank) beginner but I am going to be SRV some day...
 
fitzo said:
Phillip, do you happen to know whose bracing pattern that is?
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Hi Mike,
I believe it's C.F. Martins design, or at least based on it. I'm working out of William Cumpiano's book, and this is the bracing pattern he has for the steel string guitar.

I'm wondering if it would be better to have another, smaller X between the main X and the tailblock. Seems like the more symmetrical it is, the better. What do you all think?
 
I think its coming along great Phillip. What is the actual width of the neck? In all my years of playing guitar I have found some necks to wide. I actually like a slimmer neck, Did you install a steel rod in the neck for adjusting strings. Your other guitar kid looked great and I like the color of the stain that you used. Nice job Phillip. :thumbup:

Terry
 
Phillip Patton said:
Hi Mike,
I believe it's C.F. Martins design, or at least based on it. I'm working out of William Cumpiano's book, and this is the bracing pattern he has for the steel string guitar.

I'm wondering if it would be better to have another, smaller X between the main X and the tailblock. Seems like the more symmetrical it is, the better. What do you all think?
Click to expand...

I wondered, since I've read often of Martin's "x-bracing" and wondered if that was it. Cumpiano is well regarded, so he must know what he's doing.
I was only asking because of seeing an interior shot of an acoustic recently, and it had this assymetric fan-bracing in the lower bout. The claim was that it kept the volume balanced better through the low and high registers, since they vibrate the top very differently.
I wish I could offer advice, but know little about acoustics other than reading Acoustic Guitar for a number of years long ago. I think every type of wood is going to require a slightly different bracing, and can only be understood through long experience.
The good news is, I doubt this will be your last guitar build, and look forward to when you decide to carve an archtop, and learn how to tap-tune a top! :)
 
Absolutely gorgeous. Hope you're keeping this thing, so next time I stop by, I can play it :D
 
T Blade said:
Phillip,

That is an awesome project. Knife making for a living has got to take some of the fun out of it, and moving to luthiery as a hobby is great.

I enjoy seeing you use non traditional wood for the instrument, here is a link to a discussion on using osage.

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=108647

I can't wait to see the finished product, too bad I won't have a chance to play it.

Since I recently was diagnosed with artheritis in my left hand, I've had to lighten up on the string gauge of all my guitars, I now use .010 on all my electrics and .011 on my acoustics, except my dobro, I'm using .013 on that one, have you decided what gauge you will be using in your instrument?
Click to expand...

You're right about knifemaking not being as much fun anymore. If I were to start selling guitars, I would definitely do things differently than I do the knife business. Like, no custom orders. :thumbup:

I haven't thought about string gauge yet. I'll probably start with "lights", and if it's not loud enough try "mediums" and so on.


tmickley said:
very cool. I just had 3 books arrive from Amazon yesterday on building an electric. I am sitting here working on scales. I am a rank (rank) beginner but I am going to be SRV some day...
Click to expand...

I just went to Barnes and Noble (to buy a copy of Blade, since one of my knives is pictured in it) and bought "Guitar Exercises for Dummies". i really need to get more serious and organized with my practicing.

Pardon my ignorance, but what does "SRV" mean?



Barkes Knife Shop said:
I think its coming along great Phillip. What is the actual width of the neck? In all my years of playing guitar I have found some necks to wide. I actually like a slimmer neck, Did you install a steel rod in the neck for adjusting strings. Your other guitar kid looked great and I like the color of the stain that you used. Nice job Phillip. :thumbup:

Terry
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The neck is 2-1/8 at the nut, which is about as wide as classicals usually go. I've played narrower ones, and find it hard to play cleanly. I guess my fingers are too thick. :)


T Blade said:
Phillip, a close friend of mine had several guitars bracing modified. It did make a noticable tonal difference in the instruments. Try goggling "Parabolic Bracing" for more info.

Dave had the work done by Scott Van Linge.

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...ad.php?t=62946

Cheers :D
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Interesting. That's a little over my head right now, but I'll study up on it and maybe try it on my next one. Thanks for posting that.


go mike said:
Absolutely gorgeous. Hope you're keeping this thing, so next time I stop by, I can play it :D
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I'm definitely keeping this one (unless is sounds terrible, in which case I'll use it for toasting marshmallows) so you'll have a chance. Didn't know you play guitar. What kind?



Well, I have the back of the guitar glued together and sanded to thickness, and now it's going to dry for a few weeks. Same for the sides. So, this project is being put on the shelf for awhile. I'll be concentrating on filling some knife orders, and I've started to work on my 2nd guitar, which will be a nylon stringed classical. May actually get that one finished first, since it's simpler to build. I won't be taking pictures of it though.

So while I won't be adding much to this thread for awhile, I hope that the conversation here won't die. Please anyone, feel free to post pictures of your own guitar (or other musical instruments) projects.
 
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"SRV" usually refers to a blues guy from Texas named Stevie Ray Vaughan. Perhaps you've heard of him? He passed 19 years ago yesterday in an airplane crash after a concert in East Troy, Wisconsin.
 
fitzo said:
"SRV" usually refers to a blues guy from Texas named Stevie Ray Vaughan. Perhaps you've heard of him? He passed 19 years ago yesterday in an airplane crash after a concert in East Troy, Wisconsin.
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I've heard of him, but all I really know about him is that he passed 19 years ago yesterday in an airplane crash after a concert in East Troy, Wisconsin.

:)

Just out of curiosity , were you at that concert?
 
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