Thread: Girl makes her first Guitar in Aussie Timbers!

That's a great looking guitar. Well done.

Nice looking guitar. Well done.

To answer the poll question, I've made bugger all guitars.

I plan to have a go "one day" though.

Congratulations- you've made one more guitar than me. Looks great, you've used some great looking timbers.
How long did it take?

Really nice. I love the Blackwood.

How does it sound? Can we post mp3's here?

Lovely Guitar, well done!

I voted to see the results but have never made a guitar and it isn't on the immediate agenda either. My shed is a bit rougher knock it out big and ugly sort of thing.

So I said if I did chances are I would try and hook up with Kiwigeo and get some instruction there.

Studley

This poll is a bit weird.....the question is "how many guitars have you made". You can only register one guitar under each option. What if youve made more than one guitar by yourself? Am I doing something wrong??

Anyway my guitar making experience - 1 OM steel string made on a guitar making course with Paddy Burgin and Dave Freeman in NZ a few years back. This guitar currently in the possesion of some muso friends who seem to have fallen in love with the thing and dont seem keen on returning the guitar. Three guitars currently under construction are a classical (currently getting a French Polish), a 6 string Dreadnaught with body finished and neck half finished and a matching 12 string Dready which is to soundboard stage. Today I got started on a Tassie Blackwood neck for a 6 string dready made from Aussie woods.

Cheers Martin

Nice work myguitar, I love the Aussie woods. Some questions if you dont mind:

1. What sort of construction technique did you use? Spanish method on a workboard or were body and neck built seperately and joined with a M and T joint?

2. Have you compared the sound of the King Billy Pine top to tops made from other woods?

3. Is the top arched or is it a flat top?

4. Do you know where Thomas Lloyd did his guitar building course?

5. Any chance of a closeup pic of the rossette. It looks like a wood inlay?

Cheers Martin

Beautiful - well done!

Did the school recommend different woods for different tonal qualities or anything like that?

Wow
Lovely looking guitar.
I really like fiddleback blackwood
dayvo

Thanks to all your responses. I did forget to mention that I do not play guitar!. I have know the Luthier for many years and wanted to do something amazing.. So I did.

Answers to your questions:
I dovetailed the neck to the body.. I used scalloped bracing on the sound board (old martin style).
This particular guitar is small bodied accoustic so it is used for a finger picking style.
It does sound beautiful. T
When you make a guitar you need to play it in. It takes some time but even after 1/2 hr its comes alive.

I hand oiled it with danish oil and a lemon oil only 3 times.
We will oil it again in time to see the changes that occur.
The sanding is very important that you get it right and especially over the top. The treble and bass are made more prominent via the method of sanding. The top is about 2 mm.

The neck was the hardest part. A lot of hand sanding and filing (of course ). It is beautiful to hold. Players have said it has a great feel especially at the base of the neck.
It is a flat top.
The rosette is Black wood as well. I routered it in instead of the usuall rosette. The head stock is the only ring in (European Maple) beautiful none the less.

I will make another soon.

Chris runs this school on normal school holidays and has had about 100 students in the 3 years of actual teaching. His experience is of 15 years. He plays classical and taught himself after attending a course with Carson Crickmore (Aussie). His original workshop was the back bedroom with a heater. Now he has a great workshop at Montsalvat Artist's Property.

Any more questions - happy to respond.

Thanks for the answers to my questions myguitar. You did very well with a dovetail neck joint on your first guitar. I assume you cut the Mortise and tenon with a router and jig? Still a tricky job nonetheless.

Your right about a guitar taking some time to play in....its one of the exciting parts of the guitar building process....next to the first time you string your baby up and hear it sing! You might find the truss rod will need a tiny adjustment within the next 12 months...easy enough to do.

re not playing guitar....not a huge handicap for a luthier. I know of more than one accomplished amateur luthier in the US who doesnt play. I play (classically trained) but not that well.....would rather make guitars than play them.

Cheers Martin

Originally Posted by myguitar

Any more questions - happy to respond.

Why didn't you put your name on the headstock?

Its a funny thing....alot of luthiers just dont like putting their name on the headstock of their guitars. Nothing wrong with doing this...Martin do it and so do a host of other big name guitar manufacturers. I take the approach that without my name on the headstock Im forced to make my guitars that much better so the guitars themselves speak my name.

Just my opinion of course and Im not in it for the money..purely something to keep myself out of SWMBO's hair once I retire.

Nice looking guitar.

I've never made an accoustic but made a solid body electric about 20 years ago. Body was Queensland Rock Maple and some sort of Ash. I had an article in a guitar magazine as a guide and an old bloke that I met through work helped me out with the woodworking side of things. One of the guys at Maton in Melbourne helped me out over the phone with the electrics. Was a good project.

You should learn to play it.