Thread: Weissenborn Guitar

G'day Bob,

No tonewood competition here mate! I've been buying tonewood steadily over the past five years and there is enough in the stash to build 25 guitars, 4 weissenborns and a few ukuleles. I buy mostly AA tops and lightly figured back and side sets to build with as I am looking for tone in my instruments and I don't think to build a good sounding instrument you need to spend big money of high figured stuff. So I am content with my stash and it should see my guitar building days out!

The blackwood weiss has darkened a little. I'm using blonde shellac flakes this time instead of the hard shellac pre-mixed product. I like how it is turning out!

Thanks for your interest.

Cheers

Alan

Hi Alan, yes it's sure starting to appear just like a photogragh developing. It's a long hard grind to use that method but it is well worth it. A very neat job mate !
Cheers Waza

Originally Posted by ozziebluesman

This particular set of blackwood really didn't need pore filling but I am trying to come up with a better finish so I have pore filled with three spit coats of shellac applied with brush and then pumice powder with metholated spirits. It was not a difficult job but it did require some elbow grease. I used a drop of olive oil here and there to stop the pad sticking. I'm happy with the results. I did one four hour session today with some 1 lb cut shellac and the finish looks good so far. Much more elbow grease required though.

Here are a few pictures of the guitar after the pores where filled and a session of application with the rubber.




Thanks for looking.
Cheers
Alan

Hi Alan,
I wandered your thoughts on "arching the back length-ways ".
Did you do it on your build, or do you find the need for it not necessary ?
It would slightly increase the volume output and deeper tone.
I'm getting ready to bend the sides, so this why I ask and wandered if you actually shape the sides to the tapering profile before bending or after.Or just simply rough-cut it in them trim down later.
It's been puzzling me for a few weeks, so I would really appreciate your thoughts.
Cheers Waza

G"day Waza,

Yes, I arched the back as per the MIMF weissenborn plan and I think this is a very important design feature. I also profiled the sides before bending. Apart from a few changes in the bridge area on this latest guitar, I followed the MIMF plan. IMO this plan makes a great sounding guitar.

Cheers

Alan

Hi Alan, I did not look at your tonewood stash for one minute and think Competition.
I just think its great the way that you know what your doing and you have collected what you require to keep you going.
As for your comment you are looking for tone in your instruments and to build a good sounding instrument you dont need highly figured woods, too true Alan.
In fact plain straight grained good quartersawn wood can sound much better than figured.
Now I will sit back and wait for some to ask why this is so.
Merry Christmas Alan my best wishes for the New Year.
Cheers, Bob

Originally Posted by ozziebluesman

G'day Bob,

No tonewood competition here mate! I've been buying tonewood steadily over the past five years and there is enough in the stash to build 25 guitars, 4 weissenborns and a few ukuleles. I buy mostly AA tops and lightly figured back and side sets to build with as I am looking for tone in my instruments and I don't think to build a good sounding instrument you need to spend big money of high figured stuff. So I am content with my stash and it should see my guitar building days out!

The blackwood weiss has darkened a little. I'm using blonde shellac flakes this time instead of the hard shellac pre-mixed product. I like how it is turning out!

Thanks for your interest.

Cheers

Alan

Hi Alan,
How's the elbow going ! If we could use our feet to to polish we would hey !
Question again about the sides, did you follow the exact profile drawn on the MIMF plan i.e. trace or copy from the plan on to a template ? Or did you compensate the width of sides relative to the contour of the body going out wide ,coming to the waste and out a little again ? Depending on which course you take , you can end up with an arch both ways - length & width .
Sorry mate , but this one has been a puzzler to me because obviously the length of the side drawn on the plan is not the true length by means of the contoured body shape. Drawn in 2D it can only be an apparent length .
I'd appreciate your guidance as I am getting very excited to make a start.
Cheers Waza

G'day Waza,

You will have to do some homework on the side profile so you understand what is going on. The MIMF plan is very ambiguous in a few area and that is one of them. It is very hard to advice here as it is difficult to explain in writing. If I showed you you would understand straight away. I will try and advise you here but do your homework so you fully understand what is going on.

Here goes: The profiled side will be about 997mm long if you have worked it out right. Always make it a bit longer and add 10mm on each end! The plan just gives a picture of the side profile so the actual length is much longer than it appears on the plan. If you come in from the butt on the side about 255 mm that is about where the arch starts and it finishes a futher 325mm approximtely. Another way to see what I am taking about is to measure the perimeter of the guitar shape on the plan in increments of 25mm. You should see what I am trying to tell you! I made a template for the side profile. My first two guitars I made a little thicker but this one is as per the plan and I reckon is what it needs to be to get the vintage weissenborn tone. As far as the arch or dome goes on the back and top most glue up flat in a very dry environment somewhere between 30 and 40 % humidity. This will also help the guitar in later life to be able to take humidity shifts without cracking or blowing out.

Let me know when you have a side profile template made and we will discuss this again.

Cheers

Alan

Evening Al,
If your still up that is !. Thanks so much for getting back with your info re sides. I knew it was a curly one to explain. Think I have woked out a way to create a template, almost done and let you know in the morning. Quite a few differences between MIMF plans and Stew Mac's, trying to balance them. Tend to agree that it's a stronger job to arch it. Not going to arch the top , unless you highly recomend it .Been wandering how things are up there, like got the rains yet . I worked in Weipa back in 1981, mate that is rain when it comes !
I'll get back to you tomorrow, thanks again Al , you have been a great adviser making you part of my 1st build.
Cheers Waza

G'day Waza,

No day light savings here so it is only 9 45pm! The clouds are rolling in as I type. The low forming up north is going to be a beauty and keep us wet for a week or more!

For your first go it's up to you how much you want to differ from the plan. I think if you build to the plan you have a refrence point and then your next build, change to improve. As I say building to the MIMF plan the instrument is going to sound good even following the bracing dimensions exactly.

I'm on holidays so I will be looking in tomorrow to see how you are going. It is better if you take in all information and then make up your own mind on how your going to go about profiling the sides.

Cheers

Alan

Morning Alan,
Sounds like you might be indoors for a while when the rain comes, the always something to do. Well I have made a sides profile , my head and my gut feeling tells me it's right so I'm onto it as soon as Stu from bluestone guitars is able to help me .
HaHa ! I can't tell you in a few words how I worked it out ! Oh well , why not !
I basically made a mock-up side from art card board, stapled it to the mould ( for bending the sides ) , copied the profile of the side from the plan and went from there . The rest is too hard to explain easily enough for anyone to comprehend. It seems like the theory for the job worked. Yes your exacxtly right , get all info in your head and let the creative side of the brain go to work.
So many thanks again and enjoy the last stages of your build, staying close for more photos.
Cheers Waza

Well done Warren,
I look forward to seeing some photos, have a good Christmas mate and my best wishes for the New Year, talk soon.
Cheers, Bob

G'day Waza,

Glad you worked out the side profile issue. When I have a guitar building issue I ask the same question to several experienced builder friends of mine and often get different problem solving methods. I then think about the answers and make my own decision on what is the best method. Thats the way to learn IMO. Works for me anyway.

A mate in the USA who is building weissenborn copies made up a complete cardboard guitar and then made his templates once he was happy all was good to go!

I have two shellac french polishing sessions applied now and have just done a light sand today with some 400 grit wet and dry with a little olive oil. I then spirited off with a rubber and some metho. The finish is starting to build.

Merry Christmas

Cheers

Alan

Hi Everone,

Sorry for the delay in my photos, I figure out how to use this thing 1 day !

Hear are some photos of the solera I made for my 1st weissenborn and also the mould or form.Just 16mm HMR whiteboard .

Hi All,
Here are some shots of some very helpfull hands from Stu - Blues Tone Guitars.
He helped me with thicknessing down the Blackwood sides,top & back I got from Tasmanian Tonewoods, for the weissenborn and also another acoustic build.
He literally gave up all his afternoon and early evening. After this he went straight into bending the sides for the 2 builds without a break, on a Sunday ! REMARKABLE .
I'm sure we all have got plenty to do without extra for others, but on this occasion Stu was like "ok let's do it , no problem ".
Thanks again Stu.