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hello mongrels, I've got photos of guitars being made, you're welcome to them if you want some
Jack

hi Sabastiaan and raksasa, I just had a quick look at those links- except the video, can't get it down so maybe it makes this point- I didn't see any reference to medullary rays ( not sure of correct...

Beautiful!!!!! Apart from the overall goodness of the whole thing Stu, I'm paticularly impressed with the colour of the sunburst. Mmmm! Speaking as someone who has no talent for putting colour on at...

Hi Sabastiaan, it is kind of tricky without a band saw! sorry about that. Only need a small one though.
To answer your questions, I use titbond which works fine and the strips bend easily with a bit...

Looks very cool Sabastiaan!

To make the rope pattern is a similar basic idea, and I've got some photos this time.
The pattern is started with a big block lamination. Could be any size again, I find a block about 30-40mm thick...

To make the links pattern in the photo above I started with a couple of sheets of black and white veneer. 0.6mm which is generally the easiest thickness to get. The white is sycamore and I think the...

heres a simple mandolin oval hole rosette, not too wonky I hope. And a guitar rosette done in the same way, just using more elements. I don'r have any pictures of the mando rosette being made but...

Hi Sabaastian, I'm back again after all! The gods of the internet blow hot and cold, and inexplicably its working today! first time in ages.
I thought what I do might interest you as I'm not very...

Hi hammered, sorry to cause a fuss!I should have thought about this before I posted at all! I do shrink the files down, I use photoshop mostly, thanks for the advice though.
The internet here is...

Hi Sabastiaan, very sorry but it seems my internet conection won't stay on long enough for me to upload photos. I've tried on an off for a day or so now, and have decided to give up!
Please do...

Hi Sebastiaan, I've done quite a few and would be happy to help as I can. I just did an oval hole mando rosette yesturday but didn't take any photos of it being made. I don't have any nifty set up...

Hi Rick, I met one of your compass Ukes at the Harrietville festival a month or so ago. It was cool!!
So I guess I met Louise playing it as well, hope I was polite and not too distracted by the...

Hi ray, I don't have much experience with solid body guitars, but when I do them my solution has been to use two router bits, one with the bearing on the end and the other with the bearing on the...

Hi g axe, I've used it a bit and had good results. I've used it for necks and its been fine, although a bit on the heavy side.
I've also used it for backs and sides and I like the sound, I think it...

Hi Ascon, you in Coledale? I used to live in Austinmer... I'm afraid I don't know much about how to make an aluminium neck, but there is a forum... http://www.metalnecks.com/
jack

Hi grant, great to see it moving along! It looks pretty good to me. Maybe make the X braces a bit more triangular, and I think I would take the finger braces down a bit, I'm not sure cedar really...

It does for me Dom, but I think its a very personal thing. I don't think its supierior to any other design except that I really like the sound it gives and it suits me.
I think I agree with the...

Hi Dom and Martin, I'm a convert to the triangle kind of bracing. I started using it on the bouzoukis coz its good to keep a high tension soundboard flat. I've got to like it on guitars though, it...

Hi everyone!
The Maldon folk festival is running its instrument makers exhibition again this year.
The festival is over the weekend of the 4th-5th of November in the small town of Maldon in...

Looks great Dom, good to see some intersting designs, and I like the zig zag back!

Hi Dom, this could be one of things that there is no definite answer too and you end up favouring one way or another after having a few goes at it...but heres what I reckon.
I generally avoid...

Looks great Matthew!!

I second the recomendation for Mathews in Vermont!!

Hi Martin, thats interesting. Now that you mention it I wonder if my setup is running hotter than I'm measuring all the time as well. When I first looked into it, I read that a temperature around...

Thanks for the info and pictures Martin, and Dom! I'm finding it very useful to see how you're doing it.
I've been using the heat blanket for side bending for the past six months and find it very...

Hi fts. $90 does sound like a good deal for a set of Indian rosewood! I thought I'd mention it might be worth going to Mathews Timber, if they still have a yard up in Sydney. Down here in Melb they...

I have to do one too, in a few months Ray. I've only ever done a couple of them years ago, and they wern't too good... so I'm in a similar position to you.
The only usefull bit of experience I got...

Congratulations Mathew! Just finishing the thing is a big achievment, but it looks a very fine job too!!
I hope I get to see it in person somewhere
Jack

Its not uncommon to see Mahogany for back struts and Kauri pine might work ok for the top.
I would suggest looking for some nice old, tight grained Oregon. Its possible to come across old pieces...

Fibreglass rods sound like just the thing! An adjustable height box sounds pretty cool too!
If only I got up earlier and drank less beer....

hey grant, I reckon cutting them long like Martin does might be a good idea. Mines only about 600 high and I break them fairly often. I'm too cheap to buy dowel and I just bandsaw up stcks about 8mm...

Hi fts, I'm afraid I can't tell you much about the Maton Pickups , don't know much about them. I'm pretty sure Sid west worked on developing them for Maton though, so I would expect similarities.....

hey fts, I've installed quite a few of these over the years, they're great! I'm happy to answer any specific queries, but you can usually get onto Sid, he's pretty friendly.
I havn't done any...

Thanks bitingmidge! Fantastic!! I'm not sure i recognise any of those makers, by the work anyway. Except Dave Guscot, I met him last year.
The on fire bass in the background looks interesting!
...

email me if you like Rob, I'm in Gembrook
Jack

Its looking really nice Dom! Lovely neat work!
That yellow stains a bugger! It happened to me once on a tele body made of kauri pine- plastic bindings glued on with superglue, arrgh! I couldn't find...

although.. I cant help going back to the humitity thing! Might it be possible that its gone the other way a bit, meaning it was a bit too dry when glued up and the expansion in the back now that its...

You're probably right martin, I must admit i have a tendency to blame humidty changes for everything! Its always been such an issue for me.. but I doubt theres much risk of too much moisture in South...

Thats one rockin classical martin, love the contrast between the rosewood and the spruce.
I'm about to start a Hauser design myself, I've never done one so would love to know what bits you think...

Hi Tom, I think the best way to repair it might be to dismantle the whole neck and reglue it back together. Thats a bit tricky in this case though coz of the veneers on the back of the head.
It is...

Thanks for the responses!
Grant- yep there were a few new faces I've never seen before too, which is always good! The National seem to be really trying to improve the instrument makers exhibiton at...

Wow, thats really nice, and a first go!!!
I too love w a sheoak, and i love what you've done with it!

Thanks for the compliment Kiwigeo! I always get a charge from going to these get togethers. Come home full of beans and build a new jig or something!

Lastly, some more beautiful mandolins by peter Coombe.
Apologies I forgot to go outside to the percussion tent to get some pics! Out there were the very nice tablas made by Tarek Sawires, as well...

The guitars and mandolins of John liddy, and the banjos of Alan Funk. Both do amazingly fine work, which I have rather failed to get a good shot of!

Hey malibu! Thanks! I still got more, hope I'm not clogging up the server too much..

A smooth looking display of guitars from John Copley, and Ray and Helen Black standing by their banjos and mandolins

Some woodwind, with the sharp clean lines of the whistles by Mitch Smith, also some super neat turning and silverwork from mark Hoza. Also the beautiful native American flutes of Craig Ehan

The lovely dulcimers of Gillian Alcock and the amazing keyed fiddles and hurdy gurdys of Bob Lynch