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If you have nice timber to sell and don't PM me I'll be so mad I'll pay two grade 9 kids, one to hold you while the other hits you (and they won't get paid until the job is done).

But for the...

I’m with Martin… We are talking about guitars not a computerised synthesiser, they will never be perfect because they can never be perfect. Made by people, played by people for other people to hear...

Hi Bob
I've only used tea tree in yacht restoration, can't say any of it looked good enough to inspire me to try it as a guitar timber (kind to pink tan colour with nothing that looked like figure)....

Jarrah - I've seen enough old jarrah with splits in it that I can't bring myself to trust it to last the hundred or so years I hope what I make will last. I feel the same way about Australian...

Hi Matt
Looks like you are doing a great job so far. I haven't heard any good reports about the liquid hide glue and a few bad ones, so I wouldn't risk it. Everything I've heard and read suggests...

Bob and anyone else who would like to chime in… I’m going to throw a couple of questions your way.

While there are some great tonewoods around that sound fine when used on acoustic guitars,...

Hi Bob
I used back wattle from Qld for a fretboard and it was so beautifully figured that I thinned down the offcut to see if it would bend (not as easy as some but it bent ok). I don't know what...

I’ve used quartered Port Arthur Plum (Cenerrhenes nitida) as a fretboard and it came up very well (but a cream colour). I don’t know what the black wattle in Tas is like but the one we have in North...

Sorry… wasn’t meant as a criticism of this or any other forum… many of which I benefit from and am grateful to the hosts of. It was just a general question, this forum is better supported in the...

I've used Australian red cedar as bracing on the last two guitars I've built - OOO king billy/maple steel string and king billy/houn flamenco (strung up for the first time last night).

I have to...

Hi LG
Having build a couple of both steel string and classical guitars I'd say it is easier to build a steel string that sounds ok. I'd be building the guitar you want to play, be it steel or nylon...

Many of the old school luthiers would use laminate when building classical guitars, particularly for the sides. I’ve been given a couple of reasons for this, one being that it helps prevent splitting...

I'm not an expert and have never used olive timber... from the little I've heard it should be a good timber for acoustic guitars, so thought I'd put in a comment.

If you have a couple of larger...

I agree... I think silky oak has lots of promise as a soundboard material, and it would look a treat.

As for big chunks of Aust red cedar. I have a board 1500x320x70 sitting in my workshop that...

Just a couple of thoughts for tops from native timber. Australian red cedar, Huon Pine? You find the odd bit in large sizes. The first guitar I made had a pepperwood (brown beach) top and it worked...

Hi Peter
I helped build an indian rosewood guitar many years ago and it was great to work with, we didn't have any problem with hide glue or pva, but we did have a bit of a problem with the finish....

There's not much wrong with the traditional french polish as a low tech finish. It's non-toxic, cheap and easier to do than many people think. There is a good how to at this site...

I shudder when I see back and side sets for sale at 6mm thick, that’s a lot of shavings building up around my ankles while I’m taking it down to something around 2.5mm. It is also a lot of work and a...

Hi Mark
I fully support building your own guitar and while lots of good tools and a wad of cash would make doing so easier, you can get by with hand tools and a slim budget. I'll attach a couple of...

I totally agree with Steve… if you have a lot of logs and limited room for storage then you get rid of it with as little work as possible for the best price you can. The thing about selecting timber...

The Guild of American Luthiers conference (GAL) would be the worlds largest gathering of luthiers and they have a blind listening test. This is set up to take reputation and player skill out of the...

I don’t know what the market is like for slabs and boards… so this purely from a guitar builders point of view.

White Cedar Melia azedarach? and Cadaghi
These are both readily available...

Hi Carl

What I know about using a Lucas Mill could be written on my thumbnail with a nikko pen. I just wanted to point out that if you figure it out you could open up a new market for...