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Wanted: a small twelve-string guitar
My friend Bill came by recently with an interesting request. Bill is a guitar guy with very eclectic taste. He likes odd, interesting stringed instruments, so I wasn’t surprised that what he was looking for was a small twelve-string guitar.
As our discussion continued, I brought up the Tiple. The Tiple is a small-bodied guitar with coursed strings, usually ten or more in sets of three. Th… » read more
01/31/2017 | comments (0)
My Guitar Needs a Set-up
Every day as a repairman I’m asked to “set-up” a guitar. There is an assumption that this statement conveys enough information to successfully complete the job. Unfortunately the request for a “set-up” is only the beginning of a process. Any good repairperson will start by asking questions. How does the guitar work for you now? Do you play with a pick or finge… » read more
06/15/2012 | comments (0)
Martin re-top final
The sides now need to be prepared to except the new top. Here you can see the side /back assemble is in the adjustable mold, this keeps the sides perpendicular to the top, the interior supports stabilize the sides so that they can be sanded with a large (18X 24 inches) sanding board, there are a few sections of the kerfed lining that were damaged during the top removal and need to be repaired.… » read more
02/12/2012 | comments (0)
Martin top building Part two
The new top is now glued up it has been band saw cut to the rough outline of the finished top and has been thickness sanded to .125 (or “1/8) at this point it is ready for the rosette, the rosettes purpose is to stabilize the rather delicate top at the so… » read more
01/21/2012 | comments (0)
Glues used in Luthier
There are several glues that are useful in building and repairing of musical instruments; I will attempt a short discussion of their different merits and drawbacks,
Hot Hide Glue: used almost exclusively in the industry until the early 1960’s it’s main attributes are its ability to create a very strong bond, that dose not move when exposed to heat, it also comes apart cleanly for re… » read more