Building a guitar- Spruce/Walnut

Started by greggg, December 05, 2006, 07:15:33 PM

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Now you can see the bender/form being closed at the upper and lower bouts. The sides are put in a "sandwich" heated for 10 or so minutes then slowly bent in the form, They are then "set" in the form by a cycle of heating-cooling-heating, then I let them sit in the form overnight.



And now the sides after the process.



There you go, have a great day!
Greg

Looks like one of the pics didn't work, I'll try again. The form being closed on the "sandwich"



Greg

Nice pics Greg. Looks like you have all the right tools/jigs for a scratch build. The bridge is a very nice signature element. Also that finish looks especially good. I can't get a glassy wet looking finish on mine yet. I'm getting ready to start my third guitar. The first two were a Martin 0000 kit and a Stew Mac dread kit. For number three I'm going to do my own neck carving and use the new Cumpiano bolt/barrel joint. I'm hoping to get started on side bending on number 4. I'm slowly acquiring all the tools I need for a complete scratch build. Already have most of the wood working stationary tools except a good band saw. I tried the KTM-9 on the guitar I just finished. I like it a lot better than the CrystaLac I used on my first guitar. I'm still resisting setting up a spray booth as my shop is in my house directly below my bedroom and space is limited. No way to spray nitro and I've heard a lot of moaning about spraying waterborne lacquer ove on the MIMF board. Two questions. Did you spray or brush/pad the KTM9 and did you buy all your components from LMI ?

Greg, thanks for the nice pics and the insight into guitar making....
that one finished guitar looks really sweet....   what is the neck binding? 

I just bought a walnut parlor and really  like the walnut, and this being  my first venture into the world of walnut....

just curious ..... on your thoughts and observations on the tonewood.....  tonewise AND from a builders aspect  ( bending, sanding, etc.).....

I have heard people say tonewise it is between rosewood and mahogany

I see more similarities to 'hog,  and  I think the walnut seems to be a bit "softer" on the ears than 'hog, kind of like my maple J185, which is silky smooth!

thanks, Jim

Thanks Jimmyd,

I have brushed and sprayed KTM-9...I prefer to brush it on, spraying is quicker, you have less sanding/leveling to do, but the clean-up and prep takes longer, so take your choice really. The key to making KTM-9 work is careful surface prep, pore filling( I like System 3 Epoxy), as waterbornes don't pop the finish very well, and proper buffing.

Hi 1dimeblues, appreciate the Kind words.

The finished guitar had flamed maple bindings with ebony purflings, I cut the binding myself from a nicely flamed billet, so I know what I'm getting.

Walnut is a beautiful tonewood both aesthetically and tonally. I built one for myself with Lutz Spruce/Eastern Black Walnut and it rocks! Between Mahogany and Rosewood relative to tone is as accurate as any I guess. I think it has a unique tone to it that neither Rosewood nor Mahogany have, how to describe that difference is difficult, so I wont try...I like it better than mahogany myself. Walnut bends like butter, and is as nice to work with as any wood.

Anyway, fun chatting with you guys, I'll post some more pics soon, got to go to the shop!

Cheers,
Greg

When it comes to bracing the top and back plates I split my own bracewood, here are a few shots of the process. I'm attempting to find some light,tight grained braces, as close to quartersawn as possible.






And the braces cut to rough size, you can see in these 1/4" pieces some of the grain count is in the 30-40/inch range.



Cheers,
Greg

Wow Greg, you go all out don't you?  Everything from scratch.  I applaud all your efforts and would love to try your guitars one day.

Hi there Denis, sometimes I wonder why I do all of this work myself when I can purchase parts completed, it sure would save a lot of time, oh well, I enjoy the process so what is a few more weeks. By the way Denis I checked out your playing, great stuff, my son loved it too, do you have any tabs for the songs on your "my space" if so I would love a copy.... Hey, you never know, one day we may cross paths and you can try a guitar of mine, I tell you what, I would love to hear one being played by you, it would certainly sing more brilliantly than when I play it!

Cheers,
Greg

Quote from: greggg on December 10, 2006, 07:27:54 AM
Hi there Denis, sometimes I wonder why I do all of this work myself when I can purchase parts completed, it sure would save a lot of time, oh well, I enjoy the process so what is a few more weeks. By the way Denis I checked out your playing, great stuff, my son loved it too, do you have any tabs for the songs on your "my space" if so I would love a copy.... Hey, you never know, one day we may cross paths and you can try a guitar of mine, I tell you what, I would love to hear one being played by you, it would certainly sing more brilliantly than when I play it!

Cheers,
Greg


It must be a great feeling to string it up for the first time and play those first chords on it.  I can't even imagine what it would be like, building a guitar from the ground up like that, shaping all the braces, the bridge, all the work that goes into that!  Do you take orders or is this more of a "hobby"?

Thanks for the nice comments on my music.  NO, no tabs for the tunes yet.  Maybe one day.  "Samuel" is in DADGAD though if that helps a bit?  I've had lots of comments about that one in particular.  Seems to be the most popular.  Maybe I should tab it out??? 

Your finished guitar looks so nice.  I love the bridge.  And now walnut...looks nice even if I'm not a big dread guy.  I did try a Larrivee L-03WL the other day though.  It rang out so nicely and had great tone all around.  Almost as nice as my mahogany L-03... :winkin:

Let me know if you're ever going to be in Canada's capital region.  Bring a guitar or two and we'll pick a little.


Hi Denis,

There is nothing like hearing the guitar for the first time, it is magical! It is pretty neat to go through the process of a build and come to the point where the union of wood and metal makes sweet music.

I started out by making a guitar for myself, I do not have a website,  nor do I actively promote my guitars,  I have received orders for guitars just by word of mouth, and from people playing my guitars along the way. The one I'm building here is actually commissioned/sold already to a fine gentleman in California who played one of my guitars while I had it in Calfornia to be reviewed by some players and builders. I've got others commissioned as well, and I'd be happy to post build progress on those as well if it suits the desires of those frequenting this forum.

Cheers,
Greg

That would be great. I find the building process very interesting and looks as though you build very nice guitars.

Thanks
2006 Larrivee P-05
1971 Guild D-50
1972 Yamaha FG180

Thank you very much Inspector13, I'll do my best to show everyone how I build guitars, maybe it will help someone else jump in and create an instrument as well.

Cheers,
Greg

Greg,  Is there a book on guitar construction you could recommend? I have been working with wood for years and have always been curious about guitar construction.
2006 Larrivee P-05
1971 Guild D-50
1972 Yamaha FG180

Inspector13,

There are many books available, the one I've listed below is always considered a favorite. I too was a woodworker, so it was a natural progression from player to luthiery, seems to me that guitar-making is a bit different than other types of traditional woodworking, takes a while to get it all figured out.

Guitarmaking: Tradition and Technology, W. Cumpiano & J. Natelson

Cheers,
Greg

Here is the billet of Mahogany I used to make the neck and tail blocks.



A few pics showing the process of making the neck block.





[img]http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/GregGwaltney/HeadstockTablesaw1.jpg[img]

Cheers,
Greg


Here is the billet of mahogany used to make the tail block as well. Again, if someone wanted to they could buy this piece already cut from many sources and it would work great, I just choose to do it myself.



Here I am resawing a piece before going in the drum sander, I turned the piece so that I maintained the proper grain orientation for a tail block.




And after the sander.



Now I just cut to the appropriate size and this piece is done.

Greg

Enjoying the thread Gregg!!!

There are few bridge designs that stray from traditional that have caught my eye, but your bridge on you last build is simply perfect.  Unique and interesting, yet very natural.  It pops out, yet at the same time blends in so well with the rest of the guitar.

Keep making saw dust, you've got a nack for it. 

Have you done or do you plan on doing any small bodied guitars... 00s or 000s?

-josh

Larrivee P-03MT
Martin 00
Epiphone Bluesmaster

Gregg; absolutely a beautifully guitar...thanks so much for sharing your passion of/for building guitars
seeing the pics does give a visual to the process....

I for one Enjoy seeing these kinds of posts....
as far as the Book...
Guitarmaking: Tradition and Technology, W. Cumpiano & J. Natelson

Great book, I have read this book several times, when building a mahogany Kit guitar from the people up in Nazareth...
and that book saved my but a few times...........

Gregg, again beautiful workmanship keep the Pics coming
" It's all about the Journey "

Proud Member:
"I Ain't Go'n Down That Road Feelin Bad No More" Society

Josh,

Thank you so much, again, I am very happy that the bridge design turned out so favorably! Actually my next 2 guitars will most likely be 000 guitars, I happen to love the look and feel of a 000....There is a real good chance that both of these will be 000-13 fretter's, I've built two 000-13 fretters already and they sounded fabulous.

SteveO, thanks as well, posting these pics is fun, glad to see everyone is enjoying them.

Cheers,
Greg


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