KeithHowell

Make sure you are installing the strings correctly. The ball end of the string must not be against the end of the pin but in front of it and snugged up against the top.

Push the string into the bridge hole making sure about 20 mm sticks out clear underneath. Push the pin end then pull up on the string, with your other hand through the sound hole pull the ball end slightly forward and make sure the ball pulls up against the sound board.

You might need to widen the slots in the pins for the thicker strings. The slot should ideally be just a little wider than the string.

The easiest way to do this in my experience is to use a dremel with a ball end cutter of a suitable size. I made up a jig to hold the pin and not lacerate my fingers. Have a look at Pin Slotter I made my own version of it using a drawer slide I had.

Keith

Try dunking it in some warm water for 20 minutes then heat it up with a heat gun before clamping.

Keith

The problem with that joint is that when time comes for that neck to be re-set you will need to cut through the dowels and then when the re-set is done you would basically have to re-position the bolt insert and the dowels. That is why I like dovetail joints, they make neck repair work easier with less work in my opinion.

No you don't have to cut have to cut anything! You simply unscrew the bolts reshape the neck/body interface by sanding,machining or filing the neck side of the joint and bolt it back together.

I did one of my guitars I built with this system a few weeks ago. Took me a few hours. No steaming of joints or presses to get neck out and possibly damage the body. Simple and quick! Most of the time was in sanding the neck joint and putting it back and tightening the bolts to check alignment. Probably did it around ten times before I was happy. Can't see that happening with a dovetail very easily. I even strung up once or twice.

Keith

Second it is a lot easier to just go with a dovetail joint, there is a better transfer of vibartions in acoustics and it makes repairs WAY easier down the road should it be needed and makes setting the neck angle easier to because you can adjust it to whatever you need basically.

I personally don't agree with that statement at all! To quote William Cumpiano:" If there was ever a joint designed in hell, that one is it!" Have a look at his neck joint article: Cumpiano Neck Joint

I have used this joint system on acoustic's with great success.

I have also modified a Hofner 12 string using this design. By removing the horrible mechanical hook system it completely transformed the guitar from a difficult to play high action monster to a very playable guitar with a much improved tone!

Keith

Make a caul with a 4inch radius on one end, from some scrap to match your volute. Then do the dip in hot water thing and clamp to your head stock and let dry. Then use the same caul to glue the veneer to the head stock.

I did this with a maple veneer on the face of a Telecaster head stock. Worked great.

Keith

Tim, Yes I was one of the guys doing the Afri-Cans, and no offence taken.

Unfortunately the original designer died and things have gone completely dormant on that front but an interesting can still perks up my imagination.

Keith

No idea what to do with any of the paint but I would make a guitar out of the Odorless Mineral Spirits can!

Keith

Edit: one more question: there are a few small dings in the body, not very deep but deep enough to not be sanded out. Should I fill them up with some wood paste, or can it be fixed with sand&seeler and primer coats?

When you say ding is the wood chipped out and missing or has it just been dented?

If the latter you might be able to steam them out by using a damp cloth and a clothes iron.

Dampen the ding with the damp, not wet, cloth, hold the cloth over the ding and iron over it. The steam will swell the cells in the wood and the ding can disappear.

A soldering iron can also be used to heat things.

Keith

That's not a bug it's a feature: Slanted frets

Even if you go for a jack plate I would still suggest using the miniature jack socket.

The hole necessary will be much smaller, the plate much lighter and the screws smaller and lighter too. It might even be possible to mount it in the end block and use a right angle plug which could be small enough not to poke you in the throat. Drill the hole as close as possible to an internal block anyway.

What about mounting the socket at the neck end? There's also a block there I presume? Position it carefully so it doesn't interfere with your hand?

I would then run a light cable to an adapter on your belt to take a standard 1/4" plug and cable to the amp. This would also keep any stresses off the violin from the much heavier cable and obviate any issues with a sudden pull on the amp cable damaging the instrument.

Why not make a new chin rest with all the bits in it you want?

That way you don't affect the integrity of the instrument and you can swap them out any time you like.

I'm not saying use electronics!

Just install a 1/8" plug under the chin rest somehow. That way you wont have to worry about the integrity of the rest of the instrument. You can then run your cable straight to a guitar amp if you want. Smaller plug, lighter wont poke you in the throat.

I don't know much about violins but why don't you install a 1/8" jack somewhere under the chin rest thingy.

The smaller plug is much lighter and the socket is too. You could run the much lighter cable to a box attached to your belt with equalisation controls and then a standard 1/4" jack socket for connection to your amplifier.

I saw this setup with the violinist in a band called DNA Strings at live concert a while back. He used a radio system on his belt and an electrified acoustic violin as well.

Keith

I think I'm going to try this wiring set up in luthier school this year.

You could probably do enough research with all those combinations to get a PhD. Heck just writing the user documentation should get you a good way down the line.

I keep getting this picture in my mind of someone doing a show with a half hour between songs and frantic flicking of switches and pots following a set of notes to set up for the next song

I would never have the patience to sit and work it all out or burn my brain out wiring it all.

Interesting though.

Keith

I think you should rather install a binding around the edge, to seal the end grain of the back.

It will cover the seam and look much better than painting.

Use a piece around 1 to 1.5mm thick and around 6mm high. Looks like black was used previously so go with that.

Keith

Yes ambitious!

I would suggest you remove the strings asap. Acoustics rely on the integrity of the full box to be stable.

You will distort the body without the back, as I think you have already discovered.

You may need to make a outside mold to hold the sides while you glue the back on. Cut one out of a few sheets of cardboard. The type boxes are folded from ie the two layer stuff with the corrugated bit in between. Cheap (free if you can find a few unused boxes) and easy to work with.

Keith

THE FINISH STARTED CRACKING EVERYWHERE!!!! Especially around the tuner holes and the screw holes.

When you wet sanded you probably got water into the unsealed holes. Wood swelled cracking finish.

Keith

To allow the pickups to have independent volume controls swap the output hot and the wiper around on each of the potentiometers. ie the Pickup hot goes to the wiper of the pot and the output hot goes from the end of the pot. Gibson wire the pickup across the pot and take the output from the wiper.

I posted an full diagram a while back, if you do a search you should find it.

Keith

Bob Benedetto gives a very good explanation in his archtop book.

Also see here for another in depth explanation:Tension and Compliance

You are confusing tension with what I have heard refered to as "string compliance" The tension required to tune a string is dependent on only the scale length (ie nut to bridge) and the gauge (mass) of the string. In fact all the strings on a guitar are at roughly the same tension when tuned, that's why they are different thicknesses, wound to give greater mass etc.

The reason a string with more length outside of the nut and bridge feels "softer" is because the bits outside of the nut and bridge contribute to the elastic length of the string. The longer the overall length the more compliant the string.

Keith

Set your meter to the lowest ohm setting and put one of the probes on the ground of your output jack and with the other probe check that all you have close to (< 1 ohm) to the rest of the ground points, and of course the copper shielding, in your circuit.

Keith

My laptop is on a different extension lead, plugged into a different wall socket. when i turn on the laptop, the buzzing from my rig gets much louder. its very strange.

Your wall sockets will all be wired up to a common point though: Your main distribution board.

You should get the earth on your house checked. You probably have a high resistance between your earth wiring and actual ground.

Digital things, like laptops, are notorious for injecting all sorts of noise problems into power reticulation and when the earthing is not correct the noise doesn't get shunted to ground and causes all manner of noise issues.

Keith

Try a bit of masking tape or a blob of clean press stick. This also works if you get filings sticking to a magnet.

Keith

I guess this also explains why I got no output why connecting the output of an electric guitar via this output jack?

Why would you connect an output of an electric guitar into the output of your acoustic guitar?

Keith

A stereo jack is used to switch power to the on board pre-amp by breaking/making the ground when inserting a standard mono plug.

From what you have described I would say the socket is wired correctly. Inserting the plug should switch ground onto the ground of the pre-amp turning it on.

It is a standard wiring configuration for most onboard electronics and stomp boxes as well.

Keith