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Buck Radius

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Everything posted by Buck Radius

  1. Wow!!! I checked out that site. I hadn't imagined anything that intricate. Pretty darn impressive. I have a hard time even imagining the focus it takes to do something like that. Hey Mattia, Thanks for the heads up. Buck
  2. Thanks Spoke, I spent part of the day building dovetails joints with my gents saw and chisels. That has nothing to do with the guitar I'm building but everything to do with a desk for my son. It felt good to do all the cuts by hand. See, I'm working on those "skills." That kind of got me thinking about how I could incorporate some dovetailing into a guitar project. It would be purely cosmetic (I can't see any real need for it in a build) but I think it would look cool. Has anyone out there ever seen a guitar done with anything like that? I was thinking that maybe it could work as binding on a topped design; maybe one routed out mostly hollow. I don't know, just thinking. As for the cost of flyfishing, we do it on the cheap. We tie our own flies (Dad buillt my rod), eat lots of beans, rice, and trout, and sleep out under the stars or under a lean-to shelter when it rains. You can spend thousands on flyfishing stuff, but the trout don't care one way or the other. I've seen guys catch trout using sticks and flies made from thread and scraps of cloth. If the trout are hungry, it really doesn't matter. But, this has nothing to do with guitars or tools, so I'll shut up now. Buck
  3. I run a very successful luthery business with a 24 month waiting list, write for two magazines, contract to one other major guitar manufacturer, the warranty 'go to guy' for every major (and many many minor) guitar brands imported into Australia, studying for a degree, writing two books, PLUS i am heavily involved in a state and national based club. When i get home from a 12 hour day, i spend two hours either wiring up amplifiers, or designing new ones, cooking dinner and then spending time with a demanding partner who wants every bit of my spare time (and deserves what little i have). Now, please tell me why we should bother to answer your question with that attitude, ESPECIALLY considering you are new around these parts? By the way Perry, you might note that I never specifically asked for YOU to answer any question. I do believe there are several hundred other members who could respond to any given post. It is perhaps only your over-inflated ego that leads you te believe that your bits of sarcastic advice are "nuggets ot pure gold." I think your "nuggets of pure gold" that are metiphorically coming out of your "mouth" are actually coming out your arse instead. Don't bother responding to this post either, as I have already put a block on your posts. With any luck I will, in the next 5 minutes, forget you ever existed. OOOOOOOOHHHHHH, it's working....Perry who?!?
  4. Wow!!! HOLY CRAP! What is going on here? I have just returned from two blissful weeks of flyfishing in Montana (no TV, no electricity, NO INTERNET) and it looks like my post turned into an all out pisser. Woodenspoke, I apologize for not responding sooner. I have enjoyed reading your posts and find them very helpful. I guess there are rules of etiquette to posting that I have not yet learned. I will try to be more thoughtful in the future (those Montana brown and rainbow trout were MONSTERS though!!!) But, I do not plan to stop asking questions and looking for guidance. This is this best post site online and I don't really care if someone calls me a "newbie" because that's what I am, but I am also not a total idiot. I have been working with tools my entire life; guitar building just happens to be quite different from what I have done before. A friend and I built a 30' sailboat that we navigated from Boston, Massachusetts to South Florida and back and it never even took on (much) water!!! But you know what? I'm not here to brag about what I can do. I'm here to learn from people who know and do what I am now interested in. You will notice that I have not posted ANY advice. That's because I am a novice (more polite term) and am keeping my mouth shut until I learn more. I simply would like to keep things on the positive side. WE ARE ALL BUSY! I'm not trying to compete with anyone on this forum. I simply want to feel that I can ask a question without feeling like the act of asking questions somehow makes me lazy or not a serious builder. One of our fellow posters has a note at the bottom of his posts that says "There is no such thing as a stupid question." That says it all. Of course I want to build a guitar! Guitars are the coolest instruments on the planet. You know that better than anybody. To say that my desire to build a guitar is secondary to learning how to use the tools or that I should be proficient with the tools prior to building a guitar is somewhat simplified. The desire to build the guitar is the fuel that drives you, me, every one of us to bother in the first place. I doubt there are very many fine furniture makers out there who would bother wasting all the money and time we do just to showcase their talents by building an instrument most of the rest of the civilized world thinks is a toy for adolescent teen boys. I get it, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE GUITAR!!! The Godfather of project guitars, Melvyn Hiscock (yeah, I own both editions of his book, as well as ones by George Buchanan, Irving Sloane, Arthur E. Overholtzer, Dave Burrluck, Dan Erliwine, and others) didn't know diddly-squat when he began building his first guitar. He just KNEW he had to have a Flying V. You better believe he asked some questions along the way, and I'll bet he had some teachers that were stoked that that little "newbie" was learning the craft. Even with all those books, I still want to ask questions!!!!!!! Isn't that what this forum is for? Oh yeah... I did read ALL the posts from all the members and found the advice offered to be very helpful. In fact I did buy a flat spokeshave and found it to be a neat tool, but in my hands a very dangerous one as well. Practice is surely the key. I ended up doing most of the shaping of my neck with a shureform and sandpaper powered by my right hand I have (or will very soon) posted pictures at http://buckradius.blogspot.com/ Please feel free to comment or criticize, but be sure your criticism is constructive ; ) Buck PS. This response is not specifically directed at Woodenspoke; he has my utmost respect!!! I JUST HAPPENED TO BE READING HIS POST WHEN I RESPONDED. I AM NOT TRYING TO START ANYMORE TROUBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can we move on if I promise to be more humble and respectful? Please!!! Thanks, Buck
  5. I am going to order a spoke shave online. What do you recommend? Which is better for carving necks? The round vs. the flat. Which does a cleaner, better job (minus operator error of course)? I know! I know!... there are perhaps posts that address this topic (although I did look quite thoroughly and did not see one that addresses this exact question). For those of you who love to berate others for not finding all the answers by spending valuable time searching within the posts, Be advised, I work full time (two jobs), am raising two children, keep my wife happy, walk my dogs, and get to work on my guitars about an hour a day after 9:00 if I'm lucky. So before you post a negative response...give me a break!!! Don't bother responding to my post if you have nothing helpful to say. Buck
  6. I ended up using the table saw. It was nerve-wracking but turned out OK. I would like to build one of the router jigs but that is for the future. Thanks, Buck
  7. Dear Rhoads56, Unfortunately, your attempt at advice was of little help. Thankfully, many of the subsequent responders were very helpful. You might reflect on just why you post on this site. Is it to help others, or to make yourself feel superior to others? I had already conducted several searches, but what I was looking for were the personal experiences of members who had been successful. I understand that you are a fine builder and are very experienced, but I'm sure you started from scratch just like the rest of us. Perhaps I'm over-reacting, but again, perhaps you shouldn't respond to a post if you really have nothing substantive to add. Regards, Buck Radius P.S. Once again, if I'm off base, I apologize. And I do very much like your transparent blue GS model.
  8. I need some help here. What is the best way to cut the 15 degree angle for the angled headstock. I tried the backsaw but it (I) was not acurate enough. How do you guys do it? What tools do you use? Please respond soon as I am dying to get this part done. Buck
  9. Thanks for the feedback. Since writing the initial post I have done a lot of thinking about the 24 frets and was already having second thoughts. I've decided to stick with 22 and just build in a slight overhang for the last fret (the book I'm using shows a 21 fret). I was taken in to a degree about the harmonic importance and so at this point I have only routed one Pup cavity, but I likely make another now. Thanks for the help. Buck
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