Myka Guitars

Spoken like someone who does not have much experience with hand tools. For starters a spokeshave is just like a plane in the sense that is makes a straight cut on an even plane (ever wonder why they call them that?). I actually use my spokeshave to eliminate inconsistent topographies on my necks. That is what they excel at. To go further, files and rasps do a great job as well but obviously you have never used a good rasp or you would not mention the intermediate step prior to sanding. A good rasp will leave a smooth cut needing very little sanding. I am not talking about the $6 hardware store variety, but a good rasp. I agree 100% with Perry, you need to spend a lot more time working with your tools before you go giving advice on how to best use them. I have built necks with spokeshaves, rasps, chisels (I know), and routers. The spokeshave is still one of the best and most efficient tools for the job. Rasps are great for feathering in the headstock curves into the neck and also for the same work with heels. But a spokeshave is a fundamental neck carving tool. Then again I know someone who can't sand a flat plane with a sanding block. Go figure. EDIT: To answer the original question: I prefer a straight spokeshave for neck carving. ~David

Yes it is pretty close to this for a two color burst. I generally will highlight the edges with a darker color but essentially this is the wet canvas technique that I have described in my dye threads. Cool to see this in video format. ~David

In all honesty if you want to learn how to build a guitar start with building one. You won't learn how to design a guitars, make a neck, etc if you get a kit where all of this is already done. Start from scratch and design it from the ground up and you will learn much more about actually building a guitar that way. ~David

I personally wouldn't argue with any claims from Bill Lawrence, I have no reason to believe otherwise. I think there is more to it than just the magnets though. Check out this page on Bill's website. Of course they are not going to divulge everything to the public but it sounds like they have controlled the way the flux lines flow in and out of the coils. All of this is beyond me so I can't verify or debunk any of it. You could always order a set. It might be just what you are looking for. ~David

I agree with Mattia and that it depends on the guitar. Obviously I like my own designs but I don't use the same size every time and I often will make a new shape to fit a particular guitar. I used to love Jimmy D'Aquisto's headstock and still do for a killer archtop vibe, also Theo Scharpach's archtop headstocks, Saul Koll has a great looking headstock, +1 for Perry's design, the Steinberger cello headstocks are wicked cool, Mattia's headstock on his red guitar smokes, TimTone's got a great look to most of his, Harry Fleishman's recent harp guitar headstock kicks ass, etc. There are just too many to pick a favorite. ~David

Snake oil perhaps but here is some data: The 'Sound' of Capacitors. And a special section for ceramic caps. Not that this should be a substitute for your ears. I personally don't use an oscilloscope to listen to my music but some people might. ~David

No, soapbar, I didn't interpret any hostility. I thought your last post was pretty funny actually. We're cool, I was just having some fun. In retrospect I can imagine how anything any of us might say could get misinterpreted at this point so I think Wes has the best idea. See you in the build threads. ~David

Poor, poor soaprbar. You got poked before you could get fully bloated. ~David

+1 on the Performax drum sander. I used to have a planer but it never got used once I purchased the sander. ~David

Cool, thanks! www.mykaguitars.com

Where did I write that ? I'll just let this gem of a quote speak for itself: I love how you follow up your very own negative false claims with a warning to us all. Great stuff! It is no wonder why you feel so strongly, you said it yourself: I am sure your work is sublime. Too bad there aren't any repair forums with an ROTM (Repair of the Month) contest. I bet you would win all the time. And for those of you who don't know the kind of trouble this sort of thing can cause check out this thread. soapbar, maybe you can chime in and add that missing element you are tying so desperately to pin on the rest of us. ~David

soapbar, there really is no need to get defensive. If you haven't noticed by my posts I do not consider these threads stupid at all. I get it. What suggests stupidity is a constant barrage of statements from people who cannot accept that choices of others without having to try and belittle them. You have personally suggested that burning guitars is proof of my lack of quality. You know this kind of slander would not be tolerated on other forums. And be sure to understand that I am not questioning your personal freedoms. Of course you will always post if and when you feel like it, like myself. You will also, is seems, tend to place erroneous issues in the way of what is actually being said. You can always behave like the consummate professional or throw in your straw men wherever you see fit. Be sure that I am not questioning your personal choices nor am I being hypocritical. I respond in detail within my area of expertise if and when I have the time (this is implied by the fact that the posts exist). That is all I am suggesting that you do (unless you actually prefer your rants, which you seem to). You may find the forum more interesting if you share what you enjoy so that others may gain from it. It makes me feel good and I have made a good many friends over the years. And if you noticed I never start from the absolute basics. I focus on advanced woodworking skills such as building a hollowbody guitar. I also do not underestimate the skills of anyone reading the topic. With a little research, or another question, they can figure out the rest. Perhaps you might give people the benefit of the doubt instead of taking such a superior and condescending attitude? Just a thought. By the way, nice burn, Chris! ~David

Yes. The set costs about $80 (but you may have to be set up as a builder for that price). Try calling GraphTech: (604) 940-5353. You can order a tune-o-matic from them and drill out the post holes to fit. Or replace your posts. It will be easier than making your own piezo by far. ~David

oh soapbar, why do you waste your superior repair talent on threads like this when you could be helping so many people save their guitars? I think I have seen at least 2 threads seeking advice on repair in the last 2 weeks that just sat there unanswered. C'mon, show us all how it is done. Show us how to take near catastrophe and make it a winner. You just might see less of these threads if you put your creative energies in that direction. And I mean this with the utmost respect. Your posts suggest a superior grasp of repair strategy and skill. It would be a benefit to us all if you posted more in line with your philosophy. ~David

Hey Dave, good to see you starting out with questions already. The biggest mistake is not preparing thoroughly enough. Getting the Benedetto book is definitely the right step. Be sure to read it through and understand each step. There are many bits of advice you will get that will not make sense until you actually build a guitar but getting a grasp, at least conceptually, of the entire process is mandatory before you start your project. The next step is to draw out full size plans. This way you take what you have read and build it on paper first. When you do this you can see potential pitfalls and avoid them. It will also be an excellent opportunity to ask more specific questions. I actually disagree with most wood recommendations for first time projects. You did the right thing with the student grade woods. It is not the absolute cheapest option but it is properly cut and dried musical instrument wood, which is exactly what you want. That mahogany from Marc will be perfect for this project. When you get to the carving stage be sure to use the templates in the book. These will help you immeasurably. Take things slow and aim for a thicker top and gradually go from there. A nice carving plane will be your best investment for this. You probably already thought of this but if you get stuck at any stage ask questions. Don't proceed if there is any doubt as to how to do anything. Get excited and be as enthusiastic as you can but take it all slowly. These are new skills for you and they will not develop overnight. But with a bit of patience, good advice, and proper planning you will be able to build a nice instrument the first time out. And that woodworking class sounds like a good place to start. If this is your first woodworking project ever then build something else first. You will be glad you did. ~David

This was a commissioned project and I do not have the guitar anymore. If my client gets some sound clips recorded I will be sure to post them. This body is solid spruce with a 3/32" veneer of walnut. I cut the control cavity by drilling a small hole and inserting a scroll saw blade through it. I then carefully cut the perimeter of the cavity out of the back veneer. The cavity and cover were then routed to shape with my standard router templates. It is a tedious process to make sure that the cut is exactly on the line so that the router cleans the edge perfectly but the end result is worth it. ~David

Dave, That is awesome! An all mahogany 335 will make an excellent instrument. Mahogany is also very nice to carve and bend. Great choice for materials, abd I am glad you got to talk in depth with Marc. He is a very helpful guy and knowledgable too. Let us know when you get the book and have any more questions. ~David

If you haven't leveled this finish at all in 20 coats your problem may not be as bad as it looks. Lacquer tends to follow the contours of the surface with each successive coat. Try leveling the finish first. You may have a decent build of finish already. Heed Drak's advice though. There will be shrinkage in the future. ~David

Mattia, I keep looking at this guitar build when I have no time to post. I love the lines on this one and that rosette is one of the nicest I have seen. The thin abalone lines like this are very classy. Nice stuff! It makes me want to build an acoustic. ~David

Not exactly sure what the difference between a flat or carved back would be since I haven't built a flat backed guitar like this before, only a carved one. My guess is that since the back is attached to the center block the difference will be slight. A carved back does look great though. I think either would make a nice sounding guitar. If you are going for a warm tone I suggest mahogany for the neck. The one I made was spruce top, maple back and sides, and mahogany neck and center block and it was very warm and resonant. I would make one like this again except maybe with a slightly smaller body. The 16" wide 335 is too big for me. The last one I made (routed body) was 14-3/8" wide at the lower bout. It was much more comfortable for me. ~David

Dave, Great news! I think you will totally enjoy the experience of building one of these. The way most 335-style guitars are made is to use maple for the back and sides and either spruce or maple for the top. I would suggest using spruce since it produces such an amazing tone. Maple is nice but spruce has so much dynamic range, overtones, etc that I would choose that first. The center block is usually mahogany but you can use limba spruce, or cedar if you want. Something not too bright is what I go for. So it sounds like you are going to do a carved top and a flat back? If so then yes you can get an acoustic back and sides set, spruce top set, and a center block (and a neck materials). If you are not worried about high figured woods Gilmer always has student grade materials. These are woods that are tonally and structurally excellent but are plainer in figure and grain patterning. I have made some excellent guitars out of this grade of wood and for a first project it will get you going without a lot of cash. Talk to Marc Culbertson and he will get you what you need. Just make sure you tell him that you are doing a flat back because 335s typically have a carved back (or pressed/laminated). I would suggest that you do carve your own top. Spruce it is much easier to carve than maple and with patience and persistence you will be able to carve a nice top. Also the 335 design is pretty forgiving comnpared to a full hollowbody. You have the center block taking all of the stresses. Let us know what you decide to build and what woods you get. ~David

Again none of these styles is easier than the other, they just have different skills necessary to building them. I found side bending one of the most natural processes when I first started building acoustics. So I would not deter you from starting there if that is what you want to build. You are correct that a semi-hollow 335 would be pretty close to an acoustic archtop. Not exact of course but for a beginning step towards building a hollowbody guitar you will learn much more and get closer to your goals if you start with a semi-hollow rather than a solid body. Your first post suggests that you want to build something like a 335. So why not build one just like that? You can use a pre-laminated top or carve your own. If you plan it out carefully you will do just fine. I say go for it. ~David

As to why doesn't Gibson (or other manufacturers) use solid carved tops I think that answer is clear. A laminated top is not only easier to produce than a carved top but also requires less quality wood. It is all too common to want specific answers to things that don't have specific answers. Think a bit on these concepts and try to understand how things like laminations might affect stiffness, and how hollowbodies made from a larger piece of routed wood with fairly thick back and sides will differ from a thinner acoustic bend side design. Imagine how these changes work with the overall design. Grab some pieces of the same species of wood and cut them to different thicknesses and tap them and listen to them to see how it works. Play a 335 (bent sides-center block-laminated top), and a PRS hollowbody (one piece routed body-carved solid top), and an Ibanez Artcore (laminated everything), and really get a feel for the designs. Once you pick up these instruments with this inside knowledge the differences will become more apparent. Or you could choose a style and build one and see how it works. Then build another. This is the most intense learning approach and the most rewarding (for me anyway). ~David

How much of that will come through an amp? I play rock and am interested in the ES-335 style of guitar (along with about a dozen others), and am not sure how much of an impact it will make between a laminate top/bottom/sides and the solid wood with carved archtop. Granted it will make a difference, but how much through a rock amp clean or with overdrive (not gobs of high-gain distortion, but the clean-to-nicely broken up stuff)? Also, are the sides, back, and top of the ES-335 laminate, or just the top? -Cheers With a good set of pickups it will all come through the amp. The wood and strings of a well built guitar are directly coupled together. This relationship is why the wood and construction methods change everything about the tonal character of the guitar. The cycle is like this: the strings drive the body and neck which sustains and resonates with the strings. This resonance and sustain then adds it's own filtered or enhanced vibration back into the strings which is picked up by the pickups and drives the wood again. Then the cycle begins again. It's all about acoustic coupling and if done right (good, clean joinery) the guitar will be very different from a laminated top guitar. ~David

I have a Pure Floating Bridge Pickup from K&K Sound Systems that I purchased but cannot use. I originally bought it for my Dragonfly guitar but the tone was not that good since it was a smaller body size. Plus I wanted a pickup that mounted inside the guitar. On a full size archtop or a hollowbody these sound great. Since they sit under the feet of the bridge they have that characteristic attack and punch and deliver the full warm tone of the guitar. This is new from a bulk purchase and I have a jack that I will send with it. There is an installation sheet included. It is a passive system but a preamp is recommended. Here is a page about the pickup: K&K Pure Floating Bridge Pickup Retail lists for $121. I'll sell this at my cost of $65.00 including shipping in the US. PM me if you are interested. Thanks, ~David