Myka Guitars

I have used stain and Tru-Oil before. Just stain like normal and finish it like normal. If you want to see some samples check out Ken Bebensee. He does some great stain work and all his finishes are oil as far as I know. Nice looking axe, by the way! ~David

Nice work Acousticraft! I remember that guitar build thread. It looks great. So how much harder than a solid-body, and harder than a traditional arch-top hollow-body, is that (if at all)? I can't say how much harder it is to do either method since both require different skill sets. I can say that there is less involved in routing out a solid piece of wood. It is no more difficult than making a template and routing for a control cavity. Take a look at this template to see how I do these in my Dragonfly guitars: Or if you want a more 335 style build you can do it this way: An archtop side assembly is built like an acoustic guitar and steam bending skills to make the sides. This approach will have you build this instead: ~David

Dave, The best place to look for hollowbody construction is the Benedetto archtop book. It goes over everything you need to know about the basic construction of an archtop. Semihollows differ in that they usually have a center block of solid wood inside of them (like a 335). To do this just connect the neck and tailblock. I made one of these last year and have some pictures to share: Custom Semi-Hollowbody And I have some progress pictures detailing the construction here: Custom Semi-Hollowbody construction I hope this helps, ~David

Master volume. ~David

Like everything it depends on a number of aspects of the design you are working. The weight of the wood is a big factor but also the placement of the horns, how much it is hollowed, how many frets (how far the neck extends past the body) all make a difference. The weight of the spruce body on this one was still pretty significant at 14-1/2" wide and 2-1/4" thick. Rosewood necks are said to be very heavy but most of my rosewood stock is no heavier than maple and some choice pieces are as light as mahogany. Just be careful which piece you use. Cocobolo is the only rosewood that seems to always be heavy and dense (qualities that make this wood an excellent choice for a neck) but I still use it all the time without problems. It is all in the balance of elements in your design and the specific of the materials you are using. Hardware choices are also important. Remember that you will have pickup weight that will add to the body weight. Also try using lighter tuners like Sperzels, Waverly, or the Locking Hipshots. These are all lighter than most standard electric guitar tuners. ~David

Thanks! So when are you coming for a shop visit? We are having an opening in the building where I have my new shop on Saturday, December 8th. There are 28 studios here with a variety of artists and mediums. I should have at least 4 guitars finished for the show. You should stop by. ~David

This is the latest to come out of the new shop (which is coming along nicely btw). The guitar was originally an experiment to see what we would get if we used traditional acoustic woods in a new way with an electric instrument. Using a piece of Madagascar rosewood for the neck, fingerboard, bridge, and tailpiece that left the spruce for the body. Since this was to be an oil finished instrument we decided to put a veneer of something harder on the back and sides for protection hence the Claro walnut. The body is 1-1/2" thick and has 3/4" chambers from the back with a solid 4" wide center section. The top is carved to 1/4" over the chambers. The spruce is a bit heavier than I expected it be but overall the guitar is much lighter than it looks (the lack of soundholes has something to do with it). The tone is very clear and articulate with a definite bark to it. The dense neck material attached to the lighter weight body makes for some excellent resonance and sustain. You can hear the full harmonic spectrum of the notes with this one. And thanks to the Lollar pickups it all makes it to the amp. This was a really cool project and I will be making some more using these concepts (lightweight body/heavy neck). It really works well. Here's a pic: For more pics click here. ~David

What got everyone so fired up lately over a couple burned rejects (WOD paved the way, of course)? Seriously though, with all of the intense flaming surrounding these threads is anyone else getting burned out on this topic? Anyway, I've got a couple smokin' new builds that I am just stoked about. I'll post some pics later this week. By the way, does anyone else find it ironic that a person with a screen name of Phoenix Rising is the one smoldering in the ashes over this? ~David

I don't have anything to add to this thread since I am not versed in pickup making but I do want to say that I appreciate both the layman's explanations as well as the hard core science behind it. I really do not think that Mike was out of line by getting deep into it. I actually thought it was a refreshing approach. Most people (it is true) just want to know what to do and not why. But there are a few of us that really enjoy the challenge of wrapping our minds around the science at work behind the scenes. Some of the more involved tangents may not yeild a simple 'you need a bigger pole piece' but it is valuable just the same. ~David

Since you mention that there is a specific location on a specific fret that this problem occurs at then I can only think that this is an area of fret wear. The solution would be to level the fretboard and redress the frets. ~David

Jehle, I was going to respond to your first post which seemed quite down and out. Then I read your second post and the truth is you actually have made a great deal of headway already. It seems like you are not immune to the internal ups and downs that all artists go through. It is easy to get overly enthusiastic and set yourself up with the greatest of expectations and then come crashing down when things don't start happening right away. Things like setting up a website and the delay of about 2 years before you get any significant hits can really set you back if you don't know how much time things take to develop. The most interesting and frustrating thing was watching all the PRS and Strat copy artists go from totally unknown to having a serious backlog in 2-3 years. These are the CNC builders that we all see selling many guitars that are relatively the same with exception to materials choice, paint, and inlay. You cannot make individual instruments and hope to utilize a CNC so you are sort of stuck with choosing a couple designs. The best bet is to copy something that is already doing well and offer a superior version. The upside is you get to market quickly. The downside is that you have to compromise on your design to suit the market. If a guitarists wants an improved guitar but still wants it recognizable this is the best way to get it and that is why these builders are doing so well. They make superior quality versions of these classic designs and they fill a much needed niche. To me this would be boring but to them they are refining the past into a truly superior instrument. And from all I have played they are very successful. Of course this is probably not a problem if selling guitars in general is your goal but for the artist with a unique vision this sort of kills the idea right off the bat. We want to have our way and sell too. That is a multi-facted problem. For one we have to design something that appeals to our own sense of design, build it on our own schedule, reject most customizations that do not fit into that vision, and then try to sell it to the general public. For me it has been hard to work with a request that takes away from what I know to be a great design (example: a request to make my single cut guitars more like a trditional Les Paul). I have taken a couple commissions like this but I now refer those people to other builders who enjoy making replicas. My business has slowed a bit it in this area but it has also grown on the custom front in a bigger way. It is a balance. It all comes down to what you want to do and who you want to please. If I offered Strats or Les Paul replicas I would have more work than I could ever need but I would not be taking care of myself. With the freedom I enjoy with my designs I feel like it would be a huge step backwards for me as an artist to start from zero. Although my designs are obviously inspired by tradition they are not copies nor are they restrained by any set ideas of what a guitar should be. I wanted to move forward and have some fun. I find that I really enjoy the hybrid instruments I build more than anything else. It is relatively uncharted territory so there is much to be discovered there. As a result my clients are people who want to explore new tonalities in music. These are the fringe artists that are not looking for another LP or Strat. These are the people that have finally realized that there is a way out of the limitations imposed by traditional designs and they are ready to change. Finding them is difficult because they are just as tired of flipping through the guitar mags and seeing the same old thing as we are. But they are out there and are more than willing to work with you in way that more closely resembles an artist-patron relationship. This always produced a superior instrument because I can really get into my work and be as creative as I want. I started out not wanting a business as well. The thing is now I have one and I love it. While it is not about the money I make sure that I charge enough so that I can keep doing it the way I want to. My prices reflect that my desire to have my own shop and to work on my own schedule. I don't make compromises and I make sure that my needs are met. The result is that I have the time and materials to build the best guitars I can. I take all the time I need to do it right. Sometimes a project sits on the bench for a couple of months before I get the full inspiration to build it. Sometimes the work is done in fits and starts. Sometimes I get a project that is exactly the creative outlet I need and it gets build practically overnight. I accept that I am an artist and a quirky one at that. I just let my clients know this so that there aren't any surprises. It works for us so far. So to repeat what others have stated just hang in there and do your thing. People will find you because of your style. If you stick with your vision you will attract the people need what you are building to produce their musical vision. They way I see it this is the reason why you have so many opportunities. Although you got down and weren't appreciating all you had going for you the vision you have is still your priority. This is what opens doors that will lead you to like minded musicians. You do awesome work and play some amazing music (still have your CD). ~David

I have looked for more information on the sympathetic strings and integrating them into a guitar design but there isn't much available. Fred's work is highly custom and each instrument is built differently so I do not think there will be any specific designs out there. The concept is a simple string running underneath the soundboard but there are many ways this could be implemented. This page is full of great information and photos that could yield some design ideas. I would suggest experimentation and prototyping. You never know what you will come up with. For recordings check out this page. ~David

I think Gibson teamed up with Tonical for this one. Also read this article, they mention prices. Also check out the Transperformance system. It seems these systems aren't cheap but I imagine that they have some spendy servos and a computer. ~David

Mind Riot, sounds like you will be getting some decent tools. Nice! I just wanted to pass along the thought that the drill press may need to be blocked underneath the table as they really aren't designed to take the downward stress that pressing frets would cause. I have heard a few times about the table cracking under the strain (it happened to my little Delta after about 12 fretboards). I would hate to hear about another cracked drill press table but a simple 2x4 set underneath it will support it just fine. ~David

gazaa, These sympathetic stringed instruments are something I have thought about for years although I have yet to build one. The way that I think might work best for attaching the strings would be something along the lines of what Fred Carlson is doing: It appears that there is a piece of material on the edge of the guitar that allows the strings to be anchored to it. This method makes the most sense to me because it also eliminates the need for excessive soundboard bracing. The stresses can be directed more to the side rim of the guitar instead. This could be done at both ends of the string. It looks very elegant as well. This is just an idea. When I get around to starting my first sympathetic string guitar I will post here. Until then I am still thinking about it all. If you haven't already check out this forum: Harp Guitar Forum. Especially check out the Makers section. There are many documented builds there. Great stuff and very inspiring. Thanks for mentioning the Imrat guitar. That is very reminiscent of William Eaton's work. ~David

If you don't need premixed dyes you can get powdered aniline dyes in 1/2 oz. packages also from LMI: 6 colors of Alcohol soluble dyes for $21. 7 colors of Water Soluble dyes for $24. I have used both types and they are good stuff but they are less colorfast than the concentrated dyes that Rich mentions. I like to use the concentrated dyes for mixing with lacquer. The water based anilines are what I use for my dye bursts. It is possible to mix any color with the 5 colors they provide. Yellow and blue make green, blue and red make purple, red and yellow make orange, etc. Add brown or black to change the lightness. You can change the colors on the wood by adding different dyes over the top of it. With water based dyes you can mix colors right on the wood like watercolor painting and even lighten it up by adding lighter dyes or water. It pushes the dye out of the wood fibers but you have to do this when it is wet. 1/2 oz amounts will give you plenty to test with. Get some scrap and experiment. Dye work is really fun stuff. ~David

I'll take it if it's still available. I have a project that it is perfect for. PM sent. ~David

I have actually bought this book and I really didn't find it worth the money at all. For every detailed aspect of the build he references the Benedetto book by page number. The only new addition to the book is about making a mold and is very poor. He takes an old Guild and makes a plaster negative from it (without any barrier I might add). After making a positive he then demonstrates the use of his 'press'. It's his 1/2 ton Ford van which he drives on top of the mold. Not that this wouldn't work but... About the only thing that was interesting were the pictures of his internal bracing. On one of them there is a longitudinal brace connecting (and rabbeting into) the neck and tail blocks. On another there were parallel braces with cross pieces in between the pickup routes for support. I think these braces were on the same instrument. I gave the book away so I can't double check. I would suggest to just stick with the Benedetto book since he covers everything but the laminated top. To do this either make a 2 part mold for a mechanical press (clamps would work) or just carve a positive and use a vacuum press. In a couple of months I will be giving the veneer press option a try. It is not much different than the veneer topped Dragonfly I did a while back. I have some amazing figured Pau Ferro and for the core some 15" wide maple veneer that is just itching to become a laminated hollowbody. ~David

I still have my office packed away in boxes so I don't have an invoice in front of me but I remember the Skyway being $300-$340 (sorry if I misquoted this). It's money well spent. Giving Rick a call is the best way to get an exact price. ~David

That is one of my guitars on that site. I really like these trems for a number of reasons. The way these are constructed is very unique. Rick Huff (the designer/owner) calls it a flexure beam. It is essentially a pair of perpendicularly oriented pieces of flexible metal that are attached one end to the base of the trem and the other end to the 'floating' bridge. I put 'floating' in quotes because it isn't really floating at all. There is solid metal to metal contact between the movable bridge component and the base that is anchored to the guitar body. This means two things: 1) there are no wearing parts and 2) there is maximum tone transfer through the trem to the guitar. The other really nice aspect of these is that they are very lightweight. The Skyway footprint is pretty small and the routing that is necessary is also fairly minimal. The springs are underneath the bridge assembly and are attached to the anchored base behind the strings. I think this is why it has so much vibrational energy transfer. One thing to remember is that this is a vibrato not a dive-bomber. You can get an excellent range but don't expect it to replace you Floyd. I find it perfect for what I do with a trem and my client thinks the same. He has been very happy with the bridge and feels that it has all the qualities of a hard tail bridge with the added flexibility of a vibrato. I agree completely. And they really look great. These are becoming more and more popular with players. I have 3 guitars on order with them right now and a couple more in the planning stages. ~David

No problem Ben, I was just tossing in some info for discussion. It is good to share ideas and hear different takes on how things work (or might work ). Russ, you bring up an interesting point about the position of your hand. It probably does affect the necks vibrations from that point to the headstock. I am not sure exactly how but it certainly makes sense that it would, like generating harmonics by stabilizing the node. Hmmm... ~David

Actually this is false. An electric guitar is a solidbody acoustic. Changes affect the tone in exactly the same way with both styles of building. Having built many solidbodies and even more semi-hollows it becomes quite apparent that this is the case. It is especially obvious since I have achieved tonal goals with my electric instruments by following acoustic principles. I think that the headstock material will make a difference and that it will affect the characteristics of the guitar as a whole regardless of whether or not the string is fretted. As a thought experiment visualize a piece of wood and imagine how it resonates with a string stretched across it's length between two elevated bridges at each end; a basic stringed instrument. Now if this material is consistent (and let's imagine that it is) then the vibrations move along the fibers of the wood as the energy is transmitted through it. Some of it is dissipated and some of it goes back into the string adding it tonal signature to the vibration. Now let's fret it in the middle. If fretted position did change the overall characteristics of the wood that would suggest that the by fretting a string it would place a vibrational dam, or blockade, directly beneath the fretted note in the neck wood and not allow energy to pass that point. This does not seem too likely, does it? My experience tells me that the neck moves as a unit and the vibrations travel throughout the continuous wood fibers all the time or none of the time and that fretted position makes no difference in how the instrument reacts as a whole to vibrational energy. As for the headstock, yes I think it makes a difference. I have replaced tuners before and the heavier ones do add sustain. To simply test this idea out place a heavy c-clamp on your headstock and play some notes and chords. Fret some notes to see how that changes things. To further test out the holistic vibrational qualities of a neck attach a piece of styrofoam at the end of the headstock (vibrations will be amplified in this low density material). Fret some notes and see how they are also amplified. ~David

Yes it would alter the intonation but this is a vibrato unit and when you use them the pitch is supposed to shift. I wouldn't look at this as a problem with the design since the slackened strings would need a slightly different intonation (if they remained slack). A stationary bridge wouldn't address this issue any better. The problem with some trems is not so much that they alter the intonation points (temporarily) but that they do not return to the exact same place. The Stetsbar does come right back in tune providing the guitar is designed correctly (9-10 degree headstock angle, non-binding nut). ~David

I have made a couple guitars with koa necks before. It is very suitable (and looks great). This was before I used CF in the necks too. A good rule of thumb (for me at least) is that if you need to use CF to make a piece of wood suitable for a neck then you probably shouldn't use it. ~David

+1 on the Stetsbar. I have used them quite a bit and so far all of my clients really like them. So do I. They are a pretty awesome piece of engineering. I love the industrial look to them, very modern in my eyes. I put together some information for Russ a while back: Stetsbar install and height range pics. It is not that detailed but you can get the idea of what is involved. Also be sure to get in touch with Eric Stets. He is a great guy and will set you up with everything you need. If you need anything from me once you get the trem just let me know. ~David