GoodWood

I've been using the Stewmac hotrod for the last 3 builds and realized its not really needed. I know its easier to install (just rout a straight flat channel and pop it in) and IS a good safety precaution for backbow. But realistically I don't come across many guitars (1 or 2 in ten years so far) with backbow problems. And I've mentioned before that if I ever build a guitar that has this problem then I better stop making them. I can make 6 single action truss rods for half the price of one single action sold online.

But its up to you, ya gotta try them all before you find out what you like.

Southpaw, where do you get your rod material? and do you have to heat up the bend at the end? Thanks

There is a similar thread going on right now you might like to check out:

http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=30646

CMA

Thanks, thems for electrics, but it looks like the upper rod is for insurance or backbow, Im using dead on quarter sawn wood,and will use proper size frets, so I dont see that as a likely issue, and the little curve inside the neck should take care of a little bit of that anyway, shouldnt it?

Im getting ready to rout the truss rod valley in the neck, and see that alot of you experienced luthiers are going with the single action rod. Looking at LMI, and Stewi-mac, they seem compatible.

What are the pros and cons of single action, Stewi Hot Rod, and LMI high end double action rods?

the problem is that not many people will really want a guitar that looks like that - and they can never trust that it will be as good as it looks if they do. The more unique an instrument = the less potential customers!!

I occasionally put stuff on eBay when i desperately need to reclaim some cash - the stuff usually sells but people understandably dont want to spend custom guitar prices for a maker they have never heard off and only come accross on ebay - would you take that risk?

The people that have got my guitars through eBay have always been astounded by the instrument they got for the money they payed - but they were still nervous that they were going to end up with a heap of eBay junk!!

I guess that makes sense. Ive seen a real nice student acoustic just go for about 850.00, and a nice acoustic in wenge or something go for 1000.00-[rices I would be happy for on my 3rd etc guitar I would also offer a 5 year warrantee on workmanship so they are comfotable,a nd have a website up, soundclips etc.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...ADME:L:RTQ:US:1

I really like this guitar, but it didnt sell. I think he was wanting around 1500.00 or so. Bummber. I really like the design.

Yeah, and I'm kicking myself right now because I was just up in Burlington 2 weeks ago, with a morning to spare before a wedding.

Hey Godin, are you gonna do a separate post for your new cutaway ? Wood come in yet?

Cool, something to aspire too! 4-day guitar builds.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bodies,_necks,..._and_sides.html

They precarve the backs, not the tops, but there might be someone with a CNC out there for tops. That is why hes wanting a mold I assume.

If you can sculpt clay or are good with wood, (See lute builing for form information) then you could do a build up ply top I guess. Sculpting in clay then cast in plaster with hemp filler. Fairly cheap and easy You r gonna need that book also, get the book and see how bad it is. Carving tops is a specialty.

I just ordered the wood from gilmer. Black limba back/sides/neck and a red cedar top (a pretty light colored piece).

The body shape will be a small (15 1/4" lower bout) auditorium shape that I made with points from taylor, avalon, martin, and larrviee shapes.

This one will have rosewood fingerboard/headstock overlay/bridge with matching rosewood binding on the fingerboard to hide the fret ends. It will also have an electric style neck joint where it bolts into the top ala myka, but it will have a heel for looks.

I'm thinking I might try black binding on it.

'Black' wood or plastic? No Plastic binding please! Are you building a separate mold for this one, or just the dowl rod deal? Im having luck using the old heat gun getting a perfect mold fit, so Im thinking Dowl Rods, it would take me a month to do another mold at my pace.

I was thinking of using that fretboard darkener for some black trim I will need. Like on Mahogany or something soft.

Looks real nice. How do you print that out?

Hi all

I've been thinking for a while that I'd really like to make something like an E-335 or even gretsch style hollow electric. these generally have formed plywood tops and backs. Has anyone tried moulding their own plywood for this, or has anyone an idea as to how to try it? I presume they are normally formed in some sort of press, and steamed while it's tightened. Would a wooden press made of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical sections work? Any suggestions?

Thanks a lot

Richie

I think if you had a positive and negative mold it could work with regular wood, plywood might fall apart. Even a strong plaster mold might work, but you would need at least 2 heat blankets at 136.00 a piece. I think Ive seen carved mandolin tops and I think you can buy a partially shaped top wiht the hard work done, google, or stewi mac might be the mandolin tops.

If you have to hand carve it it would be like doing a large violin. It would take alot of time the first couple times

No not yet. I will have a myspace with my MP3 samples, but not from my build as Im still on the first build, and I would keep the second build until the third is done to watch the neck/action and break it in. So it could be a while. Im also in a perfect humidiy climate (30-40%) not sure what would happen to it in South Carolina or whereever!

Although the sides are bent to fit the mold (almost) so its downhill from here!

(I think I will make that my quote.)

no cross-grain sanding marks? It sounds like a great idea but I could imagine a lot of scratches from the disc swirling across the grain.

Uhm, Nuuuuuu, none I can see...

I would think I need to pay homage to the LMI guy who did the Build a guitar DVD. He used one of those saftey planers, and that blew me away. (cause its like $50.00 not $650.00 for the real thing) That was probably kicking around the subconcious when I saw the flat thing.

Ok, I had to reheat on bottom, which seemed to set the rear good, and then on top again. I used wet rags to keep it wet. It went ok, ran it up to 370 by my temp gauge. (Anyone know of a good analog temp gauge for this?) I need at least a quart of water, thats my beginers method. Not just a little soak and aluminum foil just yet. The deal seems to be higher temprature right away, wet wood so its wet.

On the first bend, I did actually scortch the wood in a spot a little bit, nothing too bad, and its on the bottom, but I will soak for 15 minutes with wet rages clamped flat from now on. Not enough 'visual' steam, but it did evaporate pretty quick.

There also seems to be the old issue of heat blanket evenness, as the top end is now a little springy, not the back. It was clamped in the mold and its a very close fit, 1/8" for the rear, and 1/2" for the top, so Im getting close. I know an iron would touch it up nice, but Im done buying more stuff until one is finished and Im happy with spending what I did on this.

I may have to modify the fox mold to fit my mold better also. Not looking forward to that.

Endblocks are screamin to get in! I will be doing Kerfing this weekend, (the newness has lost its shine on that for sure.)

Next week is the top and tuning!!Wood gods be willing,,, yeal

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_suppl...d_crowning.html

try here this is the page your looking for

like cb said take your time if its as nice as ya say its worth it

You use a triangle file with the edges ground smooth. Or if you try with a nailfile, put maksing tape where it contacts the fretboard.

I think I was reading between the wood and blanket this time, using a digital thermometer, but the top was no where near 250. I think it was 220 which is 200 at altitude. I will go for the higher temps and see what happens. I think this has to be it.

What should the top tempreature of the wood be around? Thanks

GW- Man, I feel for you. It seems like you are doing everything right. Don't lose faith you will get it to work. You may be onto something with your elevation theory, but I am not familiar with this. Double check your method of checking temp., but if you are getting good steam rolling I am sure your up to temp.

If I may make a suggestion on your bender(to make your process easier for you). I bought a vise screw at Rockler for $19.95 for the waist. It may make your side bender simpler for you to handle so you can focus on smooth clamping and monitoring temp. Nothing wrong with yours(just a suggestion to make it go smoother).

Keep trying I am sure you will get it to hold .

Peace,Rich

Oven baking is 25 degrees higher. So 300 +25= 325, so 330-350 which was where I was at for most of the time, but I was watching for 320 or so, not 340. I think that could be an issue. So I will shoot for 350 highs 340 lows. IT steamed when I applied the top iron mostly. Just not getting hot enough. Nice and flat though, so Im happy about that. And I think my disc sander could end up being the model for a drill press thickness sander also so I can do my own sides and backs tops etc. YOu can get 9 inch sanding discs, so it was a good day in general. =)

For what I have, the waist bender works fine, Its the ends I have to hustle on, but mostly it was lack of a screw! The wood was in the air though so I wasnt too worried. That picture is a little jumbled, I didnt want to kink the end down, like my Padouk so I did the cross clamp etc...

Just checked on my mahogany side, it has equal level of springback! Looks like its major heat blanket tomorrw! It had 2 hours to dry, that is not it. Im just not breaking down the woodfibers or something. Hot iron 320 on top did nothing. This is making me nuts.

This one is at least flat though, and its sanded to .078 so its thin.

http://img530.imageshack.us/my.php?image=foxbenderkv1.jpg

http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/5810/foxbender1iu1.jpg

Well, I put the blanket on the bottom so it was already heated and foil wrapped the wood. The heat stayed away from the rear end until I wanted it there. The hot iron on top really makes it steam good!

I know ovens need to be a bit hotter at altitude, so I figure I keep the temp to around 330. I used the hot flat iron as well, and it went pretty good, just a little swearing. (Where is the OTHER dang bolt???) My foxbender has handle cranks to slowly torque down the molding parts. Yea, this set, looks ok so far, Ill know tonight when I take it off. I will also try to rebend the Padouk set after I get it flat. Flat Flat Flat.

But, I may be shopping for a pre thicknessed mahogany side set.

Post some MP3 s when you get it done!! Its a very cool wood.

I picked up a circular flat sander at the auto store for about $8.00. They are STIFF and ridgid, not the floppy kind. You can use those 5" round sticky sanding discs for it. I ran my mahogany sides through it, as they were a little thick .82, to get them to about .78 and it worked great! Used 100 grit. You just need good flat scrap piece of ply underneath it. It also works on my maple headstock, although its ALOT slower. Need 60 grit for that.

Im also thinking of Cumplianos book, if you have a circle cutter, with plywood you could just make your own. This was cheap and easy and fast way to thickness soft woods. Its nice because the secret is it has a ridgid body, but rubber padding for the sandpaper disc. So its a bit flexible. No sanding marks on the wood as I can see.

Finally something cheap that does an important job! The drill press gets quite a workout lately

its a 3M 03142 auto pak disc sand, but Im thinking I could make an 8 incher and do my own thickness sanding,as they make round sandpaper discs that size.

I was looking through my Ziricote set (this will wait for at least 6 guitars under my belt) and found he put in some thin nearly quarter sawn headstock plates as well as a bridge. Just wondering it Ziricote makes a good bridgeplate compared to Indian Rosewood. I hear Indian goes BOOM, better than Maple, so I imagine the Zirocote would be that and more? Anyone use any? Friovanni?

Bridge plate is going to potentially serve 3 purposes(to me). One to provide better wear in the bridge pin area(if you use a pinned bridge). Two it can act to prevent issues with humidity between the top and bridge(seal it up a bit). Three it becomes part of your bracing system. When I look at the bracing system and the significant functions of this plate. I see the addition of strength to resist twisting forces that could distort the soundboard(note you do not want a hard transition from the bridge plate to the soundboard as that could just displace the point it torques, thin out your bridge plate as you move to the outer edges for a smoother transition). The plate may also improve the coupling to the main braces to the bridge, but I am not sure this is a main function.

Personally, I have not used a bridge plate on my last few projects(mainly because of my bridge design, and I seal this inside of my tops with a wash coat of shellac). When I do use a pinned bridge I like to use Mahogany(med. weight, stiff, durable) and soft Maple is similar to Mahogany, EIR is heavy and strong so I would use it in a very very thin plate(almost too thin). Zircote(Mexican crack wood) to me is a bad choice for a sound board, mainly because it is less stable than other woods that could suit this purpose better.

As far as it going boom... You have to look at the soundboard wood, density and stiffness, your bridge weight, type of bridge, shape of bridge, Bracing pattern (stiffness and density), type of strings and so forth. All these things need to blend together or be matched well. You can't Hotrod a soundboard with a single element, it needs to be a well balanced machine(so to speak).

Hope that helps, Maybe Mattia will chime in. He is much smarter than me when it comes to these things .

Peace,Rich

Lol, Mexican Crackwood. $250.00 Mexican crackwood. Well, maybe Ill thin em out to do a couple test bends in the tight spots.

The stuff has lots of oil or something, after I run the chisel over it it goes super smooth. I looked a piece at the woodshop I use and I knew it would be making an awsome sound. It does make an awsome guitar, if the builder does it right.

found a sound clip of Revival

http://www.luthiery.woodyboyd.net/audio/RG27.mp3

just in case you wanted to check it out

Uh, not to be harsh, but I dont think I would want woody to demo my guitar. (sorry woodman, whoever you are )It sounds ok, I guess, you would have to check them out in person. Check your local craigslist for used guitars also. I would not buy any guitar online without a 7 day full refund minus shipping cost no questions asked etc...

Now, if you want to spend $450.00-$600.00 on an all solidwood Carpathian top guitar that (sounds great)??, but from an 'unknown' maker, and you can wait 4 or 5 months... I may know a guy......

I was looking through my Ziricote set (this will wait for at least 6 guitars under my belt) and found he put in some thin nearly quarter sawn headstock plates as well as a bridge. Just wondering it Ziricote makes a good bridgeplate compared to Indian Rosewood. I hear Indian goes BOOM, better than Maple, so I imagine the Zirocote would be that and more? Anyone use any? Friovanni?

I thought for a second you were talking about the Breedlove imports(the Revival Series). I wonder if this is a name association thing(since Breedlove is pretty well known). Anywho... Know nothing about them. They look like another import. Can be ok for the price, but I would never buy one unless I played it myself first(GOLDEN RULE WITH ACOUSTICS). I could care less about specs, because it means little as to how good it will sound.

Peace,Rich

Lol, I cant even trust my ear anymore. I would record the dang thing first, to hear what it sounds like. I did that with some 'great sounding' plywood martins that 'blew me away'. Guess what? They sounded like crap on tape. - $1800 Rosewood MArting, sounded like a 'deal' but when I got home?- Crap (Im a mahogany guy) My latest was a rosewood $600.00 deal. It SOUNDED like the best guitar to me for the $, but I know it .......sounds like crap most likely.

Yea, look for used on craigslist or pawnshop, and take a knowlegable friend, or have someone else play it for you to hear what it really sounds like.

GW- You still working on that same set of Padauk? Did you ditch the heat blankets and are just using hot pipe and a household iron now?

Yes, still on it. Im using a 3" pipe with the heat blanket draped over it, heated to like 330, AND the house iron, heated to 320 direct on the wood. That did NOTHING to help the bend, even though the wood was very floppy, so to speak. Its about .78

I ran the thermometer up to 340 and kept it at that heat (bottom of wood on metal) on the mold and it took a little more wetted, taped the aluminum, took off the aluminim and watered steam water steam, but still I have 2 inches of slack. Rediculuse huh? Its not going to give me what I want until I get the wobble out, and that is not going to happen anytime soon.

I may just call this my test run, and use the mahogany set, or just the sides with a Padouk back. I only paid 30.00 for the Padouk, I picked it up. So its no major loss. But it is a nice looking set. I may post some pics later. Somewhere I skipped a step to clamp the wood, steel together, the books dont mention this. Begginers beware!