MIMF

I use a magnetic LED work light that I can move around to the different legs of the table I use for carving the tops on my guitars with the shop lights out as Barry describes. I wind up rotating the body around quite a lot when finalizing the arch to look from many different angles. When I first sta...

Thanks a lot for the comments. Greg - the binding is ebony. Chris - interesting point about the cutaway. I have another guitar I've been working on at the same time that has some aesthetic differences but is essentially the same but without a cutaway, so I'll be interested by any differences. Michae...

Thanks for all of the feedback everyone! The bridge mass/size effect is one I've done some reading on, so thanks for the points Michael and Dave. I think it is something worth exploring and it is something I plan on doing if not on this guitar, then at least on my next model. I feel I've learned eno...

I've recently completed my third archtop guitar. Fairly standard specs. 17" lower bout 25" scale length German spruce top Claro walnut back and sides Mahogany neck Ebony fretboard and trimmings Kent Armstrong Floating PAF Gotoh 510 Tuners with Ebony buttons Some pictures http://i28.photobu...

Looks great, Ron!

As the others have indicated, the fingerboard stop isn't necessary. I recall have to read over and draw out what was being described in that section of Bob's book. For the sides - optimum thickness will vary by person and type of wood. In my limited experience something around or just under .100&quo...

A few more: http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c244/geoffstgermaine/3A8B0EE6_zps54f6735a.jpg http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c244/geoffstgermaine/0FF3545C_zpsb7c2e803.jpg http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c244/geoffstgermaine/2B6E3B8C_zps32189d70.jpg http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c244/geoffstge...

Thanks, Adam. I know what you're describing with the top burst and that seems to be he nature of how softwoods take up aniline dyes. I have a thread on mylespaul, but I'm not sure on the etiquette of linking to that here, so I'll post an assortment of in progress shots here. http://i28.photobucket.c...

Thanks, Mark!

Thanks for all the kind words, everyone. I'm quite happy with how it's turned out. To answer Patrick, this isn't my second instrument. I've build 2 electric guitars and 2 bass guitars as well. I'm looking to start a flat-top acoustic bass with my next set of archtop guitars. Chris, here's how I appl...

Good evening everyone! Here's my second attempt at an archtop guitar. Specs: 25" scale 17" x 3" body Engleman spruce top Flamed maple back, sides and neck Ebony fretboard Parallel bracing Black/white binding/purfling Gold MOP block inlays Kent Armstrong Suspended Pickup Schatten thumb...

Gorgeous guitar! Can you post details on the specs? That looks like a fantastic piece of Birdseye maple that you've used for the top.

Thanks a lot, Chris and Bob!

Thanks guys! @Jason - supposedly the WRC should be warmer than spruce. Unfortunately I win't be able to comment on that due to the inability right now to compare it to a spruce guitar until the follow on pair of guitars are done. As I'm presently fitting the necks to the bodies it will hopefully not...

Thanks a lot, Patrick!

Thanks for the kind words, Greg. This guitar turned out far better than I thought it would when I first started bumbling through getting the top and back carved. Side bending went far easier that I'd envisioned, so that was a definite plus. Truth be told, I had visions of the top collapsing under th...

Great, thanks Dave. Will do.

The contrast in the picture is pretty poor around the burst edge. There's almost an inch between the edge of the binding and end of the tailpiece. The tailpiece is anout 6.75" long. I think the fact that the contrast between the tailpiece and the body only exists over the orange part of the bur...

Thanks Dave, and thanks for the tips!

Is shortening the tailpiece done with the goal of increasing the distance between the bridge and string anchor points? I believe the adjustment strap could still be used to move the tailpiece back.

Thanks for the comments guys! @Michael - the maple and spruce I'm using are local materials (I'm in Canada). I've even visited the ahop where they resaw the spruce sets I'm using (Sitka and Englemann). Unfortunately I am unable to find highly figured maple or well quartered spruce for cheap. Unfortu...