MIMF

I follow Trevor Gore's technique for a bolt on neck. A straight tenon and mortice with bolts going through the head block into a brass bar in the heel. I don't do the bolt on of the end of the fretboard just glue the overhang to the top. I am a litttle scared of the rather precise woodwork for that....

Some wood simply doesn't want to bend. When I was starting out I thicknessed some Sycamore which I had dried myself. It wasn't pretty timber and I just thought I would have a practice at bending before using some decent stuff. The results were not good!

I think the reason so many of us build our own bender is the high price that the usual supliers have to charge - and I'm not suggesting they are overcharging. If you did decide to put something together yourself it's worth noting that it doesn't have to be as elaborate as the commercial ones. For in...

Fascinating, and such great craftsmanship - as ever.

Dave

Nigel Forster has some pretty pictures of his style of building on his website. DM

Are you aware of Graham McDonald's work: The Mandolin Project?

Good description of his build technique. Once you start reading about mandolins you find there is no standardised way of doing them. I have it on the list to try a flat backed version.

Good Luck Dave M

I have had by far my best results with bending the bindngs + purflings in the side bender along with the sides. One thing that hasn't been talked about much is the vertical bend required with a highly arched back which I use. Also round the sharp cutaway. I always struggled with this, given that aro...

Have to say I remembered to put my (wooden) binding in the bender with my sides on my latest build and got a much better fit than I usually do. I do the waist vertical bend on the pipe afterwards. This is on box with a pretty sharp cutaway curve.

Dave

Right of course. Dave

Bryan I would think your experience would suggest that you are building with what Trevor G calls a 'live back'. Thus when the box is on the bench the back is deadened so you are not getting that interaction between the top, back and the insides.

Possibly...

Dave M

Joe I have just looked at your database of string instruments and it is fascinating. Must take a huge amount of effort, congratulations.

Dave M

You must have endless patience cutting those roses.

It would seem a bit disrespectful of the chap in the painting to be using another instrument as a footstool!

Dave M

That does mean quite an arch on the top. As Barry says you are going to have to work out the geometry quite carefully. A few things come to mind. In no particular order: If you presize your sides based on a different radius they will likely be the wrong shape. Particularly if it is a cutaway. As you...

Randy good suggestions. I am lucky enough to have a well sealed workshop. The problem is mainly that due to the grass growing and gardening season I have been taking a break from building, so have not been running the dehumidifier. It then takes some days to dry everything out again. However I am us...

It's a bit ironic - I am bracing a soundboard, based in the UK, desperately trying to get the RH down below 50%. Doors tightly shut, dehumidifier going full blast, while you are trying to get water back into your boards! I guess this is what makes these international forums so useful; that we get so...

On another forum I saw that Roy Courtnall does kerfed linings in the usual way then glues a thin strip of timber on to the linings thus making a rather stiffer structure. It looks really neat and tidy. It may also address the OP's concerns with the aesthetics of the faceted look of reversed kerfed l...

Not sure if it is the sort of thing you are after but I find Guitar Pro very good for learning pieces. It provides the tab and the notes and will play the piece back as it is written using a (not great) sound synthesiser. The powerful thing being that you can slow it down and loop small phrases. The...

Freeman thanks very much for that. Since this a new area for me this is all useful stuff. I guess my query re spruce was partly prompted by what to my eyes looks like massive bracing compared with ordinary steel strings, and thinking perhaps spruce would be stiffer than Koa hence requiring a bit les...

I realise this is an old thread and my question is somewhat off topic but... If I was to build a lap steel to be used acoustically rather than amplified what do people think would be the right way to go about building a guitar with good acoustic volume? We could stay with the Wessie design to narrow...