How many Luthiers we got here??

[Joseph Miller]

I would really love to find out how many of you are into Luthiery. I am planning on building a guitar someday and have built a couple instruments from kits, but it would be awesome to see some examples that some Creekers have built. I also would like to get some input on what tools I would need to get started into the field of building instruments, and where are some good places to get supplies. i.e. stew-mac, etc.

thanks!!

[Andy London]

Here is a good friend, fellow woodturner that I met at my mothers church where he was a pastor many years ago and he makes musical instruments. He is one super nice guy and an amazing woodworker. He doesn't hang on any of the forums but I know he would be happy to answer any questions you have.

His name is Darrell Feltmate

http://www.aroundthewoods.com/

[markus shaffer]

Joseph

I've build several electric guitars and basses over the past few years. Nothing all too exciting but playable instruments nonetheless. Depending on what you want to make will determine what tools would be useful to you. For me, the basics of a bandsaw, drill press, and router are essential. I mostly use the small Festool router, but would advocate getting a laminate trimmer and also a Dremal with the router base that Stew Mac offers. If you plan to do anything hollow, either electric or acoustic, a scrollsaw is nice, but not necessary. The last telecaster I made was a hollowbody and I cut the soundhole with a scrollsaw. It came out much nicer than any previous attempts I had made and was much faster as well.

Below are a couple links to websites that are a good starting point.

http://www.lmii.com/Default.asp

http://www.projectguitar.com/

StewMac is a good source as well and some of their tools I think would certainly be a worthwhile investment if one were to go into building many guitars for a living. An example of that would be the fret wire bender. Perhaps one could make it for much cheaper, but the concept as a timesaver seems a worthwhile investment to me.

Google search for "custom guitars", "custom luthiery" etc. will give you all sorts of sites to look at as there are dozens if not hundreds of small shops producing amazing insturments. I recall even seeing a few with shop tours and photos of guitars being built. Also, as I'm sure you know, there are many books and videos on the subject as well. I myself bought Robert Benedetto's book Making an Archtop Guitar. One of these days I'll get around to making one of them even..

Good luck.


-Markus

[Vaughn McMillan]

The closest I've come to building a guitar was a little lap slide I made years ago (someday I'll get some pics to post). It was more of a hunk of maple with tuners, strings and pickup than true "luthiery". I also did some relatively minor guitar repair (mostly electrics, but some acoustics) back when I was teaching lessons and working in a drum & guitar shop, so I know most of the basics about guitar construction. I'd like to try my hand at building one or two guitars, but I think I'd be doing it from a kit instead of trying to start from scratch. Grizzley has a pretty extensive luthier's catalog. You can check it out at http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2005/luthier/001.cfm?.

I seem to recall other Creekers who are into this type of stuff, so you'll likely be seeing them chime in...

- Vaughn

[Keith Christopher]

Not me, but it is on my list of "projects to try". I read everything I can on it but haven't taken the plunge yet.

[markus shaffer]

Forgot one...

http://www.frets.com/

[Bud Kincaid]

I am also in the "studying about" building an acoustic guitar stage. I've done some repair work, but have not quite pulled the trigger on building one. In addition to the web sites already mentioned, let me add one of the best I've found. It has a great discussion forum, helpful and friendly members, an archived library of past posts, and much more.

http://mimf2.qwk.net/cgi-bin/WebX

Good luck with your project and keep us posted on your results.

[John Bailey]

Joseph,

I don't consider myself a luthier, but I've made a couple dozen mountain dulcimers. You can check out my early posts to see pictures. If you want to start making instruments, mountain dulcimers are a good first project. The design is not as critical to the instrument sounding correct. In fact I've built and played them for about 25 yrs. now and I can't say I know what a "correct" sound is for a mountain dulcimer. It just needs to sound good to you. As far as tools, I've built all mine with hand tools and a radial arm saw. The only tool I wish I had, that I've never had, is a bandsaw. It would have been much easier to cut thin boards. It's been a pain with the RAS. Also, I'd like to get a very small plane. That would come in handy. If you build one, make sure to fill us in on the progress.

John

[Joseph Miller]

John,

Actually a few years ago I did build an hourglass dulcimer. It was walnut and a very nice instrument. But it was a kit so that doesn't really make me anything near a "luthier" But I really did enjoy it. I have an old scroll saw that i used for cutting out rosettes, trimming soundboard etc. the thing weighs a ton and is mounted to a 5 or 6" steel I-beam. other than that it was hand tools only. the dulcimer is in my parents house in PA or I would post some pics.

[Mike Vermeil]

There's a show on the DIY network entitled "Handmade Music" which chronicles the building of different types of wooden instruments by hand. So far I've seen them make an acustical guitar and I believe a violin. I'm not musical at all, just ask my wife, but I enjoy watching the show when I stumble across it. It's pretty well made compared to some of those dorky DIY woodworking shows.

[Jim Hager]

I made this one from a kit I got from The Guitar Connection. It is a Martin D-28 that they take parts off the line and pack your kit. It had the neck shaped but no frets, sides prebent, and recesses around the soundhole to put the strips in. Other than that the rest of it was done by hand including shaping the purfling and inlaying the back and edges of the guitar. I've done went and forgot some of the terminology that it took to put it together. This is the only one I have done but I wanta do another some day.


http://a1.cpimg.com/image/D1/30/15690961-7226-028001E0-.jpg
http://a0.cpimg.com/image/D0/30/15690960-990c-028001E0-.jpg

I would have never thought that this guitar could have sounded the way it does. It actually rivals other factory buildt D-28's. Now mind you that this was built from a kit but it was a very challenging task for me to complete. I'm more of a cabinet hack:D If you look carefully in the lower picture you can see my wife's quilt pattern in the reflection on the back of the guitar.

If you are not wanting to build from a kit I don't guess I did you any good. I chose that route because I did not have the confidence that I could make the neck like it needs to be.

[Joe Judge]

I'm a luthier wanna-be, sidetracked by woodworking :-)
(darned lathe is so addictive)

There are a few luthier forums worth watching.

MIMF is the first, filled with a range of luthiers who enjoy discussing details, theory, acoustics, techniques, etc. Register, so you can log in and actually peruse the library of archived discussions.

I watch a few others (projectguitar, guitar builders, 13th fret, etc.)

You wanted examples: sorry these aren't great pics, but here they are:
1 overly veneered (http://personal.intrusion.org/pictures/index.php3?pageType=folder&currDir=./2004-10-04)wolfgang style solidbody, some repairs (http://personal.intrusion.org/pictures/index.php3?pageType=folder&currDir=./2004-06-27), a rebuild of a silvertone archtop (http://personal.intrusion.org/images/silvertone_custom.jpg), etc.

In my upstairs workroom, I've got 3 acoustic flat tops needing repair, a hollowbody all apart, and a solid-body bass that needs stripped and refinished. (the basement holds the lathe, bandsaw, and other 'dirty' work)

-- joe

[John Bailey]

Joseph,

What kit did you use? In my retirement I've taken on a part-time music job. I teach band and choir. I've got a group of 5th grades boys who play the dulcimer. We need some dulcimers for the school and it would be a good project to have the boys and their dads build the dulcimers, then play them at school. I'd like to know how they went together and if you would recommend the kit you used.

John

[Keith Foster]

A solid body electric is one of the first projects I will be attempting. Just picked up a nice swamp ash blank on e-bay, so as soon as the shop is put together I'll be off and running. For the first one I've secured a pre-built neck that was given to me by a rather infamous luthier who also happens to own a woodworking machine company. :rolleyes: But number two is planned to be totally from scratch.

[Doug Shepard]

An instrument build or two is high up on my project to-do list. In addition to links some of the others have posted (Frets, MIMF, etc), here's a few other place worth visiting:
http://luthierforum.com (http://luthierforum.com/) VERY good site
http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi Pretty much Mandolin specific but a lot of the tips/techniques are directly applicable to guitar building.
http://www.mikeouds.com/messageboard/index.php Specific to ouds and bazoukis, but hey - they got strings and wood too;)
http://onlineapprentice.com/ Classical guitar build tutorial

[Rick Whitehead]

I've built several instruments, but I can't call myself a luthier.
I have been working with wood every since I was a kid. I've always been fascinated wirh wood and the things you can do with it.
Shortly after I graduated from high school, I moved to Albuquerque, NM. My dad had moved there before the rest of the family, and he had run across a guy there who taught a class in guitar making. When he told me about it, I had him sign me up immediately!
I built my first instrument there , an acoustic guitar, Over the next few years, I built 4 more acoustic guitars,one electric, two banjos, 35 dulcimers, and a mandolin, which is still unfinished.
I wanted to be a professional luthier, but I couldn't do it at the time. To make a very long story short,I ended up doing carpentry and woodworking instead.I did do an occasional repair on an instrument, and bought, repaired,and sold some also.
I had always thought that I would take up luthiery again after I retired. I have some books, tools, and wood that I saved back for that.However, the other day it hit me that I really don't have what it takes to succeed as a luthier. The main reason is that I'm not a musician. I love music, but I don't play an instrument. I can tune a guitar, but that's about it.So, I painfully realized that I should give up that dream of being a luthier.
On the other hand, If there is any way I can help you, or anyone else that is interested in building a guitar, I will be happy to do so. I'm better at answering specific questions than trying to describe the whole process, so please feel free to post questions or PM me.I'm not an expert, but I will be glad to help with what I know.
I wish you the best with your guitar making! I know you will enjoy it.
Hope this helps.
Rick

[scott spencer]

Can't say as though I really qualify, although I'm in the middle of building my first electric guitar. Time will tell if I succeed...I guess it has to make guitar-like sounds to qualify as a guitar. It's a little trickier than an average bookshelf!

I found a great musical instrument forum called MIMF.com. Lotta great info there, but I gotta admit the website format isn't quite as slick as what we're used to here.

[Dan Forman]

This is also on my to do list. Thanks to all who have contributed links, they will all be explored.

Dan

[Joseph Miller]

Joseph,

What kit did you use? In my retirement I've taken on a part-time music job. I teach band and choir. I've got a group of 5th grades boys who play the dulcimer. We need some dulcimers for the school and it would be a good project to have the boys and their dads build the dulcimers, then play them at school. I'd like to know how they went together and if you would recommend the kit you used.

John

John,
The kit was from MusicMakers. At the time it cost $99. I think it is up to around 119 or 129 now. The kit went together nicely, the sides were pre-bent so that made a big diference, and the fretslots were cut but the frets were still in the form of a long coil of "wire" which had to be cut and pressed in and sanded. The fretboard inlays, rosettes, and all that stuff had to be done, but frankly that detail stuff is part of what i really enjoy. I had a choice of a cherry or walnut kit, but I went with the walnut cuz i think it is one of the most beautiful woods. I love dark wood.
Anyway, I would definitely suggest the kit, it is simple yet involved at the same time. you can go to as much or as little detail and extra cosmetic stuff as you want. I think your class would really enjoy it!

[Joseph Miller]

Jim,
I would have no problem building from a kit, And that is a very nice looking guitar. Do you know of any kits that offer a cutaway?
Thanks

[Jim Hager]

Jim,
I would have no problem building from a kit, And that is a very nice looking guitar. Do you know of any kits that offer a cutaway?
Thanks

I think that a kit from Martin's Guitar Connection is available with a cut away but I am not sure about that. Might just check with their website.

The kits are not cheap but are made from some really nice woods. Rosewood, sitka spruce, spanish cedar, cocobollo, and the list goes on. My kit was $425 but very well worth it for what I got on the tail end.

Gonna do another one in the future.