Carl's guitar project.

[tsap seui]

I love to see the creativity of things we take for granted, Carl. I constantly walk around or sit around and look at my enviroment....askin', "How hte hell did they do this"..."what did this look like as they were building it", etc....I visualize what things lokked like as they came together. Just a quirk I have, a fascination about things around me.

 

Your photos really put together and bring into focus an instrument that so many good players give us pleasure hearing. My hat is off to you for your skills, and thanks for showing us the inner workings of a guitar.

 

I'd love to see your guitar in the hands of a flamingo genius bringing out the beauty of your work, and his. My God, the world is so much more than what we see.

 

tsap seui

[warpedbored]

Thanks Ron. A wee bit of progress. I got the linings and the side braces glued in today. A little sanding and clean up as well as one more pass through the radius dish and I'll be ready to close the box.

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/189593_4384639064541_1221147530_n.jpg

[chilton747]

Looking good Carl!!

[warpedbored]

I haven't worked much on the guitar lately. I had company from out of town and some other things. I did get a little time in on it last Sunday. I made yet another jig to cut the end block graft and made and installed the end graft. The end graft serves 3 functions. It is decorative, it covers up the seam where the two sides come together on the tail and because the end block itself has grain going the same direction as the sides it strengthens the end block, In case the guitar is ever dropped on the end pin it will help prevent the end block from splitting. It's made of Ziricote, the same wood I'm using for the fingerboard, head stock veneer and the bridge. Along the side I used black white black purfling.

 

http://oi47.tinypic.com/v3m90o.jpg

[chilton747]

Man that sure does look good Carl! How much you wanna bet that you never drop it?

[Mick]

It won't be long now, Carl. What kind of strings are you going to put on it?

[tsap seui]

I thought about you and you're project yesterday while I was working Carl. Wondered how it was progressing.

 

I admire your work, and with making jigs for everything before you start the actual task....patience, patience, patience.

 

tsap seui

[warpedbored]

Man that sure does look good Carl! How much you wanna bet that you never drop it?

It won't be long now, Carl. What kind of strings are you going to put on it?

I thought about you and you're project yesterday while I was working Carl. Wondered how it was progressing.

 

I admire your work, and with making jigs for everything before you start the actual task....patience, patience, patience.

 

tsap seui

I wouldn't bet I never drop it. Charles, I am somewhat of a klutz. Mick it's been so long since I bought any strings I don't know what brand is best anymore. I'm open to suggestions. They will be light guage and probably bronze wound. Tsap I'm tired of making jigs and you're right it does take a lot of patience.

 

Thank all of you for your interest. This project has been extremely educational and has given me more challenge than anything else I've ever built.

[chilton747]

Are you going to set the action and intonation yourself?

[warpedbored]

Yes, the action won't be too tough I don't think. The intonation is a little intimidating. Unlike an electric guitar that has individual adjusters for each string ,an acoustic you only have the saddle compensation angle and file forward or back on the edge of the saddle.

[chilton747]

Yes, the action won't be too tough I don't think. The intonation is a little intimidating. Unlike an electric guitar that has individual adjusters for each string ,an acoustic you only have the saddle compensation angle and file forward or back on the edge of the saddle.

 

That's gotta be real touchy. Yes the electric guitar is much easier I'll say. Years ago I always let Jimmy Atkins (Chet's older brother) set my guitars up but he is not around any longer so I have had to learn to do it myself. Can't just trust anyone to do this.

[warpedbored]

Rock stars have guitar technicians that travel with the band to do it for them. Without individual string adjustment it's pretty near impossible to get a guitar perfect. It all has to do with stretching the string when you push it down against the fret.. It makes the string longer thus increasing the distance to the saddle. If I understand it correctly the higher the action the more compensation needed. When you press the string it gets sharper toward the nut until you get past the 12th fret then it gets lower. A simple solution would be to make the saddle adjustable like an electric guitar. Unfortunately this isn't applicable since the amount of mass on the bridge at the top greatly influences the tone of an acoustic. The amount of metal in an electric setup would adversely affect the tone.

 

Pale green is back-slope and potentially a bearing surface for the string. Note that the B and the low E have a bit of meat under them behind the final point of contact. This is essential, so the windings of the string don't catch on a sharp edge. The pink surface is drop-off in front.

The green arrows and dots indicate the ideal point where the octave of the high E would be, based on a strict measurement of the distance from the nut to the center of the 12th fret times 2. In other words, even the high E is compensated as well.

 

 

http://www.lutherie.net/saddle.compensation1.jpg

[Yuanyang]

Carl, I'm amazed at the precision you've put into this. Then I see 'Trigger', Willie Nelson's guitar. I understand he'll never give this baby up.

 

http://guitarsmusic.net/files/2011/06/Willie-Nelsons-Guitar.jpg

[warpedbored]

Why it just has an extra sound hole Bob. It's amazing the bridge hasn't come off yet. I would bet money that this becomes one of the most collectible guitars ever made after Willie dies.

 

One of the most valuable guitars in America is Jimmy Rogers' 1927 Martin 000-45 with his name in pearl inlay on the neck and “Thanks” written upside down on the back. There are only 3 Jimmy Rogers guitars with enough documentation to pass muster however there are a lot of them that people claim were his. During his lean years when he was still becoming famous he would come into town, buy a guitar on credit from a music store then sell it at a pawn shop on his way out of town.

 

http://www.jimmierodgerssaga.com/images/Jimmie_rodgers_martin_guitar.jpg

[warpedbored]

Today I finished notching out the lining to allow the braces for the back to come through and glued the back on.

http://oi47.tinypic.com/258qe4n.jpg