Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

This guitar was finished late last year. It is made using New Guinea rosewood back and sides and neck, with a Cedar top. The inlays are mother-of-pearl and ebony. It’s a “000’ size guitar with gold frets and gold tuners. On this guitar, the sides were laminated as an experiment, which possibly accou...

Hi, all very nice, inspirational in fact.
Cheers Taff

Hi, I use or have used all of the above, and most times, a combination of tools are used. The only knife I have used is the one in the photo. It would be what I use the most along with the japenese rasps. Taff

Hi, I agree that braces that are not checked into the linings could contribute to a more responsive top or back; however, the chance of a failed top or back, I think, is more likely. As a repairer for many years, I have repaired more guitars with braces that end at the kerfing and have not been chec...

Hi Tom, thanks for your input, much appreciated. I have three albums holding the prints of instruments I have built over the years. It's the thousands of photos of the "how-to-do" tasks that I have lost. Last month I started compiling printed copies with captions to make a book at some time. But tha...

We're using the word "shed"......a term that conjures up images of cobwebs, dust and piles of stuff you should have thrown away years ago. Workshop is a better term.... Hey Martin, I read this and thought you might have called around to my place whilst I was away, that's me to a Tee. However, I do ...

Hi, this is not a tutorial really, I just thought I would share another recent repair. All the braces in this guitar had become unglued from the back and top plates. Some In sections along their length and many others for the whole length of the brace, only being held in place because they were chec...

Hi, I second that comment about NGR. I have built dozens of instruments out of it over the years, and I love it. But, sorry, not for tops.
Taff

Hi, that's a beauty. A real eye catcher. I was wondering if the sound is significantly different from a flat-top baritone ukulele?
Cheers Taff

Hi, I was going through dozens of old plans that I had stored away and came across these old photocopies. How things have changed. I used to photocopy my tops, soundhole rosettes, and other parts, and store them away for future reference. Now there is the digital camera. Technology is a good thing. ...

Hi Glyn, welcome to the fold. Look forward to hearing from you.
Cheers Taff

Hi, I will contribute to this post because I love to build using NGR, but I will not be much help here as I have never built an archtop guitar. I did use it for a top once, but that was for a resonator guitar, so the sound quality would not be in evidence as the cone does the work. I have used it fo...

Hi, further to this project of modifying the Nomad nut files. I decided that when making a whole set I would do it this way, utilising part of the original. This gives me better visual access than I had with my original design. I do like the quick cutting of the diamond file, but the functionality o...

Hi Guy’s, thanks for your comments. Wayne, I did not have any plans for this guitar, other than what I have developed over the years. Back in the 1990’s I had a request for a Parlor guitar. What I did was to reduce the size of one of my regular models by removing 50mm or so from the centre of the bo...

Hi, Thanks, Martin. I don't remember where I got the meranti from. It was stock I cut up many years ago from another job. I did not realise it would be so red until I applied the finish. I'm in Adelaide in a few weeks, if I have time, it would be good to say gday.
Cheers Taff

Hi, here is my latest build, a Parlor guitar using Englemann spruce and EI Rosewood, which I imported from India some years ago. The neck is new Guinee Rosewood, the fingerboard is Ebony, and the bridge is Cooktown Ironwood. I carved the bridge to make it close to the weight of Rosewood. The binding...

Hi, I just thought I would share this little yarn. Alan, Ossie Bluesman, needed a new button for a tuner. I said I had a bunch and would sort one out for him, which I did. I was very surprised to find that my stash was so huge. I have a habit of throwing used, broken and unwanted parts into a contai...

Hi, That's a nice-looking guitar. I know the feeling when working with affected eyesight.
Cheers Taff

Hi Alan, those carpet pieces are only used in the repair shop. In the building area, I use bench top covering as you describe when needed. Overthinking is something I do very well. I find it better to remove unwanted/unnecessary features of a jig after a few uses than it is to use a jig that could h...

Hi again Alan, thanks for the comments. Tools, many I have created myself. In a recent count, I had 97 tools, jigs, and machines, that I could have bought from instrument suppliers but made them myself. Then again there are many, many store-bought tools in my shop. Here are a few more photos. The is...

Hi Alan, that’s a very nice looking bench, sturdy too. But I think it would be too small for the way I work. I have too many benches some would say. I have five in my repair area, four in my building area including a mobile go-bar deck, and one long bench in my machine shop. All of these I have made...

Hi Mac, I have been out of town dealing with a family emergency, I have just returned to my computer.

However, Mark has answered your questions exactly as I would have. I mark the holes for the neck threaded inserts after the top is on and the guitar is "boxed up".

Cheers Taff

Hi again Tony. Ok you want simple, I can do simple too. This was an early model. It all folds down to a flat pack type looking thing thing. Cheer Taff

Hi Tony, I am not aware of Trevor’s flex jig, but I thought mine, as basic as it is, may give you some ideas. I have used it for many years now. The beam that supports the weight and the dial gauge is movable back and forward and the weight and dial gauge can be moved side to side this enables any s...

Hi, In my recent post Rain Stopped Play, Mark commented on the two tuning machines on the peghead, so I thought I would answer it in a new post as they do not play a part in the neck-setting task covered there. The two tuners are so that I can put the two ‘E’ strings on the guitar to aid in better p...