Search found 174 matches

by simonm
Thu Sep 23, 2021 5:18 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Inside mould
Replies: 5
Views: 6358

Re: Inside mould

The StewMac kits used to come with a cardboard inside mould. I did both a D and a Triple O more than a decade ago. Haven't checked if they have changed that. Worked quite well.
by simonm
Tue Mar 02, 2021 1:17 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: This level of confidence is scary
Replies: 13
Views: 13029

Re: This level of confidence is scary

... I saw a video a good while back showing a guy bending and fitting sides. The machine had a steam system and was hydraulic as far as I remember. He popped in 4 sides, closed the top down slowly (a bit like a fox bender), the left it to cook for a few mins. ... Well I got that wrong. I searched a...
by simonm
Mon Mar 01, 2021 8:01 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: This level of confidence is scary
Replies: 13
Views: 13029

Re: This level of confidence is scary

As far as I know that company is mainly known for entry level/lower end guitars. The $500 category. A now deceased German maker (60+ years experience when I met him) said that a guitar retailing in the 800-1000 area (incl tax) could not have more than 5 hours worth of labour in it if the factory was...
by simonm
Tue Feb 23, 2021 11:24 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Overseas payments
Replies: 12
Views: 11859

Re: Overseas payments

... Direct Deposit from their Bank to yours. This one is prefered by most of my clients in Europe. ... Within the EU these are called "Sepa" transfers. Basically Swift as far as I know. Pretty much every invoice you will ever see in the EU has the businesses bank details on the footer. Two data poi...
by simonm
Fri Dec 04, 2020 5:57 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Great sharpening set up
Replies: 7
Views: 8661

Re: Great sharpening set up

Thanks. Another for the to do list. I have a look at a couple of other videos from the same guy. Quite interesting. The homemade cyclone caught my eye.
by simonm
Fri Nov 27, 2020 9:35 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: More mandolin thoughts - the end result
Replies: 13
Views: 13060

Re: More mandolin thoughts - the end result

I wonder would a laminated back of some kind do the trick. You would obviously have to figure out a marketing angle to make it "premium" instead of "plywood" bit it might be worth a shot. e.g "double back, triple back, special re-inforced back" .

Great to hear of the success. :cl
by simonm
Fri Nov 27, 2020 9:28 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Movement at The Station
Replies: 7
Views: 8495

Re: Movement at The Station

And I thought I had too much wood.

Looking great. Have fun. :D
by simonm
Thu Nov 26, 2020 10:40 pm
Forum: Anything Goes
Topic: Anyone here got any experience of Crowdfunding?
Replies: 2
Views: 11429

Re: Anyone here got any experience of Crowdfunding?

Thanks Steve! I will PM you when I get my thoughts together.
by simonm
Tue Nov 24, 2020 9:46 pm
Forum: Anything Goes
Topic: Anyone here got any experience of Crowdfunding?
Replies: 2
Views: 11429

Anyone here got any experience of Crowdfunding?

If anyone has any experiences of using a crowding funding site in any capacity, raising money, giving, or lending money, can you please say something about the experience and which site was involved?


Thanks,

Simon
by simonm
Sun Nov 22, 2020 8:21 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: It’s not your fault but
Replies: 7
Views: 7997

Re: It’s not your fault but

For those in Europe this well known Berlin based shop https://www.fine-tools.com/messkeil.html (Dieter Schmidt) has a variety of gauges including the one Trevor mentioned @ 10.95 Euros incl vat. and a slightly cheaper version of the same one in ABS. There is also a Starrett gauge more like Jim's for...
by simonm
Tue Sep 08, 2020 6:56 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: french polishing courses/tutorials?
Replies: 7
Views: 7413

Re: french polishing courses/tutorials?

I found a sequence of 9 videos by Pablo Requena, a builder in the UK. They seem to be all in the 20-25 mins range. I looked at the first 3 so far. He is using epoxy as a grain filler for the back and sides and pumicing the neck.

https://www.youtube.com/user/redkitekk/videos
by simonm
Tue Sep 01, 2020 8:50 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: french polishing courses/tutorials?
Replies: 7
Views: 7413

Re: french polishing courses/tutorials?

Thanks for all the comments to date. I have also being reviewing the relevant section in "the books" :-) I looked at some Richard Howell videos a year or two back. It was a quite different approach to anything I had seen up to that point and one thing that stuck in mind about the technique was his v...
by simonm
Sun Aug 30, 2020 7:57 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: french polishing courses/tutorials?
Replies: 7
Views: 7413

french polishing courses/tutorials?

I want to improve my finish work. So far I have done light french polished shellac finishes but would also consider any brushed on finishes. I started off with the Milburn tutorials. I am up around 25-30, mainly classical, guitars at this stage but my finish is not as professional as it could be. I ...
by simonm
Wed Jun 03, 2020 8:51 am
Forum: Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Design and Build - Trevor Gore
Topic: Trevor’s video by Robbie
Replies: 14
Views: 24899

Re: Trevor’s video by Robbie

My mic is on an adjustable tripod microphone stand so it should be OK.
I suspect there must be more devices "leaking" a 50hz buzz not just the transformer.
by simonm
Wed Jun 03, 2020 12:40 am
Forum: Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Design and Build - Trevor Gore
Topic: Trevor’s video by Robbie
Replies: 14
Views: 24899

Re: Trevor’s video by Robbie

I grabbed the video too. :-) I have just been doing my first attempt at measuring wood properties. Not as easy as Trevor makes it look. I haven't done the calculations yet. I need to set up the spreadsheet first. Lots of noise pollution sources. First one is the power supply for the pre-amp for the ...
by simonm
Fri May 29, 2020 6:50 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: The order of things ...
Replies: 14
Views: 15646

Re: The order of things ...

Trevor Gore wrote:
Fri May 29, 2020 6:31 pm
...

Yes, you do! :D
...
OK ... I'll have to admit that. :lol:
by simonm
Fri May 29, 2020 6:45 pm
Forum: Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Design and Build - Trevor Gore
Topic: having a go at spectrums
Replies: 11
Views: 14262

Re: having a go at spectrums

Thanks Trevor. I will practice a bit more and see if I can improve it.
by simonm
Fri May 29, 2020 4:06 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: The order of things ...
Replies: 14
Views: 15646

Re: The order of things ...

I wonder is it a steel string vs classical guitar thing? I no no-one who frets before gluing the fretboard? I wonder what the factories doing classicals do. Hmm ...
by simonm
Fri May 29, 2020 3:51 am
Forum: Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Design and Build - Trevor Gore
Topic: having a go at spectrums
Replies: 11
Views: 14262

Re: having a go at spectrums

Got my microphone set up this afternoon and had another go at getting a spectrum. Do these look better? My immediate reaction is that they are both quite similar. One is very recent, the other is about 2 years old. Construction is also quite different but both are clearly "guitar shaped objects" to ...
by simonm
Tue Apr 07, 2020 12:19 am
Forum: Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Design and Build - Trevor Gore
Topic: having a go at spectrums
Replies: 11
Views: 14262

Re: having a go at spectrums

Thanks guys. The microphone is definitely crappy. I have mislaid the power supply for the pre-amp to go with my share microphone. I set up VA according to the instructions. Having read your comments I tried the crappy mic on a mac (audacity) and a win10 (VA) along with there internal mics. It was qu...
by simonm
Mon Apr 06, 2020 6:29 am
Forum: Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Design and Build - Trevor Gore
Topic: having a go at spectrums
Replies: 11
Views: 14262

having a go at spectrums

I have two classical boxes closed up and will be putting the bridges on in the next day or so. Unfortunately, I don't have my "books" with me and with our current lock-down (Spain) I doubt if I will seem them again for a few months. I made an attempt at spectrums just now and really don't know where...
by simonm
Tue Mar 10, 2020 8:21 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Ears
Replies: 4
Views: 9062

Re: Ears

There is a Gibson place in the Grand old Optry shopping mall in Nashville, or was when I was there about a decade ago, hmm or maybe it was even a bit longer ago. Anyway, it was a great experience for me too. Among the things I tried was an SJ of some kind also for about $6k. compared to the only two...
by simonm
Wed Dec 25, 2019 9:19 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Wood Waste
Replies: 9
Views: 12302

Re: Wood Waste

I believe some people use sawdust in conjunction with composting toilets. p.s. Over the years I have seen various woodworkers on Ebay selling offcuts for things like marquetry. Today I saw a Spanish tonewood dealer (Maderas Barber) is selling offcuts by the pallet quoting the calorific value for fir...
by simonm
Sat Nov 02, 2019 10:09 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Hacked
Replies: 6
Views: 8429

Re: Hacked

My old website (devoid of content at the time) was banned by my service provider which meant that I had to move my email address to a 3rd party provider. The reason? Someone was attacking my empty site for a denial of service attack on some other site on the shared server it was hosted on. Attacking...
by simonm
Thu Apr 04, 2019 11:07 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: how thick should a Uke headstock be?
Replies: 2
Views: 4102

Re: how thick should a Uke headstock be?

Thanks Allen. Just what the doc ordered. :-)