Search found 242 matches

by James Mc
Sat Nov 06, 2010 6:55 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: The future of wood Acoustic guitars
Replies: 17
Views: 15799

Re: The future of wood Acoustic guitars

Quote: What happens when the greenies stop all logging everywhere? Well... first we have a huge party! Then, once we are over the hangover, we get stuck back into climate change, sustainable fisheries and a host of other issues. As for tonewoods, I don't see a time when small companies and individu...
by James Mc
Thu Jul 30, 2009 2:30 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Tassie Blackwood/Acacia for fretboard and bridge?
Replies: 12
Views: 12409

I think you guys should all get together and make a Monty Python style movie about guitar building.

James
by James Mc
Thu Jul 16, 2009 5:25 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: First overseas commissions completed.
Replies: 39
Views: 34776

Hi Allen First… great looking guitars! I love the clean classic look and that head shape works so well with it. I was wondering how you found building for someone who had firm ideas on what they wanted compared to building when you have all the creative power? As someone who only builds for fun an...
by James Mc
Sun Jul 12, 2009 7:59 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Home made plane - blades
Replies: 23
Views: 25771

I picked up one of these little mujingfang planes on ebay for about $20 with postage. Hard to say a bad thing about it and well worth the few extra bucks more than you would pay for brass Indian made one. It is so good that I'm thinking about buying some of the full size ones. http://www.anzlf.com/p...
by James Mc
Sun Jul 05, 2009 12:30 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: What's Your Most Popular Body Style - Guitars...
Replies: 26
Views: 19276

I don’t sell but I do the odd repair and get many requests for builds, I also have far too many guitarists taking up my time. For the past several months there has been a bunch of guitars sitting around my desk, Martin dread, Woodtone 14 fret about the size of a classical (is that OM?), old peg he...
by James Mc
Fri Jun 26, 2009 12:44 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: #2 Got some Finish
Replies: 15
Views: 13750

Hi Waddy,
Great guitar.... Love the rosette, contrasting timbers and that very nice looking german spruce top (much better grain lines than one I got locally for a small fortune). A very classy classical, well done.

Cheers
James
by James Mc
Thu Jun 25, 2009 11:25 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: What wood is this?
Replies: 6
Views: 6443

and here is the missing word "table". Today has been much too long.
by James Mc
Thu Jun 25, 2009 11:23 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: What wood is this?
Replies: 6
Views: 6443

Only a guess, but I made a sally wattle coffee and it looked much like that.
by James Mc
Wed Jun 24, 2009 11:01 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Neck Timbers
Replies: 16
Views: 16924

I haven’t made many guitars but over the years I’ve repaired a good number. One of the very few bits of organisation in my chaos theory life is the journal I keep notes and sketches in of any instrument I repair. So… after a quick flick through it I can tell you that… of the 23 guitars I’v...
by James Mc
Tue Jun 23, 2009 11:18 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Okay that's it....were banning banjos from the forum
Replies: 18
Views: 14706

Isn't that what all banjo players look like?
by James Mc
Thu Jun 18, 2009 2:01 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Thicknessing by hand
Replies: 47
Views: 36124

I was and mostly still am, very happy thicknessing with a plane, I have a few most are old English or Japanese ones I’ve picked up over the years so I can’t be much help with brand names. But there are times when a plane is a pain, like my first attempt at thinning down a very pretty almost whit...
by James Mc
Wed Jun 17, 2009 5:39 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Stew Mac Bending iron
Replies: 21
Views: 21161

I'm still using a couple of chunks of steel pipe (60mm and 100MM) with a metho burner for heat... I keep thinking about building something better but as the old saying goes ' If it ain't broken don't fix it'. I loved the one Taff made with the old bar heater element.

James
by James Mc
Mon Jun 15, 2009 7:16 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: King Billy on a dread?
Replies: 6
Views: 6632

Thanks Bob
That's pretty much what I was worried about and the set I have has a good bit of runout. I think I'll save it for a nylon string or lap harp. I want to use native timbers on this build so I'll see if I can find a nice quartered bit of Australian red cedar for the top.

cheers
James
by James Mc
Mon Jun 15, 2009 3:34 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: King Billy on a dread?
Replies: 6
Views: 6632

King Billy on a dread?

Hi All I'm planning my next couple of builds and one that I'm considering is a dreaded Dreadnought - Blackwood with a King Billy top. I love the sound of the little guitar (about Martin 00 Size) I built for my lady with the messy King Billy top, but it is about as far as I'd want to go in terms of s...
by James Mc
Sun Jun 14, 2009 1:11 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: What's you your workbench?
Replies: 203
Views: 162588

Hi Michael Looks great! One of my first posts on this forum was about Australian weed woods and their possible use as guitar timbers. Camphor Laurel was on my hot list as a very beautiful timber that seemed likely to work, but I couldn't find a single example of anyone using it on an acoustic. In te...
by James Mc
Mon Jun 08, 2009 7:00 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: What's you your workbench?
Replies: 203
Views: 162588

Hi Allen
They are looking great... I like the color of the bindings with the Cocobolo what have you used?

Would it work to hit them with steel wool or wet and dry to tone down that shine?
by James Mc
Thu Jun 04, 2009 6:27 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Shipping Instruments
Replies: 5
Views: 6676

Hi Dom I've sent a few with Australian Air Express (http://www.aae.com.au/) never had a problem yet and only one was in a hard case, the others were in cardboard guitar boxes. I had my little sister send my old flamenco up from Melbourne with them a few weeks ago. She wrapped it in bubble wrap and s...
by James Mc
Tue Jun 02, 2009 11:43 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: rookie mistake?
Replies: 19
Views: 16640

Hi Liam Just so you know that it's not you, tonight I broke 8 off quarter PNG rosewood bindings to get 4 good ones. The only other timber I've had this much trouble with is South American rosewood. In both cases it was offcuts from sides that bent really well. I bend on a hot pipe and success came f...
by James Mc
Thu May 14, 2009 4:53 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: What's you your workbench?
Replies: 203
Views: 162588

Well it has been over 20 years between guitars and has taken a while, but sitting on my bench is the little guitar I made for my better half. Flamed maple back and sides, messy KB pine top, silky oak trimming. Neck is laminated waratah, maple and silky oak. I don't like the fretboard, but the better...
by James Mc
Mon May 11, 2009 3:13 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Shell laminate!
Replies: 10
Views: 9673

I recently got some beautiful raw Paua/Abalone Shell Pieces from guy who sells it on ebay. 100grms (3.5oz) was a tad less than $20 and was here within a week. He has an Australian bank account so direct deposit is ok, which is great for people like me who have never got around to getting a paypal ac...
by James Mc
Fri May 08, 2009 1:43 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: A flight of whimsy
Replies: 9
Views: 7432

I watched a classical with a fancy back being built when I was in Sevilla. They used acoustic veneer (thin maple veneer with a thicker veneer of spruce glued with the grain at 90 deg) the fancy work on the outside of the back was veneer of almond wood, spanish cedar and ebony. Ebony octagon in the c...
by James Mc
Tue Apr 28, 2009 2:10 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Free guitar plan downloads
Replies: 1
Views: 6264

Free guitar plan downloads

Hi All I got some timber from this mob once, it was great but the AUD to euro exchange rate made it very expensive. But the point of this post is that they have a bunch of free guitar plans you can download in PDF format. Probably not much there for the more experienced luthiers but thought it could...
by James Mc
Mon Apr 27, 2009 3:36 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Any hot tips for removing old frets?
Replies: 13
Views: 12436

Any hot tips for removing old frets?

Hi All I have an old Simon and Patric dred that I want to make playable again. It has a number of minor problems like a cracked brace and a couple of cracks in the top near the edge of the upper bout. But the main issue with playability is that the strings have worn groves in the frets two to five a...
by James Mc
Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:20 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: sap wood on a spruce top?
Replies: 1
Views: 2950

sap wood on a spruce top?

Hi All I don't seem to be able to pass up B, C maybe even D grade tops with interesting grains or colours. Recently I got a couple of nasty $20 sitka spruce tops that seem to have sap wood in the tight grain side and I guess what people are calling bear claw marks. They seem to tap much like the muc...
by James Mc
Thu Apr 23, 2009 1:52 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Queensland Maple
Replies: 15
Views: 13935

I already have more wood than I have time or projects to use it on, but It's an addiction so I'd be interested... I really need to see about getting some shock treatment.