Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

I should have mentioned that the demineralization cartridges according to the manufacturer need to be replaced too on average every 2 months. They sell the silver stick and 3 Demineralization cartridges in what they call an annual kit for about $80. So there are costs here and this the humidifier wa...

Yeah that sounds great - very balanced and sweet too. I found myself falling asleep listening to it which by the way is a compliment since I don't sleep well.

Great sounding guitar Kim!

Ah another Yankee who has a climate somewhat like mine... :D Hi Dennis. This unit is new and new to me too so I have no experience with it over time but promised in my review to let folks know how it does. I read the reviews that you posted a link to prior to purchasing this one. Time will tell but ...

OK my mistake - you guys have a very different climate than I do. I have to be either taking moisture out of the air or putting it back in - we only have a couple of weeks every year in which the RH is suitable for building. So my shop has to be on life support at all times which kind of sucks since...

Not sure if these are available in your neck of the woods but I wanted to do a review on a new humidifier that I just turned on in my shop in the last week. Where I live in Michigan our summers are typically in the 80's and the winters can be 6 months of 0 - 40F. As such the forced air heating is on...

Hi runner - very cool guitar!!! Do you have a first name M8 so that we can address you respectfully? Two things caught my eye here. The first is not using a truss rod. I understand why you didn't but what are you going to do if say 10 years down the road the forward or back bow of the neck develops ...

Great video Kim. I learned a bit different method but the idea is the same. Instead of using the next tuner down stream to measure the proper length of excess string one uses their fingers in combination combined with the experience to know how the thicker strings will wrap and how many winds you ne...

Welcome Tim and Bob! Tim I use the exact same jig and love it. You're right it takes up some space but that can be easily remedied by simply moving to a new shop with a house that comes with it... :D My Williams jig was made by Don himself and he also signed it for me. :) Not that I would try this b...

Alan I like step one in the link: "Step 1: After attaching the string to the bridge, bring it down the center of the peghead and thread it thru the tuning shafts hole." Yep - attaching the string to the bridge is important! :D That's the thing just like many things in guitar building there are lots ...

One of the many things that I learned from David Collins as embarrassed as I am to admit it was how to properly install strings on a guitar... For four decades I have been installing strings in a manner that worked fine but was less than ideal AND did not take advantage of the design of the tuners. ...

That's a very cool looking guitar you have there and I really like the shape of it too.

Nice job!

Frank Ford on his excellent site Frets.com indicates that when he is cutting nut slots he takes the headstock angle and halves it shooting for a nut slot back angle of in the 7-8 degree range. Even with a 13.5 degree back angle on your head stocks you can still cut your nut slots in the 7-8 degree r...

I forgot to mention that in my mention of "new to us" my meaning was that some of the things that folks are trying to do today with their own building has often been done before.... I know that you have several Howe Orme guitars and I also remember some of your comments regarding the tops on these v...

Acoustic guitars are really mechanical resonant transformers that match the impedance of the string's motion to the medium of air to set up alternatively negative and positive air pressure zones...sound waves...which the strings themselves are very poor at doing. The transformation from string ener...

Hi Ervin and a big welcome to the ANZLF from me too. I'm the one who spoke with you at HGF in 2007 out front and then you let me take some photos of you - one showing your remarkable ability to point your feet nearly backwards! :D Thank you too for signing my set of your books - they are now one of ...

:D Kind of brings new meaning to the term "stimulus money" now doesn't it... For the US to adopt anything like senior discounts at brothels there would first have to be great debate in our good-for-nothing congress. The so-called conservatives would have their concerns of course such as: 1) Would it...

kiwigeo wrote:Whoa this thread is degenerating....

Not at all and I was going to ask you Martin if you would post a tutorial?

Also this rocket thing.... do you think that we could solve the Iranian push to develop nuclear weapons by agreeing to sell them some of these rockets - used ones of course?

My friends thanks for your thoughts and thanks too for putting up with me. Kim upon rereading the original posts here you are completely correct in that the topic is broader than just Ervin's books - my mistake. I can't comment on the air pump vs. not an air pump because I am clueless regarding this...

Hesh, With all due respect surely a nicely built and sounding guitar that 'is' set-up correctly is credential enough, one does not need anyone's stamp if they have that. No 'trained under' badge on Mario Proulx's desk to qualify him, none needed, his instruments do all the talking. Hi Kim no need t...

Gaby tone and finishes are something that although many of us have opinions it's pretty impossible to quantify these beliefs. Nonetheless... :D I agree that a FP finish does seem to be less restrictive than some of the alternatives. My own opinion is because it is thinner and weighs less. I am a wei...

Regarding being a great lover I just noticed this emoticon and I am wondering if anyone else has a sick enough mind to find what this emoticon is doing suspect..... Watch carefully - it takes a few seconds...

I had Mexican food last night with a lot of hot sauce - can we talk about something else please?

I have an email in my in box this morning from a friend who lives in Ervin's area and attends the monthly meetings of their group of builders. Attendees can include Howard Klepper, Ervin, Siminoff and other top shelf, internationally known builders. What I hear is that each month someone will host t...

1.6 mm caught my eye too - that's roughly .070" which is pretty thin. Guitar builders will often use WRC at .125 - .130 if they are not as Rick said shooting for a specific deflection number. I've only built with WRC once and not only is it beautiful it makes a very nice sounding guitar - perhaps be...

I am wondering how folks polish their frets. I have been just using progressively finer grits of sandpaper finishing up with Micro-Mesh pads and getting decent results. It does take a while though... I read that a number of builders are using these wheels from Stew-Mac and I just ordered a set. http...