Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

I have been away and have just re connected with the forum. I'll answer you! I would get an Allparts self adhesive clear pickguard and cut it to size. You might need to clean the surface of the instrument with methylated spirit or Naptha to remove any oiliness in that area first. Naptha will remove ...

Stewmac has entered the debate! These guys will do anything for a sale! :cl http://www.stewmac.com/Materials_and_Supplies/Nuts_and_Saddles/ZerO_Glide_Nuts.html?lac_guid=ee3c11bc-cd76-e611-80cd-ecb1d775572a&utm_campaign=m7030&utm_medium=email&utm_source=EPA&utm_content=m7030_N_20160909 Do you have ze...

I have seen concretors use polystyrene foam to fill out slabs. I also know someone who has an electric solar powered heating arrangement under his slab, which raises the floor temp enough for the natural heating in the building to work much more efficiently. I know it's all probably above your budge...

I have noticed that, after a couple of days my hide glue develops mould in the pot. I am worried that an instrument, improperly treated ie subject to high RH, would develop mould even though the glue might still hold. I have been mixing it up fresh every time I use it now to avoid the issue and main...

I'm wondering how you are using the logs. Are you burying them? I would be worried about them attracting termites. What I'm writing here for the sake of things now I have thought of it, is some info on termites. This may help others who are looking to understand how to protect timber storage and bui...

I use some heat lamps that used to live in a ceiling/heat lamp device in my bathroom. The kids kept leaving them on and with the high electricity costs in Australia these days, I took them out to the shed. I use a microphone boom stand to hold them over the instrument. Ross

I enjoy people's build threads immensely. I noticed in one photo that you have some Tightbond liquid hide glue there. Apart from wondering what you use it for, I decided to search the forum for references to it. I have never used it, and use hot hide glue or Tightbond Original. (There was a good sug...

If the neck is too floppy, even with a truss rod,route some carbon fibre into the neck under the fingerboard and epoxy it in. I find that it increases sustain. I believe that less energy is lost in the neck and more goes into the body. Not so sure about electrics, but I think it's true for acoustic ...

I'm really just a hack builder who occasionally surprises himself by turning out a passable guitar.

That might make a good signature!!!

Please don't get me wrong, Martin. To clarify things, I'm not disputing anything you said, Martin. I hold your skills, your posts, the fact that you care enough to contribute and make an effort as a moderator and the help and mentoring that I have received from you and others through this great foru...

Insurance discount or not, the idea is that sprinklers are relatively affordable given that the pump and infrastructure is already in place, and the time it would take to re establish, even with an insurance payout, would be substantial-resulting in a loss of business, loss of irreplaceable items et...

"I went to my plane drawer to get a plane with a sharp blade I found a new looking Lie Nelson #62 low angle jack plane that I have no idea that I had or when I might of bought it." I'm calling BS on that one!!! :D Kiwigeo, you are obviously younger than us! Or sharp as a tack! I can relate. The wor...

The sprinkler system would still be a good idea. You probably know that fires burn rather quickly uphill. As to get the hell out" that is also my plan as I am in a high fire danger area where it would be nigh impossible to sort out any protection. The cost of insuring all that gear, the instruments ...

From the look of the surrounding bushland, have you thought about bushfire safety and a fire plan. What is your water supply? An investment in a water bore, solar pump and an elevated gravity feed storage tank that won't be affected by fire is the ideal solution. A bore licence is a one off fee, not...

I started building guitars right after the 2008 crash ... The answer given above would work for the following question: How to find the best tone wood at the best prices from a luthiers stash? Feel free to PM me if things don't work out and I'll see if I'm flash for cash or not...if not I can offer...

I just lifted this from a luthiers website:

How do I get the best deal from a luthier?

Call when they're broke.

I do agree about the comments regarding the blackwood. However, the gist of my comments is really that we as a culture need to value timber more. I would rather see blackwood plantations rather than pinus radiata being used for purposes where it could substitute for pine...and select grades used for...

In the thread on the forum you link to, one contributor posts the comment QS oak guitars are as nice looking as any exotic, and I can drive to my lumberyard in 10min. and buy it for $6.50/bf. . I'm wondering if he is referring to Queensland Silky Oak? If so, such a rare timber, relatively rare and t...

On a practical level, the holes for the string ball ends, no matter what's underneath to secure them, are plain spruce.Give that a few years of string changing and the spruce would look pretty shoddy. To my mind, even if there is a vector force counteracting the string pull angle, the end result wou...

Great question and a succinct answer, thanks guys for another good thread! Ross

Thank you so much for posting all this. I just love build threads, and these kind of things help to make this an outstanding forum. My internet is tediously slow due to an oversubscribed satellite service out here in the Australian bush, however, and large threads are time consuming to troll through...

Here it is! Semi acoustic. My friend bought his 55 years ago and has played it regularly at gig ever since...it's not a fully acoustic instrument, but it has a unique sound and is was made by Aussie legend Bill May. The one my friend has was the first series, the second lot was made by his son. I'm ...

Rod, just to clarify things. Is this going to be a full body depth acoustic bass with or without pickups? If fully acoustic, will it be played into microphones mainly at gigs, and are you hoping to make an instrument which will stand alone as an acoustic with both volume and tight fat low end in a t...

I can't find the model of the Maton of which I speak. But they have quarter sawn spruce tops on them. The body width and depth are greater than the Hoffners. If I find out I'll post the details.-Ross

Acoustic, electric, semi acoustic or full depth body? Arching stiffens the top, so I think you have quite a challenge there...have a look at info on these flat top basses as posted by Graham Mc Donald: http://www.anzlf.com/download/file.php?id=8008 There are a few discussions on this forum, some goo...