Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Prices are here - http://petercoombe.com/prices.html

Yea, lucky bugger. I am still waiting for my CNC to arrive and am beginning to wonder if it will ever arrive. Is looking like a big mistake.

Peter

I have been shipping mandolins to the USA and Europe for around 18 years. Have always used DHL, with one exception (never again). The last shipment was about $600 fully insured, so $3000 for a guitar does not sound right to me. You can check for yourself on the DHL web page, there is an application ...

Mmm. I gave up on Stew Mac fretwire many years ago. Even with Stew Mac supplied slotted fretboards the fretwire is a cow to get seated. Switched to Jim Dunlop fretwire and fretting went from being a nightmare to a pleasure. Ditch the Stew Mac fretwire, get some Jim Dunlop wire, and get yourself a de...

Wondering if anyone has successfully imported braz with a pre-CITES certificate? Was it painless? Any tips or advice would be much appreciated No, have not done it. Way too expensive and risky for me. All my BRW is pre CITES sourced domestically. As far as I can determine it should be theoretically...

Gibson has settled the case with the US Dept of Justice. Looks to me like they decided better admit defeat and pay the fine or else risk massive legal bills. It resolves nothing. http://www2.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/Features/en-us/Gibson-Comments-on-Department-of-Justice-Settlemen.aspx?utm_source=i...

Well after removing the strings and poking around inside, it doesn't look as bad as first thought. Can't find anything loose inside and the neck is not as twisted as it looks. The problem with the neck is mostly a nut that is more than twice as high on one side as the other, and frets filed so low o...

For lowering the action you could try to file down the saddle. Ho, Ho very funny!! I was thinking along the lines of what Trevor said. Bridge doctor, tweek the truss rod and hope to get away with the neck twist. Fixing the neck twist properly is likely to take a fair bit of time and is probably not...

A fellow has just dropped off an old Gibson Kasha braced guitar with some serious issues. He wants to know if I can fix it. I am tempted to tell him to take it back and buy a new guitar since the issues are pretty serious. However, it is worth asking you lot what you think and what I can do to fix i...

Has been fine and sunny here in Bega NSW. Has been 37-45% RH in the workshop for many weeks. Have been flat out gluing as much as I can. Today is supposed to be 19deg and dry, tomorrow 18deg and dry. Wonderful. Summer time is another matter.

Peter

G'day Bob Lucky you. I bought near to a trailer load of billets from what I believe is the same source some years ago. Got it from a wood dealer in Canberra who ordered it specially for me and he told me it came from a fellow who cut wood for Maton in the Otways. It was all green chainsawn billets, ...

I have finally got mine. I love it. It will get lots of use. It falls somewhere in between a block plane and a finger plane. Useful for jobs where a block plane is too big but it gives you more control than a finger plane. Is also much more comfortable in the hand than a finger plane. Is not much us...

Well after all the horseshit I was expecting to hear a few notes. Did not happen.

Peter

Looking closely at the picture if I had to guess I would say it was Engelmann, but it is very hard to pick Spruce species unless it is Sitka so may still be European. However, if it is as soft as Cedar that makes it even more likely it is Engelmann. You definately have runout. Engelmann is usually c...

I would go as far as saying the Euro is as soft as cedar. Mmm, don't like the sound of that. If it was me I would send it back and get the (really, really) good stuff from Florinette ( http://www.tonewood.ch ) in Switzerland. Guaranteed to be the genuine stuff and FSC certified so is sustainably lo...

The problems have been with the actual physical bits. Some have had problems with things not wired up properly, sometimes dangerously wrong, others have had problems with it just not working at all, or one controller blown but the others work ok. Some people have just thrown the controller in the bi...

There has been some discussion about these on the woodworking forum. Basically it is buyer beware. They are not shipped from Australia, but come direct from China. Just look at the shipping cost. It doesn't cost over $500 to ship within Australia. Some people have bought these and have had few probl...

The violin makers plane.

Peter

Well after following Dominic's link I fell into temptation and ordered one. They have sold out!

And, even with their size, once the box is closed, you can't get your hands in!

That is not just a problem with basses, I have the same problem. Once a mandolin box is closed up that is it, no access.

Peter

I'm with Lillian, especially if it is the real stuff ( Swietenia Macrophylla ). If it is the real stuff, go for it, it is CITES listed so you can't legally import any more of it as raw guitar sets. Small knots are unlikely to cause any problems, and as already suggested, a bit of superglue can do wo...

I have read the design book and am about half way through the build book. Overall, great books, best I have read on any topic relating to Lutherie. Well written and the information is backed up with measurements and/or reference citations. This seems to be a rare occurrence in our profession which u...

How long does a compensated nut take him? Do you provide a sleeping bag?

Jeepers creepers, what is so complicated about a nut? Like you say, it should only take 45mins (or less).

Peter

Well that is certainly proof that Pinus radiata and meranti can make great sounding guitars. I had my Pinus radiata mandolin at the National Folk Festival, and a lot of players could not believe it had a Pinus radiata top.

Peter

Congratulations John. They are the ones you want.

Peter