Search found 455 matches
- Wed Dec 06, 2017 3:36 pm
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: Tru Oil alternatives
- Replies: 16
- Views: 29502
- Tue Dec 05, 2017 9:03 pm
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: Tru Oil alternatives
- Replies: 16
- Views: 29502
Re: Tru Oil alternatives
Feast-Watson Scanindinavian Oli works just fine. Their Fine Buffing Oil is good as a last coat as well. I do tend to get a little curious, perhaps even suspicious, about all the claims around ingredients with all the various oil finishes. As far as I can tell the Feast Watson stuff only ever soak in...
- Fri Sep 22, 2017 5:52 pm
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: Name of Fox bender part
- Replies: 8
- Views: 12476
Re: Name of Fox bender part
"sliding cauls'. I like that one. I did send an email off to Charles Fox, but no reply.
Thank you all. Appreciated.
Cheers
Thank you all. Appreciated.
Cheers
- Thu Sep 21, 2017 8:22 am
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: Name of Fox bender part
- Replies: 8
- Views: 12476
Name of Fox bender part
I have made a Fox style bender for ukulele sides as part of the work on another book. I am writing up instructions on how to use the machine, but can't work out what to call the things that are used to pull the sides into shape around the upper and lower bouts. They are sitting on the bench to the l...
- Mon Jun 19, 2017 1:18 pm
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: I'm retiring
- Replies: 45
- Views: 65222
Re: I'm retiring
All the best with your new venture, and I am certainly up for a bottle once you get it going. Although only an occasional participant, I have appreciated your calm oversight of the forum's activities over the years. I may well put my hand up for some mandolin sized wood when you put it on the market...
- Fri Mar 03, 2017 9:52 pm
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: Build a mandolin
- Replies: 40
- Views: 45682
Re: Build a mandolin
Feel free to drop me an email if you have any questions. Always happy to offer advice/clarifications.
I like the mini guitar shape
Cheers
I like the mini guitar shape
Cheers
- Thu Jul 23, 2015 2:24 pm
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: The Mandolin - a history now on Kickstarter
- Replies: 13
- Views: 13002
The Mandolin - a history now on Kickstarter
As some of you might know, over the past few years I have been working on a book about the history of mandolins, imaginatively called The Mandolin - a history . It is finally ready for the printer and to raise enough money to pay for the printing I have launched a Kickstarter campaign to pre-sell th...
- Sat Sep 13, 2014 8:50 pm
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: Is kickback an issue with miniature tablesaws? (100-250W)
- Replies: 20
- Views: 22092
Re: Is kickback an issue with miniature tablesaws? (100-250W
With a StewMac fret slot cutting blade and a simple jig you can turn it into a all purpose fretting saw. I have a similar old table saw, and even though I only use it a few times a year, with a few slotting templates it means a few minutes work to slot a board and the rest of the time it is a useful...
- Sat Jul 05, 2014 11:29 am
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: GAL Convention?
- Replies: 3
- Views: 5180
GAL Convention?
Anyone else heading for Tacoma and the Guild of American Luthiers convention in a couple of weeks?
- Sat Jul 05, 2014 11:27 am
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: I am going to have a second go.
- Replies: 12
- Views: 14810
Re: I am going to have a second go.
Keep in mind that the tension on a set of bass strings is about the same as an average set of acoustic guitar strings, around 80kg. I think it can be too easy to over-brace an acoustic bass. You are not going to get much of the 40hz fundamental out of a body you can play hanging from a strap, but if...
- Wed Jan 22, 2014 11:20 am
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: The MIM.
- Replies: 10
- Views: 12410
Re: The MIM.
I'm thinking about it...Allen wrote:Looks like something Graham MacDonald might build.
- Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:02 am
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: What is this?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 15018
Re: What is this?
Probably late 19th century European and likely not Spanish (because of the pin-bridge). Pic of the back of the head/neck join would be useful. I suspect the neck would have originally been painted black. from the look of the slots in the head.
Could be entirely wrong about the origin
cheers
Could be entirely wrong about the origin
cheers
- Fri Oct 11, 2013 5:24 pm
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: LUthier Courses in Canberra Region
- Replies: 4
- Views: 6362
Re: LUthier Courses in Canberra Region
Joe has contacted me privately about a course or lessons and while I haven't the space at home, if there was room at one of the colleges and enough interest, it could be an interesting way to spend an evening each week, not so much teaching as guiding and suggesting ways to do things. I did run into...
- Tue Mar 26, 2013 9:09 am
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: Acoustic bass guitar build
- Replies: 66
- Views: 49900
Re: Acoustic bass guitar build
Thanks for that Graham I am looking to get down to that 65HZ or so but with a small body, tornavoz, lower tension strings etc Very much an experimental build, But trying a cardbord tube tornavoz in one of my classical bodies did get me about 23HZ drop. I have never tried one of those tube port torn...
- Tue Mar 26, 2013 8:07 am
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: Acoustic bass guitar build
- Replies: 66
- Views: 49900
Re: Acoustic bass guitar build
Nice article Graham, great when you have three differing designs, to compare. Thanks for adding more info to this great post. Interesting also to see that Gerard was using epoxy/CF laminate techniques even back then. All three of us were playing around with lattice bracing and/or CF in one way or a...
- Mon Mar 25, 2013 9:46 pm
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: Acoustic bass guitar build
- Replies: 66
- Views: 49900
Re: Acoustic bass guitar build
Back 25 years ago Gerard Gilet, Jim Williams and myself all built an acoustic bass guitar at about the same time. We did some testing and I made some notes which disappeared into a pile of paper. They re-emerged a few months ago along with a couple of photos we took at the time. I have finally writt...
- Sat Mar 23, 2013 8:21 pm
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: Strange colouration in WRC
- Replies: 12
- Views: 11771
Re: Strange colouration in WRC
That pinkish coloration is not uncommon with WRC. Not much you can do about it, but it is not gong to affect the tonal qualities of the wood. It depends on what you want to get out of your second guitar. Is it just the appearance/colour of the soundboard or can you concentrate on getting the little ...
- Sat Mar 23, 2013 10:14 am
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: Gidgee/Mulga or similar needed
- Replies: 12
- Views: 13750
Re: Gidgee/Mulga or similar needed
Greg has me sorted with some myall, so I can get the fingerboards done
Nick, I would still be interested in the mulga if you don't need it
and of course my email has a .com on the end (is there a smilie for being dim...)
cheers
graham
Nick, I would still be interested in the mulga if you don't need it
and of course my email has a .com on the end (is there a smilie for being dim...)
cheers
graham
- Fri Mar 22, 2013 1:24 pm
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: Gidgee/Mulga or similar needed
- Replies: 12
- Views: 13750
Re: Gidgee/Mulga or similar needed
Hello Greg
The Myall sounds like it would be fine. PM or email or phone and we can do a deal!
graham@mcdonaldstrings
0402026962
thanks
graham
The Myall sounds like it would be fine. PM or email or phone and we can do a deal!
graham@mcdonaldstrings
0402026962
thanks
graham
- Fri Mar 22, 2013 8:42 am
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: Gidgee/Mulga or similar needed
- Replies: 12
- Views: 13750
Gidgee/Mulga or similar needed
Gentles, I have a couple of fiddles just about ready except for fingerboard and tailpieces which I have been making from ring gidgee for the past several years. I have been trying to get some more from a well known supplier of gidgee and mulga for six months, but there is always another excuse why i...
- Sat Dec 29, 2012 7:46 pm
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: Mandolin Banjo (sorry for the evil!)
- Replies: 7
- Views: 9837
Re: Mandolin Banjo (sorry for the evil!)
If the tailpiece was an original, you do have an Australian made banjo-mandolin. Pacific instruments were made from the mid 40s through to the early 50s in Melbourne though the maker Hec McLennan had been building since the late 20s under his own name. They weren't high end instruments, but for the ...
- Wed Dec 19, 2012 10:32 am
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: 5 String Tenor Guitar
- Replies: 30
- Views: 31657
Re: 5 String Tenor Guitar
With your 23 1/4 scale a Cgda tuned tenor means a interesting mix of strings. Your top a string is going to need a pretty thick plain string, .018 or even a very light wound string. Think about it in terms of being between a guitar g and b strings with the lesser tension that the shorter scale will ...
- Tue Dec 18, 2012 7:08 pm
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: 5 String Tenor Guitar
- Replies: 30
- Views: 31657
Re: 5 String Tenor Guitar
There really are no rules for tenor guitars. There have been so few built in recent years that it all really becomes the choice of the builder. Essentially you are making an octave mandolin or cittern, with half the strings :D so you can really work off a graduation pattern halfway between a carved ...
- Mon Dec 03, 2012 10:07 pm
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: Suitable Tasmanian soundboards
- Replies: 78
- Views: 64452
Re: Suitable Tasmanian soundboards
If you were building an instruments using blackwood for the back & sides what would be your first choice as a suitable Tasmanian species for the soundboard I have been lurking on this forum for a long time reading past posts but I would still like to hear forum members comments. Jo Sitka spruce. Ye...
- Mon Dec 03, 2012 9:43 pm
- Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
- Topic: Carving King Billy
- Replies: 1
- Views: 3016
Re: Carving King Billy
My experience is for fiddles, and more recently, a mandolin. On advice from Graham Caldersmith I added 2mm to the arching height (17 rather than 15mm) and about 20% to the thicknesses for the fiddle soundboards. Did the same to an A model mandolin recently (with Huon back and sides) and it worked ra...