Search found 1072 matches

by Mark McLean
Sun Aug 17, 2014 10:34 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: Small Jumbo, GAL 2014
Replies: 4
Views: 7251

Re: Small Jumbo, GAL 2014

Lovely design Emile. I think the body shape is very elegant, and I particularly like the bridge shape also.
cheers
Mark
by Mark McLean
Thu Jul 24, 2014 10:28 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Bridge Binding...
Replies: 10
Views: 11215

Re: Bridge Binding...

Love it! Definitely an idea that could catch on. I also like your asymmetrical bridge shape.
by Mark McLean
Sun Jul 13, 2014 10:53 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: Parlour Guitar Done
Replies: 7
Views: 9212

Re: Parlour Guitar Done

I like it a lot, and can't see any evidence of the battles that you say you had with it. Very nicely presented. Which plans did you use? It is a very sweetly proportioned body.
The wenge looks great. I have never tried it. Are the splinters as bad as everybody says?
cheers
Mark
by Mark McLean
Sun Jun 08, 2014 12:55 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: More stuff up over at TLB
Replies: 2
Views: 3751

Re: More stuff up over at TLB

When I first read the title I thought you had started to post about your "stuff-ups". I eagerly clicked on the link, only to see more perfect guitars - which do not make me feel better about my Luthiery skills at all! But maybe a topic for future discussion, if you dare. Nice stuff in your blog. Tha...
by Mark McLean
Sun Jun 08, 2014 12:47 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Binding cutter moved
Replies: 15
Views: 15041

Re: Binding cutter moved

That must have been a nasty moment! I had a more minor version of this same mistake happen once, due to the bit working loose in the collet. I did what Joel is suggesting and grafted in a piece of off cut from the sides. If you try this just make sure that you get it around the same way as the side,...
by Mark McLean
Mon Jun 02, 2014 10:24 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: First build - split in back due to humidity :-(
Replies: 32
Views: 28573

Re: First build - split in back due to humidity :-(

That is a very fine job! I am noticing the similarities between your lesson in humidification/dehumidification and my own [/url](http://www.anzlf.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3749&p=45079#p45079)[url] I wonder if it is partly due to the susceptibility of the blackheart sassafras that we were both using. ...
by Mark McLean
Sun Jun 01, 2014 8:31 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: 6 String Tenor Ukulele
Replies: 20
Views: 19339

Re: 6 String Tenor Ukulele

Yep. I agree that the cocobolo against the tiger myrtle - with black/white accents - is just a killer look. Beautiful. What is the method for getting the text in the rosette? I am not sure that I woould want to do it myself - but it is very unique! Obviously a commissioned feature, so I am very impr...
by Mark McLean
Sun Jun 01, 2014 8:26 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Spotted Gum
Replies: 8
Views: 12756

Re: Spotted Gum

I love spotted gum for its colour and texture. If it has the physical characteristics to work as a tonewood I would love to use it. The trees don't develop the girth of most species that we think of as guitar-making woods, so it might be necessary to adopt Markus's suggestion for a guitar back. But ...
by Mark McLean
Tue May 27, 2014 10:10 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Mandocello plan/advice
Replies: 5
Views: 9627

Re: Mandocello plan/advice

Nigel Forster makes some guitar bouzoukis, 8 strings, with X-bracing and similar scale length to what you are considering. I imagine that many of the design principles would be applicable to a mandocello? Check out his website, or you could PM him for a bit more of a lowdown on his approach.
by Mark McLean
Tue May 27, 2014 6:13 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Archtop repair
Replies: 3
Views: 3647

Re: Archtop repair

Yep, I think Jeff has the right idea. The Don Teeter method of using a cleat on the inside pulled up hard using a wire (plain guitar string) through a fine hole in the top, and tensioned with a guitar tuning machine. Under the bridge footprint you would get a great cosmetic result. Here are a couple...
by Mark McLean
Fri May 16, 2014 6:16 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: grain thru binding
Replies: 13
Views: 12707

Re: grain thru binding

Hi Josh Welcome to the forum, and good question. How are you bending your sides? If you do it in a Fox-style bending machine couldn't you slice the binding strip off the side when it is flat and then bend them together and aligned? I don't know - I have never tried - but I am doing it in my mind rig...
by Mark McLean
Mon May 05, 2014 6:00 am
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: "The Pacific" recently delivered.
Replies: 5
Views: 7697

Re: "The Pacific" recently delivered.

That is a stunner Taffy. I love the way that you incorporated the maratime theme in lots of small details, like the fingerbourd ending. Lovely all round.
Mark
by Mark McLean
Wed Apr 30, 2014 8:22 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Implications of socketing braces
Replies: 15
Views: 14561

Re: Implications of socketing braces

Hi Craig There is no rule about this. In a modern style steel-string guitar where you are aiming for a more responsive top (e.g. a "fingerstyle" player's guitar) it is a common practice to taper the ends of the x-brace in the lower bout so that they go down to nothing before reaching the linings. Sa...
by Mark McLean
Wed Apr 16, 2014 10:00 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Ebony Bindings
Replies: 24
Views: 25006

Re: Ebony Bindings

Yeah, after using ebony bindings on a recent build I would seriously consider using black plastic next time. Ebony is a real bugger to bend. It just snaps a lot of the time. After you curse and bend 8 pieces to get 4 good ones, and then sand it and put a nice finish on it - it looks like black plast...
by Mark McLean
Wed Apr 16, 2014 6:30 am
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: OM Guitar #8
Replies: 11
Views: 11938

Re: OM Guitar #8

Looks flawless Peter. And you are obviously very pleased with the sound. What do you think was the secret of getting the perfect outcome this time? Did you change anything in the design or construction? And if you don't mind sharing - what is the name of that varnish product that you used? Cheers Mark
by Mark McLean
Mon Apr 14, 2014 11:15 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Bridge position
Replies: 5
Views: 6441

Re: Bridge position

Pat The critical thing to realize is that it is not about bridge position - it is about saddle position. You need to work out where your saddle is going to sit, then work out the location of the front edge of the bridge and of the bridge pins (assuming you have a pinned bridge), relative to where th...
by Mark McLean
Thu Apr 10, 2014 6:20 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Higher ratio "banjo-like" tuners?
Replies: 4
Views: 4545

Re: Higher ratio "banjo-like" tuners?

Stewart-McDonald and LMI both sell verious brands of planetary banjo tuners with 4:1 ratios. Is that too high for your needs.
by Mark McLean
Thu Apr 10, 2014 6:14 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Installing binding on an oiled guitar?
Replies: 5
Views: 5024

Re: Installing binding on an oiled guitar?

Same as for any other kind of finish. You install the bindings to the unfinished guitar, level, scrape and sand, then put the finish of your choice over the whole shebang.
by Mark McLean
Fri Mar 14, 2014 11:45 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Wipe-on finish for acoustic guitar
Replies: 61
Views: 81059

Re: Wipe-on finish for acoustic guitar

You will be able to get Tru-Oil in NZ. Look here: http://www.outdoorsupplies.co.nz/Birchwood_TruOil.html I have used both Birchwood-Casey Tru-Oil and also various brands of Danish Oil as a guitar finish. Both are really easy to apply as wipe-on finishes. They don't soak in, especially Tru-Oil. It bu...
by Mark McLean
Sun Feb 23, 2014 6:07 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Guitar disasters forum? Build tragedies maybe?
Replies: 26
Views: 21698

Re: Guitar disasters forum? Build tragedies maybe?

15 minutes ago. Dead sober. No hurry. I was drilling some holes in the edge of the fingerboard for side dot position markers. I have already made most of the mistakes that you can with this task (or so I thought). 1. Don't use a power drill, a small hand drill is safer for this. 2. Be careful of ali...
by Mark McLean
Fri Feb 21, 2014 6:23 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Runout, revisited
Replies: 15
Views: 13506

Re: Runout, revisited

Pete
Have a look at this Frank Ford pictorial explanation:
http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/General ... unout.html
by Mark McLean
Thu Feb 13, 2014 8:47 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: new lychee wood
Replies: 6
Views: 7311

Re: new lychee wood

Nice, nice, nice. I like the choice of purflings and bindings too.
by Mark McLean
Fri Feb 07, 2014 6:27 am
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: Runout, revisited
Replies: 15
Views: 13506

Re: Runout, revisited

Nice work Markus. I am convinced. You have shown that the difference is between one piece that breaks when its fibres snap, and another which breaks when the fibres separate. Makes sense. I am going to spend the weekend re-examining my wood stack for runout.
cheers
Mark
by Mark McLean
Mon Jan 20, 2014 9:41 pm
Forum: Instrument Builders Forum
Topic: stabalizing spalted maple drop top
Replies: 14
Views: 12708

Re: stabalizing spalted maple drop top

I have done small and fairly thin pieces of spatled wood (e.g. for rosettes) with CA glue and been happy with the result. In researching that I came across methods using resins applied under vacuum to extract all the air that is trapped in the wood and get the resin to fully infiltrate. Seems like h...
by Mark McLean
Sat Dec 28, 2013 5:32 pm
Forum: The Gallery
Topic: Blackwood and Engelmann Spruce Baritone
Replies: 9
Views: 9670

Re: Blackwood and Engelmann Spruce Baritone

Lovely work Allen. I also like the fret markers as a nice change from the usual.

Sorry to hear about the arm and ankle. Skateboarding injury?