Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

I'd also like a couple of 16/32's please.

Thank you Siggy, my friend will be relieved.

She was beginning to worry that she wasn't normal.

Sigmund, if I may address you in such a familiar way, I have long wanted to ask you if one has dreams about small bodied guitars, what is one really dreaming about? I am asking on behalf of a friend.

I understand that a highly respected American violin maker and restorer uses Clairol black hair dye to add darkness to streaky ebony. It is more translucent than leather dye, allowing some hint of the underlying variation in colour to show. A search on the Maestronet Pegbox forum is likely to turn u...

I am pretty sure it is potassium carbonate John, but anyone wanting confirmation could check with the people selling it. I bought it to test the Taylor hygrometer I got from you a couple of years ago. I have had a digital hygrometer for about 12 years, and the Taylor gave very similar readings, part...

http://biomedcafe.com.au/cartpage/viewp ... 20-%20250g

This is where I got my potassium carbonate from.

I also bought a StewMac vice, about two years ago, using DHL for delivery. All up, the cost was around A$240. There were no customs or other charges. What's more I ordered it at about 5.30 p.m. on a Saturday, and the delivery courier was knocking on my door in Hobart at 10 a.m. the following Tuesday.

I think that was 'the book' back in the 50's Trevor . If I remember correctly, when Jose Romanillos, living in London and homesick for Spain, decided that the remedy was to build himself a guitar, that was the book that guided him through his first build.

I wonder too, Jim. I have been using West Systems epoxy for about 20 years, mostly laminating carbon fibre or veneer, and have never had any issues with it. I have always made sure that it is in a warm environment whilst it's curing, if necessary covering the work with an electric blanket.

Barely, Trevor.

Sorry, double post.

Like Nick, I very much appreciate what you're doing here. And like Nick, I know how much more it will mean to me after I've read and digested what Trevor has written. I have, I'm ashamed to say, not yet got the book (but I shall), largely because, having read the wrong things at university, I feel a...

Craig, I would see no issue at all with you taking all the measurements, it is practical to take, of player's instruments. You do have to have credibility, and of course the trust of the players, and you clearly have that. Owners of $10,000,000 Strads don't seem to object, if the violin is being mea...

I agree with Nick, Allen, all of these ukes look absolutely beautiful. You certainly have a genius for the aesthetic. May I ask, did you use some tint on the sassafras? It seems not to have the greyness/pinkness that is characteristic, and looks so much the better for it.

I have a DeLonghi CF08E, and it works very well. Although the lowest preset RH is 50%, there is a "Max" setting which easily gets the RH down to 40% in my small (6x3.5 metre) insulated workshop. However, here in Tasmania, for much of the year it is cool. For instance, this morning the outside temper...

I think angle of pliage, bridge height (and weight if you could get it), and action would be useful.

Could you give us a picture or a link to the Snap-on buff you use, Allen. I had a look at the Snap-on site, but couldn't find a mini/pistol buff, and I'd like to see what one looks like.

Fantastic tutorial Nick. Thanks.

I'm sorry that I personally don't haven the expertise to give you advice on this, but others on the forum are eminently qualified, and I'm sure they will chip in. I would like to say, however, that I have been dying for someone to take a serious look at Selmer and Selmer style guitars. How valuable ...

Nick, I am sure that your dog is perfectly confident in your ability to bind an "f" hole.

Here's an original Selmer petite bouche sold recently by Michael Horowitz at Django Books. The video is worth watching.

http://shoppingcart.djangobooks.com/Item/selmer-872

It confirms much of what Nick said.

Rob, with 4 nominally .6 mm veneers, glued in a vacuum press using West Systems epoxy, the finished thickness varied between 2.35 and 2.45 mm. So, they were still very close to 2.4 mm. Some of the veneer may have been a little under .6mm in places, and there may have been a little compressing of the...

The picture shows the Blackwood veneer I used for my Selmer. The third from the left is the internal lamination, made up of butt joined veneer .7mm thick

There is no problem joining the pieces of the internal lamination with a butt join. Glue the pieces together with whatever glue you normally use, Titebond, LMI glue etc., hold them tightly together with masking tape while the glue dries, just the same process really as joining the back or top. When ...

Most Selmer and Selmer Maccaferri guitars had laminated backs and sides. Standard veneer back in the 1930's was, I believe, a bit thicker than nowadays, around .8mm, and three layers were used. Typically the outer was Indian Rosewood, the middle Poplar (at 90 deg.), and the inner was Mahogany. This ...