hi, I am new to the fourm.

[Daniel_M]

Hi All,

I would just like to introduce myself. I couldn’t find an ‘introductions’ sections so just posted here – mainly because this is my main interest. I apologise if I have posted this in the wrong spot – I am new to posting in forums.

About me…
I like to think of myself as a fingerstyle guitarist who has an unhealthy addiction to Tommy Emmanuel’s music and playing. I really only got into his music about 6 months ago and am slowly working my way through his catalogue. Having a solid grounding as a classical guitarist, the fingerpicking technique is not as much a challenge as the feel :/ - a little less formal than Giuliani.

A little while ago, I built a telecaster (that I never play) – it is a beautiful guitar if you like that sort of thing. But I am obsessing (I am sure that you can appreciate that this is not an exaggeration) about building an acoustic. It is the purity of the acoustic guitar that I am attracted to. As a player, there just isn’t anywhere to hide - it is just you and the physics of wood and wire under tension (or nylon). Equally, it seems that as a builder there is little room to hide.

I thought that as a first guitar I would build a L-00 ‘blues box’ (to bash out Stephan Grossman arrangements and Keb Mo’ tunes). I was thinking perhaps ladder or A braced? With an Adirondack top, mahogany back and sides, mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard and bridge. I thought that this might be an easier first build (mistakes can be passed of as character more easily). My ultimate goal is OM with a sikita top (French polished) and rosewood B&S with fine wood binding, a hand made rosette. hmmmmm………sorry I drifted off.

[DarwinStrings]

G'day Daniel and welcome to the forum, nice ambitions you have there.

Jim

[jeffhigh]

Hi Daniel and welcome.

Don't forget that Tommy Emmanuel started as a very fine telecaster player too. The first time I saw him was back in '79 playing with Doug Parkinson at the Manzil Room in Kings Cross.
Did he ever rip on that tele.

[Nick]

Welcome to the forum Daniel, there are some great builders on this site that I'm sure, will be more than helpful when it comes to answering any questions you may have....we also have some jokers too so don't get your nose out of joint if somebody pops up with a 'witty' comment. We don't take ourselves too seriously here unlike some other luthier forums, you may notice.
As Jeff mentioned, both Tommy and Phil did some excellent work with their tele's, every guitar has it's use & place in the musical field
The plans for your first certainly sound like a good mix, for your first I just wonder if going with Sitka may not be a better option, it is the 'cheaper' of the two & will reduce that hair pulling moment at having ruined a valuable top should it occur (& the odds are weighted more towards it on a first build!). It may lack a little punch over the Red Spruce however. Which ever way you go feel free to post pics of your progress...we love pictures! Well it's not so much the pictures as purving at bend/shaped bits of wood, you'll understand this more after completing your first .

[Bob Connor]

G'day Daniel and welcome to the forum.

Mahogany can sometimes be a bugger to bend. I say sometimes because some pieces will be fine and others will fight you all the way. Also will you be bending by hand or using a Fox-style bender? Some woods are a little tricky bending over a pipe. (HOG included)

Indian Rosewood bends like butter as does Australian Blackwood and both are fine tonewoods and you may be better off with something like this for your first instrument.

If you are dead set on Honduras Mahogany (HOG) you'll have problems getting it from overseas as it is restricted for export/import by CITES appendix 11. You will find Fijian plantation mahogany which isn't too bad and African Mahogany (Khaya sp) and Sapele are similar. Certainly none of the Australian tonewood suppliers are advertising it and anyone who has any is hanging on to it. (me included)

I agree with Nick that Sitka would probably be a better choice for a top. There is a lot of variabilty in the stiffness and weight of Red Spruce which can trip you up if you are not used to it..

I wouldn't go overboard on timbers for your first guitar as it'll probably be more an exercise in joinery as opposed to luthiery (unless you have advanced wood working skills already)

Good luck with it anyway. There are lots of folk here who will be more than willing to give you assistance.

Regards

[Daniel_M]

Thanks for the warm welcome and all the advice.

To be honest, I had only selected those woods on the basis of the research that I had done (looking at the current Gibson acoustic specs, magazine articles etc…). Given your advice, I will think that Sikita and Indian Rosewood would be a wiser choice. I am planning on ordering all my timber from LMI but have been recently interested in the woods on offer from Mr Spittle (after discovering your forum) – I think it would be cool to make blues box from all Australian timbers. Can anyone provide advice on shipping costs?

To help me along, I have the Jim Williams book as well as recent purchases (they have not arrived in the post yet…) ’Build Your Own Acoustic Guitar by Kinkead’ and ‘Guitar making: Tradition and Technology’. I am also considering order the L-00 plans from the web (I forget the website at the moment – I think it is the American Luthier….something).

Oh one other thing, is it best to order all the timber as you go (or see something that you like) or all at once at the start of the build?


Thanks again,

Daniel

[graham mcdonald]

As you live in Sydney, You might think about Gerard Gilet's guitar building classes/workshop access on Saturdays at his facility in Botany. It means you have access to all the tools and equipment you need as well as guidance and an expert eye or two stopping you from making the more obvious mistakes. I think there is info on his website.

cheers

graham

[Bob Connor]

Daniel

Have a look in the plans section of the forum. There is a link to Christophe Grelliers website where you can download plans for a L-00 for free. get the .pdf version and take it to your local specialty print shop (the type that prints plans for draftspeople.

Christophe's plans are as good as any and they're certainly the right price. Plus you'll find a lot more plans there that should interest you.

Regards

[Daniel_M]

thanks Bob.

[Allen]

Welcome to the forum Daniel. The others have you covered already it seems. Looking forward to seeing your progress with your project.

[seeaxe]

Hi Daniel and welcome.

A few thoughts from one who is not very far ahead of you, building wise and well out of sight behind you playing wise, by the sounds of things.

Kits
I started with a kit from Stewmac, sitka and rosewood dreadnought. The woods were as good as I have seen elsewhere, including the best grade indo rosewood I could get from LMI. I got a kit because I was too scared to bend sides. Having now done that (once!) I now think its the coolest part of building a guitar. (talk to me after I have just snapped my next set of sides and I may feel differntly of course). However the advantage of a kit is that you get all the bits together and usually an instructional dvd - the one from Stewmac was great.

All at one or a bit at a time?
I think this depends how organised you are. Even with my first builds, I was surprised how quickly you can make progress once you get going. Then you dont need to stop just when it gets exciting, because you have got the bits you need. (However sometimes thats a good thing, as I have proved when I got too excited and stuffed things up )

Same applies to tools, but less so. Graham's course suggestion is good for this but it ends up being an expensive guitar, IMHO.

Aussie timbers vs overseas
There are some beautiful timbers on the US websites but you will pay an arm and leg to get them into OZ. Plus you could probably grow the tree yourself in the time it can take to arrive, unless you order from Stewmac and DHL it. They are amazing at delivery (3 days from Ohio to Auckland, every time I order), but their choice of wood is disappointingly meagre. And I usually end up buying all sorts of other things to make the postage worthwhile .

Tim Spittle has some mouthwatering timber too - and does or did do luthier "flat packs" - He hasnt sorted out that bit of the website yet, but if you enquire I am sure he could put a set together. You can spend a lot on wood that would otherwise go on postage and possibly also import tax?

Lastly good luck on your journey and please post a picture of your Tele in the gallery - I like acoustics better too, but the more electrics the better! Especially Teles.

Cheers

Richard

[Clancy]

One thing I'll add is that if you get all your tonewood at once you can allow the wood to acclimatise to your workshop as you go. You'll save on postage. (However, if you order everything at once from overseas be carefull of being stung for GST by customs)

[ozwood]

Hi Daniel,

I second Craig's comment , Keep any orders( Safely) under $1000 or you'll cop GST and some other charges , Cost me about $380 extra on a $1047.00 0rder ( thanks for Coming) . If Gerry Harvey had his way we'd pay it on everything . anyway welcome.

Paul.

[Mark McLean]

Hi Daniel
Welcome to the daft world of DIY guitar building - a very addictive hobby. I agree with the advice that you have been given so far. I started fairly recently and have built 3 instruments. Interestingly, my second was a mahogany and adirondack (red spruce) L-00, so we have similar thoughts there. I am also in Sydney and I repeat the recommendation of getting to know Gerard Gilet's business. He runs classes if you want to go that way, has a good range of tools and tonewoods for sale, and is a helpful guy. I bought the mahogany for my L-00 from him (Brazilian, he also had some Fiji plantation mahogany last time that I was there). Tim Spittle is also a great source of timber. A Blackwood L-00 could be really special!

For my first I ordered a LMI kit. It is a good way to get started. It is best to order everything that you need in one go if you can afford it up front. The postage is expensive if you get it in multiple shipments. It should be possible to get under the $1000 GST limit. For a beginner the most troublesome steps are probably thicknessing and bending. They are easy and enjoyable jobs if you have the gear (thickness sander, bending iron or side-bender) but you don't start out with those items in your shed. You can order your sides pre-thicknessed and bent to your specs if you wish. I did this for my first one, which saved some hassle - but I now bend them myself on a bending iron (bought from Gilet). I could help you with that if you want to DIY - but I am not exactly a seasoned expert yet.

I have some L-00 plans that you could copy, or I recommend the ones from MIMF, or the online one at Christophe Grellier's website.

You need to realize that this will cost you some money in wood and tools and other parts - and it will take a lot of time. It is well worth it if you enjoy the hobby and the reward of having your own creation (sounds like you are made of the right stuff). But anyone who thinks that this will be a cheap way of getting a nice guitar will be disappointed.
cheers

Mark

[Daniel_M]

Thanks for all the great comments and advice. I appreciate the comments and references to Gerard and his course – I met him a year or so ago at a woodworking show in Sydney and he seemed a really nice and approachable guy. Whilst his courses are very flexible and I have only heard good things, I am really after the flexibility of wondering down to the workshop and fiddling around at 10pm if I like. I am confident that my woodworking abilities are sufficient to complete the project (I hope ha ha ha ha) and I have access to all the tools that I need (band saws, industrial thicknesser and planer, spindle sander etc…) – except a drum sander (although one will be purchased in the very near future). Having said that, I am quite keen on the idea of building it all with had tools.

I realise that it will take a lot of time and it is more a side project – there is no rush as I am currently playing a really nice Maton. Although it is one of their more affordable models it was built in 1995 and has a great flamed QLD maple B&S and the neck and action is just amazing - about 1.2mm at the 12th fret – no buzzing or any other issues – but it did need a fret redress. Is just a dream to play. When I bought it it had Daniel John’s signature on the top – I removed that very quickly with some shell lite.

My other acoustic is a Seagull – I don’t love it but it is also a really great guitar to play the nut spacing is 1.8”. The action also sits at 1.2mm but required a lot more work to get there. I had to reset the neck (I needed to bring it back a couple of degrees) and had to build a new bridge as the existing one was too shallow. Once I took the bridge off, I saw who thick the poly was, so I have it in my mind to sand the top and put a nice thin layer of nitro on it and at the same time replace the plastic binding with some nice rosewood or something similar. I don't think this will ever end!!!