Building a guitar in 24 days - photostory - Page 10

OC1 · #**136** 12-29-2009, 09:58 AM

I have pics of other guitars, but I didn't ask for permission to post them.

I took a short sample of the sound of my guitar, just a chord and harmonics. Unfortunately anything working here with a mic was only a dictaphone that I placed on my leg, but you get the idea. I tried to play a tune as well, but my fingers are sore and I sounded terrible. (good excuse...) Maybe later. Or maybe I will get somebody who really knows how to play...
I really like the sound of this guitar, but as Sergei said, the wood doesn't know yet it is a guitar.

http://www.filedropper.com/chord
(You have to click the "Download this File" dark gray button then enter the code it asks)

OC1 · #**137** 12-29-2009, 10:43 AM

Here is a pic of another guitar made at the course by Kenn from UK. He is what we should call an experienced apprentice as he took the course 4 times and at his home back in UK he is an experienced furniture woodworker.

This one is a very difficult classical jazz guitar with a piezzo with raised twisted neck that is both visually and accoustically stunning. Unfortunately this angle doesn't give it, but it is flawless bubinga back and sides (you can see it little on the head veneer as it is the same stock) and just stunning snakewood fingerboard and bridge.
While we were all bussy sanding, chiseling and gluing, anytime I look at Kenn he was sitting and reading a stew mac catalogue or looking at us. His guitar was always in front of him already done few steps ahead...
We suspected that it is the snakewood that worked on his guitar during nights otherwise I can't explain it.... he was also the first one that put a strings on a guitar.

Also if you go to Sergeis page:
http://dejongelutherie.com/course.html

and don't click anywhere just scroll down, the three pictures on the bottom of that page are from this course I attended, and you can see two other guitars. The top cutaway was done by Bennoit who did complete two guitars in the same time!!! This picture is the moment he strung the guitar then he strung the second one and in next 30 minutes he was packed and already running for airport to France.
Ann on the bottom image spent nearly a day making a mother of pearl inlay on the neck head that spelled her last name (very guitar-like sounding name btw!) and it turned out to be absolutelly flawless and perfectly done.
The first picture brings back the memories.... Sergei is standing on the right from center in the ocre sweater with the green flowers. There are also members of his family there standing here and there between us. The workshop is in the back.
If you go to Past Course gallery, those are previous courses, not the one I was in but I know few people there as they visited the workshop few times and went to the end party. Some of them have their own luthier business now and are pretty good builders others are actually pretty accomplished guitar players.

Mad Rose · #**138** 12-29-2009, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OC1

I really like the sound of this guitar, but as Sergei said, the wood doesn't know yet it is a guitar.

http://www.filedropper.com/chord

Lot's of potential there OC1! Just think what it will sound like when it gets to know itself. Great job & thanks for the superb Thread!

ironman187 · #**139** 12-29-2009, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Rose

Lot's of potential there OC1! Just think what it will sound like when it gets to know itself. Great job & thanks for the superb Thread!

wow, that guitar has a very different tone....I think I like it!

sehnsucht77 · #**140** 12-29-2009, 06:24 PM

wow! amazing work!

BuckMahoney · #**141** 01-09-2010, 04:32 PM

I think the link is wrong or changed since you posted it,i would like to hear the guitar if you can fix it,Great work,i enjoyed the journey.

Hennoxlane · #**142** 01-10-2010, 08:08 AM

great thread, I'm getting all inspired to one day build my own guitar myself;

but indeed, the sound file is nowhere to be found.. would be nice if you could fix it

good work anyway, really really good work!

drive-south · #**143** 01-13-2010, 08:37 PM

I still have a question about your' build. If the neck is bolted on, why is the fingerboard ext glued to the top? Wouldn't you have to steam the ext off to remove the neck?

Just wondering.

drive-south · #**144** 01-14-2010, 11:13 AM

bumping it up to the top.

Brackett Instruments · #**145** 01-14-2010, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drive-south

I still have a question about your' build. If the neck is bolted on, why is the fingerboard ext glued to the top? Wouldn't you have to steam the ext off to remove the neck?

Just wondering.

Alot of guitars, including Collings, Huss and Dalton, some Martins ect are built with bolt on necks and the fingerboard glued down.

I've built with several different neck joints, including dovetails, bolt on mortise/tenon, and butted bolt on. Some with the fingerboard extension glued down, some with it bolted. I believe it's best for a builder to concentrate on making the "box" right so it will be a long time (20 to 100 years) before a neck reset is needed. Making one easy to fix is only needed if it's going to need to be fixed often. Somogyi's neck joints are pretty much non removeable, or so I've been told.

Pretty much any competent repair person can handle a finger board that's glued down, or even a glued in dovetail. I suppose the key word is competent.
I noticed looking at the pictures the neck joint appears to be a bolted dovetail. I've done a few bolted dovetails. Several people told me a bolted dovetail wouldn't work, or was no good. I wonder if all these people will tell Sergei de Jonge the same thing.

OC1 · #**146** 01-31-2010, 08:39 PM

Sergei build most of his guitars with bolted dovetails, he would never glue the dovetail itself. Actually he sometimes may not even put the bolt there - the fit is pretty much perfect. (Nnot sure about classicals and bolts I am 100% sure Joshia DeJonge uses dovetails for classicals as I had seen her making one, but I am not sure if she put bolt on them, i think this is no-no in classical world)

Some people glue also thin strip of newspaper between the body and the fngerboard as then it is very easy to remove the glued part if needed. This actually come from general woodworking, I just read some book and they used this trick with newspaper often for potentionally removable joints. We didn't use that.

We were discussing with Sergei different ways of attaching neck but he doesn't even bother with anything else anymore as this way it seems to work best. Don't get him started on a spanish heel...;

I am building right now flamenco guitar as a quickie and couple of times I already wanted to take the saw and cut that **** heel off the neck and replace it with dovetail. It is so much easier to work with two separate pieces! Oh and most books would carve neck on spanish AFTER it is attached to body - that is totally crazy.