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  #16  
Old 01-25-2020, 10:45 AM
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cigarfan cigarfan is offline
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A different take on the bird's beak. I like it!
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  #17  
Old 01-26-2020, 07:10 AM
Kitkatjoe Kitkatjoe is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glenn23 View Post
Sorry for the clickbait come on, but it's been a long time since I've posted a new build, and this one promises some fun challenges, so here goes.

I begin by laminating full contour bevels. Not only have they become a signature design element for me, they provide a tremendous weight to stiffness factor. I'm obviously operating in the "modern school" envelope, with stiff sides being a priority.
The laminated bevels triangulate the rim of the guitar with the plane of the soundboard and rear resonating plate to create a very stable platform.



The shape always looks "musical" to me!

]

I'm fully convinced of the legitimacy of the offset soundhole, so here goes my interpretation of that!
The rear plate is going to be Katalox (Mexican ebony) Incredibly dense stuff. Once you get it thin enough, it really gets lively.

Your work is beautiful. I'm trying to understand the use of laminate sides verses solid wood. Why would you not use solid wood for the sides. I have a guitar that is solid wood except for the sides. That's a mystery to me.
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  #18  
Old 01-26-2020, 09:05 AM
Glenn23 Glenn23 is offline
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Originally Posted by cigarfan View Post
A different take on the bird's beak. I like it!
Thanks Cigarfan. It was a bit of a trick, getting the curve of the neck, the edge of the katalox and the line of the headstock to meet up at a single point, but I think I've got it!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kitkatjoe View Post
Your work is beautiful. I'm trying to understand the use of laminate sides verses solid wood. Why would you not use solid wood for the sides. I have a guitar that is solid wood except for the sides. That's a mystery to me.
One of the most important reasons for using laminated sides is the precision and stability it gives me. All trees move in response to the sun as they grow throughout the day and the seasons. Laminating evens out these micro-tensions and becomes even more important with the highly figured woods we all like to use. I tried laminated sides as an experiment years ago and have never looked back. Which is not to say some guitars with solid sides don't achieve exquisite results. I just think the odds of sonic excellence increases slightly with very stable rim.
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  #19  
Old 01-27-2020, 12:46 PM
Glenn23 Glenn23 is offline
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The upper bout, with a patch of fiddleback mahogany to back up the soundport openings. For some reason this view always reminds me of a philharmonic stage.
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  #20  
Old 01-29-2020, 08:53 AM
Glenn23 Glenn23 is offline
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An appropriate subtitle for this installment might properly be, "Things that keep luthiers up at night."
Here is a look at an instrument I built several years ago. You can find it's thread here:
https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=423497
This guitar has a feature that I actually like quite a bit, but I wanted to try something different on this new guitar. If you look closely you can see that the trim lines between the bevel and the fiddleback side is actually the laminated sides being exposed. This appeals to my desire that design should arise from purpose.
On my new guitar I decided I wanted to treat the line work along the bevels symmetrically. This leads to the dilemma of what to do where all lines join. You can see on my older guitar that the upper pair of lines lay on top of the bottom pair. How can I make this intersection more symmetrical?
The problem is that the outer surface of the sides would need to extend up just a tiny bit more, for the top, bevel and sides to come together in a single point. A construction nightmare! Later on you'll see the solution I came up with.



But the first thing I have to do is figure out how to handle the tight, compound curve on the lower trim pieces. Here's what I did.

The compound curve trim piece.



And glued into place.



I'm still having a hard time fully visualizing how this will all come together, but I think I've got it sussed. It's a case where the luthier is caught in his own trap and I'll have to "Wait and see what happens next!"
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  #21  
Old 01-30-2020, 10:05 AM
Glenn23 Glenn23 is offline
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Roughing out the smooth parts.

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  #22  
Old 01-30-2020, 11:27 AM
Glenn23 Glenn23 is offline
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  #23  
Old 01-30-2020, 11:30 AM
Glenn23 Glenn23 is offline
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I don't usually seal the interior with a wash coat, but I thought I'd try it here, if for no other reason than to bring out the gold!

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  #24  
Old 01-30-2020, 11:51 AM
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Smile I agree with Dennis

This birds beak HS is quite nifty.

Very interesting build design and philosophy!

Fun to watch! Thanks for sharing

Paul
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  #25  
Old 01-30-2020, 11:57 AM
Nemoman Nemoman is offline
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Really enjoying following this thread--amazing attention to detail with a high level of difficulty.

Dig the dual soundports too!

Great work--thanks for sharing--would love to hear it when it is done!
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  #26  
Old 01-30-2020, 02:12 PM
jnidoh jnidoh is offline
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Glen23

I've never heard the sound of your creations and at this point I don't care (not what a luthier wants to hear, eh?) but am so taken with your wood working abilities that the sound is secondary. Yeah, been guitaring for 4 years and wood carving for about 40, so guess what I know and appreciate....

No, I'm not that much of an idiot. Would really love to hear how they sound but judging from your work, they have to have a sound equal to the beauty of the guitar.

Have always enjoyed watching people that enjoy their work and are good at it, even if it's just digging a ditch. They become one with the job and it's like a carefully choreographed symphony, your work reminds me of that.

Appreciate seeing the process and, like the others, can't wait to hear the final result.

john
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  #27  
Old 02-01-2020, 10:04 AM
Jamiejoon Jamiejoon is offline
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Beautiful set of Katalox. I look forward to seeing it under finish. I don’t know why people are not building more Katalox guitars.
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  #28  
Old 02-01-2020, 11:34 AM
IBKuz IBKuz is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jnidoh View Post
Glen23

I've never heard the sound of your creations and at this point I don't care (not what a luthier wants to hear, eh?) but am so taken with your wood working abilities that the sound is secondary. Yeah, been guitaring for 4 years and wood carving for about 40, so guess what I know and appreciate....

No, I'm not that much of an idiot. Would really love to hear how they sound but judging from your work, they have to have a sound equal to the beauty of the guitar.

Have always enjoyed watching people that enjoy their work and are good at it, even if it's just digging a ditch. They become one with the job and it's like a carefully choreographed symphony, your work reminds me of that.

Appreciate seeing the process and, like the others, can't wait to hear the final result.

john
John,

If you can’t wait, Glen23’s Mahogany and Red Spruce build is one of my favourites. In post #86 there is a sound clip of this guitar (still recommend reading the whole post). You can find it here -

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=423497
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  #29  
Old 02-01-2020, 01:05 PM
jnidoh jnidoh is offline
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Ian..thanks. Been reading the post but missed this.

john
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  #30  
Old 02-01-2020, 02:31 PM
Glenn23 Glenn23 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Guitars44me View Post
This birds beak HS is quite nifty.

Very interesting build design and philosophy!

Fun to watch! Thanks for sharing
I admire a nice glued scarf joint as much as anyone, but there's something satisfying about fitting two pieces together and feeling them form there own mechanical bond. Thanks Paul!

Quote:
Really enjoying following this thread--amazing attention to detail with a high level of difficulty.

Dig the dual soundports too!

Great work--thanks for sharing--would love to hear it when it is done!
Thanks. My goal sonically is to have a guitar that speaks loud and clear, but at the same time seems to be speaking only to you.

Quote:
I've never heard the sound of your creations and at this point I don't care (not what a luthier wants to hear, eh?) but am so taken with your wood working abilities that the sound is secondary. Yeah, been guitaring for 4 years and wood carving for about 40, so guess what I know and appreciate....

No, I'm not that much of an idiot. Would really love to hear how they sound but judging from your work, they have to have a sound equal to the beauty of the guitar.

Have always enjoyed watching people that enjoy their work and are good at it, even if it's just digging a ditch. They become one with the job and it's like a carefully choreographed symphony, your work reminds me of that.

Appreciate seeing the process and, like the others, can't wait to hear the final result.
One of the reasons I like doing these build threads is at a young age I was heavily influenced by "process art" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Process_art
The idea that the process of making art is as important as the finished object. A "journey is the destination" sort of thing. I do love my time in the trenches.

Quote:
Beautiful set of Katalox. I look forward to seeing it under finish. I don’t know why people are not building more Katalox guitars
I agree. A very underappreciated wood.

Quote:
If you can’t wait, Glen23’s Mahogany and Red Spruce build is one of my favourites. In post #86 there is a sound clip of this guitar (still recommend reading the whole post). You can find it here -

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=423497
Thanks Ian. Comments like yours makes it feel like I have an appreciative audience, and as musicians know, that can really enhance a performance.
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