new member

abelin · #1 05-01-2014, 08:06 AM

Hi !

I look forward to read participate in this forum. I build guitars, both electric and acoustics. ( but my business is still an hobby, even though i have to many clients right now...) If somenone is curious theres more info at abelinguitars.se

Here´s an picture of my pride an joy: Levin 340. Only 7 Built in 1965. fantastic guitar!

Livingston · #2 05-01-2014, 08:09 AM

Welcome to the AGF and to the Archtop Forum.

Beautiful guitar! What kind of music to you play and what kind of amp to you play through?

Looking forward to your posts.

pf400 · #3 05-01-2014, 08:23 AM

Thanks for joining the forum ! I offer some questions I've had for awhile but never got around to asking...really would appreciate your expert advice:

1) Can a tremelo system be installed on any electric guitar...a Telecaster, a semi-hollow body and and a hollow body...without affecting the tone, or life span, of the guitar ?

2) My 1999 Taylor grand concert acoustic electric guitar has lots of waves and depressions on the top. I wouldn't call it bulging but it's far from flat. Sounds great, intonation is excellent, I keep it properly humidified. Should I be worried ?

3) Can you change the tuners on a guitar many times or would that cause problems on the headstock ?

4) When adding a pickup system inside the body of an acoustic guitar, holes must be drilled right ? Can that harm the guitar or affect its value ?

5) Do different material bridge pins affect tone...for example ?

6) I see lots of guitarists push the guitar neck back and forth supposedly for a bit of a "tremelo" effect....can this lead to damage ?

7) Does oiling the fretboard have an benefit other than cleaning ? ((I've read that rosewood has natural oils and you never need to oil rosewood)

Archtop Guy · #4 05-01-2014, 08:23 AM

Your Levin is a beautiful instrument! Reminds me of a Guild Starfire II, but the binding and the trim is much higher quality.

Welcome. When will we see your creations?

abelin · #5 05-01-2014, 09:26 AM

thanks for your kind words.

If somenone is curious I have an website www.abelinguitars.se and I´m also on Facebook, abelin guitars.

For many years I´ve been playing through an Marshall JCM 800 Combo, before that an 70´s Fender Vibrolux. And some years an Mesa Boogie mark IV.

Regarding thr quiestions `ve have to think for a while. There´s so many opinions about sound and material. Bone, brass, glued neck or not etc etc.

Earlier I build and liked heavy guitars but now I have changed my mind. Especially when I tried an 63 strat. Light weight and fantastic tone!

But I´m an humble person i think.... I can listen and change opinion to..

this week I will try to finish one 000 acoustic an two classic dreadnaught models.

The levin 340 above is probably the guitar I never will sell..

. I bought it when I was 18. had it for 25 years. then it just slipped out of my hands and last year, by an fantastic coincident , it is mine again.

bohemian · #6 05-01-2014, 05:55 PM

Welcome and thanks to the link to your site.

Swedish. Svensk?

My grandfather was born in Sweden.

I like Levin Guitars. Nice one you have there.

louparte · #7 05-02-2014, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pf400

Thanks for joining the forum ! I offer some questions I've had for awhile but never got around to asking...really would appreciate your expert advice:

1) Can a tremelo system be installed on any electric guitar...a Telecaster, a semi-hollow body and and a hollow body...without affecting the tone, or life span, of the guitar ?

Question is a bit broad. Any electric guitar? It's more metal in contact w/the body. Do you mean affecting electric tone? I think it could affect tuning and intonation more than anything.

2) My 1999 Taylor grand concert acoustic electric guitar has lots of waves and depressions on the top. I wouldn't call it bulging but it's far from flat. Sounds great, intonation is excellent, I keep it properly humidified. Should I be worried ?

I don't know. Don't worry. Be happy. Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof. Clap along if you feel that happiness is the truth.

3) Can you change the tuners on a guitar many times or would that cause problems on the headstock ?

I have changed tuners on a Guild D25 a few times. No prob. Depends on the fit.

4) When adding a pickup system inside the body of an acoustic guitar, holes must be drilled right ? Can that harm the guitar or affect its value ?

Probably. Yes. Yes.

5) Do different material bridge pins affect tone...for example ?

That's a flat-top forum question. Arch-tops don't have bridge pins. A lot of argument about that. I think so. But others disagree. I like Rosewood, Ebony. I've tried bone and plastic too. Different strings will change the sound a lot more than bridge pins.

6) I see lots of guitarists push the guitar neck back and forth supposedly for a bit of a "tremelo" effect....can this lead to damage ?

I would think so.

7) Does oiling the fretboard have an benefit other than cleaning ? ((I've read that rosewood has natural oils and you never need to oil rosewood)

I don't know.

Others here can probably give you better, more detailed answers.

abelin · #8 05-02-2014, 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pf400

Thanks for joining the forum ! I offer some questions I've had for awhile but never got around to asking...really would appreciate your expert advice: Thank you! There are many fantastic persons in this forum but I can try to share my thoughts. But I like that we can have different opinions. Thats development and learning..

1) Can a tremelo system be installed on any electric guitar...a Telecaster, a semi-hollow body and and a hollow body...without affecting the tone, or life span, of the guitar ?
You can do a lot as long as its done properly. recently I took away an classic tremelosystem from the 80`s on an Schekter strat. the guitar had an most amazing tone but the owner wanted an hard tail bridge for increased tone. Will it sound better? I´m not sure about that but believing can be enough...

2) My 1999 Taylor grand concert acoustic electric guitar has lots of waves and depressions on the top. I wouldn't call it bulging but it's far from flat. Sounds great, intonation is excellent, I keep it properly humidified. Should I be worried ? Taylor is great guitars. 99 with those problems? I would check all
braces and also the neck. It´s impossible to know but regarding Taylor´s production the top should be more or less perfect. I´m sorry but thats all I can say.
3) Can you change the tuners on a guitar many times or would that cause problems on the headstock ? The only "problem" I can see is more visible holes. But I repair that often often replace /fill the hole with same wood. After some sanding and laquer it´s often perfect.

4) When adding a pickup system inside the body of an acoustic guitar, holes must be drilled right ? Can that harm the guitar or affect its value ? I´ve seen terrible work in this case. And that of course affect any guitar badly. there are great pickupsystems you can add without drilling. But guitars in my opinion is made for use and not for the museum. So do you need an system go for it. but consider carefully what type. maybe you will find something that gives you quality and not needs drilling.

5) Do different material bridge pins affect tone...for example ?
I think nut and saddlematerial is more important. I want bridge pins of hard material for an tight function. I often use bone or ebenholz but thats maybe because of my stock of great bone and very old hard ebenholz..

6) I see lots of guitarists push the guitar neck back and forth supposedly for a bit of a "tremelo" effect....can this lead to damage ? the force you need to damage an neck is huge. A minor damage is of course if you have problems with thr nut, saddle or the truss rod. Then you can get out of tune. But if it´s bad gluing och screws badly fastened to the body of course it could lead to some damage or increase an problem that already exists.

7) Does oiling the fretboard have an benefit other than cleaning ? ((I've read that rosewood has natural oils and you never need to oil rosewood)

I sand my necks really well. the surface is smoothe. That surface needs just cleaning . I´ve seen fretboards that is very dry and with slightly damage surface. Often they have cleaned the surface with to strong chemicals. So in this case some oil will be applied.

I´m sure that many not agree in my opinions but thats ok for me. Sometimes great sound has some part of believing..

icuker · #9 05-02-2014, 11:32 AM

I've used 3 in 1 oil on a couple of fretboards that were kind of anemic looking and it it darkened them and made them look much better. I saw this done on the Martin website.