#16
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Working with a 46' top dish, are you able to clamp the side to the top in the dish and then just place the individual tentellones(I think that's the fancy word for glue block) with hot glue in place(not clamped)? I recall once my mentor demonstrating the holding power of a single glue block on an 18th century furniture drawer bottom, and it had never been "clamped" just "rubbed" in place. Sorry, I am a serial student of guitar construction techniques....
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#17
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Ben & Wayne are playing up in Toronto in June, I will look to see if your guitar is used on stage ... lol
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Ian K. 2018 Michaud OO-R 2012 Webber Dreadnaught *SOLD* 2010 Eastman E20OM 1994 Guild D30 1979 Yamaha FG375S (retired) 1974 Norman B30 (retired) |
#18
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Quote:
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#19
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I would be surprised to learn they are using my stuff onstage as I think they reserve it for their "quality time". Let me know if I'm wrong, please.
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#20
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Here's Ben's box:
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#21
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Quote:
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Fred |
#22
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I have a little video I took of Bruce installing pentelones on the side of a flamenco guitar he built a while ago, in which he discusses very informally his process, theory, and trechnique, quite off the cuff. More of a why-to than how-to, although if one is competent in the how, the why is pretty well explained.
But we need Bruce to stop building guitars and take time off to edit and get it ready for release, as it is a bit rambling and completely unscripted / train of consciousness. Unfortunately, every time Bruce sees a little free time in his schedule, he starts building another guitar - its like the guy is fixated or something -
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More than a few Santa Cruz’s, a few Sexauers, a Patterson, a Larrivee, a Cumpiano, and a Klepper!! |
#23
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Because the glue has a bit of grab when rubbed in and the two surfaces are at 91 degrees to each other the peone stick well enough that after just a few seconds they are somewhat difficult to remove. The nature of HHG is that while it takes hours to actually dry, it gells as soon as it is cool, which happens very quickly when it becomes squished between two cool surfaces. I have heard it said that the surfaces of my Guitars are pretty cool
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#24
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I figure without the running commentary, I can show a good bit of the process in a few pics -
Heres a pic of the top, with the sides clamped gently in place - again, this is a flamenco guitar, so the bracing and spanish heel neck block are quite different than a steel string build.
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More than a few Santa Cruz’s, a few Sexauers, a Patterson, a Larrivee, a Cumpiano, and a Klepper!! |
#25
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Heres a detail - the blocks are trimmed (even notched) to go around the braces. The trimming is done mostly to acheive a continuous height - more an aesthetic concern than structural.
Again - this is slightly different since it is a flamenco guitar, and his primary goal was to emphasize attack over sustain, so the spacing on the blocks is slightly larger than on a normal guitar, but it shows how subtle choices made throughout the build process have an affect on the finished product, and how an intentional goal must be maintained in the many choices made during a build -
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More than a few Santa Cruz’s, a few Sexauers, a Patterson, a Larrivee, a Cumpiano, and a Klepper!! |
#26
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Bruce keeps his “inventory” in a small octagonal tin - he rips the stock into a very slight parallelogram - 91 x 89 degrees approx - and then crosscuts them on his tablesaw with his extra fine tooth fretting blade. Then they get stored in this tin until he needs them -
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More than a few Santa Cruz’s, a few Sexauers, a Patterson, a Larrivee, a Cumpiano, and a Klepper!! |
#27
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When he needs them, he grabs a handful and then starts splitting them one by one with his chisel. He has to flip them so the “right angle” is actually the 91 degree corner - when they are glued in, he wants the most solid contact at the outer edges, since he’ll be routing off the inside corner when installing the binding.
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More than a few Santa Cruz’s, a few Sexauers, a Patterson, a Larrivee, a Cumpiano, and a Klepper!! |
#28
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Heres a closeup of a finished block - the angle is very subtle, but very important, just like so many details in fine lutherie -
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More than a few Santa Cruz’s, a few Sexauers, a Patterson, a Larrivee, a Cumpiano, and a Klepper!! |
#29
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And they are, literally, glued in one at a time - Bruce picks up each block, gives it a final inspection, then holds it in one hand while he picks up the little artists brush and coats each face with the hot hide glue, puts the brush back into the little glass bottle thats staying warm in the water bath in his glue pot, and places the block in place, pressing and rubbing it in, then inspecting it to make sure he’s happy with placement and spacing, then pick up the next block and do it again -
When its all done, he grabs the old toothbrush thats soaking in the water bath alongside the glue jar, and scrubs down any excess glue thats squeezed out.
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More than a few Santa Cruz’s, a few Sexauers, a Patterson, a Larrivee, a Cumpiano, and a Klepper!! |
#30
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I’m sure Bruce will note any errors in my explanation, but as an observer, what I find amazing is the way he goes into a kind of zen auto-pilot during this process, making choices, decisions, adjustments, and judgements almost sub-consciously, based on his experience and belief. And in my experience, these choices, and his experience, combine to make an amazing hand-built instrument that you have to hold and play to begin understanding - or, as I believe, to really “grok” it -
Now - if I could only get him to edit videos - Oh, well - I’m happy with the guitars -
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More than a few Santa Cruz’s, a few Sexauers, a Patterson, a Larrivee, a Cumpiano, and a Klepper!! |