Archive for July, 2010

Guitar 905 – Keep the customer satisfied

July 22, 2010

I’m enrolled in a program to get my secondary mathematics certification (Those who can, do, those who can’t, teach…yeah I know I’ve heard it all before).  It has taken away time from building guitars as the homework is oppressive and the reading is double secret oppressive.

I’m progressing on guitar 1001, but in niggles and bits.  John, customer of guitar 905 has sent me a few “baby pictures”.  Pictures with babies and guitars, that is.  The guitar was dedicated to his daughter Annabelle, and here she is.

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Yeah, babies are cute.  Get ’em started early, and they’ll be awesome guitarists.

Gretsch New Yorker – Neck Reset

July 6, 2010

Well finally, a long awaited repair is complete.  I tackled a neck reset on this Gretsch New Yorker, which I took in 6 months ago.  It was the first attempt to steam off a dovetail neck and reset with the proper neck angle.  I must say that it is a fine result, and it sounds and plays much finer than what I started with.

There was the unfortunate issue of a new side crack due to the removal of the neck (previous neck reset was glued much too muchly).  But I was able to reset the crack and repaint the sides to hide the slight damage done with the neck removal.

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A little black lacquer after careful crack filling made this unfortunate blemish disappear.

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The previous neck reset added lots of shims and such, but eventually the neck bowed and the guitar became unplayable.  I was able to restore the proper neck angle, yet there’s still a bit of a down movement to the fretboard from 14 to 20.

The end result is a guitar that plays very well, with a reasonable clean up of the mishkabibble from the new crack from the neck removal.

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I’m hoping the owner will find it eminently playable.  Not necessarily beautiful, but better than it arrived.

Guitar 905 – Gallery

July 1, 2010

Guitar 905 photo gallery.  Headstock design came from client.

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Guitar 906 – Gallery

July 1, 2010

Photos of Guitar 906.  Very proud of the inlay.

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What’s Next?

July 1, 2010

The year is half gone and two completed guitars have gone out the door.  One guitar is in process, and there’s grand plans to start building ukes.  I’ve also got my sights set on building a guitar modelled after a Gibson L-00.  The Uke and Gibson project requires the building of molds, templates and jigs.

I’ve got a handful of repairs in the backlog which I’ll have to balance with the new construction.  I’m wrapping up the neck reset for the Gretsch New Yorker, and I have several major overhauls which have been waiting for an opening.

I’ve finished rebuilding the router table, and have designed a jig for brace radiusing.  I’m looking into CNC tools and software as a side opportunity.  CNC could be a valuable skill/tool especially if I begin to productionalize the building process through repeatable construction processes.

All this and I’m starting a program called Alt Routes to Secondary Mathematics Certification.  Translation:  High School math teacher.  The program begins July 12.  Summer courses end early August, then I dive into a school year long internship at a local high school.  By the end of the school year, next June, I should be certified.