- I didn't have the proper shop/tools
- Really didn't want to make one of the available "kits"
- Even if I have the shop/tools...I likely would lack the motivation to actually do the work and it would become just another one of my unfinished projects
...and of corse, what to build...6 string, electric, bass, ukulele, arch top?
Sara and I were randomly walking downtown in Davis as we often do and we happened upon a shop by the name of "Fretted Strings" Of course, curiosity got the best of us and we ended up walking in to find a Luthier of 30+ years by the name of Harrison Phipps that offered instruction and tools to actually build a guitar from scratch.
We loved the fact he ended up spending at least 15 minutes for a tour without even knowing our intentions (or our names for that matter) and was incredibly excited about his work and his love for building instruments that has spanned for decades...(needless to say, I was hooked).
We loved the fact he ended up spending at least 15 minutes for a tour without even knowing our intentions (or our names for that matter) and was incredibly excited about his work and his love for building instruments that has spanned for decades...(needless to say, I was hooked).
From what I understand, the shop holds a very small amount of the wood Harrison has been collecting for years for his own builds and repairs
I currently have too many guitars in their cases under my bed including a nice electric, a nice 6 string, my father's banjo, and a 12-string given to me by my mother when I was about 18. It has been a great guitar and a great re-entry into the world of guitars but it seems there are some flaws that are not easy to repair....I thought to myself....why not a 12-string?
After a little email exchange, Harrison assured me that a 12-string could easily be built by a first time builder... so here goes the experiment...
Below is the initial build of the top of the guitar. This had to be "bookmatched" - basically taking two thin pieces of wood and hand planing them so the seem in the center shows no gaps and is nearly invisible. This requires a "shoot board" and quite a bit of patience. I have a feeling that patience is going to be an ingredient in the entire build. A bit of wood glue, a bit of weight, and a little pressure from the sides and 24 hours later, you have a solid piece of wood to start the basics of a top (Canadian Sitka Spruce...or so I have been told)
Next, is designing the rosette around the sound hole. This is mostly decorative but it does add some strength to the sound hole. The plan is to have an inner ring of purfling followed by a ring of purfling encased abalone, and a final ring of purfling. The shape is only a very rough cut and will be cut to proper size when it is attached to the sides.
Below is the initial build of the top of the guitar. This had to be "bookmatched" - basically taking two thin pieces of wood and hand planing them so the seem in the center shows no gaps and is nearly invisible. This requires a "shoot board" and quite a bit of patience. I have a feeling that patience is going to be an ingredient in the entire build. A bit of wood glue, a bit of weight, and a little pressure from the sides and 24 hours later, you have a solid piece of wood to start the basics of a top (Canadian Sitka Spruce...or so I have been told)
Next, is designing the rosette around the sound hole. This is mostly decorative but it does add some strength to the sound hole. The plan is to have an inner ring of purfling followed by a ring of purfling encased abalone, and a final ring of purfling. The shape is only a very rough cut and will be cut to proper size when it is attached to the sides.
The rings have been routed, the abalone has been shaped, and this is ready for glue (hopefully) on Thursday.
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