1/2 size fun build

Costs are rising and times are tough.
Please consider a donation to keep this
place going.

Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.

This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.

We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.

1/2 size fun build

You are logged in as Guest

Users viewing this topic: none

Printable Version

All Forums >>Discussions >>Lutherie >>

Page: [1]

Message

<< Newer Topic Older Topic >>

printer2

Posts: 54
Joined: Sep. 19 2015

1/2 size fun build

How does Pine grab you? Not as a sellable instrument but built just for fun. I just brought this one to work today and one of the guys started playing it and changed to playing some flamenco styled snippets. It did seem to suit the guitar. It is about a 1/2 sized guitar and weighs in at under 2 1/2 lbs (1130 g).

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 21 2015 21:30:38

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: 1/2 size fun build (in reply to printer2)

I have a set of pine and I have been thinking about making a classical guitar with it. But of course that is a waste of my time however fun it looks, nobody will take pine seriously. The guitar will sound fine, but if you put that much effort into pine you may not be able to sell it. Where I am if a guitar is not made some kind of rosewood they don't even want to handle it.

_____________________________

https://www.stephenfaulkguitars.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 22 2015 0:02:02

printer2

Posts: 54
Joined: Sep. 19 2015

RE: 1/2 size fun build (in reply to printer2)

Just made it for myself, as can be seen, no rosette, binding, nothing that adds to the time to build. From start to finish it was three weeks, two to make and one to finish. Since it was my first nylon I spent some time learning how to make it. Probably do one in two weeks total now. I need to make one with light weight tuners (Hey, maybe some pegs!) as they seem to be the part of the guitar with any mass.

And if the Pine body is a discouragement I guess the Spruce neck would seal the deal. No, not a sellable guitar. But a pleasure to park in your lap and tickle the strings. Now that I know what one is like I think I need to make three more, one for my brother, my nephew, and my niece's husband. I may not be able to sell them, but they would make a nice Christmas present. Forgot to mention, top and back are torrified, part of the reason for building it, to see what the properties of the wood are after being baked. Sure made the wood look prettier.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 22 2015 2:15:22

Dudnote

Posts: 1805
Joined: Nov. 13 2007

RE: 1/2 size fun build (in reply to printer2)

Pine always reminds me of the SPAKR of Franche Comte - a banjo like thing made out of the pine box used to sell one of the world's greatest cheeses hot or cold - Mont D'or.

http://www.instrument-lutherie.com/spark.html

There is also a great gypsy band in Franche Comte that go by the name of Spakr.
http://www.spakr.com/

Would love a 1/2 size myself for jamming on car journeys.

http://www.lartetlacuillere.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/mont-dor-04.jpg

_____________________________

Ay compañerita de mi alma
tú ahora no me conoces.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 22 2015 3:44:14

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: 1/2 size fun build (in reply to printer2)

quote:

Forgot to mention, top and back are torrified, part of the reason for building it, to see what the properties of the wood are after being baked. Sure made the wood look prettier.

So how is the Torrefied wood? I've been curious about it.

Of course making a guitar with pine and making it super slick and great sounding would teach them a lesson.

_____________________________

https://www.stephenfaulkguitars.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 22 2015 8:34:13

estebanana

Posts: 9351
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: 1/2 size fun build (in reply to Dudnote)

quote:

Would love a 1/2 size myself for jamming on car journeys.

I have one half way built, a half size....just letting you know ...LOL

_____________________________

https://www.stephenfaulkguitars.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 22 2015 8:38:42

printer2

Posts: 54
Joined: Sep. 19 2015

RE: 1/2 size fun build (in reply to printer2)

Mmmmm... looks yummy.

quote:

So how is the Torrefied wood? I've been curious about it.

Of course making a guitar with pine and making it super slick and great sounding would teach them a lesson.

It is stiffer than the pre-treated wood. I actually had to shave down my braces as I thought the top was too stiff. I used treated wood for the braces also. It carves easier and you have less difference between the early and late wood. It seems to have less toughness and strength but is stiffer. Mind you that is relative and the level of treatment also plays a part.

Tightbond beads up on the surface more but if you spread it on the surface it adheres to it well enough. I have heard you need more clamping time, I also coated both sides of the joint and waited a minute or two to let the moisture penetrate the surface. No data to confirm it but I reasoned that is you just applied glue and mated the two surfaces the glue might be squeezed out and you would not have enough solids in the gap. I figured the surface tension would help to squeeze out the glue and by allowing the moisture to penetrate a little before clamping more glue would stick around. I could be wrong but it seemed to feel right doing it.

Don't know if it sounds slick but today two people asked me to make them guitars for their kids. Both played this one and a couple I brought to work before. I am disappointed that one guy did not get a chance to play it. I brought an all Walnut to work and it convinced a number of people that I can build something better than the run of the mill guitar. I may have just got lucky with it but I have been taking clues from some good builders and hope I have taken in some good practices.

I need to go out and try a few nylon guitars. They really have not been on my radar as much that I have heard played on them is traditional classical music and much of it never caught my fancy. But since I started building a nylon guitar (that is sitting unfinished but that is another story) I began looking for other music being played on a nylon string guitar. Found I liked the sound of the instrument for some blues, gypsy jazz and even some flamenco styled music. And that is how I came across your fine forum.

While I do not know how good a great guitar can be I have heard a number of poor ones and average ones. Because of that I bring my guitars to work and have a number of people play them. We do have a surprising amount of guys who play and two that dabble with rebuilding and setting up electrics. One of them was the one that played some flamenco 'riffs' on this one, never expected it from him. The other one asked me to make his daughter one. kind of a thumbs up.

I do think I have a nice little instrument here but I realize that even if I make a stripped down version of this guitar it will not be worth my while to sell as I would not feel right about selling something that may not age gracefully. I would have to sell it as a disposable guitar and charge little for my time and effort. For a person that knows the limitation of this wood choice and will treat it gently I would not feel bad about selling to. Since the three requests I had today are for kids I can not see them taking the care that is needed.

So I thought about the four requests, three for children, one for a guy that wants a smaller guitar to round out his collection. I thought about wood that I can get locally to keep the cost of the guitars reasonable. I am leaning toward a maple box with a spruce top. Nylon for the kids SS for the adult, SS tuners like this guitar rather than slotheads to simplify construction. Seems like I may have fell into my first model to sell. Need to make up a prototype now.

Sorry for the long post. I write what is on the top of my head and sometimes I ramble. Just too much trouble to edit.

Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 22 2015 23:40:25

Ruphus

Posts: 3782
Joined: Nov. 18 2010

RE: 1/2 size fun build (in reply to Dudnote)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Dudnote

... SPAKR of Franche Comte - a banjo like thing made out of the pine box used to sell one of the world's greatest cheeses hot or cold - Mont D'or.

http://www.instrument-lutherie.com/spark.html

Not just for staying over 8 years now where you don´t find anything refined; I could just about KILL for getting my hands on that plate!!

Man, does it look yummmie! (No drool icon when you need it ...) >sigh<

Ruphus

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 23 2015 13:05:48

constructordeguitarras

Posts: 1676
Joined: Jan. 29 2012
From: Seattle, Washington, USA

RE: 1/2 size fun build (in reply to printer2)

Cute.

_____________________________

Ethan Deutsch
www.edluthier.com
www.facebook.com/ethandeutschguitars
www.youtube.com/marioamayaflamenco
I always have flamenco guitars available for sale.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 25 2015 4:32:29