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My guitar - think I'll start over
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aarongreen
Posts: 367
Joined: Jan. 16 2004
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 RE: My guitar - think I'll start over (in reply to Escribano)
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Hey Simon,
Unfortunately when dealing with wood you are at the mercy of a material that will, even in the most carefully controlled enviroment, do whatever the hell it feels like. In other words don't kick yourself too much and be thankful that you didn't go and finish the guitar before it decided to warp. Most likely what would have happened if you did have the box together is that it would have just cracked, which is not any better in my opinion.
Sometimes you just have to start over and it sounds like that's where your at. Such is life. I have a guitar that only needs a bridge and finish that I never completed simply because I realized it just wouldn't be a guitar I could be proud of. I built it in 95 and that's when I first went to NYC with some guitars, and had my head handed to me on a platter. I went back to my shop intent on finishing this guitar and once I got there I just couldn't do it. I have been building for 4 years at that point and while I was making progress, the reality of the level I was at vrs. where I thought I was came crashing down on me. I was 20 or 21 at the time and I think part of it was an attitude of "I'm young, cut me some slack". Which was a bad attitude. It seems to me that in hindsight it was the best thing that could have ever happened although it didn't feel that way at the time.
So here's my advice to you, get some kind of humidity control going, even if it's just a closet where you keep you wood and parts, try not to do any major glue ups when it's either too dry or too humid, and try again.
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Date Apr. 4 2004 16:24:35
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RE: My guitar - think I'll start over (in reply to Escribano)
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Well Simon, I cant remember exactly where you are in the process. Have you glued on the back, fingerboard etc.
Maybe you can change the SB. It´s a lot of work, but might be worth it.
I had to take of the back on the guitar I´m working on at the moment, since weird things happened when I glued it. I used to much presure while I was roping it, and the SB sunk some 2 mm. I took of the back, put new braces on it, and reglued. And now it´s fine. If you´ve got a change to fix it, do it, because you´ll learn a lot.
If it´s "just" a strut, take it of, and see what happens. I mean it´s better to do something than to just watch and cry: The sun is shining, but it´s raining in my hart.
If not, good luck with the next.
Anders
btw. Aaron, how is the olive oil situation? Poor you, living so far away from them golden drops.
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Date Apr. 4 2004 18:01:50
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RE: My guitar - think I'll start over (in reply to Escribano)
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Simon,
I´ve been thinking a bit. If I were you, I´d take a picture, and post it with a question at the MIMF forum (www.mimf.com) Some of the people there, know a lot about repairing and fixing.
Don´t give it up without a try.
ánimo tío
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Date Apr. 4 2004 21:09:53
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RE: My guitar - think I'll start over (in reply to Escribano)
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Cheer up Simon: think what you have learned and how good the next one will be. 
Humidity control is fundamental. Cadiz is surrounded by sea and humidity varies between 90% and 25%, depending on the direction of the wind. About 6 or 7 years ago this brutal change happened overnight.
In the morning, Rafael had 3 cracked guitars in the workshop and mine was cracked too, with a crack more than a millimetre wide. We made a triangular piece of cypress for a filler, but when we came to fit it a couple of days later, the humidity had risen and the crack had closed! Since then, a dehumidifier has been running 24 hours a day.
When humidity is high, you would not believe how much water it extracts from the air to maintain a humidity of around 50%. These items are not expensive but indispensible.
Suerte
Sean
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Apr. 5 2004 13:49:32
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I think one of the struts (which are supposed to have their grain 90 degrees to the soundboard) has twisted. Storage here, either dry, centrally heated house, or damp, cold garage may be a factor. Getting the bridge on last year would have prevented this, I guess, by strengthening it across the grain of the soundboard. 