My First Guitar

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.

My First Guitar

You are logged in as Guest

Users viewing this topic: none

Printable Version

All Forums >>Discussions >>Lutherie >>

Page: [1]

Message

<< Newer Topic Older Topic >>

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

My First Guitar

I finished my first guitar some time ago but barely got around to posting the photos. It's built according the plans of Marcelo Barbero's 1951 flamenco Sabicas used on the 'Flamenco Puro' album.

Spruce top, cypress back and sides. 663mm scale, 53mm nut. Rosewood fingerboard, Schaller machine tuners with ebony knobs. Head design(my own), rosette(pre-made). Yes, the strings are reversed. I am El Zurdo!

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ta_nunez/my_photos

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 7 2005 22:19:54

Patrick

Posts: 1189
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Portland, Oregon

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to TANúñez)

quote:

Yes, the strings are reversed.

Tom,

As well as the transverse bar.

Looks very nice, but more importantly, how does it sound and when do we get to hear it?

That head stock design is a bit menacing looking! As the kids say, Goth.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 7 2005 22:35:21

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to TANúñez)

Hey Pat,

I will soon get some recording equip. and record a sample. It came out pretty nice. It has somewhat of an "old school"/gipsy sound". My guess it is because of the 5 fan strut pattern. The top is a bit more flexible than say a guitar with 7 struts.

Yeah the head is a bit "crazy". You know how it is when you start a new project and you want to go all out? that's what happened here. My new head design is more simple, elegant and a bit more traditional.

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 7 2005 22:39:44

Escribano

Posts: 6415
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to TANúñez)

Great to see you got it finished. Mine cracked up and is consigned to be an unusual wall hanging

But even that gave me a deeper appreciation of the art.

_____________________________

Foro Flamenco founder and Admin

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 8 2005 8:55:08

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to Escribano)

quote:

But even that gave me a deeper appreciation of the art.

That's exactly what it's done for me. If your still interested in building a guitar, don't give up. You have a luthier nearby who will give you great advise. That is if he's not burned out on giving advise after all that he gave me during my journey. If I am able to be half the builder Eliasson is, I'll be a damn good builder.

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 8 2005 15:53:13

Sammy K

Posts: 30
Joined: Dec. 2 2004
From: Finland

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to TANúñez)

Congratulations, Tom!

It's always great too see a new born baby.

Guitar looks nice. So you're gonna continue building flamenco guitars or leave it there?

_____________________________

-Sami

--This goes to eleven--

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 11 2005 18:13:07

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to Sammy K)

Thank you Sami. No stopping here. I will continue to build as this is what I truly love. I'm also better at this than I am at playing

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 11 2005 19:07:23

Cloth Ears

Posts: 152
Joined: Apr. 26 2005

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to TANúñez)

Every day I am thankful that there ARE luthiers

. Without such art there would be no possibility of writing the beautiful music of flamenco. Synergy.

Thanks

p.s It is the smell of guitars that often inspires me!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 13 2005 18:03:44

Escribano

Posts: 6415
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to Cloth Ears)

quote:

It is the smell of guitars that often inspires me!

Few have put their finger on it with their first post! Welcome, cloth ears.

_____________________________

Foro Flamenco founder and Admin

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 13 2005 19:20:34

Guest

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to TANúñez)

Oups, I missed this one.

Tom, I've seen the photos of you guitar before, and I can just repeat what I said before: I think it looks like a great guitar and not just a great number one. Keep up the good spirit and build some more.

For guitar smellers: cypress with cedar top smells very good. But the best thing is to plane cypress and bend rosewood on a hot pipe. Ohh that's what make me live.

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 14 2005 8:13:42

flyeogh

Posts: 729
Joined: Oct. 13 2004

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to TANúñez)

Anders, is that legal?

_____________________________

nigel (el raton de Watford - now Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 14 2005 9:12:46

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to Escribano)

quote:

Few have put their finger on it with their first post! Welcome, cloth ears.

I second that! welcome Cloth Ears.

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 14 2005 12:45:40

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to Guest)

quote:

Oups, I missed this one.

Tom, I've seen the photos of you guitar before, and I can just repeat what I said before: I think it looks like a great guitar and not just a great number one. Keep up the good spirit and build some more.

For guitar smellers: cypress with cedar top smells very good. But the best thing is to plane cypress and bend rosewood on a hot pipe. Ohh that's what make me live.

Thank you my friend. There's a little bit of Anders Eliasson in this guitar too. You've been an inspiration and your advise was a huge help to me, you have no idea.

The smell of cypress and cedar is almost intoxicating. Planing and scraping rosewood is also nice.

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 14 2005 12:49:01

Guest

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to TANúñez)

Tom!

When are we going to see the next one???? and what will it be. Hopefully not the Rodriguez copy you are making following online apprendice, because it looks like it'll take forever.

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 15 2005 15:46:14

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to Guest)

quote:

When are we going to see the next one???? and what will it be. Hopefully not the Rodriguez copy you are making following online apprendice, because it looks like it'll take forever.

No, not the Rodriguez. I was doing that to learn a little about 'classical' building. The next one is another blanca but this one will be the first one that will begin to reflect me and my visions of the kind of guitars I want to make. I love doing this. I want to be a builder when I grow up

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 19 2005 23:14:31

Guest

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to TANúñez)

quote:

I want to be a builder when I grow up

Remember that many of the very finest builders like Hernandez y Aguado, Robert Bouchet and many others started very late with the guitar building. So you have plenty of time to reach your goal. Age is not a bad thing when it comes to building guitars. It's a very lonesome process.

_____________________________

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 20 2005 1:54:42

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to Guest)

quote:

Remember that many of the very finest builders like Hernandez y Aguado, Robert Bouchet and many others started very late with the guitar building.

I did not know this Anders. This really gives me hope. I know that there are other more important factors that determines ones success as a builder. I'm glad age is at the bottom.

quote:

It's a very lonesome process.

I don't mind. I'm actually a loner and prefer to be alone. It's hard to find alone time though when you have a wife and kids.

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 20 2005 21:56:15

Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to TANúñez)

Great job, Tom! Keep up the good work!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 22 2005 5:16:49

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to Miguel de Maria)

quote:

Great job, Tom! Keep up the good work!

Thanks MdM! I'm trying.

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 22 2005 13:39:07

Francisco

Posts: 879
Joined: Jun. 13 2005
From: SW USA

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to TANúñez)

Great job, Tom. I totally dig that headstock. Have you uploaded audio example so we can give it a listen? How did you get started in luthiery?

ciao

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 21 2005 10:10:35

Doitsujin

Posts: 5078
Joined: Apr. 10 2005

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to TANúñez)

It has a cool haed.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Sep. 21 2005 12:02:18

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to Francisco)

quote:

Great job, Tom. I totally dig that headstock. Have you uploaded audio example so we can give it a listen? How did you get started in luthiery?

Thanks. Sorry for the late reply. Haven't been around in a while. I have no audio yet of my guitars but I'm working on that. I've always been fascinated by guitar making and I finally decided to just do it. I've read a ton of books and asked many questions to many builders. Just ask Anders how much I bugged him

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 28 2005 14:56:32

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to Doitsujin)

quote:

It has a cool haed.

Thanks. It is a little on the wild side. I have since changed it for the guitars I am building now. I'll post photos when the next one is complete.

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 28 2005 14:57:31

Ryan002

Posts: 173
Joined: Oct. 18 2005
From: Singapore

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to TANúñez)

Just out of curiosity, is it true that cypress sides are harder to make than rosewood ones?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 7 2005 4:24:03

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to Ryan002)

quote:

Just out of curiosity, is it true that cypress sides are harder to make than rosewood ones?

Hi Ryan

By make do you mean is cypress harder to work than rosewood? as in bending, sanding and finishing? If this is what you mean I would have to say yes based on my experiences with it.. I find cypress easier to bend although I've heard some people say it was a little more difficult for them. It's not as porous as rosewood so it's easier to finish.

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 24 2005 12:55:01

Cordova

Posts: 4
Joined: Nov. 17 2005

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to TANúñez)

Tom,

Did you opt to make a jig and use blankets to bend the sides or did you "pipe" bend them. Just curious, I am assembling what I need to work on my first build. I am thinking of building a jig. It would seem to make subsequent guitars easier. What is your opinion? What book did you use for guidance?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 27 2005 13:04:42

TANúñez

Posts: 2559
Joined: Jul. 10 2003
From: TEXAS

RE: My First Guitar (in reply to Cordova)

quote:

Tom,

Did you opt to make a jig and use blankets to bend the sides or did you "pipe" bend them. Just curious, I am assembling what I need to work on my first build. I am thinking of building a jig. It would seem to make subsequent guitars easier. What is your opinion? What book did you use for guidance?

Hi Cordova,

For this guitar I used the bending iron which was a pain. I'm sure it gets easier the more you do it. For the ones I'm working on now, I built a side bending machine. I get the same results everytime with little effort. It was rather easy and cheap. You can buy the Fox bending machine for something crazy like $500. For the materials, it cost me only $35 and a little bit of sweat. If you send me an email I can send you a photo of mine as a reference if you like.

Good luck with yours!

_____________________________

Tom Núñez
www.instagram.com/tanunezguitars

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 29 2005 0:25:12