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Cheers all I hope it was worth the effort and that anyone looking was able to get some ideas from it.
Andy I have a mix bag of chisels all are Japanese. I have one Akio Tasai chisel. This is my favourite and most expensive. Then I have a set of Ice Bear HSS - I got these when I started my first guitar on an evening course. The rest are IYOROI I bought these because the Ice Bear chisels didn't go smaller than 12mm.
The heel cap fitting was just the way I was taught to do it. I think it adds a little more finesse perhaps than the more simple butt join but it has it's practical reasons too. I've found that it can really save students (and me on the odd occaision) who cut just a little bit too much off that last binding, as the gap left is cut away. The other reason is that you often see polish sinking in to the joins around that area, with this method you have one less join for the polish to sink into.
RE: Building a Cedar Negra (in reply to Stephen Eden)
Hi Steve,
Great to meet you last night, and thanks a lot for the hospitality! What a truly beautiful guitar this is. I'm not sure how much staring at it in rehearsals I'm going to be able to take before I break the promise extracted by my wife not to join your waiting list! all the best
RE: Building a Cedar Negra (in reply to Stephen Eden)
This is starting to be mouthwatering. I have 4 primeras at the moment - all spruce blancas so a cedar negra might be in order to round off my current collection.
Cheers Tom, I have been really focused this year on improving my french polishing techniques. I am aiming for that entombed in glass look. I'm not quite there yet but I'm getting closer each time I polish.
I was however wondering what a J joint is. I googled it but got links to a whole other type of joint. Do you mean mitres?
I would love to move over but I don't think you could provide the amount of work I need to survive!
RE: Building a Cedar Negra (in reply to Stephen Eden)
quote:
I was however wondering what a J joint is. I googled it but got links to a whole other type of joint. Do you mean mitres?
I would love to move over but I don't think you could provide the amount of work I need to survive!
Yes, I meant miter with the purfling. And it's most likely not a good idea to move here until the economy improves.
And, years ago, I got a talking to by Tim Miklaucic of Guitar Salon that my finish looked too good, more like shiny Formica instead of a good hand rubbed finish, so I had to back up a little with it, in those days.
The point I'm trying to make was to have the finish done by someone else than this builder
I have read many books, asked many questions to experts and seen many videos about FP. I watched restorers in their work. Ultimately today I do nothing more than I have done in the beginning. Almost all techniques can lead to success, without experience in the relevant technology; however, this does not occur. I think that SEden has found his way to do FP and he is now an experienced luthier. If I had used the time to read and watch the video to polish my guitars it would have gone faster. The key of all is patience!
Cheers Vince, I think that it is just time, patience and practice that will help you get better. I have easily polished 200+ guitars over the years and am still improving. I find though I have to spend more time to get it the way I want and the remember how I got it that good if that makes sense. Keep trying and you will get there!
Thanks bbfifas, Sorry no sound clips. I am terrible at playing guitar so I wouldn't be able to do them justice. Also my guitars are usually gone the day after stringing them up.
Of course I know that Tom. To be honest though over here is all about the classical guitar market and I can point someone in many directions if they want to listen to one of those. I build one to two Flamenco guitars a year which is fine for me. With Spain so close it would be foolish to focus on Flamenco guitars any way.
I know Juan Martin used one of my guitars for some stuff on his latest teaching DVD but that's not my material to share.
Posts: 149
Joined: Jul. 14 2011
From: Newark, DE, USA
RE: Building a Cedar Negra (in reply to Stephen Eden)
To start, I'd be curious to hear your ideas about what you expect the differences to be between cedar and spruce in a flamenco setting. I know it's done, but I'm not sure what people experience the differences to be or why it's an interesting direction to go.
Oops - I had no idea this thread had been around so long.
Jim - The cedar guitars are always more immediate with there sound production. From day one they are just more responsive. Perhaps a little warmer than spruce. I have made quite a few Cedar Negras and most if not all go to blanca owners looking for a little more sweetness. A lot of my clients have said they prefer using them in a solo setting. I would say it perfectly complements a Spruce Cypress guitar but not replaces it.