The Apprentice

[Gary Palmer]

Rothbury - good pint of Daleside Brewery "Old Leg Over" in the Queen's Head on Saturday afternoon too (they had "Black Sheep" bitter on too but though I'd better not risk that LOL).

It's a lovely area around Rothbury and I used to get over that way often during my shooting days as an old friend has a small estate nr Hepple. Alwinton Agricultural Show (October) used to be fun to, but I somehow seldom made it beyond the beer tent for some strange reason.

Black Sheep's not a bad brew at all. They have a side ward set up for real ale drinkers in Newcastle General, so you would have been in safe hands and good company if you'd had a tipple or two too many.

[garthman]

Black Sheep's not a bad brew at all . They have a side ward set up for real ale drinkers in Newcastle General , so you would have been in safe hands and good company if you'd had a tipple or two too many.

It's a tasty pint, indeed. But the problem with Newcastle General is that it is 3/4 of an hour away

[Gary Palmer]

It is a very pretty little town with those lovely stone buildings and cottages and, of course, the River Coquet running through it. I've visited a few times - some relatives moved up there a couple of years ago. It's a tasty pint, indeed. But the problem with Newcastle General is that it is 3/4 of an hour away

Aye, but Morpeth Hospital doesn't have facilities for slowly weaning real ale enthusiasts off their favourite tipple, while Newcastle General has had years and years of practise dealing with Newcastle Brown drinkers and you may get the chance for a slow two week long weaning process.

The family used to have a small farm with workshops just outside Belford (Nr Bamburgh) and I used to often divert across to Rothbury during my wanderings. I forget the name of the old monastary in Coquet valley, but it's obscure location led to a viking raid missing it's presence until one bright spark decided to ring the bells in celebration of the near miss. The viking raiders heard the bells in the distance and swiftly returned to raid, ravish the nuns, kill the monks and rape the sheep.

The vikings still return each year around xmas time, but nowadays shop at the Metro Centre instead.

[rickoshea]

the tail block ......

in order for the soundboard and backboard to vibrate more freely a bit of adjustment of this fella is in order. A contact area of about 7mms for bonding has to be left so some reduction has to be done. I could/should have waited before radiusing the sides on the dishes and removed a section on both sides of the block to replace it with some hardwood with the grain direction running perpendicular to that already present. This gives a stronger bond to the boards .... however I radiused first and we decided to leave the block radiused and chamfer it to reduce the contact area. Half way through planing in the chamfer :



and the finished result :



you can just about make out the 7mms or so adjacent to the side wood that is radiused to take the soundboard. The same is done to the bottom of the tail block.

Next the reinforcing strips :



2mm thick strips of pine were cut in the bandsaw and smoothed up with an emory board (bit of a raid on my wifes stuff there )

1mm thick burr maple veneer marked for cutting to the size of the pine strips :



then the veneer is glued to the strips and clamped ... these clamps have a bit of French flair :



in order to sand a bevel into the strip edges I cut a block with a 40deg angle and used it to lay the strips against whilst sanding :



and after a fine sanding :



I'll cut them to the right length and re-sand in an end bevel once the kerfed lining is fitted to the body

[LaurentB]

My God, putting veneer on the reinforcement strips? Now that I call attention for detail!

[Gary Palmer]

Our lass says when you're finished with her sock/smalls airer pegs, can she have them back.

[rickoshea]

Our lass says when you're finished with her sock/smalls airer pegs, can she have them back.

no chance mate, I need them so looks like the family will have to go commando for a bit yet



now for some more intricate stuff ....

I'm going to inlay a celtic knot into the end graft and this needs done before fitting it. I had a bit of a choice between abalone, brass, MOP and wood. In the end I decided to go for zebrano - an offcut from the side trimming to tie in with the sides as the end graft is going to be figured maple.

Heres the setup for cutting the inlays - lots of light and a magnifying headset that makes me look like a complete wassock but it helps (honest) :



I designed the end graft and inlay to scale in Photoshop (it's about 18mms wide), printed it out and superglued it onto the 1.5mm thick bit of zebrano. The cut is made round the outline - the actual face of the inlay will be on the reverse side :



the outline is cut, then the tricky bits on the inside ... a 2mm drill bit gave me a hole to pass the blade of the coping saw through then back to cutting. This was "a bit fiddly" to say the least :



after the coping saw a little bit of tidying was done with some needle files then fine sandpaper to smooth, polish and finally define the knot. Its sitting on the figured maple I'll be using for the end graft (and probably for the heelcap) :



it only took me about 2 hours in total

[Starrshine]

Rick,
I haven't commented yet, but I have been following this thread, you are doing great! 2 hours is not bad for a delicate cut like that. How many blades did ya break?
Bob

[rickoshea]

Rick, I haven't commented yet, but I have been following this thread, you are doing great! 2 hours is not bad for a delicate cut like that. How many blades did ya break? Bob

believe it or not just one Bob .... but I was taking it rather slowly and carefully

[LaurentB]

That's a nice job! I had to start over two times with my MOP logo, because it kept breaking.

[rickoshea]

That's a nice job! I had to start over two times with my MOP logo, because it kept breaking.

Thanks Laurent .... the breakages happened to me a few times when I first tried cutting a fleur de lys a while ago. Then a Gary tip saved the day .... you can superglue the inlay material to something thicker to give it some strength during cutting. Then, when done, pop it in some nail varnish remover which removes the superglue and all is well . This one was thick enough not to need strengthening though, but towards the end I was scared sh*tless of snapping it

[gitnoob]

Nice detail work!

 

Sort of a philosophical question for you. You've bought the tools and forms, so multiple builds are surely in your future. Why did you decide to do this much detail work on your first build?

 

I think mine would have been an ugly prototype to allow me to fiddle with voicing and such. Once I was happy with the sound and feel, I would have done a second build with finer attention to detail.

 

Not a critique. Just curious if this is a philosophy that carries over to other areas of your life.

 

For example, as a software weenie, an iterative approach works for me. As a dentist (right?), I assume an iterative approach makes no sense to you.

[Gary Palmer]

no chance mate, I need them so looks like the family will have to go commando for a bit yet

We're not too worried about going commando, but the peg shortage has left us with nowhere to hang the kids.

------------

Very nicely done mate. How about dampening the surface of both pieces slightly for a bit of a wet t-shirt look and we'll be able to see how both sets of wood should contrast once lacquered or oiled.

[rickoshea]

We're not too worried about going commando, but the peg shortage has left us with nowhere to hang the kids.

I find from the top branch of the nearest Oak tree works beautifully for that lol

------------

Very nicely done mate. How about dampening the surface of both pieces slightly for a bit of a wet t-shirt look and we'll be able to see how both sets of wood should contrast once lacquered or oiled .

it shall be done as soon as I get away from having to sort out damned teeth mate (I'd prefer a similar sort of competition with the "ladies" up in Montmartre though lol)

[Gary Palmer]

I knew I should've planted that oak tree much sooner and bought those pegs from that gyspy at the door.

Montmartre sounds good to me and it pays to improvise.

------------

Gitnoob,

It's the journey that makes the end results. In other words, each process - including aesthetic - relates to the end result and while attempting to perfect each aspect by paying particular attention to detail may seem trivial it enhances each of the relevant skill sets necessary to build to a high standard as accuracy and care are key components.

I think I'm right in saying that Rick wants to build something he'd be more than happy to buy, play and enjoy. Rightly so and most - if not all - people tend to prefer the best. So on that premis he's carried forward his ideas, formed plans and is steadily progressing toward his goal. Nothing is ever perfect, but once this kit build is completed, he'll possess a much better understanding of the overall process (As Laurent does) and potential end results whilst being more than capable of progressing on a scratch build basis.

Primarily putting something of himself into each and every consecutive build as crafting turns from being a constant learning process (We never truly stop learning anyway) and advances toward more creative/inspired levels as skill levels increase. I suppose you could say less painting by numbers and more painting by being able to appreciate what's there, knowing your tools, materials and what can be achieved.

The possibilities are endless and the personal sense of achievement seldom ceases.

Solid foundation work and attention to detail is what makes the difference between mediocre, passable and high quality in the world of luthiery and most crafts. If one's perspective is limited to practise, number crunching or "get it done as soon a possible" you'll often only ever tend to practise, number crunch and hurry through the process whilst potentially producing something resting somewhere between mediocre and passable quality.

Voicing is a major part of the process, but it's a build element and not something that should hold back overall skill development and progress. Adequate voicing simply becomes easier if the right ingredients are used and processed correctly.

It's only a viewpoint, but one I know is shared by the majority of professional luthiers out there.

[gitnoob]

It's only a viewpoint, but one I know is shared by the majority of professional luthiers out there.

I had been under the impression that custom builders paid a lot of attention to aesthetic details in order to differentiate themselves from factory builders and from each other.

But your explanation makes more sense. They are simply fanatical about details, and that probably carries through to their attention to voicing as well.

I've wondered why there isn't a "Somogyi for the masses." A relatively inexpensive guitar with high-quality voicing but free of the typical Somogyi bling. Maybe it'll never happen because of this coupling.

Or maybe there's an engineering-focused guitar builder out there with no aesthetic sense who will start cranking out Somogyi-clones on an assembly line someday. I can dream, can't I?

[jd-drafter]

amazing work by Somogyi... his base guitar price is...$26,000.00 dollars.

 

amazing... the old if you have to ask you can't afford it.

[Hudman]

I had been under the impression that custom builders paid a lot of attention to aesthetic details in order to differentiate themselves from factory builders and from each other. But your explanation makes more sense. They are simply fanatical about details, and that probably carries through to their attention to voicing as well. I've wondered why there isn't a "Somogyi for the masses." A relatively inexpensive guitar with high-quality voicing but free of the typical Somogyi bling. Maybe it'll never happen because of this coupling. Or maybe there's an engineering-focused guitar builder out there with no aesthetic sense who will start cranking out Somogyi-clones on an assembly line someday. I can dream, can't I?

 

I think attention to detail is the sign of pride in any tradesman's work. I'm not a luthier, but I am a skilled tradesman. I am a millwright by trade. I served a 4 year apprenticeship and have 14 years in my trade. I know I go the extra mile and focus on all of the small details in my work because I know those that come behind me will judge me by the quality of work I provided. People make quick judgments based on their initial impressions. Aesthetics are equally important to engineering. IMO, it makes no difference what you build or repair, it should look good and function properly.

 

I'm sure Rick is the same way in his professional career. I am willing to bet he is a very highly respected dentist.

 

Rick,

You are doing an awesome job.

[Gary Palmer]

I had been under the impression that custom builders paid a lot of attention to aesthetic details in order to differentiate themselves from factory builders and from each other. But your explanation makes more sense. They are simply fanatical about details, and that probably carries through to their attention to voicing as well. I've wondered why there isn't a "Somogyi for the masses." A relatively inexpensive guitar with high-quality voicing but free of the typical Somogyi bling. Maybe it'll never happen because of this coupling. Or maybe there's an engineering-focused guitar builder out there with no aesthetic sense who will start cranking out Somogyi-clones on an assembly line someday. I can dream, can't I?

Fanaticism? No way............

Pride and satisfaction from one's work? YES.

Aesthetically pleasing results tend to accompany pride in one's work and attention to detail tends to be standard craft/trade/professional practice.

[rickoshea]

Fanaticism? No way............ Pride and satisfaction from one's work? YES. Aesthetically pleasing results tend to accompany pride in one's work and attention to detail tends to be standard craft/trade/professional practice

the same is true in my line mate .... I think we should swap jobs for a bit (believe me, I'd love to lol)


so here's the wet t-shirt competition .... I mean the inlay sitting on the figured maple, both wetted a touch. Personally I like the subtelty

[LaurentB]

And she sounds brilliant too! Good to see you Laurent.

Good to see you again too!

It sounds so good that I actually still have to level the frets. I don't want to take the strings off because I'm playing it all the time.

[Gary Palmer]

Good to see you again too! It sounds so good that I actually still have to level the frets. I don't want to take the strings off because I'm playing it all the time.

Nice one Laurent. It's good to know you're enjoying your guitar as much as we'd all hoped. Much of the time it only proves necessary to level frets if there's a problem, so I'd not worry too much.

[LaurentB]

Nice one Laurent. It's good to know you're enjoying your guitar as much as we'd all hoped. Much of the time it only proves necessary to level frets if there's a problem, so I'd not worry too much.

Well, it does have fretbuzz above the 7th fret, so I should get to doing it.

[Gary Palmer]

Well, it does have fretbuzz above the 7th fret, so I should get to doing it.

Next string change. She sounds well mate.

[Gary Palmer]

So here's the wet t-shirt competition .... I mean the inlay sitting on the figured maple, both wetted a touch. Personally I like the subtelty

That's more like it mate. Definitely a subtle contrast between the two and not too overstated.