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Gary Palmer

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  1. :lol: The creosote must be responsible for the chimey, bell like quality it produces. Ideal for Croce's "Operator". Only if used as backplate timber, because your forearm tends to stick to the soundboard if it's used as top material. The drawbacks are that finish doesn't tend to adhere too well, natural creosote seepage makes a mess of your clothing and you also end up being a constant target for dogs wanting to mark their territory.
  2. Should do very well if made of "native" Oklahoma woods. Oklahoma State Tree Just got to love those indigenous Oklahoman trees (Muchus Milus Powerlinus). They're not too far removed from the genus I saw in Alberta (Muchus Milus Telegraphicus Polus Alberticus) last time I was there, but I see the main difference is that the Oklahoman variety grow pre-wired instead of having to rely on grafting once they've reached the 30yr stage of their growth.
  3. :facepalm: Me too. It's interesting when a guy comes on in some of these threads with valid information or opinion and is flamed mercilessly. AND Gary seems to be very supportive of these guitars, which is what makes Zenbu's comments so telling, but he said he's outta here, so I doubt if he'll read this, and Etienne has me on "ignore", so he won't read this.. this deserves another . I've had some correspondence from the Ayers people in America regarding their builds, etc. Very interesting, and very prompt answering emails. I'm still of the opinion that, all things equal, guitars built in a high humidity environment will have a better chance of failing than a guitar built in a controlled environment. You would have to be much more anal regarding the humidity and storage than you would with, say a Taylor or Martin. If I honestly thought worksmanship and general quality were issues I'd have said as much, but I do agree buyers genuinely need be aware of potential problems when buying instruments in high humidity locations with the intention of removing them to consistantly lower humidity levels. In other words, I think you're right.
  4. For the record, Mr. Binh's brother, Mr. Minh (In the pic), has been making guitars since the late 1960's. I don't know if his parents made them or not. They are originally from the ancient capital of Hue. I'm thinking of making a video tour of his place. If any luthiers or guitar players have any questions, post 'em here or PM me. I'll ask. I didn't understand what a rare thing it is to be given a tour of a guitar factory. That's really unusual. So now, I've got a good little video camera & a youtube channel. I'll ask 'em if I can make some videos of their place. They've expanded the inside of their retail shop some*. So they must be doing OK. *But it's still smaller than an average American master bedroom. When I was a child we'd often visit Spain for holidays and one thing we would do was visit local luthier's shops to check out their stock. So much front room stock was souvenir/tourist oriented, but a few - like Mr. Bihn's shop - sold the genuine article and it was always a pleasure to pay them a visit. I hope your tour goes well and it'll be very interesting to see how their approach to crafting compares with western workshop practices.
  5. yeah yeah yeah...why use one word when 10 will do eh. Sarcasm doesn't suit you. Unless poorly chosen, the use of ten words will often tend to explain something more fully than resorting to the use of one. You'd already done the same earlier during your single paragraph - plus single line - rant, but it was so far off target you had Jack Benny spinning like a top in his grave due to recoil. All you had to say is not everyone behaves in the same way, before moving on to explain your perception of the situation. You, unfortunately, chose to potentially tar each culture with very broad brush strokes whilst seeming to forget the Far East and mainland Asia is a culturally diverse region of the globe. Regardless of if viewed from the West, Middle East or from beyond the seeming exclusivity of the shores of the Japanese islands. Cultures diversify in so many different ways and people come in many flavours, but the approach toward genuine craftsmanship remains virtually the same regardless of location, creed or ethnic origins.
  6. I bet you can go to a party and suck all the fun out of a room in no time flat. Spend more time in Japan then we`ll compare notes. Sounds to me like your experience here is extremely limited. Your earlier rant spoke nothing of craftsmanship, but did lean rather heavily upon corporate industrial greed and corruption. None of which bear any relevance on the attitudes and work of craftsmen or the topic at hand. If I were to model my approach and general demeanor upon yours I'd dare bet I could suck all of the fun out of a room, but I'll stick with the way I am thankyou. My comments pertained to the many TRADITIONAL CRAFTSMEN and their TRADITIONAL CRAFTSMANSHIP found in large and small workshops worldwide. I'm always more than happy to chat about such and if you had any real time experience concerning the things that make CRAFTSMEN tick - pride in their work, enjoyment of tools and materials manipulation, trying to get it right on a daily basis, etc. - you'd perhaps realise and understand the meaning behind what I'd said instead of springing to the offensive. Many of us live, breath and sleep our work and yes, I do count myself as a craftsman, but don't restrict myself to blinkered views and am more than willing to look, listen and learn. We never stop learning and our views never cease to evolve. Your assumptions are quite wrong on a number of counts in terms of my attitude , but my comments regarding the attitudes of genuine craftsmen and their approach to their work stand true on a worldwide basis and I'm not after Brownie points in terms of global location, where I've been or what I've witnessed. I have however been much farther afield for prolonged periods - not holidays/vacations - than you seem to assume. The Far East indeed includes Japan/Ni hon and their large scale industrial influences, but craftsmanship isn't exclusive to theirs or any other nation, nor are their craftsmen as sly and conniving as you seem to suggest. Try visiting a few traditional workshops where true craftsmen and women work instead of pigeon holing your views by solely considering larger outfits and your views and stance could well be swayed to a better understanding.
  7. I don't think I've ever heard this before. Will sealing or lacquering the interior of a guitar have an effect on the tone? Often done in shellac it does nothing to hurt tonality, but does seal exposed end grain and reduces the likelihood of shrinkage during shifts in humidity.
  8. yeah well that may have been true in the past but now money talks and the news has been filled with stories of the unscrupulous who cheat and swindle as a way of life... news in Japan that is...not sure how much gets reported overseas...like the architectural firms who cut corners for years by reducing the number of steel rods in concrete used in condos and when that came to light the buildings were deemed unsafe and everybody had to move out...the firms filed for bankruptcy, families had to leave while still paying mortgages on places they were not living in anymore. Or steel makers who fudged their data on product used to build bridges...the list goes on...in a country as prone to earth quakes as this one is...shameful. Many long held traditions ain`t what they used to be...but bid rigging is still as prevalent as it`s always been. And political scandals involving the top tier officials...ministers as well as prime ministers... are common so it flows from the top down. Are all Japanese like this...no...some are still honorable but the dirt bags seem to be taking over. Human is what human does, but your angle on things doesn't truly touch onto involvement within the traditional crafts. I'm not viewing the topic through rose tinted spectacles, but I am speaking from experience. What you deem as having existed in the past is most definitely still present in terms of craftsmanship, craftsmen, their perspective on their craft and the abilities use therein. There are craftsmen and there are jobbers who'll try to pass themselves off as craftsmen, but they're soon enough caught out by virtue of their general lack of crafting skills While companies and their executives may well get what they can, whenever they can and by whichever means they chose, they're not craftsmen. Crafty perhaps, but not craftsmen.
  9. I`ve got lots of old MIJs from 1948 to the mid `60s...I doubt all of them were built in climate controlled facilities at the time. They are still going strong and will out last me I`m certain. The climate in Japan is all over the place and all that climate controlled talk is fascinatin` `n stuff but in my experience it doesn`t seem to have much affect on what I own and see here in Japan. Japanese companies have expanded into Viet Nam for some time, some of the big electronics corporations have factories there. Much of their success has to do with long held traditions in woodworking traditions and a broad knowledge of proper timber handling, seasoning and control of timber moisture content. I'd dare say Far Eastern carpenters have forgotten far more than many Western carpenters will ever know and the evidence can be seen in the things they craft and the size of timbers they handle on a day to day basis. The same can be said of how Far Eastern crafts people handle the various aspects of metalworking, lacquerwork, textiles, etc.. All long held crafts that have been maintained and of much higher standards in comparison to the western "Bronze Age" attitude to the same crafts. Western crafts are in their infancy when placed in direct comparison. Provide a list of specifications and materials and they'll produce the goods every single time, but this is where many westerners seem to misunderstand how lower quality goods enter the marketplace. Not by virtue of poor craftsmanship, but more in connection with low level specification via western companies who place orders while trying to save a buck or two as they cut corners.
  10. Climate controlled building environments are a comparitively modern worldwide development within the timber and luthiery industries, but an emphasis has to be placed upon consistancy in terms of timber storage and handling. Yes, if an instrument is crafted in a high humidity environment of e.g. 65% - 99% RH there's a need for it to slowly acclimatise and for the owner to be aware shrinkage can occur when it's taken to a climate experiencing lower humidity levels. The main factors to watch out for are warpage, shrinkage, cracking and banding/binding separation over a period of time. Tonal changes also occur, but potential problems needn't be too great if an instrument is carefully monitored and humidified. It's generally a buyer be aware (Not beware) situation. Insomuch as traditional Far Eastern craftsmanship within the field of instrument making is concerned, some quite astounding pieces hail from a tradition of typically small workshops where families have often been involved within the same craft for numerous generations (Think up to 400 years in some cases and with traditional apprenticeships still lasting up to 10yrs or more). They therefore often possess greater skill sets and much more flexibility when it comes to moving from one style of instrument making to another. Very often much more latitude than western craftsmen who tend to be restricted to working within one discipline without ever experiencing anything different. Perhaps the Far Eastern economical environment is poorer in some countries than what we experience in the west, but their crafting traditions are far richer and have far deeper historical roots. I'd personally place far more faith in the workmanship and knowledge of craftsmen like Mr. Bihn than so many western makers who's baseline of knowledge and experience often amounts to a one month guitarmaking course before leaping onto the bandwagon and setting up shop as "luthiers" whilst muddling along. Indeed, many can't even correctly spell or pronounce the title of their assumed trade. Will an instrument built in a high humidity enviroment be capable of withstanding long term storage in drier climes without severe problems? Yes, if carefully humidifed and monitored. A very simple request for the interior of an instrument to be lightly lacquered and for all exposed end grain to be sealed if ordering and buying a bespoke example in a high humidity location, but transporting for permanent use and storage in a consistantly lower humidity location. This can help safeguard - to a certain extent - against drastic shifts in timber and reduce the development of flaws.
  11. Gary...you have experience working with kauri wood? Got any pics of anything you've built with it? Was it a musical instrument or furniture or what? Yes and why not? I'm not sure what you mean by the "or what" element of your question, but Kauri was used as an element of a guitar build for a fairly well known customer who's now based in Australia, but lives for part of the year in New Zealand. He was born and raised in my home village and is a good friend/ex band mate of my uncle. Unfortunately there are no pictures as it was well over twenty years ago, but the Kauri I used became an electric guitar (Strat) body. The off-cuts were used for some inlay work on a couple of his acoustic guitars. Be sure to candle your timber if you intend to use it for soundboards, because Kauri can often contain residual amber pockets (Inclusions) within it's grain.
  12. How on earth did you get hold of a piece of Kauri?! Even when it's freshly cut, kauri is a very special kind of wood...especially resistant to water. There's a story that you read when you study the history of new Zealand about some Europen sailors needing a new mast after a storm and going into the bush to cut a kauri one. As they were dragging it back to their ship they were attacked by a Maori tribe and had to abandon it. Something like a hundred years later (can't remember the exact number off the top of my head) another ship needing repairs found it sitting on the forest floor and took it to use as a mast.. This pretty well sums up my experience working with Kauri. "Woodworking Properties & Characteristics Ancient Kauri Wood Color: Light to medium golden brown sometimes with a very slight reddish or yellowish tinge or cast. Its color will darken with age. The Following Are My Opinions Based Upon Working The Wood. Ancient Kauri lumber is classified a softwood. It has about the same hardness as say Southern Yellow Pine. Because the growth rings are much closer together {tighter} than present day Kauri has, it is a little harder and easier to work. The lumber has minute movement in service, {very stable}. It planes, drills, hand carves and cuts well with either high speed tool steel or carbide tipped cutting tools and it also does not tool burn easily. It does have the tendency to fuzz. It does not have much of a dulling affect even when using high speed tool steel cutting tools. Cutting tools should be kept quite sharp as the wood has a tendency to chip out, tear and splinter. As with most softwood routing across the grain is difficult. Extremely sharp bits should be used and multiple shallow passes made cutting away only small amounts of wood per each pass, 1/32" or so per pass. Turns well on a lathe. Due to the softness of the wood it is best when turning miniature pieces to use the highest possible lathe speed. Sharp tools should be used at all times when working with the wood. Care should be taken to use slight pressure and remove a minute amount of wood at a time due to its softness. Glues very well with carpenters yellow glue or polyurethane glue. Sands well with all types of sandpaper (no gum up). If sanded down in steps to 2000 grit sandpaper or finer it will produce a finish that gives the illusion of being 3 dimensional. Stains well but the wood should be preconditioned before staining due to the softness of the wood to eliminate blotching. Polishing will produce a remarkable luster. Due to the softness of the wood, deep thread wood screws should be used for fastening multiple pieces of this wood together or other parts to it. It nails well and no pre-boring is needed. It is closed pored, usually straight. Sometimes some lumber will have wavy grain, may have a flame or mottled figure and may even have areas that give the illusion of changing colors.. This wood is moderately durable in an outdoor environment."
  13. Gary Palmer

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    29 all solid and several partially laminated then there's the electrics
  14. Gary Palmer

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    Ah im in the UK. How do i remove the nut/saddle. Just pull it out forcefully or something? Use a special glue to put the new one in? Having a read through www.frets.com should help
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