One Big One Small

Finished the Cello Guitar and the Tenor Ukulele. I'm happy with the sound of both, especially the Cello Guitar. I think I will be making more of them.

Finishing and Starting

Nice when things progress smoothly..

The Crossover guitar has had it coats of Royal-Lac post catalyzed finish applied, A new finish that I am trying for the first time and so far so good, it does get very good reviews by those who have tried it. it needs to cure for 5 days then I can buff/polish it.

The Tenor Ukulele is done and plays actually quite nice despite all the build issues.

The Celtic Hap has had the pillar and neck cut to shape and I need to start on the soundboard glue up soon.

Also new projects are getting going:

I've jointed 3 tops to take to the guitar voicing course I'm going to in June so I just need to fit the rosettes to those and they are ready to go.  Of course that will take some time as I am trying a slightly different way of building rosettes as I mentioned earlier.

I've also started another Tenor Ukulele this one using Wenge (left over from the crossover guitar) and Western Red Cedar.

Lastly I've started a bit of an experimental instrument. I really like the Mandocello sound but personally don't play double courses of strings very well and also that low C on a Mandocello is tough to get enough tension on using a scale length I like so I'm trying what I call a Cello Guitar. A 4 string guitar tuned to Cello tuning CGDA and using nylon strings designed for Goldtone's Cello Banjo... I just need to decide on the bracing for the top.  I'm using a Gibson L0 body shape so either a classical style fan bracing or maybe a version of Gibson old H bracing for that body style. We will see..

"Scraps" from cutting out the harp parts, I'll need to find some way of  using all that Koa and Walnut

The start of a Tenor Uke

Tenor Uke Rosette, Koa on Western Red Cedar

Closing the Boxes

What to do on a snow day.. ??  Make some lutherie progress.. Both the Crossover Guitar and Tenor Uke now are closed up and ready for binding prep work once the clamps come off..

Back on 

And all closed up

This one top first

Closed up as well

Tops Done

So the Ukulele top and the Guitar top are braced and voiced ready to go on the rims.

I'm bending new Ukulele rims as I was not happy with the original, oh well that's the way it goes sometimes.

Hopefully I can get the boxes closed in the next few days.

The guitar top still needs the cut out removed but I am doing that after it is braced and voiced, not sure if that is the correct approach but that's how I'm doing this one.

Playing Music

The Tenor Ukulele is finished, with just a few cosmetic touches left to sort out..

Actually sounds like a ukulele...

Ready for Some Finish

Nice productive day today. I glued on the fretboard last night and today carved the neck, a bit tough being hard maple but went OK.

Just a bit more sanding and I can start finishing. Nice that the maple does not really need pore filling so that saves a step :-)

Using Royal Lac Shellac finish again

Just simple dots on the fretboard

Two Pieces Become One - temporarily....

The Tenor Uke is getting closer to completion, I joined the neck & body tonight just to verify the neck angle and alignment, pretty close but need a bit of tuning. The Fretboard is cut and bound ready for the frets as well. So once that is done I can carve the neck and then just the bridge is left to make..

Some More Progress....

Ahhh the humidity is finally in a good range for building!!!

So the top and back are on the Tenor Uke and to binding channels are routed.. Always a bit stressful to start taking a router to a more or less OK looking instrument body. Luckily the new binding router set up works well and takes away some of the stress..

Also the mounting holes for the bolt on neck are done..

Looking forward to lots of progress in the next few weeks..

Starting to look like something

Binding channels

And more binding channels

Ready for the neck - well not really yet

Tenors.....

The weather is still not great for building. The RH in the house needs to drop another 10% but it is on the way.. In the mean time I'm getting as much done as I can..

Both Tenors, the Uke and the Guitar are moving along, if a bit slowly.. I bent the sides for the Tenor guitar today and the Uke is going OK as well..

Headstock inlay for the Uke

Routing the Headstock shape with a drill press router,
nice & safe for me and the headstock

The completed result

End wedge in the Uke

Roughed out neck

Rough work done with the table saw, first time I've tried it

Bending guitar sides

Done, first time bending Zircote, it is actually pretty easy,
which is good considering the cost...

Ready to Start Building

So I have all the bits an pieces ready to start building. A Zircote & Ancient Sitka Tenor guitar and a Maple, Spruce & Walnut Tenor Ukulele..

Should be fun projects, I'm thinking the tenor guitar will be my personal guitar.

This will be my first Ukulele build, in some ways simpler than a guitar but it is a new process as well.

GAL Convention & Next Instruments

I was lucky enough to go the the Guild of American Luthier's convention in Tacoma last week. A great event  with lots of good information exchanged and some good music as well.. I also came back with a bit more wood :-)

Summer is a bit too busy and humid for guitar building but I have been working on a number of new jigs & tools and I'll get them posted here sometime in the near future.

Summer is also a good time to sort out the next instrument designs and get all the moulds etc for them built.. This falls projects so far look like a Tenor ukulele build of all Canadian woods and a new Tenor Guitar for me.. Rick's Tenor turned out so well I'm going to make another for myself that hopefully will turn out as good and end up being my sort of go to instrument.. Of course I should just replicate the design I used for Rick but there is no fun in that so I'll be doing a scaled down version of a Gibson LO body. I used the LO body shape for the Mandocello but this one will be about 0.88% of that size and 21.375" scale length again. probably and arm bevel as well but no need for fan frets.

I've been debating the wood as well but it is looking like it will be Zircote & Ancient Sitka Spruce (3000 year old spruce from a bog in Alaska), so it will be a dark looking guitar..

I now officially have more wood than I know what to do with, well not really i know what to do with it I just need time to do it :-)

Some Gal Photos:

Harry Fleishman bass

One of Jeffrey Yong's guitars violates a lot of rules about guitar building but sounds GREAT

Retopped Ovation By Kinnard Guitars with Larry Robinson rosette

Howard Repogle's Ukes

Some more Harry Fleishman guitars