Author Archives: LuthierMan

I bent the sides, and glued them to the end block. The first prototype has begun. Design/Build is fraught with peril, but I have a good feeling about this. Tomorrow I’ll attach the for’ard part to another block.

I’ve decided to build a Hurdy Gurdy. It will be quite a technical challenge but, I believe, do-able. Heironymous Bosch clearly regarded it as the devil’s instrument. That’s the only kind I build. I bought a used Delta mortiser this … Continue reading →

I’m doing 2 guitars at a time, in a meandering way. They are coming along very well. Not much more to say except I am tooling up to do something new and exciting in the luthiery shop. A Hurdy Gurdy. … Continue reading →

I finished up a Lefty for my son today… it sounds good, from what I can tell, but its hard to really make it sing because I can’t play it. Anyways it’s got good sustain, it’s intonated correctly, it has … Continue reading →

Got the bracing all dialed in and the carcass ready to accept the top so I slathered them with glue and slapped then together. Tomorrow I would like to get the lip routed off and maybe put up some binding. … Continue reading →

  I kept making minor errors or, alternatively, design changes to several necks in succession. One neck somehow got an extra dot at the 11th fret (Don’t ask). Another neck was contoured further up the neck, ending closer to the … Continue reading →

Well of course I screwed up the firstblank I glued up by routing the curves too far up the neck, so I lost a day by having to make a new blank. I did manage to get the form of … Continue reading →

So I mulled things over overnight, and decided: To use a zero fret neck. They just have such fast and easy action, it’s almost a no-brainer. I know some people look down on them, but I just don’t see why, … Continue reading →

  I got the back and sides out of clamps and routed it flush. Looks good. I’m going to let it sit a day befre I start messing with braces. I got out some really nice Spruce from my stock. … Continue reading →

  Sanded/leveled the sides, sanded the back, cut it out, glued it  and clamped it. Progress!   I’ll start gluing some nice braces in tomorrow, maybe start making the spruce top.