OT: My Latest Guitar

[redir]

Guitars and bikes have pretty much been the central theme in my life for the last 20 years or so. I'm starting to take a liking to sailing now too. But anyway this thread is about guitars. My latest one which is a Selmer/Macafarri copy.
I've been building guitars for about 20 years now but never attempted one of these strange little one's. A friend of mine plays one exceptionally well and I've always loved the Gypsy Jazz style. If you don't play one of these guitars the
right way then they just don't sound right. What a fun guitar to build and now even more fun to play. Enjoy the pics:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-cJGNijwk6vg/T-2_jLsdB6I/AAAAAAAACsc/Rhpki6uyfgc/s739/photo.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Yxo7GYMPEME/T-u0cRtOvuI/AAAAAAAACsk/budeKlKz-5Q/s0-d/2012-06-27_21-29-23_356.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-yOt4ZTFizPY/T-uzT62zC2I/AAAAAAAACss/CtZslbNdzJ4/s0-d/2012-06-27_21-28-03_491.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7MboRzZfqtQ/T-u2nX1Eh3I/AAAAAAAACs0/gFkz6PtqlWk/s0-d/2012-06-27_21-33-56_172.jpg

[maxdog]

That's a beauty! Wish my playing justified such quality. My Strat and Yamaha and Fender acoustics sit idly collecting dust.

[Steve in SLO]

Wow, beautifully done!
Is that Rosewood/cedar/mahogany? What wood did you use for binding?
Not super-familiar with this style guitar...does it have a flat or radiused fretboard? Dovetailed?

[Fixed]

Netflix has a cool film on gypsy guitar .
Cheers
Nice archtop Like the cutaway isn' the sound hole usually . Larger on a gypsy ?
Do you have a link I am looking for a new guitar
Cheers

[paulh]

I'm starting to take a liking to sailing now too. [/img]

Nice guitar!
Oh yeah, sailing will be a cheap hobby compared to bikes and guitars.:rolleyes:

[redir]

Yeah the back and sides are laminated rosewood and mahogany, the neck is walnut and the top is cedar. It's mostly traditional construction except for the use of cedar instead of spruce. Fixed I don't have a web site online at the moment. What type of guitar are you looking for? There are two types of these guitars, the petite bouche which is the small oval sound hole and the grand bouche which is the large D-hole shape. The smaller one is typically used for lead solo playing and the D-hole for rhythm. They are very LOUD guitars but the larger sound hole one tends to be less piercing which is better for strumming.

Here are some more construction shots.

The plans and my apprentice =^,^=:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8jIlODcZSos/T2FZ_1ocX3I/AAAAAAAACtM/Z_BQ_iR2_8k/s0-d/2012-03-14_22-54-18_398.jpg

Pliage. This is the crease put in the top to give it an arch. It's an interesting process. These guitars are a sort of a mix between a flatop acoustic and an arch top jazz guitar:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-__d2Gpneo_w/T1_FrrvXl7I/AAAAAAAACtE/KT7reaclvDE/s0-d/2012-03-13_18-09-36_185.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-SEA_LNeCmcU/T1_FQLnYMKI/AAAAAAAACtI/9PKg4WdJcwo/s0-d/2012-03-13_18-07-40_881.jpg

Rosette:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-S-qp5EebHEc/T2fNf9QtmjI/AAAAAAAACtQ/uSa45XYZwz4/s0-d/2012-03-19_20-20-45_652.jpg

Bracing Top
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-qkuzQTIgrq4/T25ixkv0iLI/AAAAAAAACtU/ptlyOlQju84/s0-d/2012-03-24_20-10-43_452.jpg

Linings:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-y2MxbEdCXp8/T3IWahaw_PI/AAAAAAAACtY/RO2y1Uj35PA/s0-d/2012-03-27_15-34-32_940.jpg

Neck: Thats carbon fiber rods in the neck.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0-3pGJkHpUo/T34ZxP9PodI/AAAAAAAACtk/mjJbJMrSsVk/s0-d/2012-04-05_17-41-58_292.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6iOdZJs_4KQ/T3zguiWHJfI/AAAAAAAACtg/7e-Pj9z-iYc/s0-d/2012-04-04_20-00-22_901.jpg

Assembly:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-nMSbeaf0nxA/T3zPz84eUdI/AAAAAAAACts/NqEZOJ60_mc/s0-d/2012-04-04_18-47-44_446.jpg

Binding:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-OIQcerlocCc/T5LRtkHwWdI/AAAAAAAACto/kt8w5TC4z5g/s0-d/2012-04-21_11-25-51_544.jpg

[monkeybanana86]

wooooow that thing is gorgeous. and cool the construction pics (reminds me of the steinway doc. I just watched except smaller haha). I only know django as for as that style of music goes.

are those nylong strings btw? I can't really see. would love to hear that!

edit: i guess you can't have nylon with the way that guitar is strung, eh?

[Louis]

The plans and my apprentice =^,^=

Holding down the drawings so the breeze doesn't blow them away. ;)

Very cool.

[Ti Designs]

Seems like you're about 82 strings short...

[beercan]

if you dont mind me asking, how much does a guitar that you make cost? jsut trying to compare bikes to guitars

[rounder]

Beautiful guitar. Do you also play. If so, please post something. The guitar looks great.

I know how to tune a guitar, but there is no way i could ever build one. Good stuff.

[monkeybanana86]

Beautiful guitar. Do you also play. If so, please post something. The guitar looks great.

I know how to tune a guitar, but there is no way i could ever build one. Good stuff.

LOL. I too would like to hear it.

and if you give me the chords I'll record the rapid jazz rhythm. strum strum strum

[Fixed]

Beautiful work
I find myself playing guitar a couple of hours each day

Cheers

[redir]

Nope those strings are steel not nylon. they are close to electric guitar strings and similiar to silk and steel. I'd probably have to charge about $2000 for a guitar like that. About 80 hours of work. It's not a great way to make a living :)

I like to compare to bikes too but I'm not sure what goes into making a bike frame. But like bikes guitar builders once they acquire a reputation can actually make a decent living. And like bikes most people are satisfied with off the shelf products as they cant hear the difference in tone or feel the quality of the ride.

Most people in either case appreciate the craftsmanship and that is a lot of what it takes to sell guitars.

The difference in tone and playability is quite astounding between a nice handmade instrument vs a factory built one (and I mean even a Martin or Taylor) but for the average joe who plays at home or around the camp fire it doesn't really matter.

Also, like bikes, you get people who just want a certain marquis. Hendrix played a Fender so that's all I ever want... sort of thing.

[Fixed]

I envy your talent
Beautiful work
Cheers

[wooly]

Wow! What a beauty. I just sold my Martin golden era 00-0018. I wish I had time to play. When I do I would love to learn more about yours and pick one up.

[R2D2]

Really like the use of the metal box section tube to transfer heat.
The techniques very impressive.
Straightforward and very effective.

[rounder]

Good stuff.

So, what do you you do. Do ypu just take orders and build them. Do you play all day and alxo build guitars in your spare time.

Just wondering. Haved played guitar for a long time..but got plataued (sp?). I have lots of respect fot those who can play. Have miles of respect for those who can build their own stuff. Good luck

[redir]

I did this professionally for about a two years. But it's not an easy way to make a living. I had to get into doing repairs and got up to 4 stores in my area at one point. Repairs pay really well but then you have no time to build guitars. This was the time when the Internet took off and slowly mom and pop music stores stared going out of business. I lost 3 of the stores and decided to call the quits and get a 'real' job. But now it's great. I don't do many repairs and have more free time to build. I am always building a guitar of some sort but typically I'll get commissioned to build one. This Selmer was a first for me so I built it just to see if I could and how it came out. Now that I know I can build one properly I'd take a commission. BUt typically I build Spanish and steel string guitars. A few electrics as well.

[rounder]

Maybe you have already read it but, if not, i highly recommend Clapton's Guitar as something to read. It is about Wayne Henderson who has built guitars for Eroc Clapton, Doc Watson and others. Highly recommended.

[redir]

Maybe you have already read it but, if not, i highly recommend Clapton's Guitar as something to read. It is about Wayne Henderson who has built guitars for Eroc Clapton, Doc Watson and others. Highly recommended.

Yeah rounder that was a good read. Wayne's shop is only an hour or so away from me too. Would love to visit some time.

[rounder]

You should call him and ask if you can visit.

I have been to Martin a few times, and gone through the tour. They showed us the wood, It is all stacked vertically and numbered. They explained that anyone there working on guitars has been there at least 7 years before they have built every piece of the guitar.

I bet Wayne Henderson knows as much about building guitars as anyone there at Martin, except maybe a few.

Martin has since expanded and added stuff.

Wayne is still old school. Bet it would be really great to go there. Anyway, not to take anything away from what you are doing. Your guitar looks great.