Official Luthiers Forum!

The thread started by Travis inspired this post even though I realize there have been many similar posts in the past. These forums used to be very active with many posts every day. That has largely been supplanted or altered down by social media, Youtube and many other resources out there now. Just trying to get a little something added and a chance to post my first again of course! Feeds the ego or not. Criticism for copying a Benedetto accepted or excepted.

Post pics or lessons learned from your first. Mine could have easily turned into firewood but by perseverance and luck, didn't. I built my first three archtops using parallel bracing and then switched to X bracing based on Bill Moll's incredible advice on the MIMF for a variety of reasons 20 or so years ago. I've since built 10 or so flat tops and a few ukuleles. The build list is long and I know I'll never build everything I want to try but will give it my best!

Here's my first guitar built using Benedetto's great book. Cheaper maple as I was sure I'd screw up. I was glad I didn't use it for a practice carve though. Pictures are recent. Cutting the pearl for my wife's name Peggy and inlaying was one of the tougher challenges although it wasn't like the rest was easy.

I’ll play.

Me and #1 at a birthday party gig this summer.
Martin dread kit, i thinned the body depth by 3/4”, EIR back & sides.

A couple years ago, for our annual meeting at Hibdon, we all brought our first instruments. It was nice to be able to talk about the different things we all learned. It was also interesting to see some firsts being really rough and some being pretty darned nice.

I don’t have any photos right now but my first instrument was something of a long neck dulcimer. In a lot of ways it was similar to a strumstick. I had zero woodworking experience, instruction or tools. I bought some chisels, a plane, a file and some oak from Home Depot and set out to learn how to use them. I figured the best way to learn how to use the tools was to practice what I thought the steps would be for making an instrument. When all was said and done, I had an instrument that played in tune. That’s about the best thing you could say about it but I was in love. Later, I learned that you have to sharpen chisels and planes before you use them even if they are brand new. . . I also found the MIMF and realized there was actual information out there to teach you how to do this. I did A LOT of reading after that and started to get a better idea of what I should be doing.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Looks store bought Chuck!

Not my first guitar but my third guitar…
Built in 1977, I was 18.
I was going for something not sure what…






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

WOW!

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Love this thread! Thank you for starting it - feeling way inspired...

Wow, Brad had some massive inlay skills at 18! At 18 my eyes were great; but my patience probably not good enough to pull that off.

My first 9-10 instruments were violins. No classes, no school, not even a Stad Poster as a plan. Never even held a violin. I made all the "classic newbie" mistakes. Long corners, funky f holes, I think I made the neck too short because I forgot to add the amount that went into the mortise. The aching seems fine, but more Amati like with the low point very far in. The other one is one of my latest two, and isn't finished yet.

The funny thing is this. They all sound like violins.





The guitar is supposed to be G. B. Guadagnini's reaction to his sons guitars. Seeing the thin plates, and interior bracing, and then showing them how it should be done. I used Guadagnini cello f holes.

I just use hand tools. I do have a 10 inch bandsaw, (that is really only 9.5"), and Dremel that works nice for rosettes, but I did most of them with just a fret saw, and a home made purfling cutter. I never used the Dremel on purifying until the last one, and though it was faster, I still managed to cut the purfling out in one spot! So tools aren't a fix all. The bandsaw IS nice for cutting out necks and scrolls,

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Why be normal?

First attempt of a standard sized SJ-200. Adi, EIR, Cocobolo accents. Sounded ok, but helped me understand what to do to make the next one great.

I love that headstock Terrance!

Thanks Travis. We refined it somewhat in our "release" model. Check it out here: https://www.vineguitars.com/zion

Some 20 years ago. Daydreaming of quitting my job and hiking the Appalachian Trail... figured I'd need a travel guitar. No knowledge, plan or research. Just down to the basement and scrap wood pile and started in. Not a lot better today, but have moved on to "real" guitars. (never did hike with it)

I love the violin varnish on the archtop, or at least assuming that's what it is. I've always wanted to try it as a finish.

You sure that isn't 1877!

Here's the first guitar I built on my own after taking a steel string guitar building course. The design is something I came up with. Sitka spruce top, Khaya ("African mahogany") back, sides, and neck, ebony fretboard and bridge, faux tortoise shell binding and tuner buttons. I've always liked the combination of mahogany back and sides with tortoise shell appointments that was used on some vintage guitars so that was one thing I was going for with this one.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

Jay that's a beauty of a first!

Great idea for a tread.

Here is mine. Well actually this is my second, I built an electric first. This one was built out of Sloane's book in 1993.

Sitka top
Bacoti sides
Maple back and neck
Rosewood FB and bridge
Rosette is ebony and I cut it by hand

I keep this guitar in G tuning and play it quite regularly still. The neck has been reset, the bridge reglued, and it's sinking in at the soundhole but it still sounds great.







Look at that tone snot!

Here's my first acoustic. After about a month I swapped out the pickguard for a clear one. I built a mountain dulcimer and an electric guitar first. All from scratch.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

The way the side grain blends into the heel, very cool!

I looked and can not find a picture of #1. It is alive and well at our family guest house and gets picked up and played pretty regularly. It’s no looker but sounds and plays pretty well for a first effort.

I did find a construction shot of #1 from April 2009 using the Cumpiano method, and yes, that is our dining room table. I built my first 4 instruments on that table. I have a very tolerant wife!

M

Thanks. I cut B/S and neck out of the same piece of walnut - the neck is a 2 piece laminated, it was a lucky accident.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Here's mine from 1978. It's held up remarkably well over the years...

Hey Darrel, what a great idea for a thread (and giving me an incentive to post). I am so liking all the first time efforts. Darrel, I am pretty sure that I played your first when I visited you in your office in Calgary when I was out for business. I am scared to know how many years ago that was!

Darrel’s shame in copying a Benedetto is shared! Here’s my Benedetto copy, I had the guts to commit similar quality wood (My avatar is a later build – Benedetto copy with a Tom Ribbecke stolen tailpiece (by permission I might add). Difference between Darrel's and my first was his sounded a lot better!

I think it has been about 6-years since I posted last on this forum and haven’t picked up a tool since. I am committed to getting my tiny garage shop back in order come April (gonna be a lot of accumulated junk disposed of to do that). Nice to be back – but missing all my old OLF buds – JJ Donohue, Bob Cefalu (aka Zootman), Alain Desforges, Rod True, Tony Karol (who I still hang out with) and many more.

Brad Goodman to see that you are still posting here (you taught me a lot about Archtops). Has anyone stayed in touch with Steve Kinnaird? (awesome guy)

If any of you are wondering where Bob Cefalu (RC Tonewoods) is – spoke to him on Superbowl Sunday – he will be 80 in August and has turned over his business to one of his sons. He rarely goes into the business anymore but is still tinkering with a CNC machine in his basement. Spoke to JJ only days ago -- he is in Charlotte NC now (by way of Napa, CA and originally Indiana when he was active here).

Without further ado, here is my first (only two decent originals picture I could find and yes the lady is my wife). I still recall the day that picture was taken – I pulled an all nighter and into the next day finishing that guitar and was hustled out of the shop to put on a Tuxedo for a charity event we attended that evening.

An archtop for a first project is incredibly ambitious and those shown here look great too. I've been wanting to build one for years but still don't think I have the skills to pull it off. She's quite a beauty Anthony and the guitar looks good too.

Great to see you posting Anthony. I believe it was 2002 or 2003 when we met up and you played my first. Time flies! I only recently started posting here again after a number of years. Your archtop still looks great. Look forward to seeing you posting build pictures again.

My first was in 2020 so I'm a baby compared to everyone else in this thread. It was a 17.5 wide Birdseye/Adirondack jumbo. It was pretty rough. But it does weekly song duty at a church near my shop so it is getting used for it's intended purpose. I learned a massive amount about building from that guitar so I'll always think of it fondly.