Hi Dave, congrats on your first build which is looking great and welcome to the OLF at the same time
. Checked out you site a bit, seems like you got a nice stash gathered up already. Bitten hard i'd say! 
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| FIRST GUITARS - PART II http://w-ww.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=5488 |
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| Author: | mesquite8 [ Mon Mar 06, 2006 3:15 pm ] |
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As a long time lurker I guess it's time to finally introduce myself. The following link has pictures of my first (and only -- so far). I'm a native Texan currently living in Evergreen, CO. I am itching to start #2. I plan on using mesquite for the back and sides. There are some pictures on my web site of my shop and some mesquite. I just ordered new blades for my bandsaw so I can resaw the rough mesquite I have. Dave's #1 My first build was a lot of fun and fairly traumatic which you'll see if you click on the "This is Sad" page. The guitar didn't turn out too bad considering my lack of experience. The main thing that bothers me is the intonation which is a tiny bit off. Also there is too much bow in the neck. The truss rod seems way tight to me and there is still a forward bow. I'm still tweaking it. Later guys Dave |
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Mon Mar 06, 2006 3:23 pm ] |
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Hi Dave, congrats on your first build which is looking great and welcome to the OLF at the same time . Checked out you site a bit, seems like you got a nice stash gathered up already. Bitten hard i'd say!
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| Author: | mesquite8 [ Mon Mar 06, 2006 3:27 pm ] |
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The mesquite was purchased with the idea of making some pieces of furniture for my wife. That may still happen but at least some of it will hopefully end up as a guitar. Dave |
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| Author: | Steve Kinnaird [ Mon Mar 06, 2006 3:31 pm ] |
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Welcome, Dave, from a fellow Texan. I have a good friend living in Evergreen, by the name of Bob Tucker. He's a great player, and quite a collector of guitars. You should make his acquaintance. Tell him Steve sent you. |
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| Author: | Robbie O'Brien [ Mon Mar 06, 2006 3:58 pm ] |
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Dave, Nice looking guitar for your first. You ought to come down the hill a bit from Evergreen and visit our guitar building classes at Red Rocks College sometime. I would be happy to show you around the shop and answer any questions you might have. You can also see some beautiful guitars being made this semester and possibly get a little inspiration for a future guitar. |
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| Author: | Rod True [ Mon Mar 06, 2006 4:48 pm ] |
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All right, here's mine. 
So.... here are the stories behind the "1st" was so eager to glue the back on that I did it outside the mold. (stupid) Now the neck block was not square to the centerline of the back. So, now I had to take the back off and re-set it. So, after much heat (with little water. stupid) I got the back off and had a 6-8" crack from the top (near the headstock) to the middle of the back, thank goodness it was along the grain line. I sure cryed when that happened and I wanted to trash the entire thing (Thank goodness for level headed wifes. She's the best). But cooler heads prevailed and the back was fixed (I can't even find the crack) and glued on. Next, neck. I was so eager there also that I sanded through to the truss rod in 3 spots along the neck. Yikes, way to many to backstrap (although I tried, it looked awful) So I made a second neck, thinking I could use the fretboard at least, well, I didn't have enough heat (read knowlege or what the heck to do) that I ended up trying to saw off the neck from the fret board, Well you can guess how that went, so I made a new fretboard as well. I least I saved the truss rod  .
Finaly I was so afraid to mess anything more up that I farmed out the finish. It was great and 1 month later I was ready to bolt on the neck, bridge and set it up. Well, I was bolting on the neck/gluing down the fb when I hear this "crack" as I'm tightening up the bolts. Well, I nearly popped the bottom portion of the heal off the neck, it was hanging by a sliver and the finish. I was using the new Cumpiano style bolts and I guess I torqued it up too much and snaped the heal. Well, I glued on the heal, drilled and installed a 1/2" maple dowel, filled the holes for the barrel bolts and used the screw in inserts instead. That worked (has been holding for 4 years now). I still have the crack in the finish and all the burn marks inside the body to remind me that it certainly isn't perfect actually there is a very distict hump at the bass side of the bridge to also remind me it isn't perfect. But I sure love the sound. That guitar has alowed me to make and sell 3 others, with 2 more on the horrizon (very near infact, just waiting for the deposits). So there you have it, stories and all. |
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| Author: | Arnt Rian [ Mon Mar 06, 2006 6:37 pm ] |
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I only have this one picture of my first guitar from 2000. It is a parlor guitar modelled after a broken instrument that belonged to my wife's great grandfather. I made it with one hand plane, a couple of chisels, a home made purfling cutter, home made clamps and so on. Great learning experience! 
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:21 pm ] |
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Rod and Arnt, WOW! Some great experiences guys and awesome firsts! Rod i understand now why you were insisting so much about my little crack on my top plate the other night. You're kind of like my big bro watchin' over my shoulder right? |
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| Author: | burbank [ Tue Mar 07, 2006 1:28 am ] |
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Arnt, That's a beauty, especially considering the limited tools you had. Probably like building might have been 200 years ago, no? |
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| Author: | Steve Saville [ Tue Mar 07, 2006 6:03 am ] |
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OK, here is mine. Cedar top, EI rosewood back, sides, fretboard, bridge. maple bindings, herringbone purflings/rosette/backsplice, generously donated Bill Nichols "S" inlay on head stock, 5 piece laminate neck - Mahogany/maple/EI rosewood. (The LR Baggs M1 has be replaced with an Active Element.) 
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| Author: | Arnt Rian [ Tue Mar 07, 2006 8:27 am ] |
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Hesh, the original guitar is still on the family farm, on the wall of my wife's grandfather's living room. He unfortunately tried to fix it after I had made this one, and did a "refinish" job.  It is (used to be) a much prettier guitar than the copy I made; it has multi colored purflings, Brazilian rosewood back and sides (as far as I can tell), a French polish finish and so on. I think it is of German or Austrian origin, but I could not tell you how old it is. I know my wife's great grandfather got it around 1910 but it was not new then.
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| Author: | CarltonM [ Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:12 am ] |
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[QUOTE=Rod True] So.... here are the stories behind the "1st"...[/QUOTE] Rod, somebody should make a movie out of that adventure! "Coming soon: TRUE STORIES--starring Matt Damon in his breakout comedy performance as guitarmaker Rod True!" Man, I sure can identify with the cascading problems that unbridled eagerness to complete the task can cause! Thanks for sharing!
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| Author: | CarltonM [ Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:15 am ] |
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[QUOTE=Arnt] I only have this one picture of my first guitar from 2000.[/QUOTE] Arnt, that is one sweet guitar; and what a cool choice for your first effort! Is it ladder-braced? |
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| Author: | KiwiCraig [ Tue Mar 07, 2006 11:00 am ] |
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I have been playing it for a month now ,and it sounds/plays much better than it looks !! 
P.S. Serge, You have gotta be one of the nicest guys I've known in my lifetime ! Bravo Regards to all , KiwiCraig |
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| Author: | Shane Neifer [ Tue Mar 07, 2006 2:07 pm ] |
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Here is my first, still in progress! The top braced: 
The x-braced back, attached to the rim: 
The closed up box: 
That's it so far, the neck is blocked out also. Thanks Shane |
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| Author: | Rod True [ Tue Mar 07, 2006 2:38 pm ] |
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Sweet looking Shane, very sweet |
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| Author: | Rod True [ Tue Mar 07, 2006 2:52 pm ] |
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Hey Kiwi, can you edit you message please, just hit "enter" inbetween each picture, that way they won't scroll over to the right. Thanks. Hesh, thanks for the comments, yes the bridge is maple, the second guitar is identical, even the bridge is maple as well. Sounds realy nice with the maple, but I've never tested it against anything else so what do I know.
[QUOTE=CarltonM] Rod, somebody should make a movie out of that adventure! "Coming soon: TRUE STORIES--starring Matt Damon in his breakout comedy performance as guitarmaker Rod True!" Man, I sure can identify with the cascading problems that unbridled eagerness to complete the task can cause! Thanks for sharing! [/QUOTE] Ha, that's too funny. |
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| Author: | old man [ Tue Mar 07, 2006 3:03 pm ] |
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Dadburnit! I knew KiwiCraig would slip his in again. Love it! Ron
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Tue Mar 07, 2006 3:52 pm ] |
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Yep i'm again with ya Ron, i remember when KiwiCraig showed us the first time and thought Gees, where was this guy hidin', he ain't no rookie! lookin' at his guitar and yours BTW almost made me loose my glasses because the eyeballs wanted to come out of their socketts! nOW TELL ME THE TRUTH AND SAY YOU BOTH WERE LYING AND THESE WERE YOUR 100TH!
Shane, i see you made a lot of progress, your natural talent and overall skills are undeniable but you're probably lyin' too about this bein' your first!
Terence, Great lookin' first one, don't beat her up please, send it to Gatineau, Canada ok?
Serge |
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| Author: | Rod True [ Tue Mar 07, 2006 4:12 pm ] |
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Now there's someone's first I would like to see. Got any pics and stories. Come on Please.
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| Author: | KiwiCraig [ Tue Mar 07, 2006 6:17 pm ] |
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AH ! I see what I have done Rod. Sorry . Now ,how do I edit ? KiwiCraig |
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