Official Luthiers Forum!

Well my first guitar project has officially started. I have a set of curly Bubinga b/s and a Lutz to coming from Bob Cefalu at RC Tonewoods. I am planning to use Macassr Ebony for the binding, headplate, fretboard, and bridge. Bob will be shipping my wood to John Hall at Blues Creek Guitars who will add other part to make up a custom kit for me. I have been very impressed with the friendly and helpful service that I have received from them and would highly recommend them based on my experience.

Although I will learn, at this point I am an absolute beginner with limited knowledge. For my ease I will be getting the top and b/s set thickness sanded but don’t know what the appropriate thickness should be. To what thickness should the Lutz soundboard be sanded to? How thin should the Bubinga be sanded to for the back and the sides? I don’t know if it matters on the thickness of the sides but I will be adding a sound port on the upper bout.

Philip
    

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aka konacat

If you think my playing is bad you should hear me sing!
Practice breeds confidence and confidence breeds competence. Unfortunately, I'm stuck in practice.

What size is the guitar going to be?

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

Philip,
This can be a grey area until more experience is gained, but generally speaking it depends on stiffness and flexibility. Cumpiano and Natelson (if you don`t have the book consider getting it) reccomend sounboards to be .080" to .120" for classicals and .110" to .125" for steel string. Again, this depends on plate size and material stiffness.
Backs should be .085" to .095" for classicals and .100 to .110", still depending on hardness.
They reccomend sides to be .085" on steel string and .080" on classicals.
As far as bubinga goes, I don`t have any experience with this wood so maybe someone else will chime in.
You could also poke around in the archives and possibly hit paydirt. I do, however reccomend getting the book so you have reference to what you`re after.
Good luck!

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Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

The size will be the dreaded dreadnaught. I am told the Lutz is quite stiff am hoping those who have used it will pipe in.

Thanks

Philip

_________________
aka konacat

If you think my playing is bad you should hear me sing!
Practice breeds confidence and confidence breeds competence. Unfortunately, I'm stuck in practice.