Official Luthiers Forum!

Without babbling forever, I am happy to have found this great forum. I have been interested in building acoustics for a long time and I am taking the first steps, education. I ordered John Mayes DVD series and can't wait to begin viewing them. I have even looked into Bryan Galloup's school and I am considering others as well. I am closing an auto body collision shop that I have worked at for 28 years and owned for the last eight. Collision work 'ain't what it used to be! Luckily, I have refinishing experience from painting cars and have been doing my own guitar repair/ maintainance/ pick-up installs and what not for many years. If you were to offer any suggestions as to where to begin, I would appreciate any suggestions that any of you may have. I opologize if this topic has been covered before. Thanks!

Welcome to the OLF, Joe! This has to be the best place for aspiring builders to hang our hats. Your auto painting experience will serve you well in guitar building.

As to where to begin, you're in the right place. What did you have in mind to build?

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Welcome, Joe! I am a beginner too, in that I am just finishing my first. You are off to a great start if I can be a judge of these things. I also suggest getting Cumpiano's book. While the book is a little outdated in the "How-to" category, there is a wealth of info there.

Good luck and have fun and don't be shy about asking questions. We love questions so much, that I assure you, that any question you ask here will get you plenty of completely contradictory answers. Kidding! Sort of!

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

WOW!! Thanks for the quick welcomes!

Pat, My main passion/interest is acoustic guitars. All sizes. I also want to eventually build 12 strings as well as these were what got me interested in acoustic guitars to begin with.

I could search and look at tonewoods for hours on end.

[QUOTE=joe white]I could search and look at tonewoods for hours on end.[/QUOTE]

Yup, me too. My biggest weakness is the 'Buy' button.

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Welcome! With your auto-body experience, you've got a huge jump on most beginers. And that area is one of the hardest to master.
This is a great place to start. Lots of information here and in the archives. As suggested, Cumpiano's book is invaluable, though a bit outdated in technique, the information is there.
Good luck and don't be a stranger.

Welcome Joe!

You have certainly come to the right place. I'm a beginner too, having only built four, and just starting number five. Although I probably could have built them without any input from a forum such as this, I have progressed WAY more rapidly with the advice I've received from this little jewel in cyberspace! You will too.

Like Steve said, don't be shy with the questions, even if you think they've been asked a thousand times before. Even if they have, you'll more than likely get a succinct, well thought out answer - usually more than one!

I'm looking at Bryan's school too, and also exploring some apprenticeship possibilities. This craft/art/science gets under your skin for sure.

Good luck, and again, welcome to the OLF!

-Mark

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Pullman, WA

The more I know, the more I know I don't know.

trippguitars.com
OR
Find me on Facebook

Welcome, Joe!
This stuff is quite addictive-be forewarned!

You've gotten some great advice already, so I won't repeat it all.

Taking a course is a great idea- there's nothing like having an expert at your elbow. A lot of the courses tend to be expensive (my opinion only) but you may be able to work something out on your taxes if it is a 'training/professional education' thing toward a paying career. Contacting past students for info is a good step before you slap your cash on the counter.

Kathy Matsushita's amateur luthier site is useful if you haven't found it already.
http://pweb.jps.net/~kmatsu/

For specific questions, searching the archives here or at the MIMF will save you a lot of time.

Cheers

John

Hi Joe, and welcome to the OLF.

John's videos are a very good place to get started. I can also recommend Frank Finocchio's videos and his class is a good one too. Frank teaches a one-week class in which you take home a completed guitar.

Also, since no one else has recommended it yet, I would suggest a kit from Stew Mac, LMI or our own John Hall as a good beginning. John also supplies lots of forms, tools and advise.

Most of all, have fun!

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

Welcome, Joe. I noticed you're a fellow Hoosier...there aren't many of us in the northern part of the state .

If you ever get to Warsaw, feel free to stop by...I'll help in any way I can. PM me and I'll give you my phone number if you're interested.

Good luck...you found the right place to learn about acoustic guitars!

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Welcome, Joe!

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

[QUOTE=JJ Donohue]
If you ever get to Warsaw, feel free to stop by...I'll help in any way I can. PM me and I'll give you my phone number if you're interested. [/QUOTE]

Woahh! Warsaw! I just played at the Highschool back in December with a group for the Bethlehem Walk. I would certainly like to hook up with you and see what you have done. My wife is from Nappanee so we are there quite often. A real good studio buddy of mine is from Nappanee too.

Thanks again for the warm welcome everyone. Looks like a kitmight be the best way to ease into this addiction and make a little saw dust. I will research the suggested suppliers.

Welcome to the OLF, as you can tell we are an international bunch as well, with instrument builders from all over the world adding their own take on things. Good advice above, do start out with a kit it takes some of the strain from a first build and will produce you a great guitar. I would think at least half of us started that way. You have a jump on a lot of us in that the OLF was with you from the beginning, most of us had Cumpiano, a Stew Mac kit and SMs instructions. Here you have the collected wisdom of some of the best builders around.

One important thing to remember, there are no stupid questions (a lot of stupid answers). If you want to know something, are unsure or just curious ask away. It's a great feeling when a guy like say Kevin with hundreds of guitars to his name comes on and say "well this is the way I do it". You can't buy experience like that. just priceless.

Two tips, get a mahogany B&S to start with and practice the French polishing

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

And Colin get in another plug for mahogany.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

[QUOTE=Colin S]Two tips, get a mahogany B&S to start with and practice
the French polishing

Colin[/QUOTE]
You may be on to something there with the french polishing, Colin. Even
though Joe is probably a pretty good hand with a spray gun, he may be
ready for a change of pace.

Welcome Joe

Long

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"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” -Heraclitus of Ephesus

Welcome Joe! I'm a beginner also, just getting ready to start number two. This is a good place learn and share -- a really nice online community.

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Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC

Hi Joe ..also a newbee..took a course 5 years ago..although with all the info avail on the internet..you definately don't need one...I have purchsed lots of material and have done lots of reading...and daydreaming..finally on  # 2...I bent a side last night...woooo hoooo..that was that fun...my wife loves the smell of the shop with wood other than plane old pine!!..... jump right in ( I wish I didn't waste 5 years thinking about # 2)..I own and recommend ..guitarmaking , trad and tech by Cumpiano and Natelson, the Jonathan Kinkead book, Frank Finnoccio's DVDs, and Robbie O'briens DVDs..there are no doubt other good ones...but these are what I have.. there appears to be many ways to skin these cats!!...Good luck

PS..on tools...I bought a few Lie Neilson planes and they are fantastic (a little $) ...but you know, I had some old ones of my Dad's that I thought were museum pieces...but work almost as well....you can end up spending a fortune on tools..don't ask how I know...but If i were to do it again I'd go simple and add stuff as I needed it ...

Although I don't post very much..I have been a long time lurker..and this place is super!!...what a cast!

 

Irwin

Welcome to the OLF Joe! You will
definately like it here

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Thanks again everyone. Feels like family around here already! On the topic of kits. Anyone have any more suggestions on kits. I would like to avoid a dread for my first. Something a little more couch strummin' friendly?

Well, Joe, you can't go wrong with a 000/OM. Versatile and well rounded in all aspects, pretty shape and sound. You can get cases for it, too, which is important!

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

Joe:

Luthier's Merc makes a nice OM kit. I have no experience with StewMac's kits,but my guess is they are fine too. Also check with another one of our sponsors John Hall (Blues Creek Guitars) - I'm sure he could put together something suitable too.

-Mark

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Pullman, WA

The more I know, the more I know I don't know.

trippguitars.com
OR
Find me on Facebook

Welcome Joe, Not to "dis" any of the sponsors, but I have really been hearing good things about the kits from John Hall. I started from scratch without kits and that worked well for me. For some, the kit makes the best sense and is a good value. I am sure you will do well with any of our great sponsors. REmember to post pics of your progress, we are all visual junkies here, I think.