Official Luthiers Forum!

Hello Everyone

I have been Lurking around the forum as a guest for sometime, and have enjoyed reading all of the very inteligent comment and discusion. I alos enjoyed reading the not so inteligent stuff as well.

So I thought it was time to stop lurking and join in.

Welcome to the OLF Russell. Glad to have you join us.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

Welcome.

Great to have ya around! This is a great place to spend lots and lots and...of time.

josh

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

Hello Russell,

Welcome. What are you working on?

Jeff

Welcome Russell.......
You have just found the right place to hang out!!
There are some great guys here.
Walter

Howdy Russell!

What part of the UK are you from?
Do you know Colin by any chance?

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Welcome Aboard!!

Welcome Russell! I think you'll like it a lot here. These are the best bunch of guys to hang out with that I have found. The collective knowledge here is pretty impressive too!

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

Thanks all for the warm welcome I am from Wales - Carmarthenshire

Jeff

I am working on several at the moment.

O Size in London Plane (Lacewood) and European Spruce.
000 European Walnut and European Spruce
00 European Walnut and Redwood
Dreadnought 12 String American Black Walnut and European Spruce.
and Finally a Small Dreadnought in European Walnut and European Spruce.

Russell,

Dang! Your a busy man! And, you should know this question is coming, after posting about all those guitars...........got any pictures?!   

Jeff

Yes I have Jeff, take a look at my website at www.avandel.co.uk there are lots on there, I will post some of here of the one I am just finishing next week.

Russell,

Nice website, and some great looking guitars!

So, looks like you quit your day job to build full time, that is a really big step, congtatulations. I hope business is good, and you have lots of orders.

Where did you learn to build?

Jeff

Hi Jeff

I am Primarily self taught with the help of the many great books, paticularily William Campiano, I have had some help along the way from one or two people I met.

Sometimes you have just got try something, and I have to say I am poorer but happier.

Do you build full time Jeff ?

Russell,

I THINK about building full time! Usually when I am setting at my desk at work wishing I was home carving braces, or fixing one of the multitude of mistakes I made the night before. I am actually a beginner who is trying to come up to speed. I have finished one kit guitar, and I am working on a few others. This hobby/profession is addicting. I hope to retire in a decade or so, and then I will be building full time! Until then I cram as much building in as possible!

Thanks for asking.

Jeff

Welcome Russell to the OLF, I think that's three of us from the UK now, I've often looked at your website and thought that one day when I retire from the day job (I enjoy it too much to want to quit) I too would go into full time guitar building. I normally operate out of Kent (have a look at my Biog on the biographies page, and put your own one up!) but am currently 10000 miles away in Sumatra.

They really are great guys on this forum, and will always give you the benefit of their opinion, whether you ask for it or not! They have, what I consider, an unhealthy obssession with highly figured zoot timbers when of course really they should be concentrating on mahogany guitars, but they will learn.

I look forward to seeing some more of your fine guitars and of course any tips and jigs that will make my guitar building better.

Welcome again.

Colin

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

Thanks Jeff

Thanks Colin for the welcome, Any time you are in Wales give me a call and drop in. I am working on a Walnut guitar at the moment made from a board that was from the crouch of the tree, it is seriously figured I will post pics when I'm done.

Are you in Sumattra for long?

[QUOTE=RussellR] I alos enjoyed reading the not so inteligent stuff as well. [/QUOTE]

Who, us??

Welcome aboard, Russell.

A late welcome, Russell. I have been very tied up at ASIA (not Colin's Asia) and have not had much time to check the forum lately. Nice site; good to see a lefty guitar. It's good to be reminded that I may be confronted with that someday.

As a note to Colin - you're not alone in appreciation of the nobility of mahogany; we're not all uncultured Philistines here in the colonies. Of all the guitars I've owned and played over the years (I'm not telling) the most striking have been mahogany. I was fortunate to pick up a set of Cuban at the ASIA auction tonight and am going to have to force myself to let it wait until I have a few more builds under my belt.

--Mark Joy

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Mark Joy

mjoy Guitars

Thanks Mark for the Welcome.

I think with Mahogany and some of the more "run of the mill woods" people start to take them for granted. I had a conversation with a customer about east indian, he said I know it will make a fine guitar, and it is just what I am looking for, but its just not cool. We had to use Madagascan in the end.

On the subject has anyone tried Pearwood, I think it is seriously under rated and very traditional in the UK, It is a bit hard to find some times.