Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm interested in making a split-topped guitar, like Harry Fleishman and others have done - Perhaps half cedar/half sitka.
Before starting I was hoping to get some opinions and advice from those that have done this.

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

The coolest one I have ever seen had Sapele/Maple back and sides and Redwood/Eruro Spruce top with ebony bindings. I think I still have a jpg of it somewhere I will look but the Spruce part of the top was against the Sapele side against the Maple back half. The Redwood top half was against the Maple side against the Sapele back all bound in a simple Ebony binding. Cool effect yet not gaudy

I thing Cedar/Spruce may be a bit too much of a contrast.... maybe redwood/spruce? or Port orford cedar with cedar?

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

[QUOTE=verhoevenc] The only issue here that I can see is that you're NEVER going to get an "optimal" guitar top. I say this because cedar will need a different thickness from sitka [/QUOTE]

You may get a better match for thickness/stiffness if you pair Cedar with Engelmann, especially if you hand pick the woods specifically for this purpose.

If I understand what you are trying to do - I think Howard Klepper has hands-on experience doing this. Maybe he will weigh in here or you can try contacting him directly.

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

I believe it adds some tonal complexity. I've used WRC with Euro spruce. I am not partial to Sitka.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Steve,

Here is a link to Andrea Tacchi's Spruce/Cedar split-top classical and an interesting article about it and it's construction.

      Tacchi "Cochlea Thucea" Spruce/Cedar Split-top

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Peter

Peter,
I couldn't get the link to work or find it with a search. Help please! I'm really interested.

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

[QUOTE=Howard Klepper] I believe it adds some tonal complexity. I've used WRC with Euro spruce. I am not partial to Sitka.[/QUOTE]
Howard,
Do you have to use dove tails to do this?   
Is tonal complexity a good thing?
I'm guessing that it adds some qualities from both wood types and blends them.
Have ever built this way for a commission?

I met you at NAMM this year at the hotel. It was a real pleasure.

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

Here is a link that will work.

http://www.guitarsint.com/detail.cfm/id/280/img/img3_lowres

That is very interesting.  Nice price too.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Harry's dovetail is an inlay. He takes a piece of the matching wood and inlays it into the top so it looks like each half is dovetailed. Even Harry isn't crazy enough to try that.

Lance

mccollumguitars.com

[QUOTE=Howard Klepper] I believe it adds some tonal complexity. I've used WRC with Euro spruce. I am not partial to Sitka.[/QUOTE]

Howard was already one of the half dozen world guitar builders for whom I had the most respect. The above statement reinforces that view.

I believe Kathy Matsushita has also built a split top guitar, check her website or maybe she'll chime in here.

Colin

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

    I've built with a few tops of half Cedar and Half Sitka during some
prototype efforts with good results. The voicing process is fun and takes on
a whole new meaning from what is typical.

   Those dovetails, as Lance said, are inlaid after the halves are joined so
they're not functional, but aesthetic in their application.

   Harry has built some of the coolest looking instruments ever using his
unlikely wood combinations. I'm sure he'd be happy to answer any questions
you have.

Regards,
Kevin Gallagher/Omega Guitars

Howard's dovetails are real dovetails.

so are they real dove tails? or real inlays?

or is that just to remain the 10,000 dollar mystery?

They could be real dove tails that are inlayed

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Say what you do, Do what you say.

[QUOTE=Dave Rickard] They could be real dove tails that are inlayed[/QUOTE]

No - you can't see any feathers

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Porter Cable dove tail fixture and router with dove tail bit?

[QUOTE=Howard Klepper]
[/QUOTE]

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

just out of curiosity Howard, are you cutting those on a dovetail jig?

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Howard - Would you use cross grain reinforcement strip as on a back or would the braces be enough to stabilize the joint of the top?

Thanks!

Sorry if this seems like a hijack.

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Steve Walden
Aspiring Builder,
Bartlesville, OK

I have no secrets (well, . . .). PC 690, Freud dovetail bit, Grizzly aluminum dovetail template. No commercial fixture or jig; I mount the template to a maple board and clamp the guitar panels up with waste boards to help stop the tails from fracturing and fraying. The depth of cut is critical, since it controls the fit of the dovetails. Since the template isn't long enough, it has to be moved and kept in register. That part is tricky, but I just do it by eye. All you really need is too much free time and a willingness to waste hours of work and some wood.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

All the dovetails are backed up. Cross grain strip on both top and back. Laminated double sides. In this application, a dovetail is weaker than a butt joint.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.