Official Luthiers Forum!

It's pretty quiet around here.

So. What are your luthier goals for this year?

1. Finish #1 before heading to VIM.
2. Finish #2 at VIM and hopefully come back with a lot more knowledge.
3. Organize my space into a more sensible shop.
4. Work on environmental control in my home/shop.
5. Keep all of my fingers intact.

I have one project in the works. I have an alder strat style body that I intend to put a finish on, build a neck for, and finish up with the electronics and hardware I finally decide on.
I'm also on the hunt for a local source for body wood to begin my first scratch built electric. I hope to complete that as well.

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

Terry buddy thanks for starting this thread!

I have a list of my goals for now and 2009 and it reads like this:

1) Continue to build my new shop and set it up for production.

2) Purchase a few additional tools that may include a table saw......

3) Set up my business with a proper business structure, t*x ID, and begin to keep proper records for income t*x reporting.

4) Launch my new web site which is under development at the moment by one of the best web developers on the planet...... well on the forum......

5) Procure some quantity buys of "standard/core" woods and parts that will be part of my offerings.

6) Build/buy a few more molds so I can produce multiple guitars of the same model at once.

7) Wire my shop for Internet access and Direct TV.....

8) Install a "doggie door" for Sony into my shop.

9) Add an overhead ledge additional go-bar deck like Colin's for bracing multiple guitars at once.

10) Pull the trigger on a local newspaper reporter who wants to do an article on me and announce that my shingle is out in my new area/location.

11) Find a better place to do lunch when I take loads of guitars to Joe White and take him out to lunch. The last place I picked had cockroaches running around and an old lady who sat behind JJ and farted.......

12) Start to tone down my OLF participation in favor of spending more time in my cave building - I expect to treat this like a 9:00 to 6:00 job.

13) Continue to refine my set-ups with the help of Dave Collins.

14) AND.... live my dream building guitars with a business model that permits me to build much of what I want to build while at the same time taking on commissions when it makes sense for all and the value proposition is clearly very positive for the client. I was very inspired by Howard's interview in AG some months ago. He freely said that his guitars are not for everyone and I agree with this approach very much. I taught technology sales for decades and always discouraged people from trying to pigeon hole what you offer to everyone. And my father used to tell me that it is better to do a few things well than a bunch of things ....crappy although crappy was not his word of choice.

So I am very excited at the promise of 2009 and have many goals that are all falling into place very nicely.

And as always without the OLF I would have never been able to learn to build guitars. Many thanks to everyone!!!!

My immediate goal is to complete acoustic build number one, learning from my mistakes, as well as from successes. Action-steps intrinsic to the completion of number one, are to finish the jigs/ fixtures I feel would be helpful or necessary. Some of these are a circle cutting jig for my router and cam clamps. One of my goals for my shop is to set aside a portion of time after each day's work to tidy up. I find I am much more apt want to be productive if I don't first have to clean the shop area. In addition, I need to finish the extension table of my table saw, which will be a joiner's bench type of set up, providing addition bench space and hopefully an effective clamping area.

Hesh, honestly the best of luck for you in your exciting upcoming adventure. It's amazing how good it feels when you take that step towards doing what you love to do. BTW, I love my table saw, and I think you'll find it very useful. I used to have an OLD Craftsman from the 50's. Fantastic saw and I think you couldn't go wrong with it. However I had lust in my heart and just had to get my hands on a Unisaur.


Darrin

1. finish number 4
2. get a job

...in that order. it's a toss up at this point. just glued the box together this evening. i have an interview tomorrow afternoon. i'll be careful what i wish for.

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yakmatter.com

Hey Hesh, I didn't see "adding to your bird life list" in your goals?
Mine are to build two 000 type guitars this year and all associated jigs - finally graduating from making ukes.
Not that I won't make ukes anymore, but I've learned a lot doing them. Much more learning to come!

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A higher purpose for wood.
Rich Smith
Issaquah, WA

Welp, I recently closed the box on my koa and adirondack SJ cutaway, and that's a good place for me to pause and shift gears for the next month while I work on a big ol' outdoor sculpture which is going in a park here in Asheville. Actually, if all goes smoothly, I'm hoping it will turn into two seperate pieces, but I'd have to be phenomenally productive to make that happen. I've got another art-related deadline coming up next monthas well.

It kills me to have to stop working on guitars, but as soon as the sculpture's done, I'll get back on it, with renewed fervor. I've also got an F5 style mando underway that I'm looking forward to getting back to. I'm also in the design phase of a Grand Auditorium-style guitar for my wife's cousin, which is very exciting. My first commission of sorts.

There are also a couple of jigs I'm seriously considering making, namely the Williams binding jig, before tackling the cocobolo binding for my SJ. A big goal for this, and all future instruments, is to refine my finishing skills. I feel it's the big hurdle stopping me from comfortably selling my guitars. Thus far, I've been using the System3/KTM9 combo, and can't help but think there a better option out there for me. I'm considering trying my hand at french polishing. Also, there's a guy here in Asheville who makes green (environmentally friendly) paints and finishes, and, according to his website, is interested in working with builders on formulating instrument finishes. I'm very curious to speak with him.

I've been wondering how much it costs to farm out a pro nitro finish, and how one goes about that. Any advice is welcome.

Ken

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Mountain Song Guitars www.mountainsongguitars.com

1. Demand a huge salary increase at work, they need me more than I need them - or so I tell myself.

2. Put a finish on the twins - #3 & #4 (both 000's) that have been waiting for it for several months.

3. Complete #5 & #6 (both OLF SJ's) number 5 needs a neck #6 needs to be started but I'm still fussing over asthetics.

4. Build a flat top bass for my nephew.

5. Do what Hesh is doing to his new shop, to my new shop. The new shop is ready for fitout as soon as point 1 happens and is agreed to.

Might be a sad old year this one.

My goal for this year was to finish one acoustic.

The top and back are voiced, the sides are in the mold but haven't been turned into a solid rib assembly. I'd like to have that done this weekend.

A few amps and a strat that I didn't have planned in January wormed their way in.

Simple - I'd like to sell one
Mat

Just 1 Mat? I gotta make room for some new ones.

I gotta learn to take time off work. Been 3 years since I've had a holiday, and it's getting a bit old. I need to get on the motorcycle and go for about a 10,000 km ride. Let my hair down if I had any left.

I hope to be able to complete about 6 more this coming year. Continue to refine the quality, and my skills. Other than that, life's been good to my wife and I. We're very fortunate to be living our dream. We continue to give ourselves attainable goals, and others that are perhaps just out of reach at the present time. Gotta have some reason to get out of bed each day.

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Allen R. McFarlen
Barron River Guitars & Ukuleles
Facebook
Cairns, Australia

1 to get better at this building lark, especially finishing

2 build an archtop guitar

3 build an F style mando

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My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

1. Retire from my engineering job of the last 38 years.

2. Complete my shop remodel.

3. Dedicate more time to building.

4. Dedicate more time to building.

5. Enjoy my new career and retirement.

6. Buy a new Corvette! (Ooops... that's not a lutherie goal is it... )

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Peter

1. Finish up #2 before the Ann Arbor gathering.
2. Hopefully to be a good way along on 3 & 4 by Christmas.
3. Improve my building speed. It took way too long for the first 2.
4. Get a huge inheritance from an unknown Uncle and retire from day job.

Cheers.

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Horton, MI

Start the Harp Guitar. All materials and forms are in house.

Mike

Finish 2 & 3.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

1) I want to finish the electric I have been working on for the past year and half.

2) I need to get over my building worries.

3) Finish setting up the shop.

4) Spend more time building. (Probably the most important one.)

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-Rob Eckert
Ann Arbor, Michigan

1. To get good at spraying a glassy finish!

2. To build a spray booth to allow #1 to happen

3. Once #1 & #2 happen, I'll get started on a harp guitar.

Make a bleedin' record before my band quits on me...
Finish my first two parlour protos...
Finish my J-45 knockoff...
Install a new window in my bedroom and re-drywall what I must...
Fix the basement sink trap so that I can run a hose from the non- replaceable safety valve on the hot water tank currently spewing piping hot water all over my wood storage area...

Likely in reverse order...argh.

hi all
Well Terry I want to enjoy my family and my retired (from employment only) also I enrolled today a full time diploma course lasting for two years in Musical Instrument Construction, Repair and Technology, in Glasgow - Scotland.
I start on monday and cant wait, one of the tutors is Bill Kelday a highly respected acoustic and classical luthier in these parts.
Oh and to make a guitar I can play my toons on will do.
An' good luck to you all with your plans (and dreams)
yours Geordie
P.S. yakmatter, hope you get a job soon.
Peter J hope you enjoy your retirement.
meddlingfool, make that record - go on.

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some tunes on acoustic and guitar synth.
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheGeordieAdams
http://www.myspace.com/geordieadams

Finally, got enough money saved up to build!
No more dreaming, it's real decision time. It's probably going to take me a while as I don't have a lot of energy as it is.

I'm finding it a real pain in deciding what wood to use! There's a lot of pretty pictures on Zootman's web site! Decisions! Decisions!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Billy bro does this mean that your Photoshop activities will now take a back seat to building?

Build A guitar......yes just one guitar.....started and finished in the same year

No such luck Hesh Buddy! I plan on using photoshop to build this guitar. Why do you think I was looking at pictures!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)