Official Luthiers Forum!

Hello everyone. I'm new here, but I know Tracy and have the pleasure of actually seeing him build this. It looks even better in person!    

_________________
Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

Welcome to the OLF Mike, you're gonna have a great time here!

Serge

Thanks Serge! Seems like an incredible wealth of information. I could read through here all day if I had the time.

Mike

_________________
Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

oh, i know what you mean, believe me!

Yes, You'll see it Thurs night Mike! Welcome to the forum, and really take some time to look around. Lots of good stuff here.
Tracy

great thread Tracy, I love you f hole sound port in the upper bout....very cool.

Matt

Hey Mike, welcome aboard! Now how about posting some pics of that killer wood you are using to build your guitar?!

Thanks Matt! Glad you like the sound port. What's a mando or bouzouki without a f-hole? It just seemed like the right thing to do. I felt it would be naked without the f-hole

How's that Brace Maker working out for you Matt?
Tracy

Mark; Yes, I had several long talks with Graham. He's a really good guy. I bought a copy of his book at the convention & started building my first zook almost as soon as I got home. We've been in touch via e-mail several times & he was happy to help me through a couple of minior rough spots.
I'm very interested in your flat top design with the traditional bridge & tailpiece. Graham seemed pretty much convinced that a flat top would collapse, but yours seems to be holding up just fine. If I understood your previous post, you use a simple X brace pattern with no fans or bars... Correct?
Can you pass along the dimensions of the X braces & how you shaped them? Got a pic you can post?
I like the look of the bridge & tailpiece... And it would simplify the construction quite a bit.
Dave; your zook is a real inspiration. A beautiful & unique looking instrument. Is that a double X braced back? Or is it ladder braced in the lower bout?
So many possibilities, so little time... Sigh...
Thanks for starting this thread Tracy!

Daniel,

No it's one X with ladder at top and bottom:

_________________
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

That looks great, Dave. Solid neck block!
Here's a picture of the insides of one of mine. It's a redwood top, and Koa back and sides. The braces are 1/4", they are tapered.
As long as you don't use too much down-force on the top by using too steep of a neck angle, the tops hold up just fine. I make my bridge 1/2" high without a saddle- and I make it so the fingerboard with a straightedge along it will just meet the top of that bridge. Then adding the saddle will give me the action I want. I use a bridge with a slot for the saddle to sit in and I can use an under-saddle pickup that way.

_________________
Mark Swanson
Swanson Guitars
http://www.MarkSwansonMusic.com