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Yoicks! Lots of questions, but good for you to have made four guitars in
your first year.
I'll do what I can to answer your questions:
* I make guitars, 4 so far, that sound good but don't look so good - the
best I've done I used spray cans of laquer. If you were building 2-3
guitars a year, is it worth it to get a spray setup? If so, what kind?
Finishes are the bane of lots of builders. A professional spray booth will
take lots of space and cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars. There
are alternatives -- low-toxicity water-based finishes, French polish, oils,
brushing varnishes, etc. I'm not sure where to send you for more
information except the usual suspects: "guitarmaker" magazine, American
Lutherie magazine, MIMF, and of course, discussions on this forum.
I'll add that a level, blemish-free finish is essential to marketing your
guitars.
* I'm going to Healdsburg this year - will wood dealers be there? Any
classes good for an amateur builder?
LMI will certainly be there with some wood. Allied Lutherie is in
Healdsburg, a short drive from the Festival site in Santa Rosa (they're
open on Friday, but not over the weekend, AFAIK). I don't know about
classes, but they haven't had beginner classes as such in the past.
* KOA - is there such a thing as a Koa tree?
Yes, it's indigenous to Hawaii and is fairly well managed by the State. No,
koa isn't mined from deep under Mauna Loa, nor is it the pelt of a wild
animal (though some looks like it might be).
* Can't I make my own bindings with my 12-inch bandsaw?
Yep, you can. Probably need to finish with a pass through a sander or
planer, though.
* Where do you get rosette materials, especially white and red?
Not sure what you're looking for -- wood? pearl? synthetics? I use lots of
veneers (maple or holly or sycamore for white; dyed veneer for red, blue,
green, etc.). These are available from LMI, Stew-Mac, etc. and from
specialty veneer suppliers. I use Wood River Veneer in Idaho for most of
my dyed materials. Stew-Mac and LMI offer various woods and plastics
that can be used in rosettes; LMI also sells sticks of colored wood for
making mosaic rosettes.
Get the LMI and Stew-Mac catalogs! There is a ton of information in these
two publications, as well as enough wood and tools to keep you drooling
for years.
* Where do you get ebony for laminating your own necks?
Good ebony is getting harder to find. I assume that you're looking for
pieces that can laminated between, e.g., mahogany to create a center
stripe. You might try Exotic Woods in NJ, or go to Woodfinder.com and
search their database. I can find Macassar ebony in 4/4 boards at a local
hardwood supplier, for bindings, neck laminates, headstocks, etc. Not
cheap ...
* This forum introduced me to ASIA - how does it compare to GAL?
As the editor of "guitarmaker" and Director of ASIA, I'll only answer for
that organization. ASIA is member-run (we vote for our Board of
Directors and there's a members' meeting at every Symposium) and is
specifically for fretted instrument builders and repair techs. We were
originally set up to provide services to the professional community but
have broadened our mission to include education and service to the
amateur/hobbyist community as well. Our website, www.guitarmaker.org,
is undergoing a MAJOR revision and will be an exciting resource for all
luthiers. The ASIA Symposium is held every two years with hands-on
workshops, demos, lectures, and other events for luthiers of all levels and
experience. I'm constantly delighted by the loyalty people show for ASIA
and the value they place on participating in a lutherie organization.
* Is there any way to know that a piece of wood is actually Brazilian
rosewood?
Yes. Take a course in wood identification at your local university or
college -- wood i.d. is a science in itself, using such keys as specific
gravity, pore structure, hardness, etc. Or, buy only from reputable
dealers. Or, talk to the professors teaching the wood i.d. course and see
if they can help. Anyone who says that you can tell by looking or smelling
is, well, pretty confident about a non-scientific approach to a complex
problem. Even the experts get it wrong sometimes: some years ago I
bought some sets from a good, experienced builder. About a month later,
he called to say that the wood wasn't Brazilian after all (and offered me
my money back). I don't know how much he lost on the deal, but it's easy
to be misled.
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