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Hi All

I've been lurking here for a few months, soaking up the atmosphere and information like a man on a Carribean holiday but haven't really had anything to share until now.

My mate, Dave and I have spent the last six months building jigs, buying tools and wood and basically setting up a shed to build guitars in.

Here's the first one's progress which is an African Mahogany dread with a which will end up with a Sitka top. This is for my partner's fifteen year old daughter for Christmas.

I's a fairly trad build based on my eighties D18.

Any suggestions or criticisms are welcome (we've both got skins like an outback camel)

Le Boat





Another Boat



You'll probably see a side re-inforcement at top left. Just a thin piece of mahogany.( there will be more in there eventually. Sides were bent on a Fox-style bender @.085 and we had no problems with bending.
The African Mahog sounds really lively but the dust it produces is quite acrid and bitter. We learnt about this the hard way when re-sawing it and didn't wear masks.



Le Neck (still working on this - and my photography skills)



This is Swietinia from plantations in Fiji. To work with it doesn't appear to any different from the Honduran stuff. Time will only tell !!!

I sincerely hope that it does as there is a reasonable supply here in Melbourne and it could well be an ecologically sound replacement for Honduran Mahogany.

The laminations are Rock Maple and Padauk.



Le Fingerboard (dots went in today)



Ebony with Ivoroid bindings. The body will have Ivoroid as well (avec 'erringbone) (sorry - I've got this French thing going on ce soir)



Le Back



We're just waiting on some Abalone to arrive for the rosette so we can start on the top so will post more pics next week.

We ran out of things to play with in the shed due to the non-arrival of the Abalone so we started another today which is a Padauk dread.

After reading about everyone's horror stories bending Padauk we are pleased to report that there were no problems. (soaked 'em in water for 10 minutes)

Here's a pic of the back strip - a thin strip of Bombay Blackwood with BWB purfling.






Le Shed Fridge (our most important piece of machinery)



Need I say more. It gets very hot here in Summer.

I built four guitars back in the eighties when the only guide I had was Irving Sloane's classical guitar book so the advent of the internet and fine forums like this have been a revelation to me and Dave. Many of you probably don't realise how much of your generously shared knowledge and experience is encapsulated in the photos above.

Thanks to all.

Bob Connor

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Bob Connor
Geelong, Australia

Bob/Dave,

Welcome.

It's looking really impressive so far - really neat. The lower bout back braces look pretty mighty though to me.

The neck is really neat too - the Cuban that I get is also plantation grown (in Micronesia) and is one of the stiffest of the mahoganies and makes great necks.

Definitely wear your respirators - dust is nasty stuff. I've just been making some kerfed linings with Spanish cedar. Man does that stuff taste so bitter but smell so sweet - hey there's a Joni Mitchell song in there "I could drink a case of you ..."

And speaking of drinking - I think you need to store your hot-hide glue next to some ice-cold Guiness so well done there

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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

Beaudy another coupla Aussies

Welcome Bob and Dave good to have you here and good to see you have your priorities right, a man could well drown himself trying to drink that model Westinghouse under the table.

My Dad had one the same out in his shed and the sides rusted away long before the compressor ever gave out, 10 min up the top and then stack'em down before they ice up

Oh and your guitars look very tidy so far but I will leave any further critique to the more experienced on the list.

Cheers

Kim

Le French Canadian here says Bravo Mates!

Beautiful execution and craftmanship you guys, looking really nice so far, keep up the good work and stay away from Le Fridge when tired!

Welcome to the forum Bob and Dave. Your work looks very good .Keep us posted

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

The boat looks great. Wonderful attention to detail and cleanliness. If it were my guitar, and it isn't to take this any way you wish, I'd be a little concerned with the thickness of the bottom brace, and the next one for that matter. It just looks a bit meaty to my eye which won't hurt anything but add excess weight. I'm from the school of locking down the back and sides and letting the top do all the work. Which is why I say it won't hurt anything to have the oversized bracing.
Good work so far!

I'm with Serge, very nice craftsmanship. I'm looking forward to keeping up with this...and welcome, please post more often.

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

Looks great! I too look forward to seeing more progress. Welcome...

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Looks mighty fine!!!!!

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Welcome, Bob. Great looking work. Good luck on the enterprise!

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Bob...looks like you are making good progress! Well done.

[Quote=Dave White]I've just been making some kerfed linings with Spanish cedar. Man does that stuff taste so bitter but smell so sweet[/QUOTE]
I built a project from Spanish cedar...yuuuuckkkk...boy does it taste terrible. Everytime I tell my wife how bad it tastes she looks at me like I am crazy!

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Brad
Avon, OH

Its good to see some fellow melbournians here....welcome. The boat looks like its floating along fine..well done.
I to have just been setting up shop also....building jigs to make jigs to make....
Where in melbourne are you buying your mahogany from? I just recieved some from Gilets.
good luck with your progress , looks good so far .gratay39035.6612847222

Bob,

   Nice clean work. I'm sure that one's gonna look and sound great when it's
done. The neck woods are nice and the lamination are in really cool
proportions. I like tha thin line of laminate components down the back and
through that gret looking volute.

Keep us posted on further progress.


Regards,
Kevin Gallagher/Omega Guitars

G'day Bob,

    Lookin' Good so far !   

" le back " looks fairly heavy. What thickness is it ?

Regards Craig Lawrence ( N.S.W. )

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CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
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Welcome Bob and Dave!

Good to see a few more aussies here. First pic I've seen here of somebody's workshop where I've seen a beer fridge, thought I was the only one. Dunno what's wrong with these people .

Good to see you posting, and welcome to the OLF Dave and Bob. Very nice looking guitar so far. Keep up the good work. Love the fridge!

Thanks very much for the encouraging words and welcome everyone.

Yes I think those two lower braces are a bit beefy now that I inspect them again. I don't think we'll change them on this one for fear of intransigent chisels but the next one I think we'll try the upright style brace as opposed to the flat Martin style one. Anyone have further thoughts on this?

The back is 2.3mm Craig. I think the mark you see in the photo is from the router when we cleaned it up.

Gratay - the Mahogany we get from Australian Furniture Timbers in Port Melbourne. If you haven't been there - don't go!!! It'll just empty your wallet

If you do go, ask to look at their private stock in the shed next to the office. They put all of their highly figured stuff in there. I believe Maton drop in there on a regular basis and take the pick of it.

I believe they are trying to find a supplier of Sitka as well.(any of the suppliers out there looking for a bit of export business?)

Serge - the fridge is the first port of call when tired.

The fridge is actually where we pay our rent on the shed. It belongs to a mate of ours who kindly gave us the use of it as long as we keep some Carlton Draught in it for him(and us)

Kim and Paul - I would have thought most garages and sheds in Oz would have a beer fridge tucked away somewhere. It's the best way of surviving the current drought!!!

And yes "Connor go pub when fridge empty"

Thanks again everyone. Will post pics of Le Top next week.

Cheers

Bob

bob_connor39036.1184953704

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Bob Connor
Geelong, Australia

Right on! Looks fantastic...

Remember, always drink plenty of liquids, regardless of weather... Hydration, ... that's the key!

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Le Dang! That's some nice work ya got goin' there! And what an entertaining post! You Aussies are so cool! Keep those pix coming!

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

Looks really nice, and Welcome to the OLF, look forward to seeing it finished

Mike

I'd rather , A bottle in front of me ,

than a frontal lobotomy .

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CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
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Looks great to me, welcome to the OLF. Nice back strip.

Tidy work on the linnings, are those reversed kerfed for the top? What wood is the tail block and heel?

Bob, great start!
Keep us posted..

Oh ya, welcome to the OLF!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Hi Marc

Yes the top linings are reverse kerfed Mahogany.

Tail and neck blocks are both Mahogany.

Cheers

Bob

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Bob Connor
Geelong, Australia