Official Luthiers Forum!

Is there a right or wrong way to build a classical guitar? Basically would it be wrong to build with steel string construction method (but of course voice it like a classical) by using a outer mold, dovetail neck joints, etc. or will that depart too much from tradition? I'm not too familiar with solera construction but I fear that when I go study at Lincoln College they will force me to use solera construction...

_________________
Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

There are traditional and contemporary methods. One would be hard pushed to raise a substantive argument about why either is any more "right" than the other. But try building a Smallman style instrument the traditional way...

Any decent guitar building college should show you all the major methods so that you can use the method most suited to what you're building.

_________________
Trevor Gore, Luthier. Australian hand made acoustic guitars, classical guitars; custom guitar design and build; guitar design instruction.

http://www.goreguitars.com.au

There are lots of successful classical builders out there that use bolt-on and other types of neck joints besides the traditional Spanish method. Most raised finger board guitars have bolt-on necks. Not all, but most.

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Why would you fear learning what you went to school for?

You might "force yourself" to use the solera method at least once before you go to school. You might like it.

Force you?
You obviously know a solera is the traditional method.
Surely the whole point of going to college is to widen your experience and knowledge?

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I think you get comfortable with a certain style of building. After about ten years learning only from Sloan and Cumpiano books and a few others in the mix, I've developed a style that I use for both steel and classical and that's on an open work board. I switched from traditional Spanish style heal to a bolt on and it did raise a few eyebrows from traditionalists but I just feel that it is a better method, especially since I've had the unpleasant experience of having to reset a few Spanish style necks joints.

Having said that if I jumped right into an apprenticeship or a college and learned a traditional method and stuck to it then it probably would not have taken me ten years to finally start making good guitars.

'Tradition' is a slippery subject. From what I've seen, for many years the traditional method of making guitars was to build a body and plug a neck into/onto it. The solera method is said to have begun with the waning in power of the old guilds, as new, untutored makers figured out different, and faster, methods of work. The solera is a hand tool mass production jig. Guitars constructed in the traditional way on a solera suffer from the major fault that it's impossible to adjust the neck angle without major surgery. It's main advantage is that it facilitates neck alignment, because the angle is built into the jig. It is possible to make a guitar on a solera that has a removable neck, using any sort of joint you want, but that's not part of that tradition.

Baptist church as well as any other protestant denominations were created as a response against tradition, but once they became the tradition they upheld it against any changes as well, so it seems solera construction has become the tradition and I felt European schools may stick to them...

Has anyone actually been to Lincoln College and what do they teach?

thanks

_________________
Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

A little more research on your part might be in order, if you are planning on attending, Tai.

Alex

_________________
"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

I did, but couldn't find that much information from google. Are there any other ways to research, like people who teaches them, etc.?

_________________
Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Does this help? http://www.emagister.co.uk/full_time_cl ... 224948.htm

Alex

_________________
"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Not really, I've already read that from Lincoln College's course description. What I'm looking for is feedback from previous students or faculty.

_________________
Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Contact them directly with any questions that you have.

Alex

_________________
"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

I started the course in September. I'm at Newark college, which is part of Lincoln college but, obviously, in Newark. Same course and, as far as I'm aware, same tutors.
So far it seems like an excellent course, very well run and the tutors are brilliant. They teach primarily traditional (Spanish) methods. However, all the tutors are professional makers who run their own businesses as well and each have their own ideas and methods (often differing from each other) which is ideal for a beginner like me, trying to gain as much information as possible.

Unless you are going straight into the 2nd year of the course, the first guitar you will build is based on a Torres plan, using the solera method. You will also have the option of building a steel sting (I think a 00). After that, you are encouraged to experiment a bit more..

I'm not really sure what information you are trying to get, but I'd be happy to talk more about the course, if you have any specific questions..

here are some links to websites of a couple of the tutors, if that helps..
http://www.jameslisterguitars.co.uk/index.html
http://www.lucasguitars.co.uk/index.shtml (Adrian also illustrated the Roy Courtnall book, Making Master Guitars)

I'm going straight into 2nd year, because they don't allow international students to go into the first year on a visa (not sure why). I'm confident that I have enough skill to get into the 2nd year, however I just wanted to know what it's like. Primarily I just want to get some networking into the world of handmade instruments because I really don't know anyone, but also have some professional feedback on my skills and how I can improve. I'm not really a classical builder but I'm open to learning for sure.

_________________
Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Tai, James Lister is a regular on the Delcamp classical forum. You'll likely get more feedback from that direction...

_________________
Trevor Gore, Luthier. Australian hand made acoustic guitars, classical guitars; custom guitar design and build; guitar design instruction.

http://www.goreguitars.com.au

Tai,

Also an idea would be to contact James - and see if you can go to the course a week or 2 in advance, hopefully he can provide some private tutoring to get you up to the 2nd year or at least show you want o expect in the second year. I know a couple of weeks is not much time - but it is better than going in cold to the second year. I think it would be difficult to skip the first year without any formal tutoring. James could identify some weal points and you can work on that before or during the course to "catch you up" - if it were me, I would be in that class before and after tutoring began to get as much time in teh classroom/workshop as possible.... I would be working all day and most of night - disregard everything else if you have the opportunity to immerse yourself in this. good luck to you.

_________________
It's this new idea from recent decades that everyone gets a participation award. - MUX

I'll see, if I am accepted then I will be sure to contact the instructor to see if I can have some catching up.

_________________
Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com