Official Luthiers Forum!

Just thought I'd share a few pictures of #1. It works!
Thanks to all for the advice and support. The blues creek kit was excellent overall, and I learned a lot about what to look out for next time.







The headstock design was a creative fix for a sloppy attempt at inlaying some abalone I found in Point Arena. I made a medalion ( I guess you'd call it), out of triangular pieces of a wood inlay strip I had bought a while back. Came out pretty good.
I'll always remember that moment when I first heard a string ring out after putting it all together. Truly a miracle.

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"Preoccupation with an effect gives it power and enhances the error"
from "Your Owner's Manual" by Burt Hotchkiss.

Looks great.
congrats on your 1st. Have you been bitten by the bug???
Are you planning #2,#3#4 etc
The headstock is cool

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

Hey Nick, nice result! I particularly like your "Medallion". From the pics, it's almost three dimensional. I really like the look, it's more original. And yes, you can get some good stuff from John, he's a good resource to have.
Good luck on the next one!

Craig
CT Holden Luthiery and Supplies

Great job Nick. Looks very good. That heastock a fix? Nahh..., of course not, it was planed that way all the while    

   I think that's what I'm learning as I'm going along... It's how you get out of trouble that will define your work... Great stuff.

   So what's planed for no. 2?

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

Well done Nick !!!

I too love your headstock . Great job!

Regards KiwiCraig

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CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
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Nick...Great Job...it look's very nice...I would be more than happy if my first comes out as nice as yours.

The headstock is very nice and no mistake (i'd probably not admit it to anyone else) I have been working on designing my headstock, but, I just can't come up with anything. I'd do my name or initial, but, I'm just not sure if I like that. I have a few other ideas...but...I never thought to do a marquetry job like you did...your giving me some ideas...

Keep up the building...I'm already planning on build 2 and 3 and I don't even have a closed box yet...(almost there though)

JP

Nick,

That is one sweet guitar! Yeah, the thrill of the first sounds to come out of your first guitar sure does set the hook, don't it? Nothin' like it.

Congratulations!

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Great job on your first Nick!

Nah, that can't be your first? 20th ok!


Love the headstock too!

Serge

Nick, congrats -- nice clean work.   Love that headstock -- that must have taken you some time creating the medallion. An adaptation of your medallion could make for a really cool rosette (note to self take a copy of Nick's headstock).

Great effort, Nick!
Yeah, thinking your way out of problems is by far the best experience / teacher.
What's exciting, is that the mistakes have a way of moving around the guitar, which keeps one (well, me anyway) perpetually thinking....

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Good job!


Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

We sure have had a lot of 1st builds here lately. Nice job on yours Nick!Your headstock is beautiful! How does she sound?

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Way to go, Nick!
The marquetry is a very nice touch.

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Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

Thanks guys. It took me a while to get back here. The finish is definitely probably an overkill, but I wanted to learn, so I started with a french polish until I decided it wouldn't be as durable as I'd like, and sprayed it with nitro laquer.
This was slow and tedious, as I'm sure it always is. But the results became addictive and rewarding. Many sandings between coats and lots of patience were required. Eventually areas like the back seam became nice and flat. At first I wasn't sure this would happen but persistence payed off.
I also noticed while french polishing that when I messed up an area, trying to fix it would make it worse. When I just kept polishing, the successive coats
would slowly cause a surface defect to dissapear on its own. This ended up being the most important lesson I think. It also generally seemed to hold true for the laquer, where I just kept on with sanding and spraying new coats, rather than concentrating on a particular ding or unevenness.

I hope this isn't too much information. By the way, I am pretty amazed at how good it sounds. I took it to the fifth string here in Berkeley where I showed it to Jim Hyatt, with whom I've talked for years about building this. He gave it the thumbs up. A guy (don't know his name) who went to Oberlin and is an incredible player tried it and really liked it too. It seems to have real nice sustain for this kind of guitar.

    nickton38863.1587731481

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"Preoccupation with an effect gives it power and enhances the error"
from "Your Owner's Manual" by Burt Hotchkiss.

Well done, a great job for your first, you are surely hooked by now, it's a chronic disease but an enjoyable one. I would try sticking with the French Polish it's well worth the effort in the result, and repairing the odd scratch is easy, and doesn't carry the health risks of Nitro.

Just one fault with it that I can see, someone's put a plectrum on it!

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Great looking guitar, Nick; the headstock inlay really complements the guitar. Nice job!


Pete

Very good job - you should be proud. Sure makes my first look awful sad

Fine job, Congratulations!

Mike
White Oak, Texas

Congratulations, Nick! Cool headstock!

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Congartulations! Nice job!