The Hub

I’m working on many more mandolins these days, and I absolutely love my Frank’s Cranks by Frank Ford (Gryphon Strings) for guitar work. I’m hoping to track down one of the smaller mandolin-size string winders. If you have one sitting unused, please send me a message.

Dear looth community/colleagues around the world, During 2023/24 I have developed a digital gauge to measure so-called longitudinal twist of (bass) guitar necks: the LTwist® gauge. Just to be clear, this is about the "cork screw" type of deviation along the length of a neck, not the bow of a neck. I think there is no need to explain how a too severe neck twist can make it difficult or even impossible to set up a stringed instrument (guita…

Doing some workshop organization and found some tools I don't use. All are in excellent shape with very minimal use. Each item linked to the relevant product page: Japanese nut files. Mine have a bit of surface rust but they were used for maybe 2 guitars. $80 new, selling for $40 StewMac Gauged Nut Slotting File Set for Electric Guitar (for medium strings) and one of each nut file backer. Used on one guitar. $113 new for the files and $19…

If you're like me, you've acquired lots of small luthier tools over the years from StewMac and other vendors. Having a place to store them has always been a problem for me. I stopped drinking soft drinks years ago because they're bad and I recently found out I'm diabetic so they're definitely off the menu. I swapped out soft drinks for water and Crystal Light a long time ago. In our throw away culture, single use plastics are a huge pro…

Are any you using an ultra sonic cleaner to clean metal hardware? If you are, what brand/model are you using and do you find it useful?

This is a rehash of the amazing Loothprint that Mike (@member@member@member) shared to the group (Surface Inspection Light – The Looth Group). I don't have a 3D printer so had to take a low(er) tech approach. The pics should be self explanatory. I have linked to a DXF and CRV (Vectric VCarve) file in case it helps. I do most simple tooling in Aspire as I can move more quickly there than in Fusion. Components needed: .75" Baltic birch ply Flash…