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I've built a number of classical guitars with an adjustable neck and they seem to gather quite a bit of interest, so i'm currently in the process of looking to refine the design and build. It's quite a simple construction where the neck is held together by string tension and hangs on a pivot. I developed a 3d printed "socket" which acts as the interface between the body and the guitar and allows for some fine tuning of the alignment of t…

Hello, One of my commissions is coming down the pike and it's going to be my first time using bar frets. I could use a once over for any helpful tips if you have any. About the guitar: Aged HD-28 but mahogany back and sides. I think Martin called this a HD-28 M? Skipping the truss-rod and using two carbon fiber strips. My process for Frets: 1: I CNC my fingerboards to a 16" radius and for T-frets I use a .023" to cut slots with a mat…

Hi folks, I thought you might be interested in this approach to having easy height adjustment for a GoBar deck. I learned this tip from my buddy, Don Parker. He lurks around here too from time to time. :) The basic idea is rather than having a booster platform on the base for use when gluing braces to plates you bring the roof down lower. There is a 3D printed spacer in black in the pics. I linked to a downloadable STL and 3MF of…

Hi everyone - I recently ran into trouble making new nut for one of my necks that needed to be trued and re-fretted. I roughed in the nut as usual and then, with the bass guitar fully assembled and strung up, I started cutting the slots to depth. I use the StewMac digital nut slot depth gauge and have had good results in the past. I marked the nut's lowest points (radiused) using the guitar nut scribe tool (first time using this!) and c…

I'm reading the Design book of the Gilet/Gore set (2nd Edition) and ran across something that surprised me. Under "Top bracing layout - guidelines" (Section 4.4.8, pp 4-52) Gore writes, "Brace ends that are housed into the linings stiffen the edge of the soundbard considerably and so constrain its mobility. Unless you are chasing a particular effect, it is generally not very beneficial to house the lower bout braces into the linings." My…

Ok, I'm a new builder and I've only done solidbody electrics so far, so this question is related to only those. In my opinion, these are the things that have the most impact on tone, listed in order from most influential to least. Have at it! Pickup/electronics, neck joint type, neck construction (including fret size/material), scale length, bridge type, bridge saddle material, tone wood Of course, this only takes into account the guitar.…

What support or bracing is common around a soundport that is placed on the upper bout at the edge of the instrument, where the lining or kerfing typically holds the guitar together? I've been able to find info on direct top or side upper bout soundports, but I haven't had much success when looking for the support structure once you've cut into both the side and top. Any resources or tips would be appreciated.

Just finished my 7th acoustic guitar and have an issue that is perplexing me. Before putting strings on the guitar the bolt on neck fit very well. However after stringing up there is a tiny gap at the heel (please see pic). If I take off the strings (removing string tension) to floss the joint the gap isn't there. Does anyone have tips to remedy the issue?

Hey Loothers, A client reached out requesting a neck with wider nut for his headless Ibanez 7 string. He would like it built with rosewood for the neck and the fret board which has been stored for years at a consistent 45 to 50 % humidity in his home. The frets are angled to make it play more ergonomically but it is not a multi scale instrument. He plays finger picking fusion style and simply needs more neck width at the nut to play mu…

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…

Hi all, I'm experiencing a problem with finishing a steel string guitar. After spraying a sunburst with Colortone liquid stains diluted in thinner (which I left curing overnight), I sprayed a very thin coat of SprayMax 2K Clear coat (https://www.spraymax.com/en/products/product/clear-coats-and-spot-blender/2k-clear-coat/) and, to my horror, saw some of the black paint disappear. The amount of SprayMax I sprayed was very little, yet some o…

Hi, does anyone have experience with Stainless steel fret wire on acoustic guitars or more specific on classical guitars? Up to now I only used the traditional Nickel/Silver fret wire but recognised that after a few months they start to get mat or tarnish despite polishing them. I wonder if that is because of the origin (Producing Company) of the fret wire or due to the alloy? During my search for fret wire that is not Sintoms and also av…

I have built a steel string guitar that has an annoying high pitched pulsing overtone. The guitar is an x-braced OM style with a thicker depth (more in line with a dreadnaught depth). I have built several of these that do not have the annoying overtone, so I don't think its the specific shape that is causing it. The overtone occurs when the note B2 is played on the G string, 4th fret. Interestingly, it does not occur when the open B stri…

Being new here, thought I would post an introduction. My name is Paul McGill Mcgillguitars.com I have been making guitars since 1976. I have lived and worked in Nashville since 1985 when I relocated here to work in the repair/restoration shop at Gruhn guitars. 410 Broadway, now a novelty shop. I was there a short time before commiting full time to guitar making as I had done prior to moving here. My main influence as a guitar maker was Ro…

Hey there folks - putting together a couple of StewMac ukulele kits and my partner asked a great question about whether to apply finish to the inside surfaces like we do the outside. We will be staining and applying wipe on poly for protection. The logic seems reasonable - protect from moisture inside and out. Only concern I could think of was trapping moisture between the layers but that was it. Anybody have experience with applying a…

We hear a lot in LoothLand these days about 3D printing. I think it's an awesome use of that technology for what we all do. With my long history with AutoCad and 3D rendering in my previous life, I should pull the trigger on a 3D printer, but I'm just not ready yet AND I have no available space for one in my little shop or in my office right now. Yes, 3D printing is great, but sometimes, good ole regular printing can be a surprise frien…

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…

This is pertaining to steel string builds, dreadnaught or OM style. Michael Bashkin mentioned in a recent zoom chat that his bridges weigh in at about 25 grams. I have also heard some builders shoot for an even lighter bridge. The pre-made bridges I have purchased in the past from LMI come in at about 39 grams. What are some other opinions on this? And how do I modify the LMI bridge to reduce weight? That seems like a lot of material to…