The Hub

I usually build flat top guitars and usually joint the tops and backs with a Stanley no 5 style of hand plane ( only different brand). I want to build an archtop instrument, and the wood blanks I have are longer than usual and, of course, a lot thicker. What size plane do you use for kind of job? Would it be easier with a longer plane (6 or 7)? Thanks! Jorge

Hi all, just sharing a couple of shots of my latest build, an A5-style mandolin with a goth soul 😉 Tonewoods Top: Alpine Spruce (Italy) Back & sides: Flame maple (France) Neck: Birch (Sweden) Fretboard & bridge: African Ebony Dimensions Scale length: 352.4 mm Nut width: 30 mm Fretboard radius: flat Total length: 660 mm Body width: 260 mm Finish Hand-rubbed stains and acrylic satin finish Features Hammered steel pickguard and truss rod cover Moose antl…

I'm refretting an all-original Gibson L-7 from 1934, and it has a 9.5" or so fretboard radius. However, the bridge, also original, has a 12" radius. I need to flatten the board, as it has a hump at the tenth, but I'm wondering if I go with the 9.5" radius, or try and get it to 12". I'm a little worried about sanding through the Nick Lucas style inlays, so I'd like some input here. If I kept the 9.5" radius, I'd likely have to radius the…

Hello All. I'm new to the group and a beginner in terms of building (only built a couple so far). I was hoping I might gain some insight on the effect bridge type has on tone on a solid body guitar. I have been building guitars with hardtails but I'm curious about wraparounds. Of course, with hardtails the whole device is screwed to the top where the connection on a wraparound style bridge is not as direct being held up by studs. Any th…

I have a late 70's M36 on the bench. I am trying to locate a replacement pickguard. Will a D28 style guard fit? Any suggestions?

Hi everyone, I’m working on a thinline style (semi hollow flat top) and had a question about the chambering. I’m planning on only one F-hole on the top side, but wanted to get as much air movement as I could. Will cutting the chamber behind the bridge cause me problems, like in the pic? Do I need the center block to go all the way back to the strap pin? I feel like I should be fine with a decent glue up. Thanks!

I have an epiphone 335 style guitar on the bench right now. Bad fret buzz on the first frets. No relief in the neck. Pretty Clear its a trussrod adjustment and out the door it goes. But the truss rod is stripped out pretty bad. My 4mm allen fits, in but it has a lot of wiggle. My 5/32" allen doesnt slide in all the way. I dont have a full set of torx wrenches. But i thought that might get some grip. What is the best way to get this thin…

Hey! So I've got a customer who has dropped off with me one of the nastier headstock breaks I've seen in recent memory. There is excess glue of some sort (rock hard, clear) all inside the break, along with the threaded tracks of the screws. I'd usually just recommend a replacement neck in this case, but the customer is desperate to keep this neck as it holds some sentimental value to him. He's aware the repair will not be invisible, how…

I am switching from NC lacquer to EM6000. I also want to switch from black WB filler to blackened epoxy grain fill. My question relates to keeping the color in the pores and off the surface wood, and whether to vinyl seal before and/or after epoxy fill, I already know how to tint epoxy black. Could black grain fill style be accomplished with black epoxy as the grain filler and would a vinyl sealer be used at all, or just use EM6000 for…

Hello -- I am trying to joint a Tele-style mahogany neck blank. I have a Metabo planer in good condition, but no jointer. I secured the c. 40 mm thick blank to a flat plywood sled and shimmed it well. It's hot-glued in place, and absolutely no rocking from any corner or edge. But as I plane it down, I still have about 1 mm difference from one end of the blank to the other when I put a straightedge on the surface (see photo, with backlig…

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…

Hello, Just heard of this group and decided to join. My name is John Read and I live in Indianapolis, IN, USA. I have been building Martin style acoustic guitars for 5 years and am on scratch build #28. I am also the website administrator for both kitguitarsforum.com and asiartisans.org/guitarmaker.org. Loothgroup looks to be a fantastic, next-generation communication tool and I look forward to joining into the conversations. Here's my c…

Hi Everyone, I’m working through building my first set neck electric, an LP Jr. I had some build questions… - if you’ve built these Gibson style set necks before, did you cut the neck pocket straight and angle the heel of the neck? Or did you cut the pocket at the angle and keep the bottom of the heel straight? I’m attempting to cut the pocket at an angle, and it isn’t the easiest thing to do, I’m finding out. First, I’ve had some moveme…

Has anyone here sprayed a Martin-Style Ambertone top? Curious how you approach it color wise....seems to me the amber base coat is a very orange/red color, then a very light and warm feathered in brown

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…

I had a customer that wanted a blower switch installed on his James Tyler HSS style Strat. Simple enough, except that he wanted the full humbucker to go through the volume pot as well. The HB was a 4 wire and incorporated a toggle switch to split coils. I scratched my head for a while, drew up a diagram and breadboarded it. It requires a 6PDT switch which was the hardest part of this job to find something that fits. When the switch…

Howdy folks, Y'all may know that over the years I've had my hands in all sorts of varying degrees of our beloved lutherie bizz; from my current modest restoration shop focus to work for 'The Man' in big production. Throughout this I've built up contacts of various sorts and recently, as I've started to get back into building (to some degree) I've had some of these contact ask me about moving some wood on their behalf. So, here I am wo…

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…