Ray in the foothills

I like it!

Happy National Guitar Day!
NOW get up and GO Play!

Bad Bunny / Lady Gaga / Ricky Martin was great tho!

Nothing more than a regular football game, and the broadcast is horrible. How many hundreds of millions was spent setting this crap up?

wow you a long way from home Prof Sam. Thank you for posting your trip...have been enjoying them
best, ray

2004 Chevy Silverado 1500
"Freedom"

Yes. Superglue (CA glue) will work well on the PVC binding, but is nasty on lacquer. So.. the cost is in the difficulty of keeping the CA glue AWAY from the lacquer. 135 is not unfair IMHO... as it takes great patience working with the glue / lacquer issue... even the best have trouble. Best, Ray

Thanks response. Problem- there is not a good "water-based" glue that will adhere the PVC binding. Many luthiers use white carpenters glue that easily washes off and won't damage the lacquer finish. Doesn't usually last...not luthier's fault. Some try a fish glue. I'd like to know what he uses.

common issue with Martins for years, so not caused by it being out of the case. Being in the case does not necessarily protect a guitar from this issue. It's a Martin glue issue. IMHO luthiers really dislike fixing this... and no...alphatic resin glue is not a long term solution. Thanks Martin

👍

2026-1 The Black Oak
Mster Grde Indian Rosewood
AAAA Sitka Spruce
Ebony Fret Board/ Shell inlays
Genuine Mahogany
632mm scale
1-3/4 nut
Elixer 13-53 HD Lights
Grover 18:1 Tuners

All done and playin'!
#lutherie
#customacoustic
#lightninhopkins
best, ray

Oooooooooo... likey!

Indian Rosewood Dreadnought- The Black Oak
Welp, junior woodies, I'm very excited to setup this one . It has played, and I LOVE the tone. Elixer 13-53 HD Lights, bone nut and saddle,
give it a full tone and medium sustain. Light and lively for fingerpicking.
#lutherie
#acousticguitar
#countryblues

Pau Ferro... Machaerium spp.
Harder than rosewood / stiff / so will easily create sustain and can have a sharp tone. I used an Adirondack for my top and the tone was a too "bitey". My experience. Maybe a nice Sitka would soften the tone overall a bit. I have a nice set in storage. best, ray

As a fellow tool guy, I love your shop. It's funny to me that all of our shops have very few photos and such on the wall, but we always have an occasional sticker or small thing sitting on a shelf that gives away our character. I've always wanted a lathe...but guess we can't have ALL the tools!
R

ummm... there's a right way, and a wrong way

Right Sara. USA manufacturers have built factories that can turn out a hundred guitars per day and all those costs must be fed every day from the DJT tariff economy.
So... the price per unit goes up, each guitar is no better quality or tone than a hundred others made earlier. yup
best, ray

Indian Rosewood Dreadnought-
The Black Rose
Dark Mahogany Neck
/ First Topcoat
Behlen Instrument Lacquer
Gloss
#luthier
#acousticguitar
#slideblues
best, ray

very nice. totally american!

Indian Rosewood Dread-
The two major parts get an unwaxed shellac washcoat before I join them together.
My nitrocellulose lacquer finish is simple... start that tomorrow.
#lutherie
#acousticguitar
best, ray

Yeah!

Acoustic Dread-
Glue the Bridge!
I glue my bridges on before the finishing process, that way I can do a final check for placement accuracy.
I have small wood indexing pins so I can dry fit and dry clamp before I apply the hot hide glue. My prediction-
This'll stick good
#lutherie
#yes
best, ray

Indian Rosewood Dreadnought-

So.... the final operation before finishing the neck-
bright white side dots!
"say that 10 times real fast"
#lutherie
#acoustic
#boutiqueguitars
best, ray

Yup yup... not so bad.
next is the brige
#lutherie
#highandlonesome
#roscoeholcomb
#acoustic
best, ray

Indian Rosewood Dreadnought
Carving the Neck-
Using the Faceting Method, I have hand-carved the Mahogany Neck and Heel. Now I finish up the Volute area, sand all and give it the final feel test. Numbers are right on and it feels as good as any I've built.
#lutherie
#acoustic
#davidgilmour
best, ray

Acoustic guitar-
There are many ways to carve a guitar neck... jigs n routers n CNC n fancy gizmos.
But essentially... a curve can be thought of as progressively smaller FLAT surfaces that end up tight enough to easily sand round.
The method is called
Faceting. Go figurr
#lutherie
best, ray

2026 Indian Rosewood Dreadnought
The Black Oak-
Welp, got everything fitted, rough cut and test assembled... now time to glue on the fret board so I can carve the neck.
#bespokeinstruments
#acoustic
#lutherie
best, ray

Thank you for your patience as I offer input. A good avenue to get this built might be to contact the Central Texas Bluegrass Association (or the one nearest you) and see if there's a small luthier / amateur who wants to complete this... maybe a kind of pro bono deal. Questions welcome always
ray

I could be wrong (certainly have been)... but it appears to be a "kit guitar" (from say Stewart McDonald or others similar) due to the simplicity of the appointments, the look of the interior bracing and the fret board woods. These are helpful to
early / amateur builders who are developing.

IMHO-
It is pretty basic in its appointments, which is not necessarily bad... but would definitely need a superior sound as it is not a named manufacturer(Gibson, Martin...etc.)
There is much a luthier could do if the box has a good thump, but all these dress-up inlays and such add to the cost.