Building your own guitars

[iwanttobebach]

Just thought I'd share a somewhat interesting passion of mine. I'm really into building classical guitars, mostly as a hobby or a part-time thing (I'm a graduate student by day/weekdays in NUS). Which means I only get to work on my guitar on weekends when I'm home. I thought about it for a few months, then spent a few months doing my 'research' and reading up from various resources and subsequently decided to plunge into it in the middle of this year.

Since most, if not all posts here are on electric/acoustic guitars, this might be a little out of place, but I thought I'd suss out if there's anyone who is as eccentric as I am to even contemplate the thought of building guitars in a place such as Singapore.

Having said that, it's not cheap (my list of materials and tools are running into a few K, and it doesn't look like stopping any time soon), it's not easy (I've had numerous repetitive strain injuries from chiselling and sawing since I don't use power tools) and it's a lonely job, but it's one heck of a satisfying 'hobby', if you might call it so. You learn alot of things in the process - patience and attention to detail are 2 virtues comes to mind - truth be told, I'm still lacking in the former. Tools are clearly a scarce commodity in Singapore - the local HomeFix have problems understanding my needs, so eBay and a few luthier supply stores in the US are a decent alternative. I say this in jest, of course - there's lots of good stuff in terms of materials and tools over there.

This current build of mine is Italian alpine spruce top with Bolivian rosewood (Pau Ferro) back and sides. All solid woods of course. 650mm/54mm (scale length/nut width). Typical Spanish cedar neck, ebony fingerboard, indian rosewood bridge. French polished (if everything goes well). The bracing pattern I'm using uses a modified Hauser/Torres 7-fan brace with a Romanillos-type open harmonic bars (transverse bars) in the upper bout.

Started this in July, and after many arduous weeks, I've completed the individual parts (neck, back, top, sides - in that order), and over the last 2 weeks, have proceeded onwards towards the assembly stage (neck to top, then sides, into the Spanish foot construction). Hopefully it'll will be finished (at least closing the soundbox) within the next 2/3 weeks (less the French polish). Makes a nice Christmas gift. If anyone's interested, there's a few more pictures over at my Flickr album [url]http://www.flickr.com/photos/51925926@N00 [/url].

Building guitars are infinitely way much more interesting than the spice racks and hamster cages I use to build.

 

[theblueark]

Insane!

Acoustic building looks damn tough

 

[gsonique]

Awesome bro ....you tha man !!! :smt023

 

[valo]

all for the sound...

you cant find that in kapoks... 8)

 

[ciel]

oh my look at all the bracing. steady is you

 

[empty71]

Pretty thick bridge plate you got there.

Ahhh, if I live in a private house like yourself, I'll be building acoustic guitars too

 

[kentheman2000]

I lust for something like that... it's pure craftmanship!

 

[iwanttobebach]

Thanks for all the replies. It's really encouraging but truth be told, I have so much more to learn about the craft as well as the science of guitarmaking. I really feel happy and contented just chiselling away the whole day, observing the final product materialize.
It's a classical guitar that I'm working on (not an acoustic, SS which I think is characterized primarily by its X-braced top - much stiffer to resist the 180-pound pull of strings as opposed to the somewhat lighter 90-pound pull of the nylon string classical).

Ah, Malcolm! I've heard so much about you. All good, of course.
Yes, I live in a private house. It's in JB (seriously). You can get bungalows over there for the price of a 3-room HDB. That's why I can only work on the guitar on weekends. I live in a cramp small, place with hardly enough legroom, near my campus during the weekdays. Whatever little I earn from my stipend as a graduate student, I save (having a consistent diet of bread, tuna and kaya also helps) and channel towards my hobbies. Of course, I really would like a proper workshop to do my stuff instead of having to take over part of the living room (dust is bad, but Spanish cedar is really aromatic). The Australian outback sounds like a nice place with lots of room.

Yes, admittedly, the bridge plate / reinforcement pad (Engelmann spruce) is a tad bit thick. Necessarily, it might mean that more energy is required to get the top moving. But I was (well, initially at least) of the opinion that if the top is stiffer (due to the height of the braces / thickness of the soundboard - mine ranges from 2.5-2.8mm, thinner towards the perimeters, thicker on the treble side for high-frequency response), I might need more mass to drive the soundboard (I'm using an Indian rosewood bridge, which is much lighter than ebony) to get it going.

Presently the bridge plate is *just* slightly over 3mm thick. I might sand/scrape it down to about 2-2.5mmmm before closing the soundbox. An alternative approach that I'm considering is to string the guitar up before closing the soundbox such that I'd be able to voice/tune the innards of the guitar. Of course, that's all in theory. The likelier scenario is that everything I shoot for might change once I close it up, inlay the bindings and purflings and finish it. There are so many variables involved that determines the final character or quality of tone, from the quality of woods, bracing - and part of the joy in making a guitar is in controlling, to the best of one's ability, these variables.

I've spent a huge amount of time and effort in reading and studying all the different factors and methods that goes into constructing a (classical) guitar and could just about spend the whole day talking about it. It's that addictive and interesting. This however, is to such an extent that it's affecting my graduate studies! :?

Thanks again all, for dropping by! I really appreciate the comments .

 

[tany]

wow this guy really knows his stuff man! good luck with the guitar!

 

[Phil]

One word, Respect, :smt023

 

[edo83]

Cool to hear of such passion in hobbies, muchos respect in your attitude!

 

[thor666]

Awesome work here. Do post up pictures of your final product when you finish it.

Anyway, which faculty are you from? Fellow NUS student here, I'm doing my final year as an undergrad in computing.

 

[PinkSpId3r]

rayer: you have my respect man! yeap post some pics when its done. All the best for the journey ahead

 

[sepultura]

Woah! Respect man! Pls post updates.

 

[iwanttobebach]

Thanks theblueark, gsonique, valo, ciel, Malcolm, kentheman2000, tany, Phil, edo83, thor666, PinkSpId3r, sepultura for your really encouraging comments. Really appreciate them. I guess most of you guys are more inclined towards electric/acoustic guitars, so thanks for taking time out for a classical guy like me!

tany, Phil, edo83, PinkSpId3r: hobbies sometimes serve as a good distraction from my work. Sometimes too good. Theory and practise are really two different creatures altogether - I'd like to think that I have some decent knowledge on guitar construction, but as any luthier will attest to, working, practical knowledge will get you much further than any 'theoretical' know-how. I'd probably have to build a few dozen guitars before I'd be able to tap-tune guitars decently, or get a feel for the how a guitar will sound like just by flexing the braces and soundboard. It'll be a long, tough journey, but I'm sure it'll be a fun, experiential process.

thor666: I'm presently a doctoral candidate in the ECE department. Hope your ongoing exams are coming along fine! I really, really hate exams, if that's any comfort. :lol: I'm really just a regular guy who just wants to have fun after too many years of studying!

Well, I like to tell people I love the music of Bach, Scarlatti, Tarrega, Sor and most classical composers because I am able to play the classical guitar during power blackouts (you don't get too many of them here in Singapore though). But right now, building guitars are way too much fun such that I don't spend much time playing, and instead spend my weekends thinking about and building (messing about with) my guitar.

I'll be sure to post pics of the final product, as well as any build progress updates! I hope it looks like a guitar though! Might take a while! I'm just enjoying looking at the exposed innards of the guitar for now! 8O

 

[bockscar]

wow, you can start your business.

how much have you spent building the guitar?

 

[tany]

hey i used to be a classical player!

i love the sound of classical music. i mean, i love classical music. hehe.

 

[dric]

respect dude, respect. awesome stuff you got there.

 

[empty71]

Ah, Malcolm! I've heard so much about you.

Yes, admittedly, the bridge plate / reinforcement pad (Engelmann spruce) is a tad bit thick. Necessarily, it might mean that more energy is required to get the top moving. But I was (well, initially at least) of the opinion that if the top is stiffer (due to the height of the braces / thickness of the soundboard - mine ranges from 2.5-2.8mm, thinner towards the perimeters, thicker on the treble side for high-frequency response), I might need more mass to drive the soundboard (I'm using an Indian rosewood bridge, which is much lighter than ebony) to get it going.

Presently the bridge plate is *just* slightly over 3mm thick. I might sand/scrape it down to about 2-2.5mmmm before closing the soundbox.

Hi,

I think I'd mistaken you for another guy I'd met. He's a classical builder as well. I think his initials is CS ?? I do know he worships at Adam Rd Presbytarian Church.

Anyway, I've worked on classical guitars built by my mentor, Sergei de Jonger. We usually leave our bridge plate 1.8mm. Good idea on the EIR bridge. I would seal the bridge with CA glue for strength before French polishing.

I like the way you reinforce the sound hole area. I usually do a "donut"

We would love to see your progress pics

 

[iwanttobebach]

bockscar: Materials + (shipping) set me back about 1.2K, tools, another 800 I reckon. But I still need more tools, especially those deep reach clamps. I'd also love more power tools like a bandsaw and belt sander! I really should keep and tally up those receipts. Cost of the woods would really depend on the types of wood you'd want (finer or master grades priced about 120USD and above) as well as how elaborate you'd like your guitar to look (marquetry, purfling, tuners). But I would say the chief cost is the top, and back & sides woods - about 40/45% of the total cost. Shipping (in 2 large boxes, very well packed) via FedEx set me back USD90, which I thought was pretty reasonable.

Earlier this year, I had actually set aside about 3K to buy a used 1982 Kohno classical guitar from Japan, but after much thought, I decided to use this to attempt building instead, as a *really* long-term hobby. Presently I'm weighing the idea of ordering another set or two of woods before the GST hike!
It's fun yeah - different things rock other people's boats. I can't afford a Porsche or anything with 4 wheels for that matter, but I guess I derive greater joy from simpler things. Have faith, and persevere in what you're doing, it'll take you far.

Malcolm: No worries - I've been lurking around here for a while but only registered and decided to post something yesterday. I'm Methodist. Which means I'm rather liberally conservative.
de Jonge makes awesome classicals, one of the better classical makers from Canada. As for the soundhole reinforcement, I wanted to do a donut shaped pad, but I like to be that *little* but different - each guitar has to have its own character, or personality. But that's a convenient explanation - truth is I did not have enough leftover spruce to make it!

When you say seal the bridge with CA, do you mean applying a *thin* layer of CA on the underside of the bridge? Or to the other parts of the bridge?
I've sealed the other parts of the bridge with epoxy resin (zPoxy) but left the underside bare (don't touch what you don't know, yet). My greatest nightmare is a flying bridge when bringing the guitar up to pitch.

Thanks all again!
I'd love to post my progress pics once I've done more to the guitar. Planning to clean up the insides, and stiffening the sides this weekend. It's extremely exciting and nothing brings me more joy than to share it with like-minded people.