Lewes Luthier: Week 4 . . . Day 18

Happy Birthday Richard . . .

Richard came in this morning and announced it was his birthday so we celebrated with a coffee and some ‘special’ biscuits – and we bought him a nice of bubbly a little later in the day. As usual, Phil and I arrived early than the others and of course Phil started working on his ‘other’ guitar – the one that really annoys Richard.

Neck Day . . .

Today was all about my neck . . . inserting the neck markers and shaping and sanding the whole shape many times. Fundamentally, I started with a square block of wood in the morning and had a beautifully shaped neck ‘ready’ to go by the end of the day.

The first job was a rather simple one . . . marking and installing the little mother of pearl dots on the side of the fretboard. The hardest part about this job was getting the dots in the right place – which I managed eventually by shifting the bench light much closer to my work.

Drilling the holes

Mission accomplished

Starting the Neck . . .

The initial stages of shaping the neck are about ‘splitting the angles’ . . . for example, you put a 45 degree chamfer along one section and divide both of those into two more chamfers. And you typically use a range of tools including a draw plane, spoke shave, round files, scraper and chisel – and of course a lot of sandpaper. Also, you typically take the neck, heel and volute down stages rather just concentrating on the one because the compound angles and planes need to ‘flow’ from one area to the other. The neck itself is held in a special jig that goes into the vice so it can be moved around so as to offer the most convenient angle at which to work – and of course to remain in the light. With all of that in mind I started with the actual neck itself, then the volute and then the heel as it slowly took shape.

Draw plane in action

Spokeshave in action

Volute taking shape

Rough trimming with the Japanese saw

Lots of light required - and a special jig

Approaching the job from all angles

Birthday Visit . . .

Of course we had our daily visit at Nick o’clock so he could say happy birthday – and to show us a graphite fretboard that a manufacturer had sent him as a sample. The world’s supplies of ebony are running out and some of the mass producers of guitars are already moving toward alternative materials – but I think it will be some time before either Richard or Nick are convinced!

Graphite fingerboards - I don't think so!

Happy birthday again Richard

Back to Work . . .

I continued my painstaking work of planing, shaping, sanding, filing and coaxing the heel and neck into the right shape and smoothness – paying particular attention to the profile of the neck as there is quite a narrow ‘window’ of acceptable neck profiles.

My last job of the day was to use 180 then 240 grit sandpaper over the entire neck (not the fretboard though!) to begin the process of preparing for French polishing – which I think will be one of tomorrow’s adventures.

Roughing with a gouge

Using the round file

Taking shape

"Cleaning the boots"

Bodies Back . . .

During the day Richard went to the spray shop to collect our guitar bodies . . . and they all look fantastic! Mind you, we will be sanding them back with 320 grit sandpaper, a superfine pad and a rub up with ‘wire wool’. Phil has started his already and the results are looking very promising.

Lacquered front

Back - with flash

Back without flash

The Others . . .

From what I saw, Patrick also focused on his neck and heel – and binding his headstock a couple of times!

Finally got it done!!

Great save Richard!

Working back late

Apart from buying a new guitar and working on his old one to attract Richard’s attention, Phil installed his tuners and focused on sanding back and buffing his body.

This is where the neck goes

Impressive one day lacquering - with 6 coats

Sanding back the lacquer

Even more sanding

Late Breaking News . . .

Phil has bought another guitar!

We overhead someone in Richard’s workshop the other day saying that she already had too many guitars – we looked at each other and thought she must be speaking in another language! Even the 25 year old Patrick already has five acoustic guitars – so he is off to a promising start.

I can now report that Phil fell in love with a beautiful Brooks walnut back and sides guitar at the Acoustic Music Company in Brighton yesterday – and talked himself into it over a few pints in the evening (I must admit I did encourage him – but it is for a good cause). So the die was cast – we went back into Brighton to buy it today. Patrick also came in for a look thus legitimising the excursion and enabling us to receive ‘academic credit’.

The funniest thing was the look on Richard’s face when we returned . . . I think he thought Phil had bought another crap guitar to ‘do up’ in his workshop – and his jaw nearly hit the ground when the gorgeous Brooks was brought for playing. And of course Nick came in for a look and review – it is funny watching these two holding the instrument right up to their noses while they peer inside, putting their hands into places not designed for human touch and taping the woods. I guess this is our fete now we have done this course – up until now we would just pick up the guitar and play it!