Another guitar build thread

[ckissick]

Slodave's Les Paul build thread made me want to share some of my work. Before getting married and having kids, I used to enjoy spending my evenings in my small shop at my San Franciasco apartment.

I built 4 guitars and a mandolin. One is in San Diego, with a friend. The rest are still with me, although I can't play the left-handed 12-string. (I made it for another friend, who didn't want it.) I can't play the mandolin very well, but I'm working on it. They're easier to build than to play.

Here they all are.

And the 12-string. I got fancy with the rosette.

The 12-string. You got to love flamed maple.

The 6-string jumbo.

And the mandolin, a Lloyd Loar F5. Hard to build, but great fun. Again, flamed maple back.


Now that the kids are getting older, I'm thinking of getting back into it. For a warm-up, I'd like to build a nice ukelele.

[sammyg2]

So, if you had to put a price on that left handed 12 string ........

naw, never mind. I'm too cheap and too bad of a player to ever spring for anything that nice.

[craigster59]

Beautiful work! I have a friend who builds ukuleles. He posts a lot on UkeTalk. some good info.
UkeTalk Discussion Board - Ukulele bulletin board, ukulele playing tips, uke builder interviews and ukulele news and reviews.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Nice guitars! I love the abalone rosettes. Regarding the overall dimensions, did you use any particular plans or just go with what felt right?

Originally Posted by ckissick

although I can't play the left-handed 12-string. (I made it for another friend, who didn't want it.)

Some friend! I'd love to meet you for a beer sometime if it gets me on the list for a handmade 12-string.

[ckissick]

Thanks for the comments. I would be happy to sell the left-handed 12-string, since I can't play it. But the action on it did not turn out well. I would need to have a more experienced luthier fix it. It probably needs to have the neck removed and refitted. Setting up the actin is the hardest part about luthery. Once fixed, it would be a real nice guitar for a left handed player. It was built with the bracing and other stuff switched for left-handed playing. So, Sammy, you might be able to get it cheap. Depends on the costs of repair. I take it you play left-handed.

All the instruments were built with plans. It would be hard to build without good plans, as the neck angle and action have be done with extreme accuracy.

[sammyg2]

Well, I do it left handed. Whether or not I play is debatable
Some folks have talent and others do not.
I don't really hear the music or feel the music, I imitate the music.

Basically I'm the one in the middle:

[LSA]

^ haha brilliant. I feel ya Sammy on the imitating and not really feeling the music : /

That mandolin looks absolutely killer, that finish is insane it doesn't really look like a standard flame though looks to me like more of a mashup of a flame/quilt. Anyway I love the headstock too, really cool.

I'm building a guitar currently but it's a bit of a far cry from your acoustics or dave's Lp.

[ckissick]

Suddenly I remember the correct terminology. The big maple guitar has birds-eye maple on the back, and the mandolin is, in fact, quilted maple. No flamed maple here. It's been a while.

[slodave]

Sorry for the delay in responding to this. I was sick when you posted.

Beautiful guitars! Did you cut the MOP inlays yourself? Care to share your secrets for the flame on the mandolin?

The maple on the big guitar looks more like quilted.

You do these in a garage type setting or regular workshop?

[azasadny]

Absolutely beautiful!