Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Lovely build!

Great looking Mando Bob!

Hi everyone. This is my latest build. It’s a 15” archtop with Sitka Spruce top, Mahogany back and sides (one piece back), flame Maple bindings, Rosewood fretboard, Mahogany neck. There are two pickups, the neck pickup is a Kent Armstrong Slimbucker and the modified bridge has a Rich Barbera transduc...

Beautiful as always Alan!

"has bugged" should have read "hand buffed"

This guitar was strung up last night at our Central Coast School. Mahogany body, maple neck, ebony fretboard, USA Fender Strat pickups. The build was pretty easy but what I have been most impressed with is Glenn’s finish. The colour is hand rubbed tint (using alcohol base) and then sprayed with ratt...

Beautiful replica Martin. A couple of questions please, did you reinforce the heel/neck mitre joint in any way? Was the bridge decoration hand cut or by CNC? I used part of an ivory piano key to reinforce the mitre join. I also added in the ability to adjust the neck sideways as well as the normal ...

Hi Trent, I'll try to take some photos of the system. It is so simple. There's a "nut" (threaded pice of brass) that has a square plate on one end that gets inserted into the internal neck block. It has a ring that locks it in place. Then the neck has a brass "long washer" that a bolt with a square ...

We all owe so much to Stauffer! This build is based on what I could find by trawling the internet. I couldn’t find any plans so drew up my own and just went for it! The top is Engelmann Spruce, QLD Maple back and sides, Mahogany neck, Ebony fretboard, bridge and bridge decoration. Rubner tuners and ...

Martin, how much information about the original guitar did you have to work off? Thanks Mark, I was given no info other that it was a Gibson Super 400. The rest was down to a lot of googling about the guitar and Scotty Moore (who owned the original guitar). I also couldn't find any plans anywhere s...

At last I can share the build that I completed for the Elvis Movie. This is a replica of the Gibson Super 400 that belonged to Scotty Moore and featured in the 68 comeback special. There was a really tight deadline of 3 weeks to build, spray, make metal parts etc whilst still running my guitar makin...

Looks amazing!

Well, what seems like a long time ago, a guitar was built for a project that seemed to be plagued with challenges. Covid, international stars, secrecy documents signed and a subject that was always going to be popular. Yes, the Elvis movie has finally been announced with an official launch date of J...

Looks really great Martin. The QLD Kauri makes a good-looking top. And your photos are great. What is the white background? Hi Trent, thanks. I take these photos just on my workshop on one of my benches with my iPhone. I have a roll of white cartridge paper that I roll out onto the bench and then t...

Hi Martin Very nice guitar, did you have any issues with bending the figured Qld maple sides? I have found that such figured Qld maple has a tendency to split with the grain at the waist or upper bout. Hi Bruce, I bend by hand rather than with a bending jig (fox etc) so I feel as though I have a li...

Hi all luthiery lovers, Here's another Tenor guitar build. I love these small builds. The Tenor guitar is a lovely instrument that offers an additional voice to any group of instruments. It complements regular guitars so well. This one is mainly Aussie timbers with QLD Maple back and sides and neck,...

Hi Greg, thanks. The cedar top is full and bright. I will try to get a recording of it before I send it off. The Burl is from an old scrap that I’ve had lying around for ages. I think it’s some sort of eucalyptus but that’s a guess.

Hi all,

this is a new Tenor plan based on a 50's style Harmony (not a replica, just influenced by). It has both falcate and x-brace options.

http://martintaylorguitars.com.au/plans ... _Tenor.pdf

Feel free to ask any questions

Hi all, sorry that I've been quiet for so long. Life has been busy! Here's a Tenor guitar that I've built for a customer in Nth QLD. It is made from a new plan that I've made based on a mid 50's Harmony style Tenor. I'm happy to share the plan if people are interested. It has both Falcate and X-brac...

Great looking guitars! I love the banksia cone inlays on the headstock. How were they to cut and sand etc? Hope to see many more from you.

Beautiful looking guitar Eric and I look forward to seeing many more from you!

Hi fellow guitar lovers. This one is my latest classical build. Fan braced, King Billy soundboard, Blackheart Sassafras back and sides, Tiger Myrtle fretboard, bridge and armrest, Fijian Mahogany Neck. The rosette is from a neighbours tree that was cut down a couple of years ago. A local Central Coa...

Looks great Wayne. They can be a challenging build but looks like it was well worth it!

Hi all, yes, “politely” asked to remove from all social posts. Hopefully it will resurface after the world has reset itself.

So pretty! Are they planetary pegs? Hi Sebastian, yes they are! I'm not fully sold on them yet. I may go back to standard friction pegs. What is the headstock overlay? Hi Greg, headstock overlay is Birdseye Huon Pine Where did you get the Australian Red Cedar for the neck? How do you like Aust Red ...