Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

Mr Takumini might be getting a bit brassed with all the ways we spell his products

No vent at all?

End grain balsa has been in use by boat builders for yonks. Came out as cubes on glass mat. Would form to free form curves on the mat. Add epoxy to fill the cavities, add another layer of mat to the other side and more epoxy and you have an I- beam structure that is very strong in compression, throu...

hey Dennis - did the 121 George Washingtons take their wooden false teeth out before you pulled them on. Man this show is getting country - and good fun, Thanks for the humour.

Ok so set one was without, two was tiny -when is the Pamela Anderson set due for auction? I kind of like figure - a big wide shouldered guitar deserves ....... character?

Frankly I prefer number two with the little ittie, bitty titties memories.

Oh man that reminds me of a girl I knew a very long time ago - why would you cut inside the knots?

Hey Brother
if the sound isn't effected why not just let the finish get in there. Looks too close to the heel to glue or patch inside anyway. Don't know if you have noticed but finishes stick to timber, they are generally pretty hard. Just treat it like a bit of grain runout

Hi Nick and all - did not mean to offend with wrong spelling. Nick - from a thorough inspection of the two. They were IDENTICAL down to everything but plotting the grain patterns in the bracings. Which one will be better in 20 year's time? Guess that depends on treatment but for mine the GB had a he...

With the risk of being borish. Friend of mine, been playing for 45 years and is bloody good, has shop - guitars. He plays and I munt. The other week he said "Look at these...." One Takumine and one Greg Bennett. We did everything but steam the buggers apart. Mirrors, lights, calipers, intonation at ...

Yep and the makeover seems to have worked. Have seen some nice ones lately. Lower priced ones were made in Indonesia and higher in China. Couldn't tell a workmanship difference between them. The Eden Plains took my fancy. All had "ash" for sides and back - reckon it's probably eucalyptus type ash fr...

Hi Will if it's bragging rights on a name you want then you need to buy a name. If it's a decent guitar at a very reasonable price why go past the likes of a Greg Bennett. Test drive a few, pay $500 odd for the one you like best, and have a grand left in your kick for any additional setup and a few ...

Hi Kim I checked the baritone with a steel straightedge and a digital caliper at the time for just the things you mention - none showed altered between steel or nylon. Also did a test on full size acoustic 6-string by restringing it - temporarily - with nylon. It went flat by heaps at the 12th - als...

Hi all - had same problem with a baritone uke tuned GDAE. Thought I would be clever and make it louder. Gave it steel strings. Intonation went 2/3 of a fret sharp at 12th. Measured, checked, drunk beer..... Threatened it with moving bridge back 5mm. Bottom line came with restringing with nylon - che...

Hi Jim and Kim Don't think it was karri - that sounds Ocker, guess is Kauri. Yep it is old stuff and the Kiwi boatbuilder's planking wood of preference in years gone by. Highly prized by shipwrights in the sailing ship days for masts - grew 100 feet dead straight without a knot and with wonderfull t...

Hi Folks-from a Kiwi still here :? Like the avatar - pleasing critters tuataras. For Jim:- Kahikatea will give a good soundboard but the Chinese have already sussed this and ....... violins by the millions and hard to get at home. Same old story. Guess we knicked their gooseberry and this is payback...