Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

I've been travelling with work like crazy since January. So now… I need some further advice and also to buy some hardware related to a set of design questions. I don't want rubbish but don't want to pay top dollar for every part, and I have no idea. I'll pay if that's what's needed, but I built a ma...

Thanks folks. Really generous responses. Seeing different approaches gives you a repertoire of options.
The final touches were sandpaper strip glued to edge of length of pine I planed flat. Bingo.

I'm likely to only make two acoustic guitars, so trying to keep purchase of specialist tools to a minimum. How do I measure thickness of middle of soundboard on a budget ? I saw on here a plunge dial caliper attached to home made jig with long arms. If that's a cost effective solution, where would I...

Really helpful, thanks for prompt response. I have a no.6 plane but no shooting board. So I planed a board straight and clamped the two pieces flush and put it in vice. The spruce pieces are on the other side in the pic facing up. PXL_20240707_010228320.jpg Actually I was on the right track and clos...

My two pieces of Sitka spruce 4mm, planed edges, put flat against the window and pressed together by hand: cannot eliminate daylight showing through. Multiple attempts. My understanding is this shouldn't happen at all - zero light - is that correct? That there's zero tolerance? How do I solve this? ...

It's a good alert to what the tensions are doing and role of the neck block. I spent ages thinking through tension in harps.

Thanks Mark and Taffy. Very helpful options to think through and the pics really help. I'm encountering different folk who have used the Sassafras neck and not encountered problems. My piece is long and closer inspection suggests the more radical curve can be avoided - I'll cut it to size to check. ...

Thanks Wayne, that's quite definitive. Especially with a 12-string with its extra load.

Thanks Martin and Mark. I've ordered the Kinkead book. An actual book immediately feels like something more useful than dozens of scattered YouTube videos. Maybe books will become the new thing. This timber appears to be growing in popularity and nice reports on tonewood - Maton have done it, which ...

I'm building a 12 string with my 16yo grandson. Hopefully making memories as much as a guitar. I've built folk harps and electric basses before - I'll post elsewhere maybe. This time I actually bought plans. I did build my son's electric bass with him years ago. Bit of a learning curve on an acousti...