Hello from Bavaria

[Edi]

Hi, I'm Edi from Bavaria (Germany). I've been hobby guitar maker for about ten years now and I found this forum on a web research about falcate bracing. My interest lies in building stringed instruments of all kinds and sizes just for fun, from ukulele to harp guitar and sharing ideas and skills with other builders.

A little selection of my projets:

[Dave M]

Some interesting work there Edi. I'm glad to see someone else building cutaway nylon strings. You have obviously thought through that curve across the centreline into the Florentine cutaway - vey interesting.

You will certainly find plenty of info on falcate bracing, particularly on the Contemporary acoustic section, but also scattered around the forum.

Cheeers Dave

[Mark McLean]

Hi Edi. Thanks for showing us your instruments and I am very impressed by your inventive and original designs. You obviously love designing and problem solving. I am interested in the harp guitars. And (like Dave said) I really like the curves in the cutaway design. Looks like some Australian timber in some of those too! There are lots of innovative ideas shared on this forum. We are definitely not stuck in the rut of building copies of 1930s Martins.

[Edi]

Some interesting work there Edi. I'm glad to see someone else building cutaway nylon strings. You have obviously thought through that curve across the centreline into the Florentine cutaway - vey interesting.

You obviously love designing and problem solving. I am interested in the harp guitars. And (like Dave said) I really like the curves in the cutaway design. Looks like some Australian timber in some of those too!

Hi Dave, hi Mark.
I like that smooth transition to the cutaway and it's not a big effort to build it like that. I adapt the heel to this design an make it flat.

image00002.jpg (192.17 KiB) Viewed 48771 times

Back an sides of this guitar are made of australian timber (Grevillea).
@Mark - the construction process of my harp guitars are docemented at https://www.gitarrebassbau.de/viewtopi ... arp+guitar and
https://www.gitarrebassbau.de/viewtopic ... arp+guitar. Text is in German but I think the photos will give You an impression of the building process.

[kiwigeo]

Welcome to the forum Edi. Some interesting builds on those photos. Looking forward to hearing more from you

[Dave M]

You sure have a wonderful range of instruments there! From the Baroque to the mandolin.

I once heard a serious player of the hurdygurdy at a musical event and was blown away by how musical they actually be in the right hands. They don't need to be the drone things that you so often hear. I wondered if you play it at all?

[Edi]

I once heard a serious player of the hurdygurdy at a musical event and was blown away by how musical they actually be in the right hands. They don't need to be the drone things that you so often hear. I wondered if you play it at all?

I'm not a hurdy gurdy player and i built that gurdy for a builders competition at the GBB-Forum. My skills are enough for a little demonstration of the possibilities of melody and drone strings by playing Amazing Grace and that's it. I' d like to play more on the hurdy gurdy but there is not enough time because among others some projects like the Arpeggione (Bowed guitar), Mohan Veena, Oud or Bajo Sexto and some more are still waiting on my long want-try-to-build-list.

[Mark McLean]

Hi Edi. Thanks for showing that picture of the cutaway design from the back. It helps to understand what is going on. What sort of neck joint did you use? I am guessing it is a glued dovetail, with the back covering the end of the heel. Very interesting. I use bolt-on neck joints most of the time but I think I can imagine a way to fashion it with a bolted on heel, or to do a heel-less neck. I will check out your build pages for the harp guitars.

[Edi]

What sort of neck joint did you use? I am guessing it is a glued dovetail, with the back covering the end of the heel. Very interesting. I use bolt-on neck joints most of the time but I think I can imagine a way to fashion it with a bolted on heel, or to do a heel-less neck.

Hi Mark, I used a spanish one piece neck (like on most of my guitars). I love the spanish construction method and I even use ist for steelstring guitars.

Here I used it for a 3/4 classical childs guitar.

About Your solution for building the heel-less neck I'm curious.

[gtrboy77]

Hi Edi, your work looks great. I really like the hurdy gurdy the most. I am wanting to build one and I got some plans recently, so I might have a couple questions for you if I get stuck. Also, very cool on the Spanish heel in the last post. I have never seen one at an angle like that. Nice job, and welcome.

[gtrboy77]

Also, i looked at your website and those wooden “stamp” capos are really cool. They look like that of the old world. I might try to make one. Thanks for the idea!

[Edi]

Hi Edi, your work looks great. I really like the hurdy gurdy the most. I am wanting to build one and I got some plans recently, so I might have a couple questions for you if I get stuck. Also, very cool on the Spanish heel in the last post. I have never seen one at an angle like that. Nice job, and welcome.

Also, i looked at your website and those wooden “stamp” capos are really cool. They look like that of the old world. I might try to make one. Thanks for the idea!

Hi gtrboy77! Thanks.
I'd be appreciated if I coud help You with the hurdy gurdy. The capos are a good option to use scrap tonewood. meanwhile i reworked the design so they look a bit more elegant.

[gtrboy77]

How does those capoes work? Is that fishing line that is connecting the leather to the wooden tuning peg?

[kiwigeo]

Yes you can see the nylon wrapped around the tuning peg.

How does those capoes work? Is that fishing line that is connecting the leather to the wooden tuning peg?

[Edi]

How does those capoes work? Is that fishing line that is connecting the leather to the wooden tuning peg?

It's not fishing line, it's a g nylon string. The string with the leather strap ist wrapped around the neck and tightened with the tuning peg. The leather just prevents the string from cutting into the neck.