The Luthier Community

Howie, your right I should just get a cheap hydrometer, at least it will tell me if I'm in the ballpark.
Grant, you are truly a one man prodution company!
Mike

Grant got to hand it to you on building so many guitars

But it does make sense as if you've set up for one then you might as well push a few more through

You haven't got Santa Elf's in on the night shift have you?

All the best
Dave

I live down here in LaCrosse Wi. I live right on the Mississippi river, and i've been collecting shells from the river for interest in science and inlays. Most of them are really thin. They used to have button factories on the river that used mussel shells from the river back in the 1900's. I plan on going to Leech Lake sometime next summer, i'll drop by and share some with you if I get some thicker stuff. I have found some quite large. 8 inches long and 5 inches high. I talked to the WI DNR last summer, and they gave me an I.D. Chart on whats endangered and stuff. Misssissippi River mother of pearl. Some beaches are just covered with shell.

Just to let you all know, this plan is progressing. I have added the "organic soundports" guitar to the mix and two of the above sets are being used for externally adjustable neck builds, one with the box done and the other with the back ready to glue on.

So with a bit more done on the original 4, I now have 7 that are starting to look like guitars. I will brace another top in a few days and the back is braced for that one, so should be eight by the weekend. Still hoping to have 14 new guitars by this Summer.

I will post some photos soon.

G

Well, I have been dividing my time between hauling firewood to the shop and building guitars. Had to take out some time to write 2 archaeology papers and then spend a weekend in the Twin Cities presenting them at a conference. But things have settled down, now.

Closed the box on number 8 tonight. Did a different one than the one I had the back ready for, so had to join and brace a back first.

I REALLY do need to take some time and get some photos posted, so will work on that a bit. To keep on track, I need to have another box built by the end of the month and do 2 or 3 more next month. Then a couple more by the end of April and I will be home free.

G

Starting to look like a factory there Grant, with all those bent sides. Quite impressive!

I like your fix on the sides that had the runout. Looks like they'll work great.

Joe

Grant - loved the pictures of the 8 pairs of bent sides!! Looked like what I envision the Martin Custom Shop to look like, but with more wood varieties

As a "Slow-Motion" builder, your Winter Build Project seems more like a Five Year Plan to me................ I look forward to seeing how you do this, as you now seem to be entering high-end custom shop levels in terms of quality/quantity/time.

Will you be using your laminated bracing system for all of the guitar tops?

Thanks for the kick in the pants, for showing how much can be done when one is not even a full-time luthier!!

B