Guitar Making Book you may be interested in

dieguy
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Mon Jan 17, 2011 6:18 pm

For those of you interested in the technical aspects of guitars and how they are made I found an excellent book that you may be interested in.

http://books.google.com/books?id=aRg5oF ... &q&f=false

The book is called: Guitarmaking Tradition and Technology : A Complete Reference for the Design & Construction of the Steel-String Folk Guitar & the Classical Guitar

I found this book at a local used book store for only $17.50 and once I started I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend it.

Bill


wrench
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Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:10 pm

Bill, it takes a lot of art, science, and skill to build a quality guitar, and the author of that book, William Cumpiano is gifted all three ways. If you want to build a guitar with him, he's in central Massachusetts. $5k and two weeks. By the way, the guitar he built for the book in 1980 is back in his possession and for sale.


dieguy
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Tue Jan 18, 2011 7:01 pm

Thanks for the info Wrench! Have you built your own guitar? If so I may be hitting you up with some questions as I go along if you didn't mind. I agree that I am taking on a big endeavor here. I have the science thanks to Mr Cumpiano, Now we will see if I have the art and the skill. I would love to go build a guitar with Mr. Cumpiano but $5000 is a bit steep. Thanks for your reply,

Bill


tom18
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Tue Jan 18, 2011 8:53 pm

Dan & Bill,
This sounds really tempting. I grew up just a few miles from Mr. Cumpiano's workshop/school and still have a number of relatives living nearby. I'm a woodworker to boot...
Damn, too many temptations and so little time! Thanks for bringing this guy to my attention.
Tom


wrench
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Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:08 pm

dieguy wrote:
Thanks for the info Wrench! Have you built your own guitar? If so I may be hitting you up with some questions as I go along if you didn't mind. I agree that I am taking on a big endeavor here. I have the science thanks to Mr Cumpiano, Now we will see if I have the art and the skill. I would love to go build a guitar with Mr. Cumpiano but $5000 is a bit steep. Thanks for your reply,

Bill
I haven't built one from scratch, but I have done some invasive surgery on a few, mainly for the purpose of sound analysis. I've made a few discoveries I haven't come across in luthery material, too. Not yet building a guitar prevents me from claiming the title of "Luthier", but I emphatically lay claim to the title "Mad Scientist". By the way, if I were going to start building, I would start with a kit guitar before making one out of logs. It would just get me through the first one faster, so I would have good idea of the points to pay extra attention to in the first build from logs. 3 Free Hints: 1. you cannot go too far in fitting your neck joint 2. make sure the back and side woods are from the same slab 3. leave no gaps in the kerfing


wrench
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Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:13 pm

tom18 wrote:
Dan & Bill,
This sounds really tempting. I grew up just a few miles from Mr. Cumpiano's workshop/school and still have a number of relatives living nearby. I'm a woodworker to boot...
Damn, too many temptations and so little time! Thanks for bringing this guy to my attention.
Tom
Tom I don't think there is more capable or more well-rounded luthier to learn from. I saw one of his guitars last summer, and it is a masterpiece in every way. How do you think I feel? I live only an hour and $5k away!


dieguy
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Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:16 am

Thanks for the info again Wrench, If you have any golden nuggets you would like to share from your analysis I am definitely all ears. Feel free to PM if you prefer. I was considering using some Walnut that I have had for years out in the shop but upon further analysis the quality wasn't as good as I had remembered. I have decided to use a matched set of Indian Rosewood/Sitka Spruce which I ordered from LMI yesterday. It is not a kit so I have to do the side bending and thickness planing myself but these are a few of the processes I most look forward to.

Tom, If you have the resources and the time I say go for it. As a woodworker I am sure you would agree that there wouldn't be too many cooler activities than something like that.

Bill


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Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:03 am

Bill:

Thanks for sharing the link. I have three or four books at home, and this looks like a nice addition (hint to my wife for my upcoming BDay.... :) )

When can I expect pics of the guitar you are planning on building?????? B) B)

One of these days.....

J


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