Fulks Run, Virginia: Where the river is clean and there's chicken on the grill!
ACOUSTICAL GUITAR AND OTHER STRINGED INSTRUMENT CONSTRUCTION
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ABOUT CHUCK AND HIS HOBBY
Written Spring 2000: I took an independent study/tutorial course in classical guitar construction through the Northwest School of Instrument Design in the Spring/Summer of 1980. The school was operated by Mr. Anthony Huvard, presently of the Richmond, Virginia area. Tony also presented a number of the lectures and helped with the weekend workshops. Mr. Bill Davis, Jr, presently residing in Boxford, Mass., was the teacher for the tutorial program. Its the kind of course that will change your life, especially if you want to develop a host of skills that can be applied in many walks of life. Mostly, you will believe that after building a guitar, you can handle just about anything life may throw at you. Thanks Tony, Bill, and others from the days of NSID!
The links on this page, below, sum most of the new construction I performed between 1980 and 1992.
See the links at the bottom of this page to check in on my most recent project...the semi-hollow arch top electric with thru neck/sustain block system.
SOME PICS
Appalachian (Lap) Dulcimer (My First Study Piece): Spruce Top, Curly Maple Sides and Back:
My first Guitar, classical, in walnut, spruce top:
· First Classical (inside, traditional bracing)
Second Classical, Rosewood, Heart Rosette and Bridge Pad:
· Rosette and Bridge—Rosewood Back
· Binding by Jute Twine and Binding Board
Mandolin (2 built): Short body, A-model, with top sloped to the tail. Curly Maple, Cocobolo Bindings:
· Mandolin: In the shoppe and side view of bindings
· Mandolin: Interior views (2) and the sloping top (potatoe bug style)
Steel String Cutaway: Spruce Top, Indian Rosewood, Modified Spanish Footer
· Rosette (one-of-a-kind) and Front View
· Cutaway Side View & Tail/Back View
· Bracing Pattern (Internal View)
Octave Mandolin: Spruce Top (sloped to tail like Potato Bug Mandolin and A-Model, above), Curly maple, Cocobolo bindings, Mother-of-Pearl and Wood Inlaid Headstock (Flower and Helix):
· Almost Done This pic has the best view of the headstock inlay I could find.
· Back View Check out the five-piece neck: curly maple sandwiching mahogany and a strip of cocobolo up the middle!
· Not Shown, me kicking myself in the ass for not getting better pics of the inlay work on the faceplate!?!?! Most came out too blurry to appreciate. Imagine mother of pearl petals around a pearl dot center...kind of like a sunflower...with a helix stem formed from inlays of veneers. The petals were formed by taking a pearl button and cutting/selecting the area formed by the intersection of the arc of a second circle.
Hand Made Tools and Forms for the Cutaway
Rosettes: Hand Made (My Design and Construction), One-of-a-Kind
· Hearts (2nd Classical Close-up)
SOME LINKS
· Check out the Famous Guitarmaker pages. Supplies, instruction, lots of important links for the luthier.
AN ARTICLE
· Finishing with Tru Gun Stock Oil
On to the Finished Arch Top Page
Arch Top Under Construction Page