Q&A | Shrinkage Cracks in the Top, Purfling Materials, Nut Slotting and More!
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- Опубликовано: 15 дек 2023
- In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I answer YOUR questions!
Questions/Topics:
- Soundboard cracks and humidity
- Eastern White Cedar for Tops
- Purfling materials for a headplate
- How deep to cut your nut slots
- The role of patience and perseverance in lutherie
- more suggestions on what I should build next!
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Hi Eric -- thanks for addressing my question. You went right to a humidity issue, but I don't think that's the case. I'm in Southern California (not in the desert), near the ocean, and my garage shop maintains a pretty consistent 40-ish percent humidity (although temperature varies). All my tops & backs are on stickers for six months or so before I build with them. The cracks show up very soon after the guitars are first strung-up, so that leads me to believe it's a response to string tension being applied for the first time.
On the "open" bottom crack. That's actually staining from my using GluBoost Fill & Finish to repair that crack.
You also mentioned winter & heating homes -- the three guitars were finished at different times over the last couple years, and the cracks developed before I ever brought them inside the house.
In addition to top thicknessing, my other candidate is the height of my tone bars, since those are the only braces in that area of the instrument. Thoughts?
Hello I’m no expert But I have built 10 guitars & tenor ukes in the past 5yrs. I have been a woodworker since 1978. I also ran into some top cracking on the first 2 parlor guitars I built, After the first 2 cracked I went back to my notes that I kept I realized that I had sanded the tops down to 2mm..So On my next 2 builds I left my tops a bit thicker almost 2.9mm, I used the same Sitka spruce for tops same bracing sizes ect. Those guitars have not cracked, Also I only use 10-47 strings on the parlors because of tension issues with heavier strings. Good luck & God Bless👍👍🎸🎹🎼👨🏻🦯👨🏻🦯
Thanks Eric. Merry Christmas.
Eric: Build that white guitar! Bird's eye maple! Maple fretboard too. Quilted maple headstock veneer. Curly maple bindings with black fiber purflings. Go All In! Do it!!!! What ever you end up doing it will be fun to watch along. ;-)
David Harris: Great comment! Thank you.
The wood database has properties of northern white cedar. If you compare it to eastern red cedar it is less dense, though with similar bending modulus. The shrinkage is of some concern as the radial shrinkage (important in quartersawn top) is higher. As it is 3X softer than red cedar you will definitely want a pick guard. If you compare to Sitka spruce the radial shrinkage is similar. So obviously not a show stopper. The white cedar modulus is 1/2 of Stitka spruce. So you will need a thicker top or more bracing to resist string tension bulges. Should be interesting!
thank you Eric. happy holiday to you and yours
Yeah the Selmer Maccaferri is a gypsy guitar. I have done 4 so far. I made a couple of electrics first and was given plans so started my acoustic journey there. I have just started developing a flat top design of my own lately and there is a lot of cross over in skill.
It kind of an interesting half way between an arch-top and a flat top, the domed top is formed by the bracing when glued to the sides. The cut-away is extreme and is a great way to test your skills with a bending iron - the originals were made with laminated sides. I have not tried a Pliage yet but that seems interesting too. The headstock has a tenon to connect to the neck. It would be a good chance to try something different, I am not really into gypsy jazz but definitely have developed a soft spot for them.
Question time, when would you consider your guitars adequate to sell? I suffered a mild brain injury that has put an end to my career in IT/engineering and am looking to transition my hobby into work. The fit and finish on my latest guitar is definitely better than most of the factory guitars I have seen but I am not quite happy with the sound yet, I think maybe when I get to 10 instruments I will be there.
QOTW: a Weissenborn guitar.
I think Seagull might be using eastern cedar in their tops. They're made in Quebec where it's abundant and they are supporters of sustainable species. They use a lot of black cherry in their bodies.
Build a fully waterproof guitar