garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 454
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Mar 3, 2024 15:46:13 GMT
Just put some cocobolo tonewood up for sale in the classifieds. Cheers Gary
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 454
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Mar 3, 2024 15:31:22 GMT
Hello Francis, I think I know the stuff you mean. About 10 years ago I came across “Hard French Polish”, I think it was an Australian product. Anyway, after much searching I found a supplier in Holland and bought 500ml which with shipping cost me around £30! If I recall correctly you couldn’t use it with meths. So I got a licence from HMRC for stocking pure alcohol! When I tried to buy the alcohol there was premium for shipping it, as it was a classed as a hazardous product. At that point, I counted my losses kept with Liberon! Cheers Gary
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 454
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Jan 13, 2024 16:54:16 GMT
If you want an unshaped Tusq saddle, try Glued to Music via eBay. You won't find cheaper. Cheers Gary
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 454
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Jan 4, 2024 16:43:55 GMT
Amanda and I were so sad to hear of Phil’s passing He was so thoughtful and kind and we always enjoyed his visits to our home/workshop, not only to hear him play but also listen to his anecdotes. He will be sorely missed by all those who knew him and enjoyed his virtuoso playing. RIP Phil, we'll miss you.
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 454
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Oct 9, 2023 15:30:24 GMT
........... Since my financial means were limited the Martins and Guilds and all the other brands of repuation were out of range. I had almost given up when I read an ad of a shop called The London Guitar Gallery in Guitar Magazine.
I went there and found out that the shop was run by a community of six or seven young guitar makers and luthiers from all over UK, one of them being Jon Weir. They took it in turns to be in the shop for a week or so, selling both their own guitars and those of the colleagues. I found the guitar I had been looking for, a Jon Weir instrument which is similar to the one you desribe in your post. The sticker just says Jon Weir London 1978. It's a beautiful instrument with spruce top and even the sides and the bottom are of a light wood. I played it and was enthusiastic of its tone and the powerful sound. On that day a person called Richard Manning was at the shop. I bought it and took it home to Germany. The continental climate didn't do any good to it so that the block binding the neck to the body came up just a tiny bit. That made very unpleasant sounds while playing. So I took it back to the shop in 1980 when I even had the chance to meet Jon himself. He happened to be in the shop on the day I came back. He might have been in his early thirties at the time. He told me that the guitar I had just bought was the instrument he had presented for his final exam at London College of Furniture. It is a copy of a pre-war Martin guitar, 12 fretted, small body and a head showing the characteristic Martin shape - pure and simple. The pegs are Schaller, the high end product back then. Jon was a very friendly and helpful character and made the repair immediately. A good chance for me to see a guitar maker at work. He still seemed to regret that he had sold the guitar. I suppose he needed the money... Who doesn't. I have tried to find out what has become of him via internet but I found no results - which is quite unfortunate. The guitar is still mine and I play it regularly. It's been wonderful since the beginning.
I still have Jon's card and the invoice of the purchase. I send you copies and some photos of the instrument. I hope you find my post interesting and would be glad to hear from you. Kindest regards Gerhard Vater Ansbach (Germany)
Hi Guys, Just wanted to say a few things about the London Guitar Gallery as I was closely involved with it. Richard Manning set-up the Gallery in the late 1970s, it was very much his business and not a community of luthiers. The idea was to give individual luthiers a place to display their work and offer it for sale, the Gallery then took a very reasonable commission. I lived quite close to it and visited often. This would have been during my 2nd year at the London College of Furniture. I would take my recently completed work over for Richard to have a look at. He was an originally a furniture designer, had a good eye and gave me much valuable feedback. Richard started making guitars himself and wanted to expand the Gallery to sell wood to luthiers and build his own Gallery guitars brand. I guess around about early 1979, when I was a 3rd year student at LCF, he asked me if I would like to work with him at the end of my course. So during my last term at LCF, I spent less time at college and more time at the Gallery setting things up. There was only ever Richard and me working there full-time making guitars. We did have a furniture restorer, Rex from New Zealand, working with us for a while, the idea being he would teach Richard French polishing, and Richard teach Rex guitar making. There were no other guitar makers involved in the Gallery itself. In the year or so I worked there I learned so much and will always be grateful to Richard for the opportunity. I made 14 guitars under that label as well as doing many repairs. Towards mid 1980 things slowed down: punk rock, Casio keyboards? I had to leave to get a job and I don’t believe the Gallery lasted much longer. The Gallery was a great concept and it would be wonderful if such a place still existed to give home-grown luthier an opportunity to display their work (maybe there is and I just don’t know!) Cheers Gary
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 454
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Oct 7, 2023 15:26:46 GMT
I would like to draw your attention to a very special gig coming soon. This is promoted by my good friend and brilliant guitarist Phil Hare (who of course shall also be playing). It’s on at the Town Hall in March Cambs. Saturday 28th October 2023. Below is some information on the gig from Phil’s website. I’m sure it will be a night to remember!
“For those who followed the folk revival of the 1960’s and the music of the cult band Pentangle, John Renbourn’s music needs little introduction. Spanning musical genres from blues and jazz through to folk, early music and original compositions he left behind a sumptuous catalogue of recordings which demonstrated not only his extraordinary talent as a guitar player but also his great musical depth. Any boundaries which may have existed previously were blurred by John’s eclectic taste, alongside a level of artistry and delicacy which led the way in the evolution of the steel-strung guitar.
Here is a rare, one-off opportunity to hear some of John’s greatest compositions performed live by one of the World’s finest guitarists who regularly shared the same stage. Clive Carroll was recently described by Total Guitar Magazine as “...arguably the most accomplished fingerstylist in the world today…” and like John, he is equally at home playing Mississippi Blues as he is playing the Elizabethan lute music of John Dowland. On stage, Clive’s entertaining performance transfixes audiences whether they are guitar enthusiasts or not. Coupled with Dariush Kanani’s stunningly good technique inspired by his heroes John Renbourn and Bert Jansch, this one-time show is not to be missed!
This tour coincides with the release of Clive’s new album which features the music of John Renbourn.”
ENJOY! Cheers Gary
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 454
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Sept 14, 2023 15:31:35 GMT
Now sold Thanks for all of your interest. Cheers Gary
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 454
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Aug 23, 2023 15:40:07 GMT
Here is the final instalment! The Kay EB 100 bass guitar restoration is now complete. In this video, I talk about some of the issues solved, give my impression of the instrument, a bit of a demo. There are some more of my thoughts on the project and photos on my blog. I’ve enjoyed restoring the Kay and have had fun playing it but it’s now time to pass it on and make room for new projects: I can’t keep them all! If you are interested in making this bass yours, I think it has got to be worth £200 (plus shipping). Thanks for all your interest. Cheers Gary
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 454
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Aug 14, 2023 14:57:50 GMT
I watched all these video this morning Gary and very interesting they are too. The body of my 'Chibson' Les Paul guitar that my son found at the local recycling centre is made up of laminates and it's a hell of a weight. Additionally mine has what looks like a maple cap on it but is your K bass fairly weighty? You can see my 'Les Paul' here link not done anything with it yet. Phil Hello Phil, Glad that you found the videos of interest. The bass is extremely light, but the body is only 28mm thick. Any thinner and the jack plug would be poking out of the back! Saw your thread- what a great find! Funnily enough I have a Samsung humbucker in my odd spares box, no idea where it came from. Cheers Gary
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 454
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Aug 13, 2023 11:00:03 GMT
In this video, I look at refurbishing the neck of the Kay EB100 bass. Cheers Gary
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 454
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Aug 11, 2023 14:27:18 GMT
The body get its bits back!
Cheers Gary
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 454
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Jul 26, 2023 14:52:59 GMT
In this video, I look at renovating the Kay’s body.
Cheers Gary
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 454
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Jul 10, 2023 15:33:52 GMT
Watched this yesterday, on YT. Very interesting to see how you 'cured' the neck bow. Any ideas about what you will do with the electrics? Thanks for posting garynava . I wouldn’t recommend this method of truss rod adjustment for every situation- this bass was in need of extreme adjustment! Apart from the horrible buzzing when you wiggle the jack plug, the electrics seem to be good. There is no crackle when the pots are turned and no noticeable single-coil hum. I suspect the jack socket will just have a dry solder joint. I’m trying not to replace parts for the sake of it and where possible keep everything original. Cheers Gary
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 454
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Jul 9, 2023 16:30:41 GMT
I think I now know where I’m going with this bass! Cheers Gary
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 454
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Jul 5, 2023 14:31:52 GMT
Lovely, neat work! Cheers Gary
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