leoroberts
C.O.G. 
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My main instrument is: probably needing new strings
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Post by leoroberts on Nov 18, 2013 16:53:22 GMT
Do luthiers have a favourite towel/rug on which they begin their work? I offer, as evidence: davewhite's funky beach design:  garynava's Aztec rug type thing:  Steve Sedgwick appears to use some carpet off-cut:  Whereas taranguitars seems to favour a non-towel based approach:  I think we should be told ... |
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Martin
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Post by Martin on Nov 18, 2013 17:02:35 GMT
Important stuff, this  But which is best? Towel, rug, carpet, non-slip matting or something else???  |
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davewhite
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Luthier
Aemulor et ambitiosior
Posts: 3,548
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Post by davewhite on Nov 18, 2013 17:06:37 GMT
Well . . . as it clearly says in "The Hitchikers' Guide to the Galaxy" :
"A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value - you can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapours; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a mini raft down the slow heavy river Moth; wet it for use in hand-to- hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or to avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (a mindboggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you - daft as a bush, but very ravenous); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.
More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-hitch hiker) discovers that a hitch hiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, face flannel, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitch hiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitch hiker might accidentally have "lost". What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is is clearly a man to be reckoned with."
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leoroberts
C.O.G.
Posts: 26,145
My main instrument is: probably needing new strings
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Post by leoroberts on Nov 18, 2013 17:22:55 GMT
So, you're voting for the towel then, Dave?  |
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davewhite
Luthier / Guitar Maker
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Post by davewhite on Nov 18, 2013 18:12:29 GMT
So, you're voting for the towel then, Dave? Most definitely. I understand that German makers also prefer to use the towel - especially for early morning starts. Maybe Bernd can confirm or refute this.  |
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garynava
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 460
My main instrument is: Stanley No.5
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Post by garynava on Nov 19, 2013 16:50:11 GMT
Well Leo, where to begin! Carpet is definitely for the floor! Some visitors are surprised to see carpet on the workshop floor, but it does offer some protection to tools or fragile components that get dropped. Don’t like carpet on the bench, as the pile can hide sharp little pieces that can cause damage. I like a towel on the bench to protect whatever I’m working on (easy to pop in the washing machine!). Also I like the non-slip matting, but it can leave greasy marks on bare wood and an impression on soft finishes so use with caution! Other than that, my real favourite is my Mexican blanket but that’s reserved for finished instruments! Cheers Gary  |
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Akquarius
Cheerfully Optimistic 
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My main instrument is: ... a guitar.
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Post by Akquarius on Nov 19, 2013 19:16:27 GMT
So, you're voting for the towel then, Dave? Most definitely. I understand that German makers also prefer to use the towel - especially for early morning starts. Maybe Bernd can confirm or refute this. Well, I'm not a luthier, but I can certainly can confirm that a towel is the first choice if you want to get things started  |
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leoroberts
C.O.G.
Posts: 26,145
My main instrument is: probably needing new strings
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Post by leoroberts on Nov 19, 2013 22:34:32 GMT
Clearly there was a towel big enough to cover Wembley tonight ... Thank goodness there's not one big enough to cover Poland again |
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Post by Mike Floorstand on Nov 20, 2013 0:03:51 GMT
> Other than that, my real favourite is my Mexican blanket but that’s reserved for finished instruments! I'd recommend a couple of layers of a product such as Vitafoam or Texfelt beneath the blanket, for extra protection. This is known as the "underlay, underlay" method. |
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alig
C.O.G.
Posts: 1,059
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Post by alig on Nov 20, 2013 7:14:25 GMT
Clearly there was a towel big enough to cover Wembley tonight ... Thank goodness there's not one big enough to cover Poland again Yikes! |
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Post by keithambridge on Nov 20, 2013 7:25:32 GMT
I go for the Taran approach,  The non slip mat is great. In the winter I stand on one in my workshop, it keeps the feet very toasty and I never fall over! |
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Post by keithambridge on Nov 20, 2013 12:25:52 GMT
perhaps it's not such a good idea using a non slip mat building a slide guitar!!
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007
C.O.G.
Posts: 2,603
My main instrument is: 1965 Hagstrom H45E
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Post by 007 on Nov 22, 2013 22:39:48 GMT
I just lurve that bloo reso Keith so rock and roll
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Jo whoever he is.
