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Post by markthomson on Apr 20, 2013 8:14:17 GMT
It all looks fantastic Dave / Jonny, I'm looking forward to seeing this up close in a couple of weeks time.
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davewhite
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Post by davewhite on Apr 20, 2013 20:07:14 GMT
Mark - yes you will. I've never made a classical/flamenco bridge before but the process seems similar to the one I used to make pinless bridges on my early instruments. I decided to use East Indian Rosewood for the bridge as a flamenco needs a light weight bridge for rapid note response and decay. A number of flamenco makers use this wood for the bridge and it also matches the headstock overlay wood. Firstly the bottom of the bridge blank is contoured to match the tops; curvature:  The string holes are marked and drilled - 18 in all:  Then the bridge blank is thicknessed to just over 8mm and the slot for the saddle marked and routed:   Then the channel between the saddle and tie block is routed:  Then the rest of the bridge is shaped and sanded. The bridge weighed in at a tad over 20g which is heavier than some flamenco bridge weights I've seen quoted but in the range that Colin Symonds advised me to be:  The bridge is positioned in the correct position on the top and two 2mm holes drilled through the bottom of the saddle slot and through the top in a position between the fan braces underneath:  This allows the bridge to positioned on the top with two cocktail sticks while it is glued:  Then the bridge is glued on using hot hide glue. Before gluing the top onto the sides a template of the fan braces under the bridge was drawn and used to make a clamping caul on the underside of the top. The masking tap is to help with the glue clean up and keep the unfinished top clean:  |
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leoroberts
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Post by leoroberts on Apr 20, 2013 20:16:01 GMT
and, like a true craftsman, you shed blood for your craft ... unless photos 3, 4 and 5 show tomato ketchup (or 'Glurk', possibly)  |
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davewhite
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Post by davewhite on Apr 20, 2013 20:20:51 GMT
and, like a true craftsman, you shed blood for your craft ... unless photos 3, 4 and 5 show tomato ketchup (or 'Glurk', possibly) It sure was Leo, a good maker leaves a DNA trace and I even managed to form them into letters  (it's red felt tip pen glurk  ) |
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davewhite
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Post by davewhite on Apr 22, 2013 12:06:08 GMT
The fingerboard is shaped on a cant on the bass side from about fret nine upwards to allow string clearance for the lower flamenco action::  Then after shaping the fret slot with a triangular file the stainless steel (Jonny's a hard man  ) frets are cut to length and pressed and glued into the slots using a little fish glue:  |
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Post by jonnymosco on Apr 22, 2013 20:34:55 GMT
Wow - wow and WOW.
This is amazing, but I am a bloody pain, bet you wish you wish you hadn't come up with the great idea of the black diamond which inspired those little design details for the headstock and bridge.
Can't wait to see it and help work on it in the flesh in a couple of days time.
I'll pm you Dave.
Jonny
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Post by Martin on Apr 23, 2013 9:43:34 GMT
It looks brilliant!! Steel frets Jonny? With nylon strings?? You must have fingers of iron You think you guys will have it almost done this week, then?  |
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davewhite
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Post by davewhite on Apr 23, 2013 10:37:34 GMT
It looks brilliant!! Steel frets Jonny? With nylon strings?? You must have fingers of iron Yes and they're from Belarus too You think you guys will have it almost done this week, then? Should be finished but not "finished" if you see what I mean. |
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Post by davewhite on Apr 26, 2013 13:16:03 GMT
The final few frets:  Jonny was here yesterday and today and we had an "interesting" time. After stringing the guitar up we discovered that there was back-bow in the neck from the fretting. So all of the frets had to come out and the fingerboard re-profiled to give enough neck relief after fretting - making flamenco's is definitely a learning curve for me to. Second time fretting and stringing up after some fret levelling work and things are more promising:  Some recordings done today with the strings having been on overnight: "First take""Second take""Swing take"Zoom H4n no effects added. Strings are La Bella 2001 Medium Tension Flamenco. Hi all, Jonny here.Yes, having a great time here in Dave's shed. It's very exciting stringing up a guitar that you've had a hand in creating, especially when it sounds great. No varnish on it yet, but very helpful to sort out the setup - it's a compromise between that flamenco twang as the strings hit the frets and a sound that's not too dirty. We'll leave it as it is now and see if anything moves over the next few weeks with it strung up and then do a final setup. A huge thank you to Dave for a great time - back to it. Jonny |
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Post by Martin on Apr 26, 2013 13:25:44 GMT
Very nice, although what a pain about the re-fretting! The 'first take' is the most flamenco of the lot and has a nice growl, but with the quick decay required of the style. I liked the 'second take' - very mellow and sweet sounding. Of course, the 'swing take' was the coolest, especially the guffawing  |
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Post by ocarolan on Apr 26, 2013 16:32:42 GMT
Exciting to hear that - congrats Dave and Jonny - sounding very good indeed!  Keith |
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Post by Phil Taylor on Apr 26, 2013 18:40:56 GMT
Looks and sounds great Dave - Jonny, you are what Stefan G calls a 'guitar monster'!!! Terrific thread  Cheers Phil |
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leoroberts
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Post by leoroberts on Apr 26, 2013 18:59:23 GMT
El Diamante Negra is sounding good already, lads.
In fact I'd go so far as to say you'd have to cast a net very wide to get a better sounding guitar....
D'you see what I did there? Cast A Net ... get it? Castanet...
No, YOU shut up!
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Post by Martin on Apr 26, 2013 19:01:39 GMT
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leoroberts
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Post by leoroberts on Apr 26, 2013 19:48:25 GMT
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(it's red felt tip pen glurk 
)
) frets are cut to length and pressed and glued into the slots using a little fish glue:
