I'm loving this thread.
What about Acoustic Guitar Making: How to make Tools, Templates, and Jigs by Brian Gary Forbes? I ran across it and the description really called out to me. Can anyone who's read it provide an opinion?
Then there's The Uke Book Illustrated: Design and Build the World's Coolest Ukulele (Fox Chapel Publishing) Graphic Novel Format Shows Every Step of Construction with 1,500 Beautiful Watercolor
by John Weissenrieder (Author), Sarah Greenbaum (Illustrator) due to be released next month. The concept of watercolor illustrations sounds cool, but I wonder if it would enhance or hinder using this as an actual reference book?
Anybody have a favorite book to recommend?
I'm new to lutherie but hoping for a little more than "how to." I'd like to understand more theory and why things are done the way they are.
Thanks
I'm loving this thread.
What about Acoustic Guitar Making: How to make Tools, Templates, and Jigs by Brian Gary Forbes? I ran across it and the description really called out to me. Can anyone who's read it provide an opinion?
Then there's The Uke Book Illustrated: Design and Build the World's Coolest Ukulele (Fox Chapel Publishing) Graphic Novel Format Shows Every Step of Construction with 1,500 Beautiful Watercolor
by John Weissenrieder (Author), Sarah Greenbaum (Illustrator) due to be released next month. The concept of watercolor illustrations sounds cool, but I wonder if it would enhance or hinder using this as an actual reference book?
This is more an observation than anything else, I hope that it is useful.
On any topic there are large variations in skill and experience, a reference text thatÂ’s right for one person might not be right for another of higher or lower expertise.
Personally IÂ’d be interested to read a good entry level book, but for someone whoÂ’s already built a few instruments that ideal book for me would be too simplistic for them.
As a lutherie author, it kills me to say this, but the printed word is dead. Where instrument making is concerned, theory is just another word for guessing. Which, of course, leaves only the how-to aspect, and for that, video beats books hands down. I eBayed my entire collection of lutherie books except the collected GAL material and Graham McDonald's books. I'll buy Graham's uke book when it comes out (it's a loyalty thing). I'll also buy The Uke Book Illustrated, mostly because I'm curious about the format and it's been on my Amazon wish list for years without coming to production. Before spending $500 for books I would get Heidi Litky's beginner vids (though I hate that she uses the classical neck joint) and Jay Lichty's advanced video set. Both were produced by Robbie O'Brien. Jay's course will make your head spin if it is your first introduction to lutherie. I could recommend other video series but they aren't strictly ukulele oriented.
In regards to the middle brace, I just tilt/skew/angle it slightly so the brace edges aren't running along/parallel to the tops grain lines cuz when you glue wood to another piece of wood along grain lines that is where is will likely crack. You see this a lot on fingerboard ends (mostly guitars)- It's just a simple, logical, common sense thing I don't that no one else seems to bother with.Beau Hannan's videos have been helpful. If you're reading,
thanks Beau. In one video he described slightly scewing a tone bar so it isn't parallel to the top plate book match joint.... I'm sure builders are all over the place as far as how they do things...hana Lima doesn't mention doing this, I'm curious to learn why that might be done and why it might make a difference.
.
Making an instrument involves many of the same techniques I've learned over the years BUT, there's one thing foreign and mysterious. All my past projects had a goal of being visually pleasing and of course, pleasing to touch. What's challenging for me now is the additional aim of making something that sounds good.
On second thoughts I'll not write the book or make the video - y'all seem to be doing a great job of it already..... and by the time `I get around to it there will be so much information out there I'll just confuse the issue.
In regards to the middle brace, I just tilt/skew/angle it slightly so the brace edges aren't running along/parallel to the tops grain lines cuz when you glue wood to another piece of wood along grain lines that is where is will likely crack. You see this a lot on fingerboard ends (mostly guitars)- It's just a simple, logical, common sense thing I don't that no one else seems to bother with.
There are many stories of luthiers being approached by a first time builder who is an experienced woodworker who presents an absolutely gorgeous instrument that sounds absolutely awful. These instruments are derisively called "boat paddles" or simply "furniture". The problem lies in that a woodworker instinctively builds for structure strength and integrity rather than for acoustic response and thus the ukuleles tend to be massively overbuilt with a dead, unresponsive sound: Kathunk.