Anyone tried these Tenor Plans?

http://ultimate-guitar-online.ultim...ex.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=213

Any comments

Haven't seen the particular plans, but the electronic version plans sent to you as pdfs and printed locally are not without their problems if you're looking to have full sized plans made. I speak with first-hand knowledge, as I used to sell several different plans as pdfs but I quit offering them because the local printers (everything from Kinko's to regular blueprint shops) more often than not had difficulty with knowing how to print out a full size pdf. Yes, it SHOULD be easy, in actuality it's not. I had many unhappy folks who expressed frustration with the printing hassles, so I only sell full-sized prints now. As far as Kinko's goes, Ive walked in and had "trained" printers who stuck in my flash drive and rolled off a perfect print the first time, but usually it's an hour-long ordeal and they've even tried to charge me for a number of failed attempts, plus they charge a flat rate per square foot no matter how many copies I want. I now have an experianced blueprint shop that knows how to operate their equipment do it, the first copy full price and additional prints are only a small fraction of the first one.

I'm not sure why the folks at the link you're asking about are using high postage costs as a reason why they like to sell electronically. I've sent out a lot of plans and U.S. postage runs me $1.53, slightly higher for larger formats; and that includes a CD in the package. The post office gets them there just fine as first class parcels.

Paper plans are not without their problems too. I got some Kasha guitar plans from LMII years back that had a massive scaling error the 650ish scale length was actually 600ish. Even when the plans are correct there are problems getting them to your jigs etc... The paper isn't stable, you have transfer error. for the most part these aren't major issues, but they are as annoying as the stuff with digital files. Plus all these drawing have a way of hanging around my place... The cost of sending printed plans is high outside the US, and if the plans are rolled not folded, it can be highish anywhere.

At this point I do all my own designs, but I am not above snooping around when I come to a new instrument. I had downloaded the template file, from ultimate guitar, it has all the info you really need anyway. The plan was good quality, and online, some of the google hits have all the details on them. I found the plantila was identical to one I was working on (I have being making Kasha guitar since 97) and all the details are things I would change anyway, but the drawing quality was there.

Why not just order plans from Hana Lima or Pegasus? Both have great plans and are a good place to start.

Thanks for the replies
I was sort of looking for downloadable plans as I live on a small island outside the USA. I realise printing will probably be a challenge but may be able to go to an Architect

If you're just looking for a body shape you can download the Stu-Mac kit instructions, the body profile is designed to print out full size from the pdf instructions.

ThomD said:

At this point I do all my own designs, but I am not above snooping around when I come to a new instrument. I had downloaded the template file, from ultimate guitar, it has all the info you really need anyway. The plan was good quality, and online, some of the google hits have all the details on them. I found the plantila was identical to one I was working on (I have being making Kasha guitar since 97) and all the details are things I would change anyway, but the drawing quality was there.

Click to expand...

What is "the template file"? I searched Ultimate guitarand could not find it.

Why not draw your own plans? Then make accurate Plexiglas templates of each part you draw. You'll learn a lot about the whole concept of building if you do, and you'll wind up with something original.

For symmetrical parts, you can just double stick two pieces of Plexi together and lay out a 1/2 part, then cut, sand and file them, open them up, and you've got a perfectly symmetrical pattern which you can then copy as a single template with a router table and ball bearing pattern bit. I do this with body designs, peghead designs, bridges, or anything else half way complex where I want perfect full 1:1 patterns.

I take these "original" patterns and make copies, sometimes in linen-phenolic to make working patterns for router table and overarm pin router fixtures. I almost always make patterns of parts before I make the actual parts...I'd rather make mistakes in a piece of Plexi than an actual uke or guitar part.

Plexiglas, phenolic, superglue, and double stick tape are your friends!

droze said:

What is "the template file"? I searched Ultimate guitarand could not find it.

Click to expand...

They call it the template add on. It is 3.95, bottom of the page, and bottom of the previews. It shows the outline, the arch, the brace positions, the neck and the side cut-out. Whether you need more is for you to decide, but there is a 50000 page luthiery book online, so you should be OK. At least you can try printing and sizing it, and if that doesn't work you haven't spent the 12 dollars. on the full plans.

I print readied the plan by coverting it in Inkscape to a DXF file. That turned out not to open in my prefered CAD program so I used another more up to date CAD program, Draftsight to save the dxf to an earlier DXF format I could use. These two programs were free downloads. Once in my CAD, I can manipulate the drawing however I wish, work up full size plans, modify them whatever. But that isn't the point. You might just want to print them, and doubtless you can find any utility you want to get that done, for free, online.

I have a 44" printer and can print size accurate plans for builders. DXF, PDF, etc.
PM me.

For those of you that want to print out plans on paper sizes that are smaller than the overall plan size, you can do the following:


Within Adobe Acrobat go to Tools, Select and Zoom, Snapshot Tool. Highlight the area you want to print on your page, at full scale. The program should indicate that the selected area has been copied. Go to print, ensure that the “Selected Graphic” is selected within the Print Range, then print the page. Within the print dialogue box It will show the area to be printed, greying out areas that are too large for the paper size you are printing to.

I did this to print out the soprano plans here http://www.grellier.fr/plans.php?lang=en. I measured the dementions on the page and the plan apears to have printed at the correct scale.

I think this will work on the free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. I have the Pro version installed on my computer.

Back here again...

One thing you can pick up for free all over, when you can find them, are dot matrix printers. Banks and such have the wide ones that are I think 14 or 17 inches wide. You can get fan fold paper, and print full size plans, or left rights if you are making a base acoustic, or something. Of course you can tile plans also. CNC is becoming a necessity for me, so that will solve a host of problems.

I bought those plans. I had my local UPS store print them after doing a test. The staff was knowledgeable, and the print was perfectly to scale. No problems.

I'm building their plan for the GS Mini guitar now. I printed them at a Fedex Office store here in town ($9 per sheet) Overall the plans are very detailed and complete. I have found a couple dimensions that didn't measure out with a ruler so be careful if you use the print for templates. (the neck is about 2mm shorter as drawn than the dimension says) It didn't seem to be a printer scale error because other dims are spot-on. Also the notes on thicknesses seem pretty heavy so you might want to adjust to taste.
Overall...good plans.

I like Rick's idea the best, and wish I had drawn my own complete plans from the beginning. I started with a set of plans from Waverly Street. I did not like the shape for some reason, so I modified it a little, enlarging the lower bout. I was starting with almost zero knowledge of instrument building, and it seemed like a pretty tall order to understand all the things going on in building a nice instrument. Aside from the soprano plans from the Grellier site, maybe the Martin plans from GAL, and who knows I have not seen the plans from Hana Lima, I suspect that the 'best' designs, for a nice uke are in peoples own possession, their own designs. It is a lot to understand, starting from zero, to draft a complete instrument with well designed 'relationships' among all the parts, but, if one follows a plan all the way to completion, afterwards, all the knowledge needs to be absorbed to a small degree, somehow by the end of the process anyway, so why not start at the design stage. I am still very much a beginner builder, but I see now that making your own design is not too much for those who are inclined, and IMO, a great way to study instrument making. There is information on ther internet about using 'Divine Proportion' in guitar body design, Beau Hannam posted a link to a video or 2 on this subject. This helps with guidance in deciding the width at the upper bout, waist, lower bout, bridge location, length of body, etc. Choosing the size and scale length (Soprano, Concert, Tenor, Baritone) then choosing how many frets to the body, 12 or 14, how many total frets. Deciding on a headstock angle, choosing a neck/ body joint method (bolt on?) Choosing the thickness of the neck only at the 1st fret, and 10th fret (neck thickness/ taper) Choosing the neck angle (flat works) and headstock angle, style of headstock. ( Choosing the radius of the back and front (research necessary) Choosing you bracing style. Deciding on a fretboard thickness, and bridge/ saddle thickness. Body depth at the tail and at the neck join. Making a drawing is important. In my own experience, I heard those words, and could understand their importance, but 'closing the gap' was still difficult. Having a set of plans nearby to refer to , conceptually, is helpful. Look at photos of nice ukes, and even better, at nice ukes in your hands. In another current thread, there are photos of an assymetrical ukulele built without a mold. (just mentioning this for the concept) With most any plan, unless you are building a kit, you might also be considering building molds, or a solera, and possibly/ probably, other fixtures/ jigs. I still have the set of Waverly plans, and a matching mold, some other jigs I made for that build, I am ready to pass them on to someone. Flexible drawing edges are available for drafting your design, French Curves are available, choosing a fully rounded lower bout, or a lower bout with a flat at the tail, a little flat for the neck joint, or a round upper bout, if you draft your own, you get to make your own choice.

Drafting your own design is not too difficult, and the learning process is fun... Many people on this forum can easily answer questions on the 'how, what, whys' of design. Dig deep and enjoy!

All good ideas.

If you're doing a first instrument (of any type) I've found it's good practice to work from a good plan so you don't have to figure out all of the tough spots for yourself. I've made a tenor plan available at my website uke building page:

http://www.bluestemstrings.com/pageUke1.html