shed blog

new music samples

Tue, 2 Jun 2009 21:07:58 +0100

Blimey, I am so bad at this blogging lark. As you can see this latest edition of my gripping guitar blog comes hot on the heels of the last, a mere 15 months ago!

Anyway I promise to sort myself out, and as a first step I’m sorting out some recording space so that I can take more regular samples of my new instruments.

This first session is a trial run for what will hopefully be a short run of video’s for youtube.

Anyway Roger Higgins called by the workshop and I thought it would be nice to get down some of his understated slide and picking on a new 000 just recently strung up. So you can hear the results here, pictures will be up soon!

more music samples

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 22:03:46 +0000

I was delighted today when both Gordon Tyrrall and Gary Boyle agreed to visit the shed to record a couple of short sessions on a guitar for me.

With Steve Tilston’s earlier recording this gives a good variety of styles, all exemplary, and explores the character of this sweet, well balanced design.

I hope you find these useful and enjoy listening to them as much as I have.

Play samples by clicking this icon

new site and music samples

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:55:56 +0000

I’ve been so busy in the shed I haven’t had time to keep up to this blog recently, or emails - sorry folks I’m getting around to it this week honest.

One thing I have managed recently though is a quick redesign of my website which now includes a page with a collection of workshop recordings of my instruments. That is if you can call one item a collection?

Anyway the intention is there, and it’s a good one to kick off with, as it’s Steve Tilston messing around on a brand new baby OO fresh from the workshop a couple of weeks ago.

All guitars usually sound very “green” when they are first strung up, then as they are played, and the wood gets used to being an instrument, they mature and develop. I thought it would be a great idea to ask Steve to call in every six months or so to repeat the exercise, so that you can compare and chart this development.

More guitars and guitarist will be added so bookmark this page or better still subscribe to the RSS feed on the opening page to be automatically updated.

I’m off to do emails - honest!

a simple tool for setting neck angles

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 21:06:39 +0000

Whether you’re cutting a dovetail or any neck body joint by hand or routing, setting the neck angle to achieve the correct fingerboard thickness and bridge and saddle heights for a given range of string action and adjustment can be problematic to say the least.

There are quite a few variables to handle, the amount of curve on the soundboard, the angle of the ribs to the top - ahhh the joys of working with wood never end!

This jig is easy to make and allows you to very quickly set the angle for marking out or setting up a jig and make the appropriate adjustments as you fit the neck joint.

To make the jig, take a stiff material, ply or perspex or whatever you’d prefer, and scribe a line which represents the string from nut to saddle. Then mark three blocks at the following positions on the line:

nut position-fingerboard thickness through centre line plus fret height
eg. 5+1=6mm (substitute your required settings)

body/neck joint position-fingerboard thickness through centre line plus fret height plus minimum string clearance above fret
eg. 5+1+2.5=8.5mm (substitute your required settings)

bridge position-bridge thickness plus saddle height through centre line
eg. 8+4=12mm (substitute your required settings)

Allow enough thickness above the line to make sure it’s stable in use (say 6cm) and carefully cut out. Cut a rebate on the top edge which is parallel to the line between the body/neck position. That is to say parallel to the surface of the neck.

To use the jig, rest the bridge position and body/neck joint position blocks on the centre line of the soundboard and holding a sliding bevel against the rebate adjust and set it against the ribs. This is the angle that the neck must be marked out and cut or routed to give the action you want.

When fitting, the neck is set right when all three blocks touch. It’s almost too easy!

simple thicknessing jig

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 22:24:32 +0100

Part of the pleasure of hand building instruments is, for me, the direct connection with my materials. I really enjoy planing and using edge tools on timber. Feeling the grain against a sharp edge, watching the shavings curl and the forms flow from the wood, pulling the spinters out from my thumbs.

However...........the novelty can wear thin with some repetitive jobs such as planing up sections for struts or linings. Please note that the pieces of spruce shown are for linings not struts and have been chosen for their marvellous photogenic qualities rather than grain structure!

Here’s a simple jig which produces reasonably flat and consistent thickness (+/- 0.1mm) fairly quickly without noisy machinery and dust extraction but allowing a minimum of care and attention. This way you can get stuff done and allow your thoughts to wander to such important matters as “what’s for tea” or catch up with the Archers omnibus on Radio 4.

Once a face side has been planed flat, the reverse can then be placed upward in the jig and the plane, resting on the edge rails, will plane a finished thickness dependant on the jig dimensions and the set of the blade. The jig could further be improved by lining with a more durable material than mdf.

workshop 4 ~ finshed (nearly!)

Sat, 29 Sep 2007 22:20:23 +0100

Well the insulation is in for the floor, walls and roof and the laminated glass, double-glazing units and door are sealed and doing what doors and windows should. The walls and decking are protected with a small fortunes worth of microporous miracle paint. Time to start thinking guitars again.

I’m not sure this workshop will ever be properly finished but I’ve got power on now, it’s painted and warm and sealed and has become less of a place to work on and more of a place to work in............and there’s plenty of work to do, so here goes!

A big thank you to Stephen, Steve, Dave and Pete whose help and advice has been invaluable in cobbling this workshop together.

workshop 3 ~ cladding the walls

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 22:14:32 +0100

A busy couple of months ahead and summer holidays to fit in too!

I used ship-lap for the cladding and you can see in the picture above the foil-backed, vapour barrier going on underneath. The last roof truss is for the porch and decking which you can see in position on the two side photos.

I was lucky with weather this year and managed most of this work in a dry spell, nailing the last asphalt tile on as the first drop of the rainy season, otherwise known as the Great British Summer, started.

workshop 2 ~ building the frame

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 10:02:14 +0100

The frame was constructed flat in manageable sections from 2x3 cls softwood studding. It was lifted into position and screwed to the floor joists and each to it’s neighbour.

The first corner was the trickiest but I was pleased with how rigid the structure quickly became and delighted when the walls eventually met at the far corner!

Workshop 1 ~ preparing the ground

Thu, 8 Feb 2007 10:11:53 +0000

Cold, cold February clods rapidly gave way to mud and torrential rain after the ground was cleared. Not the best conditions to dig footings but with my mate Steve helping we muddled through.

Because of access problems to the site and the soft clay ground I decided to use pier footings. This meant digging down twelve 60cm sq holes to solid sub-soil and pouring in a 10cm concrete base. Concrete blocks were then built up to a level so that the four 4”x6” supporting timbers for the 2”x4” floor joist could be set.