News 2006

I have now decided to use this Brazilian wood to make an experimental Martin Simpson signature model. This means replacing the existing colours with red and white trim on either side of an ebony strip. However, cutting and re-joining the back around the new trim is tricky, as the wood is already down to its final thickness; any misalignment would mean the back ending up too thin. I decided to replace the trim without separating the two halves of the back; this was possible because the MS trim is wider than the original colours trim.

First I glued the thin spruce reinforcement strip on the inside (left). I laid it reinforced side down on the bench, supported underneath on either side of this strip. Next I clamped a straight flat board over the back, parallel with the centre join, along which I could run a miniature Dremel router (below). I then routed a slot the width of the new trim; this slot was deep enough to just reach the spruce reinforcement underneath. I routed several passes to cut the slot to the correct width and depth.

I plan to use this back, along with its matching sides, on a second Martin Simpson long scale D guitar (see my news item of  1st October 2006).

This second guitar will be of similar specification except that it will have an Adirondack spruce soundboard rather than the European spruce of the previous guitar.

When the glue had dried I was able to take the centre trim down level with the rest of the back (below). It’s now ready for bracing.

Andy is always working, so he arranged to bring it on his way to starting his autumn German tour. I would have only 24 hours or so to fix it. So no wait....and wait......and wait......was possible.

Here it is with the gaffer tape removed. The soundboard is completely separated from the side for a distance of around six inches, and virtually shredded across a width of something over an inch. The herringbone inlay is also crushed and mangled.

Because I was retaining the original binding I was unable to rout the ledge for the herringbone in the usual way. I cut a slot with scalpel and chisel, and cut and bent a length of herringbone to fit. Here it is glued in place, ready to be trimmed flush.

Not having time to ask David to spray it (this would involve several days drying time) I wiped several coats of shellac lacquer onto the new piece of spruce. This will seal it and protect it from grease and moisture, and while in no way matching the original finish, it tones down the whiteness of fresh wood.

Finally, here is Andy with his repaired instrument.  Good as new, as is the guitar bouzouki.

New webpage

My website now has a page on my six string arch-top guitar. My first guitars were arch-tops and though I don’t build many these days (one or two a year) I still find them fascinating instruments.

My most recent arch-top guitar is pictured right.

MS 'D' guitar finished

The Martin Simpson Signature model D guitar (see news item 11 July 2006) is finished and strung. Although this guitar has 14 frets to the body, the bridge is in the 12 position on the soundboard, giving it something of the 12 fret sound. It is deep and rich and clear with each note clearly defined; a sound which suits the low pitch and long scale really well.

Tailpiece problems

I now have problems getting my brass cittern, bouzouki and mandolin tailpieces made. If anyone can either make these for me or knows someone who can, I’d love to hear.
They’re made out of brass sheet (which I can supply if necessary); I take them flat as shown and shape them later.

You may have noticed minor changes to my website. The flat-top guitar menu has been simplified and now includes a page on the New World guitar, while information on some of the other guitars has been compacted onto one page. The Martin Simpson Signature model page now includes the Mark 2 version.

I’ve updated the summary page, which in fact still gives access to the more detailed information removed from the menu, such as individual pages on the 0E and parlour guitars.

I’ve also updated and added to the ‘Wood and materials’ page and put the ‘things they say’ into reverse chronological order so the latest quotes come first.

11 July 2006

New World guitar

I’ve made a minor change to the NW trim. The back and side purfling is now black/red/black (matching the soundboard purfling) instead of the previous red/white/red.

I’ve sold the two New World guitars shown in earlier news items. One of them went to Mark Kolnes of Idaho, USA. He sent me this email when he received it:
"Stefan Hello, the guitar arrived. It is stunning. I've only had a few strumms so far but it was enough to set me blood boiling. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
 ps. thank you"

I’m planning to build up to six New World guitars in any one year.

Melamine lacquer, lemon oil, and oiling fingerboards

The Smith and Rogers melamine lacquer we have been using for many years has been discontinued because of changing legislation covering paints and lacquers. David is now using a new 2007 compliant lacquer and after a little while sorting out the different techniques required to apply it, is achieving excellent results.

However, after many years of using and recommending lemon oil to seal ebony fingerboards and bridges, we’ve found the new lacquer can be marked if lemon oil sits on it for any length of time. It’s necessary either to remove all traces of oil from lacquered surfaces or (more sensibly) use an alternative oil. There are several branded fingerboard oils on the market, and I shall be testing other commercial light oils.

It’s important to oil ebony fingerboards because ebony, being so non-oily in itself, can readily absorb water from the atmosphere. This will swell it, causing fret ends to contract into the side of the fingerboard. It can also change the set-up and action, because if the fingerboard expands more than the mahogany, it can curve the neck back.

Ideally the fingerboard should be oiled on a regular basis to prevent this.

Cittern 2006

I recall it took me over three months to build, including removing the neck and fitting a steel re-inforced replacement.

The soundboard is yellow pine, the back and sides Indian rosewood, the neck is mahogany and the fingerboard ebony.

The idea of the heavily curved fingerboard was taken directly from my Portuguese guitarra, and the carved arched soundboard was inspired by my 1931 Martin arch-top C1. I still own these instruments.

I played this cittern around the British Folk clubs until retiring from public performance some years later.

Cittern 1973

The Martin Simpson Signature model page has been revised and now includes information on the Mk 2 model.     

Trimming the back binding on one of the last two cocobolo citterns.

Bridge clamped and glue drying

The two New World guitars ready for their bridges. You can see the taped bridge area on the nearest, ready to be cut out and removed.

Side bending

Fox side bending jig in use. The sides are partly bent by hand on a heated bender, placed in the Fox jig for 30 minutes plus cooling time, and finished off by hand on the heated bender.

This is an early Fox jig heated by light bulbs. Later versions use electrically heated blankets instead of bulbs, but I find the bulbs work fine.

Each instrument shape has its own dedicated former. The one shown is the Martin Simpson model former.  

The two experimental New World guitars are now ready for lacquering. You can just see that the bridge gluing area has been masked with clear tape, so it won’t be lacquered along with the rest of the soundboard. I can then remove the tape before glueing the bridge on.

The finishing process takes between two and three weeks, after which the bridge can be glued to the soundboard, the nut and tuners fitted and the guitar can be strung up.

Necks and bodies joined, ready for fitting fingerboards and shaping necks.

If the extension of the neck is not perfectly flush with the soundboard around it, it has to be leveled by gluing in a thin piece of spruce which is then cut and sanded flush. The fingerboard is then glued on.

Here is one of my two experimental New World guitars located in its carriage, ready for cutting the binding ledge. The carriage allows it to be run past an inverted router, which can rise and fall to allow for the curve of soundboard and back.

The cutter adjusts up and down to vary the depth of cut, and different diameter followers change the width. By adjusting width and depth of cut, I can cut appropriately sized ledges for the binding and purfling.

The ledges for binding and purfling have been routed out using the system described above. The ledges are not routed where the purflings join; this area will be finished by hand and the purfling joins mitred, as on the guitars above.

The red/gold/green purfling I’m using on these octave mandolins is made by gluing and clamping coloured wood veneers and cutting them into strips with a scalpel drawn along a straight-edge.

Octave mandolins under construction

At the moment I’m working on two octave mandolins, both with European spruce soundboards and cocobolo back and sides (see later item on cocobolo). Here is an octave mandolin body with the top lining clamped to the sides while the glue dries. The top lining gives glueing area to the join between sides and soundboard.

Here are the two completed backs and sides. Each has its back and sides from the same flitch, not common these days as it’s a more wasteful method of cutting rare old logs. But the effect of perfectly matching backs and sides is really good.

The next steps will be to fit the soundboards, bind the bodies, fit the necks and fingerboards, fret them and make the bridges.