I’ve used African Blackwood for back and sides on a couple of Martin Simpson models, now I’ve used it on a New World guitar. Before it’s lacquered the grain is more visible; it’s easy to see it’s actually a rosewood rather than looking more like ebony as it does when lacquered and shiny.

Here it is ready for the spray-booth. Along with African Blackwood back and sides, it has the standard New World Madagascar rosewood neck and an Italian spruce soundboard.

African Blackwood made excellent MS models, but it doesn’t follow that it will be as successful on the smaller New World. I’ll find out in a few weeks when I string it up.

This weekend I visited Edinburgh and went with Rory Dowling of Taran Guitars to look at wood brought from Belize around 30 years ago. Some was a rather lightweight mahogany, some a rosewood looking very like Honduras rosewood, some was dark and immensely heavy, and some was light in colour with dark streaks.

I took just a little of the rosewood and pale brown wood with streaks. The rosewood could be suitable for necks while the pale wood is interesting but probably of no use for instruments.

Both woods pictured right.

The south of the UK has had the heaviest of our current snow, but here in the north it’s been wintry too. Yesterday and today I haven’t been able to get out to my workshop.

However, snow does make a great back-drop to birds at our feeder. Here are a couple of starlings. Generally unloved, but very pretty.

Dave Richardson commented on the froe I mentioned in a previous news item, and how few people must use one these days.

Here’s a clearer picture of it, along with the hefty hammer I hit it with. The sharp edge is away from the hammer, of course.

The telephone gives an idea of size.

PS I’ve now been told the correct spelling is ‘froe’.

Linings are the strips of wood re-inforcing joins between sides and top and sides and back. Linings are usually kerfed (partially cut through at regular frequent intervals) to make them easy to bend.

I don’t love kerfed linings. All those cuts can hold glue that can’t be cleaned out, and also allow glue from fixing the bindings to run into the guitar. So I use solid unkerfed linings, which must be bent beforehand to the same curve as the sides.

Here are the top linings held in place with strong spring clamps while the glue dries. The body is held in the mould which in turn is held by my gun-makers vise.

This vise holds firmly in all positions, can be revolved in two planes and moved closer to or further from the bench. The most versatile vise I’ve come across, I obtained it from Dan Erlewine many years ago.

Below: cittern linings glued and clamped.
Right: the top linings are glued and sanded, and the side re-inforcements (really to stop damage spreading around the sides) are being glued in place. The top linings will be sanded smooth to receive the soundboard.

This has been the coldest winter we’ve had in the UK for many years. Fortunately, much of it has also been bright and clear.

This afternoon was so lovely I took a couple of hours out of the workshop and walked above Devilswater with dog and camera.

Coming back home, what looked almost like a fire was actually the sun so low as to reflect off the underside of clouds on the horizon.

This was taken around 3.30pm.

Guitar and cittern braces should be stiff and light. I don’t use sitka spruce for soundboards, but this close-grained sitka is perfect for braces.

Here it is in rough pieces as collected from Roger Bucknall of Fylde guitars. Roger went through huge hassle to source it and get it into Britain and was generous enough to pass some on to me.

First I split it with a froe, a handle on a blade that you hit on the back with a big hammer. This means the wood splits absolutely along the grain, without the grain run-out you can get sawing wood.


Then I cut it oversize on either table saw or band saw, making sure to cut along the visible grain. Now I know there is no grain run-out in either sideways or up and downwards.

Finally I stack it in the warmest shelf in shop to dry thoroughly. When the time comes to use it, I will thickness it to exact size.
Behind it you can just see the tacky table-tennis trophys Liz refuses to have in the house.

New website

This website has the same basic format as before but I can now modify pages and upload news items myself. So I no longer need to hassle Jason to do this for me.

His patience in showing me the limited computer skills required is much appreciated.

Some of the pages have been updated and revised; I intend to go over the remaining pages over the next few weeks. And I expect to post news items more frequently.

Here I am doing preliminary carving on a cittern soundboard.

Mandolin family instrument builds

After too long building only guitars, I am now building mandolin family instruments again. While I still am not accepting new mandolin family orders, I hope to do so soon when I have made inroads into my order book.

My apologies to those who have been waiting an unexpectedly long time; thank you for your patience.

November 2008

Signature Model guitars

‘Guitar and Bass is a UK monthly magazine. In the December issue is a list of their top 50 signature guitars (both electric and acoustic), described by them as the best of all time. My Martin Simpson Signature Model comes in at number 32. It’s one of only two guitars listed that isn’t produced by the big guitar factories.

9 September 2008

Following my talk to the Whitley Chapel WI earlier this year, I’ve agreed to give an expanded version as a public talk in aid of the local Parish Hall. The hall is a most worthwhile cause, very well used and the hub of the local community. It’s particularly in need of funds because extensive (and expensive) improvements are now in progress.

I’ve called my talk ‘The Art and Craft of Guitar Building’. In it I’ll be talking about the processes involved in guitar building, how I quite accidentally became an instrument maker, and some of the difficulties and setbacks I encountered.

As well as pictures of myself with early instruments (and hair) I’ll be showing slides of various construction stages. I’ll also bring a completed guitar together with examples of work in progress to show and discuss. And of course I’ll be taking questions at the end of the talk.

And I plan to have snippets of recorded music as musical illustrations.

The talk takes place on Saturday 4th October at 7.30pm.

Tickets cost £12.50 (£5.00 under 16). Wine and fruit juice will be on sale; a snack and a glass of wine or juice is included in the ticket price.

While this is just possibly more likely to attract local rather than national or international interest, all are welcome. To be sure of a place, you can book ahead by calling:

Kate Clarkson on 01434 673946. Tickets will also be on sale at the door.

Whitley Chapel parish hall is a few yards from Whitley Chapel crossroads. The address is:

Whitley Chapel Parish Hall
Whitley Chapel
Hexham, Northumberland NE47 0HB

All proceeds in aid of Whitley Chapel parish hall.