Bracing

Below is a photo showing the guitar back with bracing in place.  I prefer to glue most of the braces in place and carve them in-situ.

Guitar Order

Here are a couple more photos of the guitar I am currently working on.  Here's the roughed-out back with the centre strip in place:

And here I'm using go-bars to keep the sound hole doughnut in place while it's being glued:



Christmas Guitar Order

I've just received a box of goodies from LMI which will be transformed into a guitar by Christmas - I hope!

The rosewood back:

The design for the guitar and a template showing the bracing pattern:

 

A general view of my workshop:

I will keep you updated on its progress.

 

Video Clips

Lee Shackley kindly sent along these clips he took of Mike Simpson playing the Stephen John guitar he recently acquired from me.  Please click the links below to see them on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ka3u2QCI3g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkfVuHNS6to

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j017rZLbFSQ

I'm pleased to see that Mike is really enjoying playing it!

Guitar Commission

Just started my next commission to be made in time for Christmas - a dreadnought-size guitar of my own design with rosewood back and sides and a spruce top.  Will be posting photos as it comes along.  Someone's going to be very surprised come Christmas morning...

Guitar Photoshoot

A small selection of photos of a recently made Stephen John acoustic, now sold to musician and friend Lee Shackley.  My wife waded into the cold depths of Crummock in the Lake District to get these!

Even Newer Shed!

Since I last blogged I have moved the workshop again, hopefully to its final position. I made lots of great contacts at Racket Studios and thank Ian Rowell for his support while I was there. The reason for the move is simply one of convenience - the workshop is now at the bottom of the garden, and most importantly within shouting distance so the wife can make me a cuppa!

I can attest to the fact that shifting a 10 foot wide gable end by yourself is certainly an interesting experience.