I like to think that I got some of my tool-making thought processes from my great-grandfather, who being a blacksmith, made all of his own tools. Incidentally, he's where the Edward in my name comes from, and I knew him well. Most of the family thinks we looked alike. I learned a ton about woodworking from my Dad building banjos, and part of that was just the understanding of how stringed things work, from a mechanical perspective. The guy who I learned the most about instrument repair from is an absolute genius. The jigs he makes are just amazing, and make mine look like crude constructs. Because they are. But I'm getting better.

I got the top back on the Kay bass. Clamps, clamps, everywhere. One of my better rigs, speaking of. I'll leave it cinched up for a day or so to set, then get back to final fit on the dovetail joint. I will be glad to see this one leave the hospital.

Then I jumped the setup job on the aforementioned HD-35. Simple job... just adjust the action, clean up, and restring. It's all done and ready to go back. Mighty fine guitar. HD-35's aren't all that common. It is a 'souped-up' variation on Martin's D-35. It came with the upgrade to herringbone trim, zipper backstrip(s) and scalloped bracing of the HD-28, but retains the rest of standard Style 35 trim and appointments. Three-piece rosewood back, matched sides, spruce top, bound fingerboard, 'stacked' purfling, 1/4" braces, ebony fingerboard and bridge. They are a very warm mellow guitar that it's hard to go wrong with. This one is especially good after a setup.

Quote from: David Houck on May 25, 2024, 10:46:33 AM

Quote from: edwardofhuncote on May 24, 2024, 10:09:13 AM... I have made an improvised tool to reach inside the dovetail block and sand the shimmed gluing surfaces. I'm also sanding the corresponding surfaces of the neck. This is tedious and time-consuming ...

Careful you don't bang up your fingers.

Becoming more and more conscious of this all the time, Dave. I poked a pretty clean hole in the side of my left thumb one day last week up here. It only takes a flash of distraction.

Thumb dings too.

Quote from: adriaan on May 25, 2024, 11:21:48 AM
Thumb dings too.

See, this is why we need a "Like" button!

Peter

or a rimshot sample...

All you have to do is ask:

Very impressive skills.   

I finished up the Buckbee banjo, which I have since learned is/was a 'Morrison' model. I did some reading and there is a little bit about these out there. I believe this one is older than the one I've just been working on, but clearly they are the same maker and lineage.

https://jakewildwood.blogspot.com/2016/06/1880s-buckbee-made-james-morrison-5.html?m=1

It was a fun project. Ain't every day you work on something nearly 140 years old that's still a playable instrument.

Nice!

WQ-413 marked 10-7 (out-of-service) at residence. I changed out of uniform and put on shop clothes. The '46 Kay bass is back in one major piece, and on the launch pad for strings tomorrow night. The fingerboard is a really knockout piece of Brazilian rosewood, beautiful colors and figures. It had way too many knots and twists to ever be used in a guitar, but Kay used a bunch of this wood up. I have already cut and fit a new spruce soundpost, and an adjustable maple bridge. It would've taken another hour, maybe two to restring and do final setup tonight... and I just ain't got the gas left for it. WQ-413 marks 10-8 again tomorrow morning at about 0530.

Oh yeah... the guy I did the HD-28 and HD-35 for... brought me his late brother's Yamaha to set up. Think I got me a regular customer.

Man, that is yummy fingerboard!

Peter

That fingerboard does look nice!

Yep, even a slab-sawn piece of that stuff can be a special thing. The color is striking. Sometimes the streaking in it is surreal... like you can't imagine nature doing that.

We have Strangs! Violins have strings... fiddles have... the other things.

The action set up pretty nice. Left myself a little room to adjust either way on the bridge. I'm really picky about how these things get wound on the rollers. Once cut, I singe the cut end in a candle flame, and dip in the wax. This keeps the sills from ravelling. And I fit a new rubber tip to the footrest. They wear out, but it's an easy, cheap replacement part.

I'll leave it tuned up to pitch for the night, and do some final tweaks and adjustments tomorrow. Barring anything unforeseen, this one will be checking out of the hospital tomorrow evening.

The Kay bass went home as planned, and I went on the road for a couple weekends with my buddy Ted and hit a couple fiddler's conventions we hadn't been to in a while. I have discovered that working 2 days a week at the Water Treatment Plant, then taking off 5 days means the following Monday and Tuesday are somewhat calamitous. Like I could just start at the door with a push-broom and shovel, and work my way to the Control Room. Holy Hell. But there simply aren't but so many calendar days left, and I'm quite determined to not give back 400-odd hours of paid leave.

So I stopped by Fret Mill Music yesterday and picked up some more work too. I haven't posted about much of what I do, because most of it isn't really that interesting. I'll pick one of these, (probably the banjo, 'cause it's waaay cool) to document. The guitars are just payin' bills. Seriously. These three projects represent about 12-16 hours, and will bill out at about what my health insurance will cost me after I retire from the Public Service gig.

Now that is what a banjo fretboard should look like!  Scrumptious inlays!


Got the new issue of Vintage Guitar today.  In Dan Erlewine's column he departs from the usual git-fiddles and replaces a neck on a doghouse, and fits a bridge to another.
I am a big fan of Mr. E., but that is not his wheelhouse; he got them done, but not as elegantly as you do it, Greg.


Peter