His 1898 patent for a mandolin, which was also applicable to guitars according to the specifications, was intended to enhance power and quality of tone. Com is an acoustic place, ill ignore the electronic part, and concentrate on the acoustic elements of the jazz guitar. Now you can learn from a true master, bob benedetto, renowned jazz guitar craftsman. Well spare you the building of the mold and the workboard, and jump in as we get the top and back glued up and carved. By clicking on a banner, you will go directly to their website. In a different direction, well now check out the making of a luxurious custom archtop, from the raw wood to the gleaming, finished instrument. Many guitar players might be interested in making an elec tric archtop guitar similar to a gibson es 335 but dont know where to begin. I toyed with the idea of making a cupids bow on the end of the fretboard and went so far. Building a guitar guild of new hampshire woodworkers. Only the first page of a patent is accessible for free. The archtop guitar is often credited to orville gibson, whose innovative designs led to the formation of the gibson mandolin guitar mfg.
Guitar construction the spanish method not only does this include a step by step method for building a guitar using the spanish style but the thing that makes it unique is that roy included great photographs of his guitars and himself building, but also those of the masters mentioned in section 1 such as robert bouchet and daniel fredrich which is really a great addition that i still enjoy seeing. Hover over the image to see a slideshow of more guitars. Guitar making plans and drawings available as pdf files emailed to you for printing if needed. It shows the process stepbystep from the very first st. Archtop build journal the musical instrument makers forum. Partly, i think, it was the aerosol cans, which dont deliver quite as much product per coat as regular spraying. Mirabella guitars the authority for reproduction vintage guitar parts, guitar restoration, and custom guitar building. Archtop guitar buyerss guide, from riverboat musictm.
I was playing on my acoustic archtop guitar last night, and it occurred to me that most people dont know too much about them. It looks beautiful and i cant wait to put it to use. The definitive work on the design and construction of an acoustic archtop guitar by one of the most talented luthiers of the twentieth century. The definitive work on the design and construction of an acoustic archtop guitar, this updated second edition features 288 pages of content, including 24 color pages and 4 tearouts. It is a time lapse, and it goes by pretty quick, so i put together a timeline below that you can use to see some of the steps that are going by so fast in the video. I want to thank you for the fast turnaround on that piece. Try lennys suggestion for making a surface as deepak suggests.
See what industry greats have said about this book. Bob benedetto provides good background information and careful step by step instructions for building acoustic and electric archtop guitars. To begin just registerlogin and purchase the video lessons. You have clicked a page that seems to be very popular. The definitive work on the design and construction. A video report of building two l5 ces style archtops at the same time. Select an image, or start at the beginning, and navigate left and right to see this exciting process. You can make your own guitar with the help of these free guitar plans. When you come to the class, well provide you with supplies and tools, as well as personally supervise your building. That is to say, the edges of the sides rims are parallel. Benedetto walks the reader through all aspects of construction through to marketing your finished work. The tone of an acoustic guitar is produced by the strings vibration, amplified by the hollow body. Ekos philosophy was to offer a full range of guitars, produced with standardized industrial processes to ensure consistent quality.
Most makers and players would agree that, in general, there are two preferred bracing patterns. Here you will find jazz guitar accessories and services to further enhance the archtop experience. Click on the luthiers names or a guitar that interests you pictured below for more information. The long term goal is really to develop the octave mandolin further, but building the guitar will give a reference i am more familiar with, and i can play it when im done. Probably the single best book on making solid body electric guitars and basses. We offer group workshops or my oneonone custom guitar dream class. On an flat top that is not the case in fact the profile of the toptoside and backtoside joint is very tricky.
How to fit guitar braces for archtop guitars brace for help choosing which bracing pattern to use, see this articleguide by bob benedetto archtop guitar bracing how to make guitar purfling. If you just want to make some functional knockoff of an existing guitar, you might want to buy a different book. If you or someone in your family is musically inclined think of the excitement in playing a guitar personally hand crafted. To make an appointment and find out what can be done to improve your instrument, please contact john by phone or email.
Recommended lutherie books liutaio mottola lutherie. Acoustic archtop guitar bracing bob benedetto the art of. This video demonstrates setup on a modern dangelico excel archtop guitar. Carved archtop guitar building process phoenix guitar. In a different direction, well now check out the making of a luxurious custom archtop, from the raw.
The fingerboard was waiting for me when i arrived at chicago school of guitar making yesterday. Dec 31, 2019 making an archtop guitar robert benedetto, isbn 1574240005 a great book from a master builder of archtop guitars. I know of no other work offering comprehensive step by step coverage of the making of an acoustic jazz guitar. It wasnt until about 8 coats that i started to see anything building as a finish. It was around this time i landed an apprenticeship with archtop guitar builder bob benedetto. This is probably one of the most creative and fun parts of making an archtop guitar. A series of videos as a study aid for the students of my guitar making course. All workshops are held in nazareth, pennsylvania at the nazareth guitar institute. The purpose of the company was to conquer the most vibrant segment of affordable instruments market suitable also for semiprofessionals, making the guitar economically accessible to everyone. The australian school of lutherie international journal of.
Garys classic guitars this ohio guitar dealer has a nice collection of gibson archtops. The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that usually has six strings. Carving an archtop guitar timelapse video and photo timeline. Sep 14, 2015 a stepbystep look at how an archtop guitar is crafted. Dec 09, 2016 a series of videos as a study aid for the students of my guitar making course. Making an archtop guitar is beautifully laid out, with supporting photographs and technical illustrations, plus. If you have ever wanted to design and build your own archtop guitar from beginning to end then the robert obrien online archtop guitar building course with joao cassias is a must. However, during this phase i have to be very careful to make sure my body mechanics and technique are correct. Part 1 the art of lutherie then you are using a fiber product already for the black veneers. The plan is to build an archtop guitar and a guitarshaped octave mandolin gom side by side.
A basic introduction to the acoustic archtop guitar. The plan is to build an archtop guitar and a guitarshaped octave mandolin. Alibaba manufacturer directory suppliers, manufacturers. It highlights some of the problems associated with factory guitars like these and some possible solutions. Parallel bracing, which results in a louder, more punchy voiced guitar, and x bracing, which may best be described as being warmer and with more balance between highs and lows. In the years following, i opened nazareth guitar institute, a fully equipped studio and workshop located in historic nazareth, pennsylvania. Nazareth guitar institute american archtop guitars. Archtop acoustic guitars evolved out of construction techniques employed on mandolins and other stringed instruments in the early 20th century. Hand carving a guitar top can take a damaging toll on the human body over time if performed incorrectly. If pdf printing is not available in your area, you can have them printed at.
What i think deepak means when he refers to the bottom is what you would consider to be the inside surface of the top. Hundreds of students, young and old, some with experience some with none, have attended the school over the years. Archtop guitar buyerss guide, from riverboat musictm as jazz developed in the early 20th century, evolving jazz orchestras wanted to move from banjo to guitar. Lmii wood and supplies guitar makers luthiers mercantile. Unfollow archtop jazz guitar to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. A stepbystep look at how an archtop guitar is crafted. The problem was that the old traditional flattops what we call parlor guitars today were not very loud. If pdf printing is not available in your area, you can have them printed at very low cost and posted to you in any country. Crane guitars luthier makoto tsuruta from tokyo jh gitarren german. The luthier erich solomon makes fewer than 10 archtops per year in his small shop, in epping, new hampshire, for a select group of players including mark goldenberg and steely dans walter becker. The free guitar plans require basic to expert woodworking skills depending on the specific guitar project undertaken.
Even folks who play jazz the genre most commonly associated with these guitars are often not familiar with the instruments origins and evolution. Most of the setup and adjustment considerations are similar to other steel string acoustic instruments, including truss rod adjustments and nut action here are a couple of topics unique to the archtop instrument. We present you with products and services of the highest quality. Master class guitar making custom acoustic guitars, archtop guitar, book sites. Most of the guitar making factories use a small vacuum press to glue the. Acoustic archtop guitar bracing bob benedetto the art. For 2 years i got to learn from a master who had been building for 40 years i had been doing it for a mere 8 or 9 at the time. This timelapse guitar making video shows the process i use for sculpting the back of a 17 archtop guitar from my personal collection of master grade flame maple. Aug 15, 2011 if im not mistaken you have modeled the surface that the strings will be against, im assuming this is a hollow body acoustic guitar. Only a sixstring archtop guitar with a 17 x 3 body will be offered. This is the definitive set on carvedtop guitarmaking. Archtop guitar building class american archtop guitars. For a brief biography of each company please select from the list below. Construction notes for a classical guitar sample livros, musica.