Major Workshop And Channel Update + New Video.

[Archie]

Hi everyone

Many of you over the last three years have watched me build my first, then second workshop (Unit 5), in the hope of creating an advanced facility for the design and production of archtop components. It took me two years to get Unit 5 fully operational and was completed in late 2024. Unfortunately I was then immediately asked to leave and was given 8 weeks to do so.

I was incredibly lucky to find a workshop available at short notice and have spent the last year frantically building it. This is why I've not posted to youtube for over a year.

In the video below I go over the challenges I faced getting unit 5 up and running to the standards I wanted. There is a lot learning and problem solving. Before moving into this workshop, I only had about a year of experience, so I was really pushing things (including myself) to the limit.

I started a new YouTube channel to separate out the workshop content from the general content. This new channel is called ‘Archtop Workshop’.

[Gitterbug]

My sympathies and congratulations! Looks like your Odyssey has finally ended in a great-looking harbor. I know painfully well what relocation on short notice means. And all my tooling is light and compact compared to your machinery. The video link does not work: 404 not found. Hope it's temporary.

[Mick-7]

Woah, divine madness!

Have you succeeded in expending your life savings on this yet?

[grahambop]

I think this might be the correct link for the new youtube channel? (the one given in the OP was missing the @ symbol).

Archtop Workshop - YouTube

[Heybopper]

Hi
I had wondered as I hadn't seen a post for a while. Are you going to be doing guitars or just components? Im in the UK and am always interested in anyone building arch tops or offering custom designs. But anyone doing pick guards or tailpieces would be good too best of luck

[GuyBoden]

All the best with your building of Archtop Guitars.

[Archie]

Guys thanks for your comments of support.

I am going to refocus on components for now. I think my services may best suit working with luthiers who want to transition into manufacturing, or need prototyping work done. Sort of like a custom shop for luthiers that could then transition into a model and then a model run. I would love to eventually turn that into a sort of 'custom shop for everyone’. The difference between that and say luthier being that the archtops will be based on quicker production times and cheaper.

It is true that having to move 3 times in 4 years has pretty much killed all of my ability to built up any sort of momentum and I am exhausted having literally just finished setting up my 3rd workshop. The promised land seems so far away but I’m still in the fight.

This year is all about perfecting the laminate body and CNC carved plates. My CAD/CAM skills are very good now and my machining skills aren’t far behind.

I’v just finished up reverse engineering my Byrdland and doing the CAD. I machined a former based on the plates and will press a laminate version hopefully this month. It will be the first time a true laminate L5 plate will be in existence, for what that is worth.