My first archtop (new project)

[arno_byr]

and here :

[arno_byr]

and here :

[Travelrock]

and here :

Very nice!

Extrangers planes in the third video! I think the plane in the first one is more common and easy to found.

Thank you!

[arno_byr]

Both have nice tone, but my preference goes to the parallel braces on the second video.

[Travelrock]

Both have nice tone, but my preference goes to the parallel braces on the second video.

Thank you for the links! I’ll watch the videos with attention

[Travelrock]

Both have nice tone, but my preference goes to the parallel braces on the second video.

I agree with you. I was thinking of building the guitar with X braces, but after listening to the video carefully with headphones, I prefer the one with parallel braces.

I know there are a few variables that influence the sound of a guitar, but I have to at least try to get closer to that parallel brace sound.

[arno_byr]

Great craftsmanship, by the way

[Travelrock]

Of course, beautiful instruments.

[Travelrock]

As I go into the project I found new questions and doubts.

Somebody could help me with the correct headstock thickness at the end and at the joint with the neck? Benedetto’s book aim for 13/32” and 17/32” without veneers. My question is the total measure, veneers included.

[arno_byr]

14 - 15 mm, it's the thickness of the headstock including the veneer.
I had the same problem with a wrong l5-ces plan to make my archtop where it was written 19 mm.
The groover mechanism were not fitting, it was too thick.
16-17mm at the jonction of the neck

[Freeman Keller]

As I go into the project I found new questions and doubts.

Somebody could help me with the correct headstock thickness at the end and at the joint with the neck? Benedetto’s book aim for 13/32” and 17/32” without veneers. My question is the total measure, veneers included.

Benedetto shows the veneers as 1/28 on both sides of his head which does taper. Many builders use 5/8 total thickness with no taper. You should measure the bushings and posts on the tuners you plan to use.

[Travelrock]

14 - 15 mm, it's the thickness of the headstock including the veneer.
I had the same problem with a wrong l5-ces plan to make my archtop where it was written 19 mm.
The groover mechanism were not fitting, it was too thick.
16-17mm at the jonction of the neck

Thank you very much, 14-15 mm is just what I have now. My aproximation has been correct. I had doubts.

[Travelrock]

Benedetto shows the veneers as 1/28 on both sides of his head which does taper. Many builders use 5/8 total thickness with no taper. You should measure the bushings and posts on the tuners you plan to use.

Thak you for the info! Yes, Benedetto show 1/28 for the lower veneer, but I see that in the illustratiion the veneer abobe its seem thicker.

In any case, your advice to measure the tuners is completely clarifying. Thanks a lot!

[Freeman Keller]

Thank you very much, 14-15 mm is just what I have now. My aproximation has been correct. I had doubts.

I told you wrong in my previous post - I have used 9/16 (0.5625) or 16.5 mm on most of my paddle head guitars and that has worked nicely with all of the tuners (Gotoh, Grover, Waverly). Most of the time I thin my heads to 1/2 inch and add a 1/16 head plate veneer. If I'm going to do a back strap I just make the veneers thinner. I bind all my heads with 1/4 inch material - that covers the seam.

I'll add that Benedetto is the first builder I've seen who tapers his headstocks, I'm not sure why.

[Travelrock]

I told you wrong in my previous post - I have used 9/16 (0.5625) or 16.5 mm on most of my paddle head guitars and that has worked nicely with all of the tuners (Gotoh, Grover, Waverly). Most of the time I thin my heads to 1/2 inch and add a 1/16 head plate veneer. If I'm going to do a back strap I just make the veneers thinner. I bind all my heads with 1/4 inch material - that covers the seam.

I'll add that Benedetto is the first builder I've seen who tapers his headstocks, I'm not sure why.

Thank you very much. My headstock is very close to this measure, 16 mm. I,ve seen that for Grover something between 11-18 mm would work.

Benedetto perhaps tape the headstock for strengthen the trussrod channel end zone (a weak point).

[Freeman Keller]

Thank you very much. My headstock is very close to this measure, 16 mm. I,ve seen that for Grover something between 11-18 mm would work.

Benedetto perhaps tape the headstock for strengthen the trussrod channel end zone (a weak point).

That is true, but his laminated neck should be very strong. I use double acting truss rods with a small allen key adjuster and do scarf joined head which I think are stronger than just sawing the the neckj out of a single board. I did add the two carbon fiber beams in this neck but that was as much to reinforce the floating fretboard extension. If anything the CF beams almost made the neck too stiff - with light gauge strings it only pulls a couple of thousands of relief which is just fine in my opinion).

[Travelrock]

That is true, but his laminated neck should be very strong. I use double acting truss rods with a small allen key adjuster and do scarf joined head which I think are stronger than just sawing the the neckj out of a single board. I did add the two carbon fiber beams in this neck but that was as much to reinforce the floating fretboard extension. If anything the CF beams almost made the neck too stiff - with light gauge strings it only pulls a couple of thousands of relief which is just fine in my opinion).

Completely agree with you.
It seems to be accepted that a well-glued joint provides more resistance to breakage in certain cases, for example in the necks of classical and steel strings guitars.
So why are archtop guitar necks made in one piece? (I refer to the heel and the headstock-neck joint)
In my country we have good suppliers of tonewoods, but maple is scarce, and finding wood for a one-piece maple neck is very complicated.

[Travelrock]

Hello,

Now my soundboard is ready to bracing and binding but I can’t decide if binding or keep without binding.



I like the look without binding but would be a good reason for practising this task.

Other options are:



Two layers, one stained black sicomore (thinner) and natural maple (a bit thicker)

Four layers (all the same thickness) black/sicomore:



My intention is to give the guitar a design combined between the rich decoration of a New Yorker style and the beauty based on the little decoration of more contemporary designs. But the binging of the f holes has me paralyzed.

I would love to hear some opinions on this aspect.

Thank you very much for reading me.

[mbar65]

If you want the binding practice I say go for it. I made separate little jigs for bending the bindings and holding them to a set for both the round holes at the end of each f hole. Is that how you intend to do it also? The 4 layer looks really elegant. Nice job on the top btw...

[Sam Sherry]

I can’t decide if binding or keep without binding.

My intention is to give the guitar a design combined between the rich decoration of a New Yorker style and the beauty based on the little decoration of more contemporary designs. But the binging of the f holes has me paralyzed.

Answer #1: If you want to bind the f-holes think about matching the peghead and neck binding. Symnetry projects intention.

I like the look without binding but would be a good reason for practising this task.

My intention is to give the guitar a design combined between the rich decoration of a New Yorker style and the beauty based on the little decoration of more contemporary designs.

Great attitude.

For me, archtop bling-iness is about, "Because I can."
a) A lot of homebrew archtops have inlays or bindings which are 'almost correct.' Sadly they show that not only was the builder unable to pull it of (yet), they couldn't correct the fault.
b) The flip-side of the coin is purposeful plainness. When Bob Bendetto or Ken Parker or John Monteleone builds a guitar with a blank fingerboard it is clear that they can do lots more but don't need to anymore. However, when Sam Sherry builds a guitar (30 years ago) with a blank fingerboard, everybody knows it's because he can't (and never did).

I bet this is no help whatsoever . . .

[Freeman Keller]

I like to bind guitars, including f-holes, "because I can". I choose one theme and try to carry it all the way thru the guitar - body, neck, head, f-holes, pick guard - all gets the same binding done in the same way.

Here is the acoustic archtop that I just finished, it is bound in ivoroid with BWB lines





Here is a hollow body with maple binding, including the f-holes



White with some accents lines on another acoustic



One thing to remember about binding f-holes is that if you are relying on them for access to the inside of the guitar (for fishing electronics) to make sure everything will fit thru them. On an acoustic it doesn't matter.

[Travelrock]

If you want the binding practice I say go for it. I made separate little jigs for bending the bindings and holding them to a set for both the round holes at the end of each f hole. Is that how you intend to do it also? The 4 layer looks really elegant. Nice job on the top btw...

Thank you very much for your reply. At the moment I don’t have idea about binding f holes, I think a gig could be usefull. I wonder how to bend this small holes, I think will come back to use a hot pipe (this was my first bending set!)

[Travelrock]

Answer #1: If you want to bind the f-holes think about matching the peghead and neck binding. Symnetry projects intention.
. . .

My aesthetic preference in archtops guitars is divided between the more ornamented instruments and the "less is more". Both options, well intended, seem visually extraordinary to me. But I don't know if is possible to have both styles in a single instrument!

Thanks for your reply.

[Freeman Keller]

Plastic binding is fairly easy to bend to fit f-holes, wood is difficult. I use a hair dryer to warm plastic and a hot pipe for wood. I use a lot of little wedges to hold the binding in place and all of my binding is fitted dry and then I wick water thin CA in to the seam. The binding stands slightly proud of the top on both the inside and out, I can shave that back after its glued.

[Travelrock]

I like to bind guitars, including f-holes, "because I can". I choose one theme and try to carry it all the way thru the guitar - body, neck, head, f-holes, pick guard - all gets the same binding done in the same way.

…

Congratulations for your work, and thank you for your reply and for share the pictures. Very different and beautiful instruments.

I will take your advice into account. I plan to bind the plates, fingerboard and headstock.