Starting a Jazz Guitar Manufacturing Business in The UK

[Archie]

Hi All

New episode of the workshop build on YouTube.

Episode 4: Confronting Chaos (dramatic I know).

Sorry Franz, I suddenly remembered your handle is Franz1997 not 1999 but I couldn't take the video down and re-edit it.
I didn't have the heart. I'll put the correction in the description.

To anyone I didn't mention, you'll make it on next time. It was late and I was nodding off whilst finishing up at 2:00am.

I need to add voice over on the videos to make them more entertaining. I think these videos are ok, but I know I can step them up a notch.

P.s I'm looking for forum members music to use in my videos. If you have any you would like to contribute, that would be great. You'll get mentioned in the video and a link to your channel if you have one. I might not use everything I'm sent (if anything) but I would like to use music from lesser known jazz guitarists. Just Pm me a link. I have software that can download the mp3 from most platforms.

[danishbacon]

Hi Tal.

There is as far as I know, no ‘real’ downside but likely a perceived one at point of sale.

D’Aquisto made his first laminated guitars with quite big sound posts. I think likely for two reasons.

1) It’s a good way to make the guitar more practical regarding feedback.

2) It increases the sustain of the instrument to some degree, which is what more modern builders were trying to do post bop.

The only problem is, people generally don’t seem to like them. It destroys the fundamental idea we mostly have that Archtops are supposed to resonant and the more they do, the better they will sound.

Although those who have come into contact with sound posts often find it can increase (in a slightly different way) the way vibrations travel through the guitar, making them sound louder compared to ordinary laminate or poorly made acoustic examples).

It’s definitely something worth playing around with. Have a look at this.

Frustratingly for me, I was going to use this method in some R&D but he’s already patented the idea. I was likely 6 months away from being able to do it so… but yeh; annoying lol

Bill Moll used a pair of spruce bars between the neck and the end block, with deeply scalloped x braces on his Workingman’s hero guitar.

It was remarkably loud acoustically with a beautiful tone. It made me reevaluate what I thought I knew about laminate archtops.

There are a few laminate archtops with posts/trestle braces, Guild 170 and Gretsch come to mind. It would be worth experimenting with post position and direction.

Bill Moll’s approach was structural, with interesting tonal side effects on my sample of 1.

following with interest and optimism.

[Archie]

Hi all

Episode 5 of the workshop build. Still a long way to go but things are starting to get a little organised.

This was all filmed in January so still a few months behind. I'm trying to put as much as I can in one video without it getting too boring, so I can get things up to speed.

Onwards and upwards!

[Archie]

Hi Everyone

New video up (Episode 6) for the workshop build.

In this video I will be:

Moving the spray booth and dust extractor up onto the mezzanine.
Moving the panel saw and CNC into Room 2
Clearing more rubbish out from the last business.
Cutting holes in walls.
Cleaning.
Painting.
Giving away some really nice cabinets, I didn't have room for (which I still regret).

Once again, thanks to everyone for your help and enthusiasm. I'm going to need a lot more of it so hang in there

[JFranck]

Congrats Archie, nice job of adapting your workspace !
But your stairs without guardrails scare me...

[Archie]

Congrats Archie, nice job of adapting your workspace !
But your stairs without guardrails scare me...

Me too JFranck.

I've kinda got used to them but complacency is a big part of workplace accidents. I definitely make sure not to have anything I could trip over at the top of the stairs.

I will see to it that the stairs are made good.

The great thing about all this machinery is that anything I need building with wood, should be a doodle.

I'm actually putting the ducting in now and should have the machines fired up next week. I'm trying to fit as much as I can into each episode so I can bring everyone up to speed. I think another two episodes and I can then start posting a daily or bi-weekly vlog.

[Archie]

Nice photography shoot space. That’s much larger than mine. Where’s the new guitar build space?

Sorry 2B totally missed your post.

Yeh that was the old one. The new one is part stood and potentially part spray booth lol

I'll show you the new layout tomorrow.

[Archie]

Hi All

New Episode of the 'New Workshop Build'

I think I'm up to about April now in terms of vlogs/episodes. I'm hoping that by the next two, I'll be up to date entirely.

I've been doing a lot of CAD over the last few weeks and fitting ducting in the machining room, which I'll cover in the next episode.

[Archie]

I'd like to take this opportunity and say that I have little to no input on what the thumbnail says.

My partner does them and she won't let me change them, even though sometimes I would like to

I appreciate her help.

[Archie]

Hi All

Sorry it's been a month since I last posted an update video on the workshop build.

In this episode I take delivery of a new Bandsaw, I change the impeller on my dust extractor, put up some lighting for the assembly area and electrocute myself with 240V in the process!

As you can tell I'm still alive, or writing from the grave.

There is only one more video I need to do, which will be 'Episode 9'. That will be me putting up the ducting for the machining rooms, doing some more LED lighting and something else that doesn't come to mind atm.
Once that video is done (some time this week), everything will be up to date.

Sorry for the delay, I am flat out but plodding on.

[Rob MacKillop]

Thank (Archtop) Heaven for rubber-soled shoes!

[John A.]

What do you call a guitarist with a band saw? ...


... A former guitarist.

[Archie]

Still working on finishing Episode 9 of the workshop build. In the meantime I popped into Axminster tools UK to have a look at some sanding stations for bridge, nut, tailpiece and pick-guard manufacturing.

It might be of interest and I recorded the visit, so here it is.

They don't specialise in guitar tools but they do sell workshop tools and machines, which are likely common in most luthier workshops.

[Archie]

Hi All

Just posted my new episode of the workshop build Episode 9.

This brings everything to to date, as of last week. There was over 100 hours of footage to edit down and it's taken me about 4 days to complete

Really happy to have things up to date because I would really like to start doing a daily style vlog so I can now involve you guys more in the process by posting video questions about upcoming ideas and planning.

If the video is bad quality, it's because YouTube is still decompressing it for an HD version.

In this video I:

Put some more led lights up
Build a wall and put a door into the machining room,
Put up all the ducting for the machines
I find all the parts to my panel saw and reassemble it from the move

[Archie]

This has been a long time coming

Thanks everyone for commenting and wishing me well in this build; It's meant a lot.

In this video I talk about the workshop, CAD work, 3D scanning, Forma's and veneering + what I hope to achieve.

I'm going to try and move to a weekly videos, as I go through the process of learning to build. These will hopefully be more interactive, as I'll need all the help I can get.

Onwards & Upwards!

[Archie]

I thought I would do a workshop update.


Last week I was book matching and butt joining veneers. I tested a few methods and so far have settled on something that works well but needs finessing. I fired up the big wide belt sander and managed to create some very pleasing results.
I take two consecutive veneers, trim the edge on a jig I made for my sliding panel saw, glue and tape the veneers together to make one big sheet (16”) and then after the glue has 'grab’ cured (2 hours), I take the sheet and put it through the wide belt sander.
The results are that I have a 16” wide sheet, with a very nice finish (120 grit) and a thickness consistency of about 0.09mm across the sheet, which is fantastic!
I might be able to improve it to an over all consistency of 0.05mm, but 0.09mm is perfectly acceptable.

0.09mm = 0.0035”

I then took that sheet with 3 others and pressed them over my JP20 former in the vacuum press. That all worked really well so i’m now well on my way to making my first arched top plate.

I will of course do a video detailing it all. Things are getting really exciting but I had a set back this week as it became apparent my dust extractor had been leaking dust into the workshop. In response I've had to pretty much empty the workshop, and wipe down and hoover every surface, every little tool etc…
I’m still in the process of finishing this and will be done hopefully by Thursday.

From then I will get back to making veneers and pressing a plate which I can hopefully achieve by the weekend and have a video up for Sunday.


Here’s some random pics. I take too much video footage and not enough pics.

[supersoul]

This has been a long time coming

Thanks everyone for commenting and wishing me well in this build; It's meant a lot.

In this video I talk about the workshop, CAD work, 3D scanning, Forma's and veneering + what I hope to achieve.

I'm going to try and move to a weekly videos, as I go through the process of learning to build. These will hopefully be more interactive, as I'll need all the help I can get.

Onwards & Upwards!

at 2:50, it looks like half of an unfinished archtop body. Is that something you made as a test?

[Archie]

Hey Super

That’s the cutaway half of a JP20. To bend the sides I need a former, so after scanning the guitar, I cut the body in half (in CAD) and turned the outer contour into a solid surface. That then allowed me to machine the contour of the body on the CNC. I used I think 3 x 18mm thick pieces of MDF and then bolted them together.

So yes, it's a side bending former for vacuum pressing the sides.

Good spot there!

[Archie]

WORKSHOP UPDATE 30/6/2024

Hey all.

Thought I'd do an end of week workshop Update.

Monday & Tuesday

Started the week having to finish clearing out the entire workshop and wipe down every surface and tool, because the dust extractor had been leaking dust for a few weeks.
It took me 3 days of cleaning but everything is now ship shape. I started end of last week and only had a small bit to do Monday morning.
I've spent about two days trying to fix the extractor which I’ve done but not to a very satisfactory level. It’s not leaking but I’m not sure how long my work around will last.

I also spoke to some saw blade experts and learnt a lot about them. I need a better one for my veneer slicing, the one I currently have is not that good. It has a low number of teeth and the degree of the teeth is quite high.

I then set about building a new wood storage section, for storing the increasing level of boards I have.







Wednesday

I spent a day searching for wood at my two suppliers but I've pretty much bought all of their figured wood. I've been tipped off about other suppliers and have found a source for incredibly figured Sycamore. The problem is, the source wants me to buy the whole tree (log), which is about $8k or £6.5k Sterling. I’m going to drive over to the wood yard on Monday and inspect it. It's going to be a 4 hour round trip. If I buy it, it will be a lifetimes supply of highly figured wood, which is not easy to find in the UK.








Thursday

My local saw mill had a free lunch day which I went to and had a good meet and greet with lots of people. Got to talk wood and got shown round the machining area by the workshop manager.
I then went on to the workshop and tested my new saw blade for cutting veneers, which I researched and ordered on Monday. It worked really well, so that’s another precess worked out and now on to the next one. That could have turned into a real headache so happy to get the result.








Friday

I spent a lot of time this week researching props for my photography studio, due to the upcoming Guild photoshoot. I've looked at a lot of of mid century stuff and also done more research into hand painted backdrops. I found a company in north London that makes expensive backdrops but also has slightly faulty ones they sell as clearance. I went up and visited them on Thursday. Nice guys, gave me some free photography lessons. I bought a backdop for £300 which is expensive still. Not sure if it was the right move but I’m in a rush due to wanting to get these Guilds pictured and I think it's worked out ok.








Sunday

I’ve just done a photoshoot with the 3 Guild Artist Models. I’m going to edit the pics this eve, do the audio tomorrow morning and internal cam inspection. The idea is to get my online magazine ‘Archtop Heaven’ finally off the ground. I’m also selling the AA so need to do all the media before hand. This is a very rare collection and likely no other one exists!




Goals For Next Week:

1) Re machine bigger former for Ibanez JP20.
2) Machine veneers for pressing.
3) Press first arched plate
4) Help Felder change wheel on bandsaw (they changed the top one last week).
5) Finish all the media done on the Guild Shoot
6) Work on my online Magazine.
7) Go and inspect figured log.

[Archie]

Workshop Update!

Things are looking grim.

My dust extractor is out of commission and I'm having to scratch around trying to raise money to replace it. The trouble is, good extractors are expensive so that leaves me with building my own.
I'm not super up on dust extractors although by this point I'm likely pretty knowledgeable. Either way it's going to cost.
I bought £1000 worth of custom filters that are wrong so might have been a total waste of money.

I'm also working on a vacuum bed to carry the veneers through the wide belt sander. This is going well, which is a huge relief, given that if I couldn't get this to work, I would be really stuck when it comes to part of my veneer processing. The vacuum bed ended up being really heavy so I've order some premade carbon fibre sheets which will work really well and make it super light weight; not to mention strong and stable.

So yes... I've hit a low point and just as I was about to start producing plates. I'm going to have to sell another guitar to raise funds.

Hopefully though, when this low passes, I'll be making plates and potentially making some money.

After the dust extractor is built, the vacuum bed is done, I can get back to pressing some plates and then making the vacuum press, to bend the sides.
Once that is done, I can start making some closed boxes.

I hope that will be within the next 2 months.

Onwards and Upwards!

[RJVB]

(too soon? )

[Archie]

(too soon? )

If Freddie is singing it's fine by me.

[telephonic]

Hi Archie - fascinating journey this. I knew that guitar making in general could be somewhat machine-intensive but this looks like it's a whole new level.

Re photography: I have had some experience with violin photography so if you need any help send me a PM. I imagine arch top guitars would present all the same problems with avoiding reflections.

[Archie]

Hi Archie - fascinating journey this. I knew that guitar making in general could be somewhat machine-intensive but this looks like it's a whole new level.

Re photography: I have had some experience with violin photography so if you need any help send me a PM. I imagine arch top guitars would present all the same problems with avoiding reflections.

Thanks telephonic, that’s very kind of you. You’re right, photographing archtops is not easy. We can discuss systems in PM if you want? I found quite a good way to light them but it does give off a rather flat light.

Kindest Regards

[teeps]

I hope you well get over these humps on the path.
Until you can get something better can't a dust extractor be replaced by a powerful vacuum cleaner?