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