iLuthier

If you don’t have any of those drill press mounted or the smaller “Dremel type” drum sanders, or if you’ve run out of the special sleeves you need to buy for some of the smaller drums then you still have an alternative.

Slot a piece of 1/2″ or 3/8″ wooden dowel and slide a strip of sandpaper through it. Wrap it all around the dowel and add a drop of superglue to the end of it to keep it in place. You’ve now created an instant mini drum sander and you’ll find it’s great for getting into those hard to reach areas!

Likewise if you wrap a piece of flannel cloth or a similar rag around the dowel in the same manner you’ll find you’ll have a mini polisher, which is great for putting a glassy finish on bone nuts and saddles.

1 Piece 15/16 T X 7 1/8 w X 31 L Cherry Guitar Neck Blank US $5.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 15:48:11 PDT   | Watch this Item

BLANK BONE TALL CLASSICAL GUITAR NUT NECK PIECE 2 5/32x US $6.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 16:36:06 PDT   | Watch this Item

black Electric Guitar Neck Plates w Mounting Screws Blank,NECK PLATE W/ Neckplat US $4.22 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 18:09:03 PDT   | Watch this Item

Maple guitar neck blank - angled headstock - Gibson style - luthier special US $50.00 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 18:32:34 PDT   | Watch this Item

BLANK BONE GUITAR NUT NECK PIECE 2 5/32 X 11/32 X 1/4" US $8.99 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 21:51:44 PDT   | Watch this Item

BLANK BONE TALL CLASSICAL GUITAR NUT NECK PIECE 2 5/32x US $8.99 Auction Ends: Sunday May-20-2012 3:23:30 PDT   | Watch this Item

BLANK BONE GUITAR NUT SQUARE NECK PIECE 2 X 3/4 X 3/16" US $9.99 Auction Ends: Sunday May-20-2012 3:32:13 PDT   | Watch this Item

Regular white Birdseye Maple Luthier Guitar neck blank 5A++ Loaded with Eyes!!!! US $108.02 Auction Ends: Sunday May-20-2012 19:00:46 PDT   | Watch this Item

NOTE: Click on the diagrams for a larger version.

LEFT: A diagram of the finished jig.

Here’s a handy tool idea for thicknessing bandings that can then be used for rosettes or for making your own natural wood bindings for guitars and hurdy-gurdies. With this jig you can adjust the depth of cut – or rather the depth of “scrape” – quickly and easily……and all you need to make it is a few pieces of scrap wood, some glue, some screws and an old Stanley number 152 or 153 spokeshave which you can easily buy from a dealer or on eBay for $10 or so.

The base is a block of hardwood (A) about 8″ or so long. You can use a longer piece if you like but it’s not necessary. The bridge piece (B) is basically “U” shaped and can be made from scrap blocks of 1″ maple or oak or whatever you have lying around. It is mounted to the base at a 75-80 degree angle and can be screwed or glued. There is a housing notched in the above diagram for the bridge but you don’t have to do it this way if you don’t want to. It will make the overall jig stronger though.

A round-headed wood screw holds both the blade and the spokeshave cap in place (C). The adjustable thumb nuts and the mounting screws from the spokeshave are secured as shown. Holes can just be drilled directly into the bridge block for the screws and the thread size should be 1.BA but it pays to check first.

One corner of the blade is then ground back slightly so as to allow the un-thicknessed piece of wood easier access. This means that you need to start your feed at an angle and then straighten it up as you pull the wood stringing all the way through. After sharpening the blade to a edge it is then burnished in the same way that you would burnish a normal scraper or scraper plane.

RIGHT: Showing the ground-back spokeshave blade from the front of the jig.

To use the jig just feed your raw banding material from the back and at an angle as mentioned. To avoid an uneven edge try to thickness your piece from both ends of it until it is the required thickness.

As many of you might realize it’s much easier make the banding to the right thickness than trying to make the groove to fit your existing material. This way you cut your groove first, then thickness the banding to fit it.

NOTE: The above diagrams have been sourced from the book “Making Woodworking Aids & Devices” by Robert Wearing.

Guitar binding machine martin guitar kit building US $215.00 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 15:53:08 PDT   | Watch this Item

20,Beautiful pearl pattern Guitar bindings Purfling Strips 1650x6x1.5mm US $44.89 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 17:48:48 PDT   | Watch this Item

10 *Celluloid guitar binding,Measures 6mm x 1.5mm thick ,pearl colored pattern US $24.55 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 17:48:59 PDT   | Watch this Item

5PCS PEARLOID GUITAR BINDING MATERIAL CELLULOID 6MM WIDTH US $13.55 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 17:49:03 PDT   | Watch this Item

20,Red Pearl Cool Celluloid Binding 6X1.5mm thick for acoustic classic guitar Gu US $42.98 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 17:49:20 PDT   | Watch this Item

10pcs 6MM Width celluloid high quality guitar binding red pearl colored guitar p US $23.89 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 17:49:23 PDT   | Watch this Item

5* HIGH QUALITY RED PEARL CELLULOID GUITAR BINDING 1650x 6 x 1.5MM US $13.69 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 17:49:27 PDT   | Watch this Item

Great Red pearl 2P Celluloid Guitar Binding Purfling Strip 0.24inch(6mm width) US $6.29 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 17:49:38 PDT   | Watch this Item

While I want to do a profile on Ervin Somogyi and his guitar making sometime soon, I thought I would concentrate today on some of the fantastic work he does in carving lute roses.

Ervin uses a lot of historical influences as you would expect. After all it’s not unusual for any instrument maker to “borrow” from the past and use existing designs. It seems to be a little more prevalent with violin and lute makers though. Not all of the designs that Ervin uses, however, are from existing instruments but rather a varied and wide ranging assortment of ideas and designs found in books and paintings as well as architecture, furniture, interior decoration and other historical references.

While not every lute rose that Ervin creates will actually wind up being in an instrument the work is, nonetheless, extraordinary. Indeed many of these roses will end up in beautifully crafted jewelry boxes and pieces of furniture as well as grace the walls of those clients fortunate enough to be able to afford these works of art. Whether it’s on a wall, a box or an instrument though the dedication, craftsmanship and the attention to detail found in the roses is the same.

To check out some of the beautiful imagery that Ervin Somogyi creates with his lute roses, click here.

To find out more about him and his work as a guitar maker, click here.

And stay tuned for a profile on Ervin’s lutherie here soon.

Washburn J-6 Archtop Jazz Guitar US $400.00 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 13:44:53 PDT   | Watch this Item

Godin Multiac Jazz Spruce Electric Guitar Archtop Acoustic Spruce Top NEW US $1,799.00 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 17:03:01 PDT   | Watch this Item

HOFNER HCT-J17 JAZZ ARCHTOP L5 ELECTRIC ACOUSTIC GUITAR CHERRY SUNBURST US $379.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 17:20:21 PDT   | Watch this Item

New Archtop Jazz Guitar Bridge Rosewood Chrome Hardware guitar parts US $16.99 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 19:06:50 PDT   | Watch this Item

Collectible 40th Ann. Peerless Leela Jazz archtop guitar NAMM Demo w/ Hardcase US $2,150.00 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 22:09:02 PDT   | Watch this Item

JAZZ GUITAR SOLOING METHOD for Archtop, Electric, Acoustic US $29.95 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Sunday May-20-2012 8:55:11 PDT   | Watch this Item

1950'S AIRLINE KAY 17" ARCHTOP JAZZ ACOUSTIC ELECTRIC GUITAR SPRUCE TOP US $399.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Sunday May-20-2012 9:09:47 PDT   | Watch this Item

Artec Side Mount Pickup for Arch Top Jazz Guitar Gold US $14.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Sunday May-20-2012 9:26:42 PDT   | Watch this Item

Squirt some super glue into your fret slots, wait for it to dry, and then carefully recut the slots so that fret tangs will have a harder and more stable surface to “grab” and bite into. This is really only necessary if you’re having trouble with the frets not grabbing properly in the first place though so most times you can do without.

Also, on the subject of super glue, it can often be quite messy – resulting in fingers being covered in the stuff. If you don’t have any remover then use some sandpaper or a pumice stone and remove the glue that way. Be warned though that you only have seven layers of skin so it can become rather tender there towards the end. Also make sure that your glued-up hands are nowhere near your face or eyes as the vapors from super glue is enough to cause much discomfort.

Tandy Leather Ranchero Inlay Ant. Nickel Buckle Blank 11738-07 US $5.03 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 15:59:39 PDT   | Watch this Item

1 oz AAA inlay material sea snail shell blanks big size US $24.99 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 17:30:32 PDT   | Watch this Item

Spalted chocolate ambrosia maple turning pen blanks crafts inlay A++ US $18.50 (5 Bids) Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 18:18:21 PDT   | Watch this Item

Inlay Material Mother of Pearl Blank - 1pcs ( MA-9) US $25.00 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 18:51:22 PDT   | Watch this Item

5pcs inlay materials of white mother of pearl blanks size 2.000 x 1.500 x 0.060" US $32.99 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 19:25:58 PDT   | Watch this Item

Knife Blanks Blade Composite Scale Inlay Fossil Bone Pair US $0.99 (1 Bid) Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 19:33:25 PDT   | Watch this Item

5pcs inlay materials of white mother of pearl blanks size 2.750 x 1.570 x 0.040" US $50.00 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 19:46:59 PDT   | Watch this Item

5pcs inlay materials of white mother of pearl blanks size 2.000 x 2.000 x 0.060" US $50.00 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 19:54:10 PDT   | Watch this Item

Beauty, style and functionality…

Adam Lawrence of Jam Court Mountain Dulcimers has been professionally involved in the music industry for over twenty years. As a Music Business major at Anderson University in Indiana, he studied classical guitar and voice and he has performed in numerous venues as a soloist and as the founder of a contemporary Christian music group that included dulcimer instrumentation. Adam is currently an active member of the Hills of Kentucky Dulcimer Club. and all of this passion for music and his wide experience in music production goes into each an every Jam Court dulcimer.

What makes Jam Court dulcimers different from other dulcimers? Well primarily it’s because you can have one crafted to your own complete custom design. Unlike most “off the shelf” instruments, for a dulcimer that expresses your unique personality and playing style you need more than a choice of two or three walnut/spruce models that a dealership may offer. As Adam explains “If you want Bolivian rosewood back/sides, Honduras mahogany top, and a curly maple fretboard with ebony overlay then we can do that. We let you select the wood type for every piece that goes into your dulcimer. You can even give us your dimensions for side depth, fretboard width and fretscale! We also do custom inlay using pearl and wood marquetry and we have a few unique soundhole themes from which to choose or we can work with you to incorporate your own hole shapes. As well as that we offer side binding (to enhance beauty) and a double back (to enhance resonance).”

At Jam Court various selections of hardwood can be used to overlay the fretboard and head. This allows for a softer wood to be used for the fretboard, for increased resonance, while protecting the playing surfaces with a more durable, dense wood. Also, using a contrasting overlay color enhances the beauty of the strum hollow and the curved relief carved into the head.

The sound hole themes on the dulcimers are non-traditional insofar as the holes are offset at an angle from one side of the soundboard to the other. The shapes themselves vary in size and orientation to give a more natural look. The unique bridge pin cover hides the pins while providing a surface for decorative inlay, while the side binding, a decorative wood trim along the edges of the sides, can dress up a dulcimer and make it extraordinary. To personalize your dulcimer, Jam Court can also inscribe under one of the sound holes with something that is personal or meaningful to you, for example a bible verse, poetic phrase or a person’s name.

And at 37 ½ inches in overall length and a standard 2 ½ inch side depth, Jam Court’s dulcimers have a big sound that stands out in a crowd.

To check out some more images, click here.

To go to the Jam Court Mountain Dulcimer webpage, click here.

Bill Spence LP The Hammered Dulcimer US $8.00 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 12:44:46 PDT   | Watch this Item

Hammered Dulcimer by Peter Pickrow US $9.99 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 12:47:49 PDT   | Watch this Item

Jim Miller- Hills & Hollers (Hammered Dulcimer/Guitar Duets) LP MINT US $5.09 (4 Bids) Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 12:54:10 PDT   | Watch this Item

T Tuning Wrench - Harpsichord, Zither, Dulcimer, Harp US $13.95 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 13:23:16 PDT   | Watch this Item

Apple Creek ACD100 Dulcimer with Spruce Top US $53.55 (2 Bids) Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 13:27:07 PDT   | Watch this Item

DULCIMER FAIR - LEO KRETZNER & JAY LEIBOVITZ LP US $16.00 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 13:35:10 PDT   | Watch this Item

First Act Begniners Lap Harp Dulcimer With Song Books Pick & Manual NO RESERVE US $3.95 (2 Bids) Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 13:47:33 PDT   | Watch this Item

Apple Creek Mountain Dulcimer US $119.22 Auction Ends: Saturday May-19-2012 13:53:32 PDT   | Watch this Item