Questions tagged [lutherie]
The art of making stringed instruments.
75
questions
1
vote
0
answers
77
views
Do you see twists on this guitar neck? Picture [closed]
Guys when you look at this picture do you see any twists?
enter image description here
https://i.imgur.com/J1EYclS.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/a4gcr1g.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/M2YTBQo.jpeg
- 121
0
votes
1
answer
139
views
Is it usual for old violin to have an obvious line that separates the front plate into left and right?
The picture of the front plate of an old violin below shows a very obvious line that separates the front plate into left and right parts.
While I understand that the violin has a two-part front plate, ...
- 321
0
votes
1
answer
84
views
Is looking at the centre spine behind the peg box of a violin a good way of discerning whether it is from Dutzenarbeit?
In some school of violin making, e.g. Mittenwald, the centre spine, if it is not from "Dutzenarbeit", should be sharp instead of ending with some delta. See the photo below. Is it also the ...
- 321
3
votes
1
answer
92
views
Can you attach a backplate in a semi-hollow guitar with screws?
All semi hollow guitars I've seen have the backplates glued to the body or body "frame" in the case when the hollow is fully removed instead if carved.
I'm not a tone-freak, but, would I ...
- 91
2
votes
3
answers
249
views
Why are necks thinner at the nut?
I'm sure this must have been asked before but I'm finding myself incapable of phrasing the search query correctly to find it.
Guitar and bass (and more generally all 'necked' instruments) necks are ...
- 91
0
votes
1
answer
220
views
First guitar with fretboard inlays?
When did guitars first get fretboard inlays? Or were they a common feature on pre-guitar stringed instruments before the the guitar was formalised to the shape we now know and love?
Was there a ...
- 2,036
4
votes
2
answers
168
views
When did Stradivarius become "Stradivarius!"
Instruments built by the Stradivarius family are popularly thought of amongst the pantheon of "greatest ever".1 But have they always been considered this way? Were they held in similarly ...
- 75.7k
7
votes
1
answer
791
views
How risky is it to have a maple fretboard refretted?
I was thinking of having my guitar (with a maple fretboard) refretted, but I've been looking at images of different fret wire online, and I noticed that they have some sort of teeth to keep them in ...
5
votes
1
answer
237
views
Why do classical guitars necks meet the body at fret 12th and steel strings at fret 14th?
Is there a reason for this? What exactly is the reasoning behind it?
- 14.6k
6
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Are these indentations on the frets of my Acoustic for intonation? Can I apply this to the frets of my Electric?
The questions are in the title, picture is below, but here are the (TL/DR) details.
About 9 months ago, I bought an electric guitar "kit" and assembled it (fun, highly recommended). This ...
- 215
3
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Is my truss rod broken?
Recently I have been messing around with a Squier Affinity Strat, trying to set it up properly. I tried to adjust the truss rod and it was initially too tight. So I turned it counterclockwise, in ...
6
votes
1
answer
299
views
I want to make my Rabab sound louder
I have an Afghani stringed instrument. It has 3 main strings (nylon) along with drone and sympathetic strings. 20 in total.
I feel that my rabab is not creating enough sound, especially the echo a ...
- 61
1
vote
2
answers
84
views
What kind of box for a hand crank music box
I usually build boxes for speakers, but I would like to build a box for a hand crank music box to have a strong resonance.
Like this : https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/27/...
- 111
2
votes
1
answer
312
views
Normal fret wear or particularly low-quality fret wire?
I've been playing a cheap guitar for maybe an hour every day for the past two years. At first I was very happy with the way it played, the frets were perfectly level and I was able to set it up ...
- 65
1
vote
2
answers
106
views
Fixing loose strap button screw in solid-body guitar [duplicate]
I have a strap button screw in my Squier Affinity Strat that I have to re-fasten every week or so, and I'd like to carry out a more permanent repair. There is no visible damage to the screw hole or ...
- 13
4
votes
2
answers
814
views
Magnetic part of pickup sticks out
I got my guitar set up and the luthier did an amazing job. However, I want to know if the magnetic part of one of the pickups sticking out is normal. Beneath the A and D strings, these parts stick out ...
- 207
5
votes
2
answers
406
views
Violin bridge E-string: pad or hardened insert?
I know many (not all) violinists place a small pad or a short piece of tubing around the E-string at the bridge contact point. Some bridges have a tiny insert there, presumably of a very hard wood, ...
- 14.7k
6
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Are there any violin family instruments built without a left shoulder?
On the bass and cello (and probably violin and viola as well), it seems like many aspects of proper form serve the purpose of getting ones arm over the left shoulder to play high on the fingerboard. ...
- 1,712
2
votes
2
answers
559
views
Crack between fretboard and guitar neck
I recently adjusted the truss rod in my guitar, nothing uncommon. I increased the relief a little bit when I noticed the following crack around the 7th fret. It is, perhaps difficult to see, but I am ...
- 123
3
votes
1
answer
173
views
What physical phenomenon causes stratitis?
I've heard luthiers refer to the weird sounds from a badly adjusted pickup as 'stratitis' (or 'wolf sounds'?).
What are the mechanics of stratitis? What physical phenomenon causes it to occur?
- 259
0
votes
1
answer
224
views
How can I measure, or otherwise quantify, the accuracy of intonation of my classical guitar, in order to compare it with other classical guitars?
Is there an standard / common way of measuring and comparing intonation in classical guitars?
Say, if I were a luthier, which objective method would I use to decide if any given classical guitar needs ...
- 16.1k
1
vote
3
answers
167
views
Electric guitar bridge moved after one string broke
Ok so I was playing my Ibanez electric guitar when the first string broke during a bend. Afterwards the bridge seemed lifted up, like moved upwards (see image). When I tried strumming the other ...
2
votes
2
answers
2k
views
(Solved) Intonation Problem (Only with High E and B Strings) in Acoustic Guitar
My Acoustic Guitar's Intonation is right in place for the bottom 4 strings, But the Top two are off. Octave is 50 Cents flat in B-string and 1 semi-tone flat in E-string.
-
I thought it was the ...
3
votes
2
answers
535
views
Is it OK to just replace the first 4 frets instead of all 24 on an Ibanez SR-300, because the first 4 were the only ones damaged by my negligence?
Ibanez SR-300 4 String bass guitar re-fretIbanez 4-String Bassneck DR-300
- 31
3
votes
1
answer
298
views
White dirt in jatoba fretboard
My brand new JemJR has weird white dust inside wood. I already tried to clean it using some paper and water. It looked perfect right after cleaning it, but it returned once the fretboard was dry.
...
- 131
2
votes
1
answer
86
views
Anti-slip foam material used for shoulder-rest?
What's the name of the very anti-slip foam felt used in popular violin shoulder rests such as Everest, Bonmusica etc?
I have a high neck and I want to cut out another layer of that foam to adhere to ...
- 2,003
10
votes
5
answers
7k
views
On instruments that use frets, where's the best spot to press a string on, in order to minimize hand fatigue and potential for injuries?
I know this question sounds completely subjective at first sight, it even triggered the automatic "The question you're asking appears subjective and is likely to be closed" alarm, but please read ...
- 16.1k
1
vote
1
answer
53
views
How thick should rosewood be for a floating pickguard?
I'd like to make a rosewood or ebony pickguard for my archtop. I see rosewood in 2mm thickness for a reasonable price. Does anyone have experience with wooden floating pickguards? I've only seen ...
- 394
2
votes
1
answer
95
views
Are intonation issues in a cheap acoustic guitar fixable?
so I am a beginner guitarist, and I have one quite good guitar, and a cheap one.
I`ve tuned it to standard tuning, and when I play the 5th fret on the E string on the cheap one, it goes like 1/4 of a ...
- 21
2
votes
1
answer
122
views
How does the action (distance between fret and string) of a guitar affect the tone / sound / timbre?
When talking with or reading / watching about professionals and their setups (acoustic instruments in particular), I found that there's a heavy tendency for using higher actions, in contrast with non-...
- 16.1k
3
votes
2
answers
8k
views
Is it safe to use water to clean (rosewood, ebony, maple) fretboards?
It's common to see in message boards, forums, and news groups that using water to clean a fretboard can cause problems, or is otherwise advised against. It's not normally explained why, or if it only ...
- 16.1k
0
votes
2
answers
718
views
Are hard tension strings (around 85 lbs total tension) generally safe for classical guitars without truss rod?
I know some classical guitars absolutely definitely can't handle extra-hard tension strings because they can cause the bridge to break or the neck to bend, so only guitars specifically designed for ...
- 16.1k
3
votes
2
answers
294
views
Sticker between neck and body on electric guitar
I have a Fender Highway One American strat, and after removing the neck (bolt-on), I found that there are two stickers one the base of the neck where it makes contact with the body. Will this impact ...
- 131
1
vote
2
answers
89
views
Is there a way to know what is the tension range a specific classical guitar is designed for?
I have two old classical guitars with no way of knowing who made them, or finding a specification sheet, or something similar. I normally play with high or ultra high tension strings, but I don't know ...
- 16.1k
1
vote
1
answer
109
views
What should I ask my luthier about from a general maintainence perspective?
I am taking my violin to a luthier on the recommendation of my teacher (though I have been considering it for a while). Recently it has been 'sounding a bit off' - it has a forced quality to the tone, ...
3
votes
1
answer
562
views
Which are the differences between the typical nylon strings, and the newer fluorocarbon (or "carbon") strings?
We all know the traditional nylon strings for the classical guitar, which in turn replaced the even more traditional gut strings.
Lately, more and more string manufacturers are introducing products ...
- 16.1k
1
vote
1
answer
858
views
Spruce vs cedar as the material of the soundboard (top, tonewoods) of the classical guitar; how do they affect the tone and sound?
Seems that two of the most common materials for the soundboard of a classical guitar (also called tonewoods) are cedar and spruce. Regarding tone, is there a significant difference between the sound a ...
- 16.1k
4
votes
1
answer
73
views
Flamenco guitar strings
Before the invention of nylon, from what material were strings made for use by flamenco players? I have tried different search engines and forae but found no answer or similar question.
0
votes
2
answers
115
views
How can I design a string instrument and for it to be louder?
I'm trying to make, as a hobby, a few instruments, and watching videos on string instruments, specially compact ones, I noticed that outside of the sounds being pleasant or not, the volume was ...
- 111
6
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Crack on guitar neck. Possible solution?
Recently I've noticed that my guitar (classic) has some crack on the top of the neck, precisely where the neck connects to the head.
I've doing some research and it seems that it's not a big deal, and ...
- 163
1
vote
1
answer
180
views
Dark-sounding 1986 Les Paul Custom - modern upgrade? or embrace yacht rock? [closed]
I'm lefty, and good lefty guitars used to be very rare. I bought the first lefty Les Paul I ever laid eyes on: a used black 1986 les paul custom. I gigged/toured in three different bands with it. It's ...
- 484
10
votes
1
answer
640
views
Guqin construction and physics
I am a physicist building a Guqin, an old Chinese zither.
I try to understand its construction, how it vibrates, what are the key features to obtain a good sound.
I found only one paper on the ...
- 201
2
votes
1
answer
14k
views
What are the dimensions, angles of a Gibson Les Paul standard pots cavity?
I am working on building a prewired set of pots and want to mount them on a piece of plastic that can drop into the cavity of a standard les paul. I have been looking for the dimensions and found this ...
- 123
-2
votes
1
answer
2k
views
How do I convert a Hawaiian guitar to Spanish Guitar?
I have a 4 months old hawaiian guitar. I do not like playing the Hawaiian guitar, and I want to change instruments. I have a standard bengali Hawaiian guitar with all its accessories and I want to ...
20
votes
8
answers
21k
views
Why is a zero fret so uncommon on guitars in spite of all the advantages?
Given the many advantages of using a zero fret on a guitar (as cited in this excellent answer Advantages of a zero fret) and given that with a zero fret it is easier to play chords that call for ...
- 27k
4
votes
2
answers
910
views
Custom Nut Width Dreadnought - String Spacing?
I play acoustic and electric, and I build acoustics as a hobby. I want to build a dreadnought guitar for a friend. He has been playing forever but recent hand surgeries make him unable to play a ...
- 41
4
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Should I keep on the old strings when sending my guitar to be set up?
I need to repair the electronics on my Stratocaster, which will require me to remove the strings. I then want to get the guitar set up. Will sending a guitar to the workshop without strings affect the ...
- 143
7
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Are the little blocks of wood inside a ukulele body necessary for sound?
I want to make a ukulele, and I'm just wondering about little blocks of wood that are inside them. Are they for structural support, or does it help the sound somehow?
I'll be making it via ...
- 183
-1
votes
1
answer
111
views
what´s wrong with my guitar
A couple of years ago, I bought a beautiful used Martin guitar 000-28VS (12-fretter). It had some neck issues, so it was quite cheap for this type. This is fixed now, but the more I play it, the less ...
4
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Importance of the neck joint on an electric guitar
Many electric guitar builders stress the need for a very tight-fitting neck/neck pocket. I find this the most difficult aspect of the build.
Question 1: if a neck is bolted (4 bolts) but is not a ...
- 41