Showcase Video for my Guitar #2

My Guitar #2 was sold to my friend, Ho Kong Meng, who is a very talented musician.
Classical guitar was not the only instrument that he has mastered; he can also play the drums, violin and other styles of guitar including jazz, fingerstyle etc.

Here he recorded a fingerstyle version of "Fly Me to the Moon" and played on my guitar #2.
Amongst the 3 guitars that I have made #2 has the best projection and volume.

Video link

Guitar #1 vs Guitar #2

Well Guitar #2 is done.
I brought #1 over and compared with #2

Here are the clips
Projection test @ 5m away from the mic. Now which is which make a guess?
Answer at the end of the post

Lagrima
Guitar 1
Guitar 2

La Catedral 1st movement
Guitar 1
Guitar 2

IMO #2 treble is better, has better sustain and the harmonics are richer.
#1's treble has more fundamental and the harmonics seemed to be a further distance away.
Bass wide #1 bass is more even and #2 need more effort to bring out the bass.
The volume wise, #1 just a little louder than #2.
Overall they are similar but yet different.
I used both Aquila Albastro strings on them.
The Aquila nylgut string always works well for Torres fan bracing guitar. (exclude Hauser bracing)

When we compare to the redgate, both of them are louder than the redgate...
Redgate's note are very even much like a piano.
Bach pieces sounded nice on the redgate but not Spanish pieces where the notes need more character.

Guitar #1 on the left and Guitar #2 on the right

Guitar #1 on the left and Guitar #2 on the right

Towards the end of the session, the #2 did open up and seemed louder.
The bass became more prominent.









Ans: 1st guitar is #2 and 2nd guitar is #1, now which one do you like?

Applying finish to the guitar

Originally my friend who is the owner of this guitar, didn't like any finish at all for the guitar.
But I managed to convince him since the varnish I apply is a very thin layer of quick drying polyurethane varnish.
It is very water resistant (protect against the sweat) and especially useful in such a hot humid climate of Singapore.
Main thing is it can be applied very thinly using a cloth and will not affect the sound.
Some people like shiny surface but my friend prefer a matt surface.

The one on the left is with the 1 coat of varnish.
The one on the right is raw wood.
One drop of water is placed on each surface.

After the water is wiped away, the one with the varnish is very dry and the one w/o varnish can see the watermark on the wood.


So I began to sand the sides with 100 grit and then 1000 grit to smooth-en out the surface.
After that I began to apply the varnish with a piece of old cotton T-shirt cloth.
With the varnish it looks very smooth and with some more 1000 grit sanding it should feel very smooth.
It looks like raw wood as what my friend wanted.

Sanding the surface

The quick drying polyurethane varnish by Ronseal

Applying the varnish with a cotton T-shirt cloth

The varnish almost dried - some more sanding to do. Even w/o sanding it looked very smooth

Scaping the other side

The back done

Drilling guide hole for the the tuner machine screw (1mm guide hole)

Installing the machine

Sound Clips

I have made some sound clips
Please enjoy.

Agustin Barrios - Aconquija (extract)
Agustin Barrios - La Catedral - Preludio Saudade
Agustin Barrios - La Catedral - Andante Religioso

Setup the guitar (Nut and saddle)

Next to do is actually fretting and setting up the guitar.
But I wanted to string it up before deciding what to do with the relief.
So I sand the bridge and saddle to fit the slot 1st.
Sanding is a hard job...

Then I hammer in 2 frets at 1st fret and 12th fret and mark the position of the saddle with the appropriate action at 12th fret; bass side and treble side.
Anyway this is rough set up.
I saw the saddle near to the line.

I also marked the string spacing at nut; 5mm from the edge at both sides and 8.5mm between the strings.
I file the slots and now all I need to do is to wait for putting on the string.

The setup to measure the saddle height.

Mark using a 1/2 pencil. I plane the carpenter pencil down to the lead core.

Draw the line joining the bass side and treble side

Saw near the line.

Nut end, positions marked

After all the frets are done, I go on to lower down the saddle.
If the string is not seated properly in the nut end, there will be a distinct and annoying buzz.
Once the nut slot is filed and the string seated into the slot, the buzz will disappear.

Previously I had already marked the saddle.
So I just go on and lower it.
Then I measure the action at 12th fret. THe treble is 3.5mm and bass about 4.5mm
I played it sounded quite nice.
I suppose I could lower the treble a bit more but I will leave at for the moment.

After I move back saddle front edge for the 2nd and 3rd string and 5th and 6th to compensate for the intonation.
This is done by making sure the 12th fret harmonics sounds the same as the 12th fret note.

Filing of the slant in the saddle.

Close up. It's abit hard to see the slanted that was filed into the saddle.

Fretting

I began to hammer in the frets.
Before that I ensure that the fretboard is flat by check with my straight edge.
(My straight edge is not those expensive type but it will do for now.)

I scrape some fretboard from 2nd fret onward to create a very slight relief on the bass side.
Then I began to knock in the frets.
I didn't remove the fret tang at the ends as the fret metal is too hard and I haven't bought the fret tang remover...
If I crimp all tangs, it would take me lots of work.

The fretting process is quite straight forward, align first; hammer in; cut.
I only had time to do till 5th fret or so.

Sanding the fretboard flat

Checking for slight relief

Hammer in the frets

Up to 3rd fret done

Finally almost all the frets are done except for 19 (split) and the 20th.
For these 2 I plan to fill in those unsightly slot holes so I might remove some tang and round the crown at the inner side.
Next is leveling and round off corners.
For 15th fret onwards, I use the clamp and some knocking.
When I knock I lift up the entire guitar and support it beneath the soundboard

Clamping the frets in, at the higher inner frets.
The scraper is to prevent the clamp from denting the fingerboard

All done (well almost)

The front look.

Next is just fret dressing check: Check 3 fret at a time and make sure they do not rock at the center fret.
1st 2nd 3rd -> 2nd 3rd 4th -> 3rd 4th 5th and so on...
So far so good only once it rock a quick tap of the mallet solve it.
After that I file the edges making sure the tang doesn't protrude.
Next I plane an angle to a wooden block edge and use that wooden block to hold the file to file the angle at the fret ends.
But in the end I discover rounding it with the crowning file works better.
Next the fret ends are filed using the triangular file with safe edge.

Filing the fret ends

Check for fret seating making sure they seat properly in the slot.
The card / straight edge should touch all 3 frets at any time.
If it rocks at the center fret then the center fret is too high and need to file it down or most likely tap it. (not seating fully into the slot)

Plane a angle to the wooden block edge

Can see the angle on the wooden block edge

Use the wooden block as a guide to file the fret ends

In the end I decide to round the ends instead with the fret crowning file

The side edges is filed using the triangular file with safe edge

I know I am on the last stage of the build, just a bit more to go:
some more fretting; a proper set-up to go; thinning the neck; surface sanding.
But things will slow as my 2nd child was born recently and quite unexpectedly so now I am busy with taking care of him.
But stay tune, I will try to complete this as soon as possible.

Yeah finally the last 3 frets to do: 2x 19th and the 20th.
I file off the tang for the inner side of the fret and rounded off the ends
Then I cut off the outer ends like what I did for the other frets.
I just hammered in as per the other frets
After that I began to round the sharp edges and make sure the fret feels good.
I filled in those exposed slots too with PVA and ebony dust.

Round off the sharp edges

Using scrape to protect the top while I doing the high frets

Fret end tangs removed by filing

All the frets hammered / pressed in

Another view

Mixing PVA with ebony dust

Patch the slots

After the glue mixture dried I level them off with sand paper.
All done and next is the set-up

The patch wasn't done too good but most of the slots are filled. May need a 2nd round though and some sanding.

Gluing the bridge

Actually I glued on the bridge and strung it up the same day I glued on the fingerboard.
But after stringing up, the bridge flew up... Luckily no damage to the bridge and top.
Another good reason to use hide glue.
I wanted to redo the gluing since I noticed a gap behind the bridge, the bridge flew up on me just at the right time.
It's not fault of the hide glue, it's just that I waited only 1/2 hour before stringing up before the glue had dried.
I am sure if I leave it to dry it would have held up just fine, but I rather not see the gap there since bridge is part of the very important part of sound production.
Anyway here is what I did.

I marked the position of the bridge at 652mm; 2mm for compensation.
The reference mark should at 325 mm at the 12th fret; not 0 mm at the nut.
This is because some maker do a nut compensation.
Also I use a square to ensure the saddle is perpendicular to the center line.
Another way to check is to ensure both treble and bass side are of the same length.
Next I tape the bridge down and drill 2 holes (1mm) for guide.

After all set, it's time to apply the glue.
I prepared the clamps in position at the sound hole.
The caul didn't work too well so I tape some cork to the clamp instead and use it without the caul.
Using similar procedures as before, I heat up the surface and apply the glue.
Align the holes and press it down a bit.
Then I apply the clamps.
After that I did notice a gap behind the tie block area.

After 1/2 hour or so I remove the clamp thinking if I want to redo gluing.
But I just record the tap tone and strung it up.
It sounded pretty loud with the open strings.
When I was about to test with a high note the bridge pop out.
Luckily there is no damage to the sound board and bridge.

Marking the bridge at 652 mm

Making sure bridge is perpendicular to the center line.

Drill the guide hole

All set for gluing

Apply the hide glue

Apply the clamps

Another way after I noticed the gap...

Strung it up

The bridge flew off..
No damage to the top.

After that I clean up the glue remnants on the top.
Though for hide glue is not really necessary as the old glue will fused with the new one.
But I need a clean surface for sanding the 2 surface to fit.
So I proceed to sand the bridge after I got both surfaced cleaned up.
Then again I did the gluing again.
This time round I didn't apply the clamp, just use my hand pressure for 15 minutes or so until it grabs and then I apply just one clamp to hold it down.
The fit was good no gaps front or back.

Sand to fit

Apply hide glue again

The clamping is just a flexible stick clamp on 2 sides.
No support underneath not really necessary actually.
The top can support itself.

Done.

Next will be to string it up.
But this time round I'll wait for 24 hours to let it dry.
After 2 hours, I removed the clamp and did some pre-setup that's another post...