Luthiery

This video is all about making the neck blank from some very special Cuban mahogany. Also, I set myself the challenge of making a head inlay to match the mandolin’s rosette as seen here-

Cheers Gary

I’ve never liked the idea of giving my instruments a name other than one that describes it, i.e. parlour guitar, twin-point mandolin etc.  Clearly, the different instruments must have some means of reference, especially as all enquiries for my instruments come via email and a prospective client needs to communicate their needs.

You would probably have seen my previous “New Model Mandolin” build series: I called that instrument “New Model” as, at the time I was undecided on a suitable name.

Around 2007/08 I was designing a couple of instruments to my own shapes. One was a steel-string acoustic guitar which I designated Model 1. Another shape was designed for multi-course instruments and this was designated Model 2.  Over the years that shape was scaled down and tweaked to become my electric mandolin and now, the shape of the new acoustic mandolin (temporarily dubbed New Model). So, after much deliberation it seems fitting, henceforth to refer to this new shape mandolin as Model 2 Mandolin. Simple!

For those of you who don’t know what a Brahms guitar is, it is a classical guitar with eight strings, a cello end pin and the guitarist holds the guitar like a cello. Please visit my page on the Brahms guitar, Paul Galbraith’s website or Redmond O’Toole’s Instagram account for more details of this wonderful style of guitar. 

About twice a year I receive emails from guitarists asking me if I will make them a Brahms, I tell them “yes, I can” and then they ask what I charge to make one for them. I tell them that the base price for my classical guitars is $8,000 and a Brahms guitar starts at $8,500 - that is when they lose interest. A lot of work goes into making a Brahms guitar: I triple laminate the sides; I hand cut all the fret slots, the fretboard is fanned, this guitar actually has eight different string lengths(!); the neck is wider than a standard classical; I have to make a special bridge, which is angled to matched the different string lengths; installing the cello endpin; etc., etc.

Recently, a guitarist asked me if I could make a Brahms guitar for them, and if I could send one to them to try out, just to make sure they would want one. I do not have a Brahms guitar on hand. I told them that a client of mine has one for sale, they should contact that client to discuss the playing technique used for playing a Brahms guitar and the possibility of buying the guitar. 

The next week I contacted the guitarist and asked them why they wanted to play a Brahms guitar. Their answer was what I expected, the Brahms guitar offers more musical possibilities than a six string classical guitar. Then I suggested to them what a guitarist can do to experience a Brahms guitar without having to buy one.

WARNING! What I am about to suggest is to be done at your own risk! This is just a suggestion! I am not responsible for any damage done to any guitar! This suggestion is a way to try out the tuning of a Brahms guitar! DO NOT drill a hole in the guitar for a cello end pin! Hold the guitar as you would a standard classical guitar! If you do change strings, protect the guitar while you do the work! Please read this ENTIRE post before attempting!

If you really are interested in trying a Brahms guitar without a cello endpin, find someone who is willing to loan you a standard eight string classical guitar, or better yet, find someone with an eight string guitar that is interested in trying out the Brahms tuning. I also suggest that you read about the history of the development of the Brahms guitar before you attempt changing strings.

A Brahms guitar is usually tuned B1 E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 A4. A standard eight string guitar is usually tuned A1 B1 E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4. All you need to do to convert that eight string guitar tuning over to a Brahms tuning is to remove the eighth string completely from the guitar. Once you do that, shift the remaining strings over towards the bass side, so that the seventh string now becomes the eighth string, the sixth string becomes the seventh string, the fifth string becomes the sixth string, so on and so forth until there is no longer a first string on the guitar. Then you need to find a first string that can be tuned to A4 without breaking.

I suggest buying a set of Aquila Bionylon High A Tuning Classical Guitar Strings. 

Here is Aquila Strings description of the set:

High A tuning: A D G c e a, regular guitar intervals, but the 1st string is an above normal e. 

We are proud to introduce the Bionylon® the first eco-friendly synthetic string in the world. These special sets also offered in Low A, High G and Low E tuning all designed for a guitar of 64-66 cm scale can give a guitar quartet, all using normal 6 string classical guitars, the range of an orchestra.

These strings get good reviews at the various on line guitar string dealers. 

I suggest that you take that high “a” string and use it as the first string on the guitar. Eight string classical guitars are usually built to withstand the add tension of two extra strings, if in doubt about this you should contact your local luthier or qualified repair person. If you are uncomfortable in changing these strings take the guitar to your local luthier or qualified repair person and pay them to do the work!

Once you add that high “a” string, slowly tune all the strings, perhaps you should start with A435 to see how the guitar will react. To try out the tuning, hold the guitar as you normally would, DO NOT DRILL THE GUITAR FOR A CELLO ENDPIN! If you like the tuning and want a custom Brahms guitar, contact me or any luthier about making one for you!

Again, I must state that this procedure is just a suggestion, do not proceed with this if you are uncomfortable with the idea.

I first learned about the Brahms guitar in 1994, shortly after it was premiered by Paul Galbraith, I was immediately impressed by expanded range of the guitar. I shared the article with a fellow guitarist and he said, “Now, that’s best idea I’ve seen in a long time! Every guitarist should have one!

If you have any questions or comments about this idea, please email them to me at

highcountrylutherie@gmail.com

I will not answer any comments posted to this post.

I’ve just started building my next mandolin. In this video, I look at making its rosette in quite some detail. Hope that you find it interesting.

About a year or so ago, I built myself a short scale bass, inspired (aesthetically) by the Kay EB-100 that I had previously restored. I play this bass pretty much daily: it’s set-up with flat-wound strings and I love its smooth richness of tone. However, having recently restored the Westone Thunder Bass which has a long-scale and round-wound strings and spent some time playing it, I have found whole new range of tonal possibilities, which contrast and complement the short scale.

So, whilst having a brief breather from mandolins, I thought that I would make a bridge for a bass guitar which I intend building at some point in the future!

In 2012, a follower of my blog sent me a question, which size smoothing plane do I like best, the No. 3 or No.4? My answer was the No.3, and if you want to read what else I had to say about those planes, click here to read the post, which has had a good number of hits over this past month. 

If I were to get asked that question today, I would answer with one word, “Neither!”

I really enjoyed using those old planes, but as I worked with more visually stunning tonewood, I discovered that I couldn’t really get those planes to step up and create a smoother surface. No matter how I sharpened and tweaked the irons, or flattened the bottoms of those planes, I was always a little disappointed with the results. By the beginning of 2020, I decided to make a change. I purchased a Lie-Nielsen (L-N) No. 62 low angle plane. 

Once I sharpened up the iron on that plane and used it on some righteous East Indian rosewood, I knew my time using bevel down hand planes was done. I sold every bevel down plane I owned, I mean every plane, including a Stanley No.5 type 6 that was once owned by my maternal grandfather. The only two bevel down planes I kept were a vintage No.40 scrub plane and an Ibex violin plane.

I ended up buying a toothed iron and several extra irons for the L-N to experiment with cutting angles, all of which I still use for different planing situations, and I bought a Lee Valley Veritas Small Bevel-Up smooth plane. That small bevel up plane is a workhorse for me, with a toothed iron in it I use it for thinning down guitar backs and sides, and with a 55 degree angle on an extra iron its a great smoothing plane for Sitka spruce tops.

A L-N no.9 1/2 and a Violin maker’s plane round out my working planes. 

If I were to go back to making furniture and other bits that are based upon squares and rectangles, I would willing spend the time and money to purchase a L-N No.7 1/2 jointer for jointing long boards.

Bevel down planes work well for me. 

You should use what works best for you.

Now get out to the shop and make something!

I updated my Guitars Currently Available page!

I added "Violante", guitar #50 to the list which will be available later this year! I will post updates on this guitar as I finish it!

The Lorenzo Frignani #221 guitar is now listed on Reverb!

 The last word! The Nava New Model mandolin and its happy owner!

I took these downstairs and showed them to my wife, she proceeded to laugh and said, "I guess axes just follow you around! They always find you!"

Had a great day! John and his wife (a delightful couple) came over to pick up his new Nava mandolin.

 My "New Model" mandolin (as I'm currently calling it) has now been completed. I'm incredibly happy with the final outcome and looking forward to building the next one! Here is the last video in the series and below that a whole batch of photos for you.

Cheers Gary

Well, this is another long video but so, so much to get through!

The bridge is made and I have brief chat about its design, the strings go on and I show you how I set-up my mandolins. And finally……..the New Model Mandolin gets to sing its first notes!

So, cuppa at the ready and off we go.

Cheers Gary