Next Round of Classes

Classes for the fall 2009 were very enjoyable. They were a good group of enthusiastic students and at their request I will soon be adding an additional class that will cover installing the top, back, and bindings. This class will be offered after the winter 2010 series of classes. The dates will be posted soon so please check back. Look for the new dates in the classes section of the site.

Jim Krenov's Passing

On September 9,2009 Jim Krenov passed away. He was my teacher and my friend, knowing him changed my life. He meant a good deal to a good many people and will be sadly missed. Almost everyone he came in contact with came away with something from the experience, I know I certainly did. We at the College of the Redwoods Fine Woodworking program were lucky to have been part of his life and legacy. We will always remember him fondly. There is a great article on his life at the NY Times online.

New Products Added

Two new products have been added in the store. An adjustable tuning machine drilling jig, one that I have been using in shop for years, will place and drill tuning machine roller holes that are 35mm on centers in the headpiece. The jig is used in conjunction with the headpiece template which is included in the template set. The holes can be drilled using the jig with the template still on which greatly improves the workflow. The jig is adjustable for different width tuner base plates and comes with two shims for drilling 16 and 18mm wide base plates. Shims can be easily made to accommodate any size base plate.

Ebonized pearwood veneer sheets have also been added. Finding good black veneer for purflings, back strips, and headpiece veneers is difficult and if you are using dyed poplar you know how it tears leaving little voids where dust can settle and eventually show up through the finish. Ebonized pearwood planes very nicely and leaves a silky smooth, flat appearance.

Lamination wood has been added to the store. The small quantities and odd sizes of wood required to make one instrument, are difficult if not impossible to find commercially. For those that do not have the ability to resaw, laminations for the linings and sides have been made available. Four sheets of mahogany pre-thicknessed to the size needed for a set of linings, and side laminations in three different types of wood are now available in the store.

Also, I have created sets of products to impart some savings on to you. All sets have been priced at a 10% discount from the original price.

A word on the molds. These products are heavy and my make shipping internationally impractical. The side mold weighs 12 lbs. by itself without any packaging. Therefore it will be prohibitively expensive to ship internationally. If you are an international customer and would still like to purchase these items please contact me.

The shipping portion for the store has been restructured. Parcel post has been added for domestic shipping. This is a less expensive method. Some shipping methods have been eliminated and the remaining methods simplified. Pricing has been improved. New territories and countries will also be added.

Book Going into Second Print

Recently I learned that Classical Guitar Making will be going into second printing. Once again, I want to thank everyone for supporting the book. The book has been successful far beyond everyone's expectations and I thank everyone that has supported this effort by purchasing a copy. I have been overwhelmed by the correspondence from all over the world with such favorable responses and I would like to thank all of you that have either called or written to me regarding the book, I have appreciated hearing from you all. I have also enjoyed answering your questions and hope to add a section to the site which would include some of your questions and the responses. This may be helpful to others.

I was truly surprised how many people are seriously interested in making a guitar. It just goes to show that the guitar is a universal language.

Shop One Year Old

Well, construction on the new shop was finally completed in late January 2008. As with any construction project, it both took longer than expected, and cost more than predicted, but we are very pleased with the final product. We have been up and running for well over a year now.

So far it has been great working in the new space and there is plenty of room for classes. The classes have been great fun. Classes are limited to just three students in any one class, so sign up quick. It has been a long time dream of mine to have a space like this to work in. Many thanks to Pat Hunt of PH construction for a great shop.