Search found 251 matches

by Christ Kacoyannakis
Fri Feb 09, 2024 10:17 am
Forum: Flat-Top Acoustic Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Neck dovetail with a rounded body
Replies: 6
Views: 1149

Neck dovetail with a rounded body

On a guitar where the top of the body is rounded, rather than completely flat, how do you route the dovetail into the neck portion? It seems to me that the body part of the dovetail routing would be easy enough, but on the neck side, if the body is round, rather than flat, you will have large gaps i...
by Christ Kacoyannakis
Sat Jun 10, 2023 9:35 pm
Forum: Flat-Top Acoustic Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Side Port For Real
Replies: 8
Views: 7584

Re: Side Port For Real

That looks fantastic. Top work!
by Christ Kacoyannakis
Wed May 31, 2023 10:10 am
Forum: Flat-Top Acoustic Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: My Side Port Binding Process (LONG)
Replies: 20
Views: 21099

Re: My Side Port Binding Process (LONG)

Fantastic tutorial. I am thinking of using elliptical soundports on both the bass side upper bout and the side of my next archtop, so this is extremely helpful. I am trying to figure out which side to put the side port seam of the binding, towards the top of the guitar or the back. Initially I was t...
by Christ Kacoyannakis
Sat Feb 18, 2023 4:30 pm
Forum: Archtop Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Smaller archtop bridge placement
Replies: 8
Views: 7539

Re: Smaller archtop bridge placement

Thanks Alan! That is exactly what I am aiming for - a sound more like a flat top than the woody muted sound of most archtops.
by Christ Kacoyannakis
Sat Feb 18, 2023 1:46 pm
Forum: Archtop Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Smaller archtop bridge placement
Replies: 8
Views: 7539

Re: Smaller archtop bridge placement

Barry, thanks for that info. I was not aware of that. However, I am trying to do something different. I want to try an archtop with an oval sound hole in the upper left of the soundboard (so bass side upper corner) along with a side port. Obviously, there are no plans for such a guitar, and I am at ...
by Christ Kacoyannakis
Sat Feb 18, 2023 10:35 am
Forum: Archtop Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Smaller archtop bridge placement
Replies: 8
Views: 7539

Re: Smaller archtop bridge placement

Thanks Alan. Do you know if will calculate volume, so I can try to calculate the correct Helmholtz opening size, or is there a better way to do that?
by Christ Kacoyannakis
Thu Feb 16, 2023 7:38 pm
Forum: Archtop Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Smaller archtop bridge placement
Replies: 8
Views: 7539

Re: Smaller archtop bridge placement

Thank you Alan for your response!
by Christ Kacoyannakis
Mon Feb 13, 2023 7:50 pm
Forum: Archtop Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Smaller archtop bridge placement
Replies: 8
Views: 7539

Smaller archtop bridge placement

I'd like to build some smaller archtops - 15" and 14" lower bouts, and am planning on using a 25" scale (at least for the 15"). I have seen some with the normal neck connection at the 14th fret, and some with a connection at the 15th fret. When guitars mostly had the neck join th...
by Christ Kacoyannakis
Mon May 02, 2022 6:09 pm
Forum: Archtop Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: How do you get a smooth finish on spruce?
Replies: 2
Views: 6926

Re: How do you get a smooth finish on spruce?

I do the same as Alan, foam block. Places that sell auto body supplies will have foam blocks of different densities. I bought a few different ones, and cut them up to a smaller size. You can even shape them with sandpaper to fit various contours.
by Christ Kacoyannakis
Sun Mar 27, 2022 9:38 am
Forum: Bowed Stringed Instruments and Bows
Topic: Daughter looking for violin-family luthier school
Replies: 9
Views: 8767

Re: Daughter looking for violin-family luthier school

I used to live very close to the Chicago School, when I was in Chicago (it is actually in Skokie, which is better). I brought my lawnmower for repair to a place right next door, and I saw the sign on the door. I was not involved in lutherie back then, so I never knocked. It is a humble looking build...
by Christ Kacoyannakis
Tue Nov 30, 2021 7:34 pm
Forum: Wood and Materials Q&A
Topic: Stabilized Wood
Replies: 2
Views: 7308

Re: Stabilized Wood

What are you using stabilized wood for (what part of the instrument). I would think the stabilization process would destroy the tonal quality of the wood. However, if you want a source, I have purchased stabilized knife blanks from Arizonaironwood.com. The owner is great - very accommodating, nice g...
by Christ Kacoyannakis
Sun Oct 17, 2021 10:21 am
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: Oud or lute question
Replies: 5
Views: 8434

Re: Oud or lute question

Unless you are trying to sell something, you can do whatever you want - flat staves, rounded staves, in Greek bouzoukis, there is even a technique for hollowing out the center of each stave, with a scraper to make the stave concave, so the seems are raised.
by Christ Kacoyannakis
Fri Oct 15, 2021 5:04 pm
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: Oud or lute question
Replies: 5
Views: 8434

Re: Oud or lute question

On lutes, the staves are very thin (maybe 2mm or so), so to round the back of the instrument to eliminate the flats, if there are a low number of staves would remove the wood from the stave joint, before you rounded the body. Most lutes of a pretty low number of staves. Ouds generally have a higher ...
by Christ Kacoyannakis
Sat Jun 26, 2021 10:53 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: I'm back with guitar #3
Replies: 9
Views: 8593

Re: I'm back with guitar #3

Very cool. Would be great for some surf rock. Love the care theme (at least that is what it looks like to me, a woody with a surfboard).
by Christ Kacoyannakis
Mon May 10, 2021 5:15 pm
Forum: Archtop Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Additional transverse bracing in x bracing
Replies: 6
Views: 12304

Re: Additional transverse bracing in x bracing

Alan, thanks for your reply. You always have good, well thought out responses. One of the reasons that I never got into violin making (although I did do quite a bit of research) is that you have to make copies. Sure, if you are making instruments for non-concert violinists, or just for fun, you can ...
by Christ Kacoyannakis
Mon May 10, 2021 10:07 am
Forum: Archtop Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Additional transverse bracing in x bracing
Replies: 6
Views: 12304

Re: Additional transverse bracing in x bracing

I recently saw a young maker's bracing pattern (I think it Tim Frick, who studied with Tom Ribbecke, but don't quote me on that) and there was a pretty substantial upper transverse brace there. I assumed that it was there, as Barry notes, to prevent the rotation of the neck due to the string pressur...
by Christ Kacoyannakis
Mon Apr 19, 2021 8:13 am
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: A child's size oud
Replies: 3
Views: 7280

Re: A child's size oud

Awesome!
by Christ Kacoyannakis
Mon Apr 19, 2021 8:06 am
Forum: Flat-Top Acoustic Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: My latest build: a renaissance guitar
Replies: 5
Views: 6755

Re: My latest build: a renaissance guitar

Joe, you are doing amazing work! That rosette is stunning. Thanks for posting.
by Christ Kacoyannakis
Tue Apr 13, 2021 7:51 am
Forum: Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Patents
Replies: 5
Views: 7526

Re: Patents

I made a take-apart, travel, electric, Greek bouzouki a number of years ago. I had showed it to an attorney who had done some very basic patent work, and he said I could apply for a patent. But I did some more research, and there is a ton of prior art in the area (Fender, etc.). In the end, the mark...
by Christ Kacoyannakis
Thu Mar 04, 2021 6:48 pm
Forum: Flat-Top Acoustic Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: advise for altered approach for helping a first timer
Replies: 20
Views: 38369

Re: advise for altered approach for helping a first timer

So, I did this with a couple of friends of mine, who wanted to see how Greek bouzoukis are made. The problem was that I have a very small shop, and there was hardly room for me, and my work, and then you add 2 more people, and two more instruments, and it got unwieldy. The other issue was that both ...

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