Search found 12 matches

by Michael Recchione
Wed Feb 20, 2019 4:51 pm
Forum: String Instrument Repair: Practical and Political Issues
Topic: Forcing steeper break angle over saddle on stella-type guitar
Replies: 11
Views: 11214

Re: Forcing steeper break angle over saddle on stella-type guitar

I would notch the saddle before I would put in bolts that pull the tailpiece down to the top. However, as mentioned, I would suspect some problem with the bracing first of all. That’s what I intend to do. I shimmed up the original saddle, but I ordered (and received) a new bone saddle blank that is...
by Michael Recchione
Wed Feb 13, 2019 11:01 am
Forum: String Instrument Repair: Practical and Political Issues
Topic: Forcing steeper break angle over saddle on stella-type guitar
Replies: 11
Views: 11214

Re: Forcing steeper break angle over saddle on stella-type guitar

The function of the bridge doctor is to (try) to counter the rotation of the bridge by creating a lever below the bridge and a rod that pushes on the end block. I tried one once on a pinned bridge, it was ineffective and I ended up resetting the neck. I don't think it will do anything on a guitar w...
by Michael Recchione
Tue Feb 12, 2019 6:06 pm
Forum: String Instrument Repair: Practical and Political Issues
Topic: Forcing steeper break angle over saddle on stella-type guitar
Replies: 11
Views: 11214

Re: Forcing steeper break angle over saddle on stella-type guitar

The neck angle is pretty good, actually, when measured against the top in the upper bout. The problem starts at the soundhole. From there, moving towards the tail, the top is concave, particularly under the bridge. I could do a neck reset and solve the problem that way, though the top would still be...
by Michael Recchione
Sun Feb 10, 2019 2:36 pm
Forum: String Instrument Repair: Practical and Political Issues
Topic: Forcing steeper break angle over saddle on stella-type guitar
Replies: 11
Views: 11214

Re: Forcing steeper break angle over saddle on stella-type guitar

I guessing that there's a stamped steel trapeze tailpiece. There are all kinds of things that people do to their guitars... Assuming that this guitar has little or no value, you could simply drill and install a pair of #4 machine screws on the tailpiece and use locking nuts with the nylon inserts i...
by Michael Recchione
Sun Feb 10, 2019 2:00 pm
Forum: String Instrument Repair: Practical and Political Issues
Topic: Forcing steeper break angle over saddle on stella-type guitar
Replies: 11
Views: 11214

Forcing steeper break angle over saddle on stella-type guitar

I recently got what I believe is a Harmony Stella (or a clone of one), and the top under the bridge is sunken so that the bridge and saddle are much lower than they should be. I’ve shimmed the saddle (and will replace it with a new bone saddle that’s the appropriate height), but even with the shim, ...
by Michael Recchione
Thu May 16, 2013 6:33 am
Forum: Flat-Top Acoustic Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Soundhole diameter to box volume for maximum loudness?
Replies: 9
Views: 6977

Re: Soundhole diameter to box volume for maximum loudness?

...maybe Trevor Gore will show up... Like a bad penny... Like you, I've heard the "urban myths" but have never been able to identify a source. I've looked pretty closely through Helmholtz's "On the Sensations of Tone", which is where you'd expect to find something if Helmholtz a...
by Michael Recchione
Wed May 15, 2013 3:07 pm
Forum: Flat-Top Acoustic Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Soundhole diameter to box volume for maximum loudness?
Replies: 9
Views: 6977

Re: Soundhole diameter to box volume for maximum loudness?

Thanks for the reply :) Maximum loudness isn't everything, and yes, part of this is just intellectual curiosity. But building a cigar box guitar is a little different than building a "real guitar", because the box is a "given". Most of the time, this makes very little difference,...
by Michael Recchione
Wed May 15, 2013 10:10 am
Forum: Flat-Top Acoustic Guitars and Bass Guitars
Topic: Soundhole diameter to box volume for maximum loudness?
Replies: 9
Views: 6977

Soundhole diameter to box volume for maximum loudness?

I apologize if this has been discussed to death - I searched and didn't find anything, though. I've just built my first "legitimate" instrument, with no soundhole (it was an anglo-saxon lyre). Most of my previous builds have been cigar box guitars. (I feel like I just said "Littering&...
by Michael Recchione
Sat May 04, 2013 11:35 am
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: Plans for a Puerto Rican Cuatro?
Replies: 7
Views: 9028

Re: Plans for a Puerto Rican Cuatro?

Thanks, everyone, for the encouragement and the help, and yes, I will post pictures when it's done. I've managed to avoid truss rods and bending wood in everything I've built so far, and it looks like this will continue that trend - I had actually hoped to do something that involved learning one of ...
by Michael Recchione
Thu May 02, 2013 6:17 pm
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: Plans for a Puerto Rican Cuatro?
Replies: 7
Views: 9028

Re: Plans for a Puerto Rican Cuatro?

Thanks! My Googling skills must be deteriorating - I didn't find these at all. I happened to go into a music store yesterday, and he had a couple of them there that I was allowed to try. One seemed to be made the REALLY old-time way, with the entire instrument carved out of one block of some really ...
by Michael Recchione
Wed May 01, 2013 1:12 pm
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: Plans for a Puerto Rican Cuatro?
Replies: 7
Views: 9028

Re: Plans for a Puerto Rican Cuatro?

Thanks for the excellent response! I know the original versions of these instruments were cut from a single block of wood - in fact, there's a YouTube video of Bill Cumpiano making one this way - even the neck was cut from the same block of wood. (There's a part of me that rebels against wasting tha...
by Michael Recchione
Wed May 01, 2013 10:57 am
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: Plans for a Puerto Rican Cuatro?
Replies: 7
Views: 9028

Plans for a Puerto Rican Cuatro?

Hi, I'm new here, and have just a few simple builds under my belt. I wanted to try my hand at something a little more challenging now. I'm mostly interested in short-scale instruments (less than 20" or so), and one that's caught my eye recently is the Cuatro. I've searched online, and only came...

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