Author Topic: need some luthiers advice here (Read 1172 times)

Machek · « **on:** February 10, 2008, 11:32:30 PM »

Hi guys, i'm in need of some advice here

I've recently been interested by a strange axe...
Do you guys know the famous parisian 'luthier'/guitar butcher Team laser?
He's rendered himself rather famous by his odd 'destroyed' guitar approach... and i don't like all that he's done but i recently gased for his guitar sitar...

The thing is quite simple

Basically it's an old spanish guitar carcass,
then the guy takes out the original bridge, replaces it by a sitar drone strings bridge, and add a DIY tailpiece somehow.
Then he scallops the frets quite unuasually (read somewhere taht he did that with a soldering iron !! ) then he cuts this long groove under the bridge, parallel to the neck, to make a kind of 'manual' vibrato

Then he strings it with three (light) strings in DAD... and screws a little cr@pish single coil in the rosace....

Seems a bit cheap and cr@pish?
Well, heard some videos: the sound is to die for. Really authentic, absolutely sounds like a sitar.... and i'm gasing HARD for something like it!
So i got round to try and buy one. Problem: the guy is ridiculously overcharging it: 500euros!!

.... So i'm considering try and do one myself, DIY!! it'll always cost far less than 500eur, which is waaayy too much for something i would only toy around with....
And there i need your advice, cause this seems easy on paper, but...
Do you reckon it's feasible? or worthless?
Anyway a sitar bridge cost 10$ plus shipping -which is certainly more...
I imagine i'll need some kind of luthier glue for the new bridge... any advice?
Any advice on DIY fingerboard scalopping?
How can i do the tailpiece? (team laser seems to have srewed a stalk of metal parallel to the top where he clamps the strings, but i think i'll try to stick a gypsy style tailpiece here)
One more: the guy only sticks three strings here, but ideally i'd like to put four (DD(1octave up)AD) do you think the tension would be too much for the neck with an additional string?

Anyway, thanks in advance for the input,
i really need to collect all the information i can before i start this little science project

WezV · « **Reply #1 on:** February 11, 2008, 08:59:11 AM »

looks like a fun project for an old beater, although you do realise there is obviously gonna be some mojo involved that means yours might not sound as good

you should be fine to scallop the fretboard the normal way, the way i do it is have a series of different sized dowels to act as sanding blocks.

for a sitar bridge you basically need something thats going to just touch the bridge. it might be worth heading over to mimf.com and signing up because i am sure a few people there have made tehre own sitar bridges and it might even have made it into the library. The key is getting it adjusted to get just the right amount of buzz

generally as guitar builders we recommend yellow glue like titebond original or more traditionally hot hide glue, tbh, for as cheap project like this it doesnt really matter so i wouldnt worry about learning to use hide glue. maybe just some epoxy - again, lots of stuff in the mimf library on glues and bridges

lots of tailpieces are readily availble that should work but all you really need is a piece of bent metal with 6 string holes on the top edge and a couple of screw holes to go into the end block

i think you will be fine with 4 light strings but if you went for full tension you would see the guitar top cave in within a few months at the most

good luck

ps. i dont think think 500E is really so bad, its basically just a (semi) functional piece of art

Henk · « **Reply #2 on:** February 11, 2008, 09:24:27 AM »

Quote from: WezV

ps. i dont think think 500E is really so bad, its basically just a (semi) functional piece of art

Wez said it all, there is a fine line between craftmanship and art, some pieces will just be unique. If you like the looks of it, just hang it on the wall and enjoy the bonus of playing it once in a wile, or get a real citar offcourse.....

Machek · « **Reply #3 on:** February 11, 2008, 10:18:33 AM »

Quote from: WezV

i dont think think 500E is really so bad, its basically just a (semi) functional piece of art

Don't think those are just semi functionnal wall hangers (i don't particularly find them attractive :? ), they really kick asses, big time. Some groups actually use them live and studio, and i already found uses for this...
I found out about those in a magazine DVD, where Francois Maigret -No one is innocent's axeman, you guys know this band?- toys around with it while showing their home-studio (which is fvckin cool by the way)...
I can't seem to find this vid on the net but you should really hear the sound, it's gorgeous!

Anyway thanks for the help, really appreciate... keep it coming ;)
Cheers

WezV · « **Reply #4 on:** February 11, 2008, 11:32:05 AM »

yeah but as a guitar the design is compromised, acoustic tops deform over time anyway, thats just gonna be worse with a big split in the top... and who knows whats going to happen to that neck over time - thats why i described it as semi functional

not saying it wouldnt be fun though!!

Machek · « **Reply #5 on:** February 11, 2008, 01:13:13 PM »

Yeah, that's also why i'm kind of reluctant to spend 500eur on an intrument that could self-destruct in a couple of years, while doing it myself would be funnier and i'll be less depressed if eventually the thing $%&#s itself up... i could understand that my luthier skills aren't so good...