Short essays and observations about flamenco and classical guitar making. Stories about making guitars as an American living in Japan. My other interests are playing the cello, flamenco guitar and painting landscape paintings. Please ask questions about guitar making or living in Japan. To contact me about commissioning a custom guitar write to me at: stephenfaulkgutars@gmail.com
Palo Escrito back& sides
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Seven string guitar neck constuction
The seven string guitar I'm building is for playing Brazilian Choro music. It is tuned like a regular six string guitar, EADg'b'e' but it has a low fat 'C' string on the bass side so the tuning looks like this: CEADg'b'e'.
There are some structural challenges to building seven strings involving making the neck wide enough for the extra bass string. No big deal really, but you do have to mount three tuners on one side of the headstock and four tuners on the other so the design has a decidedly asymmetrical look. Behind the neck on the towel are all the tools I use for carving and marking out the neck. I never thought I used so many tools for necks, but when I made an effort to leave them out after I finished tonight I was amazed at how many I used. I always thought I just used one or two rasps and a knife, but there are scrapers, round files, rasps, smooth files, knives, calipers, pencil, rulers etc. I just use them like I'm speaking a language, picking up each tool and making a cut is like using a word or sentence to say something. Interesting lesson for me.
Oops! I forgot to finish up the oud posts. Tomorrow, it's late and I have been in the shop all night.
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I got your "Fat Neck" right here Mr. Steve FAULT. Falto in Spanish.
ReplyDeleteWhy didn't you try sand-blasting the camel dung out of th smelly oud's bilge? Probably was afloat in the Persian gulf amid the shipping lanes.
I got a couple band names for you, if you are interested.
Hi John,
ReplyDeleteNice to hear from you as usual. Did you land a gig preaching in So. Cal?
What are the band names? Preytell....
S.