L-1 Gibson Build

[Dave]

Joe love your choice of Oak

It looks like its going to be a cracker!

All the best
Dave

[Joe Sustaire]

Thanks for looking in guys!
I do appreciate your comments even though I have been very lax in following up on this build. I'm not getting much shop time these days but I have managed to get the box closed and bound.

So I went over to the shop and took some pics of the closed box.


Ivoroid binding.


Ebony end graft.


And just a shot of the back.

Just to be contrary Rod, I'm going with a 13th fret join.
The earlier round hole arched top L-1's had a 13th fret join and that just seems to put the bridge where I want it with the 25" scale, so what the heck. Guess I'll get to see how that plays.

And yes oval, that burst works for me! Hope I can get somewhere close.

On the bracing Mike, all I can say so far is that's it's got a great thump to the closed box when I tap it. Lots of air moving thru that soundhole, so it sure looks promising.

I don't think the super soft would helped much on this one Hans, there was a lot of very short grain in the side pieces.

And I agree Jim, using different back and side material isn't explored enough, and sure beats knocking yourself out trying to find matching stuff. At least I hope it works out well, we'll see.

Thanks again for all the great comments!
Joe

[michael]

The L-1 looks great, I'm new to this so I've got a question: How do you determine where each brace is located? I'm just starting an OM and I'm going to use a plan from LMI.,but I'd like to know the how & why for different plans.
Thanks Mike

[Dave]

Joe

I really like the look of your guitar it just seems right (its has a great body style)

Just wondered if you had a digital copy of the plan that you wouldn't mind sharing?

No problem if you don't

All the best
Dave

[Joe Sustaire]

Thanks Mike and Dave!

As to where you place bracing? Ha, ha, ha. That's the eternal question. First you figure out where the bridge is going to sit with the scale length you're using. Then put in just enough bracing in the right places, carve them down just enough to give you the structural support needed, while keeping the top light and responsive, and that's all there is to it.

In truth, I'm an intuitive builder. I spend a lot of time studying the bracing of builders whose work I admire and then just jump in. Adjusting placement and carving and tapping and listening until it feels right. I also often go back in and shave bracing after it's strung up till I feel I've brought it to a responsive liveliness that makes me smile. And then sometimes I go to far and it all starts to collapse after a few months. So....

And no Dave I don't have a digital plan. Rod True sent me a body tracing from a 1927 Nick Lucas L-1 and I adapted a bracing scheme that Hans Brentrup has been working with. I could send you a tracing of the 1/2 body shape if you want.

Thanks for looking in,
Joe

[Dave]

And no Dave I don't have a digital plan. Rod True sent me a body tracing from a 1927 Nick Lucas L-1 and I adapted a bracing scheme that Hans Brentrup has been working with. I could send you a tracing of the 1/2 body shape if you want.

Thanks for looking in,
Joe

Thanks for the offer Joe I would really like that but I'm a few thousand away from you

All the best
Dave

[michael]

Hi Joe,
Nice answer! I thought there was a little alchemy involved. One thing that I'd like to know is about going in after close up and shaving the braces that you mentioned. I just finished my first guitar, a classical, and it came out pretty good except..... I was told by a reputable luthier that he thinks that it is a little to stiff on the top. I am going to take off the finish, shave the bridge a little, and would really like to take off abit of the brace mass. I just didn't think I could get in there. So, how's it done? Any help is much appreciated. I've learned alot from all the people on this site and still there's so little I know! Just noticed that your in Oklahoma, I've got a sister in Grove, great fishing!
Mike

[Joe Sustaire]

Hey Mike, I use a little cheap stamped steel stanley plane that I found in my junk drawer. I always thought it must have come in a kids tool set, anyway I hack-sawed the nose off to make it shorter and able to cut closer to the edge of the box. It's also my main brace shaping plane. And someone on here has talked about using an x-acto hobby plane for his brace shaving, point being, it doesn't have to be a high dollar brass finger plane, although I'm sure that would work well. So, small plane and sanding blocks plus of course the ever elusive alchemy part will do the trick.

And the best tips I've come across for the alchemy part came from this thread here... viewtopic.php?f=32&t=482&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=25" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's a six page thread and on page two Scott van Linge joins in, he's a master of alchemy on brace shaving to bring the best out of a completed guitar. Study what he has to say about it all and study the pics, then dive in.

He builds as well and I asked him a while back if he's ever been happy with a guitar he's built without having to go in and make adjustments after it's strung up. And he said no, he's always had to go back in and make adjustments. So I guess we don't have to feel too bad.

Grove huh, I had to look it up, same edge of the state just way north, bet it's gorgeous up there.

Joe