Monkeypod Dread

[Jim]

Grant, your work is amazing! You get more done in a day than I do in a week.

Dave, I've played some of Grant's guitars and the sound from them is very strong. I can't find the words to describe it, but when I compared my Bouchet EIR copy that has standard fan bracing against Grant's with his unique bracing, mine paled in comparison. Some was due to differences in woods used, but Grant's definitely had the edge in sound quality. (And I really like the sound from mine! )

Jim

[Dennis Leahy]

I need a week in your boot camp, Grant! I might get one done!

Looks like you have fired the booster rockets to see how fast you can be playing a Monkeypod guitar.

Dennis

[whitespruce]

Yeah that monkeypod looks great! Grant,I like your back bracing a lot. And top bracing!
Have you been using this type of back bracing for long and does it have any distinct tone that
you can tell from cross braced backs?

This back bracing is rather new. I have made only 4 backs with this bracing, and only one is strung up, so far. It does happen to be the best sounding guitar I have made so far (ask Dennis L), but I am not sure what the contribution of the back is.

Now, there are any number of opinions on what the back should be doing, so it depends on where you are in that regard. Some reasons why I tried this. I guess my first thought was that I don't like all those braces glued perpendicular to the grain of the back. Guess it is the old woodworker in me seeing that as a recipe for disaster. The back wood will move and that 90 degree to the grain brace will not. And if you are lucky, the back wood will be strong enough to resist cracking. But with the braces going 45 degrees to the grain, they can move with the back as needed, kinda opening and closing like a scissors. That is why I do not have a crossgrain brace at each end of the X....gets you right back to where you started.

Also, this bracing holds the arch of the back very nicely, both cross and longitudinally. I like that.

The other thing I have noticed is that with this bracing, the back is really alive with tone. It really rings when you tap it, even if the wood had a rather dull tone to begin with. If you are in the camp that feels this is good, this bracing will get you there in spades.

As for bracing, I am going to keep it rather inderstated. I might use some brown goncalo alves that I have or may do cocobolo, since that is what the fingerboard and peghead are. I really don't want to introduce a lighter colored wood because it would be pretty much all by itself.

Don't have any progress to show on anything for today, since it was "work on archaeology reports" day. And I hauled a bunch of firewood into the shop because it might snow and get colder for a few days. Really wet, gloomy, and slimey out today.

Thanks for the questions and comments

Oh, and Dennis, I just saw your post. I could have the body bound and ready for a finish in a day. And the neck done and ready to go on in another day. But I want to slow down and explain the adjustable neck joint a bit better as I do this one.

But if you get the time, do run over. We can have you out of here with a guitar in the white in 4 or 5 days. You do need to do a more "normal" build so you have a benchmark

G

[Dennis Leahy]

Oh, and Dennis,... You do need to do a more "normal" build so you have a benchmark

G

Good luck! Me and normal are oil and water!

And yes folks, Grant's latest guitar is his best sounding. Now, that's saying something, because Grant has been building damn fine guitars for quite a while. The latest one is the most "alive."

I do believe I will borrow your quadruple laminated X back bracing scheme for larger sized guitars (after I finish up the ladder-back concert/parlor I'm working on.) I need to get you to grind down a router bit for me...

When does the archeology work start to take over the lion's share of your days? The rain is melting our last snow, but I'm sure the ground is still rock hard frozen. So, what's my window of opportunity for a pre-archeology visit?

Dennis

[whitespruce]

Don't panic. I am not letting the archaeology work eat up the lions share of my time this year. And I suspect that the economy will help me out in that regard Only a couple small jobs on the books so far.

G

[DaveAnderson]

Thanks Grant, You have some very good points on using an X pattern over the cross grained braced
backs.I'm convinced to do this on my next guitar.

[whitespruce]

OK, just to let folks know that I have not fallen asleep on this one (and a couple others).

I been farting in the shop with other things. One thing I found with this one is that I can put an instrument together fairly fast if I have some of the basic assemblies ready to go. For instance, on this one I already had a braced top (actually stole it from the mango dred that I had started, so need to replace that). And I had some necks cut out with matching neck blocks ready. And I had slotted fingerboards and kerfed linings all ready, and strips cut for back bracing.

So, I have a bunch of necks cut out, just need to do the tenons and neck blocks. I am gonna slot a half dozen or so (maybe a dozen) fingergoards. I have 4 or 5 sets of bent sides, but they are mostly dreads, so I need to bend up a bunch of other sizes. And glue up some backs and a few more tops. And then brace a half dozen or so tops. Then I will be in a position where I have options for building in a fairly short time frame. I like that.

Actually, I do have 5 guitars and the tiple in various stages of completion, so I will be having a pile of things completed in the next few months. Looks like lotsa new things to pass around at the gathering this Summer

G

[Eben]

I been farting in the shop with other things.

Well, me too, G!! I haven't been back in the shop yet, Doctor's orders, but let me tell ya, with my second course of serious antibiotics onboard, I have been farting heroically!

I aughta do a sound file!



E