Recently, I was thinking of buying a handmade guitar, but I found it too expensive to buy a perfect one. Last night, I was thinking about what about making a guitar by my own hands. I have done some wood working in the last decade to renovate my home, and I have collected a lot of tools (though still need more for making a guitar); so, I am not a beginner, but a true novice in making an instrument. Then I decided to search in youtube and I found you. This video actually inspired me to be more serious about making a guitar, though I'm still in doubt. Anyway, thank you very much in advance for sharing your outstanding work with us. I really like to do it and play with my own handmade guitar after 24 years of playing classical guitar. I feel it like a dream.
Thank you :) It is an amazing feeling to be able to play an instrument you built yourself so I can highly recommend it. With time, patience and research it is definitely possible to have a good result. I have now built two classical guitars and a violin over the last 3 years and they all play well. Especially the guitars are excellent. I started with the book Making masters guitar that you see in the opening shot of the video but also used youtube and luthier message boards to help me with decisions. I would go to one of the luthier online stores like lmii.com or stewmac.com that has buying guides and you will get all the material you need for a build. They might even have kits, but I prefer to build from scratch. One tip is to check and measure any plans or drawings, they are not always correctly marked or measured. Good luck :)
Just saw your video. I have watched a lot of these types of videos and yours was done very well. My experience is the same as yours. I started building my first guitar several months ago. Your video is very encouraging. All the best to you.
Douglas Whorton thank you :) It was the first time I made a guitar and also the first time I made a video. I just started building my fifth classical guitar this week. If you look at my channe I have a more detailed video of making the 3rd one. Maybe it could be helpful. In any case I wish you the best of luck with your project!! There are lots of resources to help both in Facebook groups and newsgroups where you can do research and get help with questions if you need.
Inspiring!!Well done.. Im a professional jazz guitarist/craftsman in woodwork. Never wanted to build my own instrument as buying was the best option. But now Im into 7 string classical...very expensive...so Im gonna build one...Yahoo
Thank you sir. I wish you the best of luck with your build. 7-strings, never tried a classical 7-string. I should. Would love to see your progress and the finished product.
Nice work Kristian. I do only small repairs in my old guitars, but it give me some hints how much knowledge, skills and hard work guitar build need! Repairing just veneer on head took me few hours last night and I even not finish it.
Thank you. Yes, these things take time. I had to replace veneer and headplate on my second guitar. I was trying to speed up things with a belt sander and sanded through. Bad idea!! Back to using hand tools :) More precision!
Just fantastic. Loved the video edit and equally your beautiful playing. I'm halfway through my first classical build, so could appreciate the challenges you faced and obviously overcame. Love your work.
Thank you very much! 7 years since this first guitar and still learning. Just finished my 9th one. This video was an afterthought, but for the 3rd build I recorded almost everything. However, weird look back. Have made quite a few advances in my process since then :) But it is on my youtube channel among the popular videos if you are interested
I was always making more adjustments to my guitars. I never put a finish on them except the neck. I would sand the perimeter slightly, and the sound would be brand new again! Very nice playing! It is a wonderful gift from God to find the thing you do best and be able to get out of it and share it with others. Blessings!!
Well man, you aren't only a talented musician and composer, you are a great luthier too! Believe in me, is not simply build a classical guitar and you did it perfectly, like a professional luthier! And it was the first time for you! The word needs man like you! Thanks for posting this and cheers from Italy!
You are welcome! This is the official site of my own luthier, if you'll pass from Italy in the future i can introduce him to you! Have a nice day, bye! giuliocantore.wixsite.com/giuliocantore/liuteria
Thank you :) That is basically what I did 3 years ago. Hadn't really played much the last 15 years. I can tell you my return to music has given me so much the last couple of years. I would highly recommend it :)
What you say is true, I studied classical guitar at 12 years old, I did not play again for about 30 years, now I am starting again and I have found a real good pleasure to perform again things I did not know I could remember.
+jesuisravi Thank you :) I consider myself a mediocre player but I do believe I have some tunes with potential my head that I try to get into some kind of compositions. Some you can hear in the video, additional ones I am adding to soundcloud
Thank you. It will be two years in november and it is developing amazingly well. I plan to make one more change, lift the bass strings slightly which I suspect will make it sound out of this world :)
Ah, so you are putting more tension on it to bring out the power and depth. Yes, that will be nice - but there is a trick - so that you don't need to lift it higher & you can still increase the tension and power. The 12 hole bridge allows better tension. Also, it allows you to use any tension on what ever string you wish, so you can be selective. I wanted to do this and couldn't find a drill long enough to do the job, so I made my drill bit out of a metal/wire coat-hanger. You drill the holes lower too. However, with another guitar, I simply enlarged the 6 hole bridge holes so that the strings could be looped just like the 12 hole version. Just being able to do that means that the string goes to the saddle at a lower angle, because normal stringing up actually doesn't allow good angles unless you use "classical" dimensions. In using the coat-hanger drill, you just need patience and not much pressure. It only needs a tip. All drill really cut with the tip. The rest of the drill is for clearing out the waste.
well done mate. fantastic job of which you should be very proud. you've inspired me to continue with mine after putting it on hold, not having enough space st home. thanks for going tonthe trouble of documenting snd sharing your experience. all the best.
Thank you :) I am glad I could be of inspiration. I can tell you I really wish I had a workshop. I had told my self I wouldn't start another build until I had a workshop. But, I am already building #2 without one :) Good luck with your build and thanks for watching
Thank you very much. I hope you decide to make your own, it is just such an amazing journey. And good luck if you do! Thank you for the feedback on the music. You can find my music on spotify and soundcloud if you are interested open.spotify.com/album/0sZ5t3IlKEQDpIrWugfyJk?si=q2iy4cI8TyScQxTOBWwoEg
Congratulations! That is an awesome guitar! But, warning: when we begin to build, we need to build again, and again, and again... It is like an addict! A good addict!
Yes!! Guitar #2 was finished a few weeks ago. I have put up the first recording and some construction videos of side bending and rosette making on this youtube channel. It turned out great. You can see some pictures here: instagram.com/p/BkinR5RloTH/?taken-by=kristianheim
By the way, for marking the nut, take a good graphite pencil, cut in two parts (cross section obviously). With one of these parts, put the flat side against the frets and mark the nut with a line. Now you can cut your nut with a coping saw.
Thank you. Yes, this was my first guitar. Beginners luck and a lot of passion and patience. But it turned out amazing. I want to get started on another one but I would like to get a workshop in place first, not keep building in the garage. Thanks for the top with the nut. The reason i made many of them was to experiment with the action. Once you sand of too much it is hard to go back so I made many different heights to try to hit the ultimate relationship between tone and playability. I am sure this is something that becomes more apparent with experience.
Thank you. Courtnall"s book is awesome. However there are so many unanswered questions during the build not described in the book. Internet and youtube was a huge help but you still have to so many decisions on the way that effects the final result. But that is part of the fun and what makes it very personal.
Thank you very much :) I think my second one sounds even better. The trebles simply sound incredible, if I don't mind saying so. You can check out a video of it here on my channel here th-cam.com/video/2qJoPf6NL94/w-d-xo.html
beautiful, nice work man, .....i always wonder why classicals and folk guitars never have any intonation adjustment on the bridges like electrics do...ive come across some really nice acoustics, but the intonation is way off, and there is no truss rod...so how does one adjust intonation???..just seems it would be nice to have that option. cheers
A truly beautiful job of building your guitar - it's a credit to you. I started collecting the materials to build a flamenco guitar 10 years ago and now have enough to build nearly 3 but I don't have the nerve to start cutting the wood - it's cost me a fortune. Please tell me - did you use instructions from a book? I do have several books on the subject but they all suggest a mould rather than a solera - if it was a book I'd love to know which one! Love that guitar . . .
Thank you very much :) Yeah, i was nervous before making the first cut and planing the first material etc. But, just gotta jump in. It gets easier along the way. patience is maybe the biggest thing you need. Be careful with powertools, they can ruin a lot in mere moments. Yes, I used a book. The opening picture in this movie shows the book. "Making master guitars" by Roy Courtnall.
@@KristianHeim Thanks for the info! I picked up a copy of Roy Courtnall's book the other day so I'm fixed up with that now. I intended using hand tools as much as possible from the outset so shouldn't be using power tools too much - and preferably not at all on the guitar! I really need to bite the bullet and make a start . . . ;-)
Wow .. do you still make these ? If so how much would you charge for a seven string with a cut away for higher fret access. That guitar sound amazing 👌
Thank you :) yes I do still build. The one in the video was the first one I made. I am currently in the last stages of building #4. You can see an early sample of it here: th-cam.com/video/r7zokIzM12c/w-d-xo.html . So far I have built for personal use. #4 will probably be the first I will sell, if I can part with it :) I might start taking on commissions sometimes in the future, but have not done so yet. However, I am honored and really appreciate that you would be interested in one of my guitars :)
Hi, there are some templates in the book I use as reference. Making master guitars. However you can buy both wood and plans from lmii.com . The cost depends on wood choices. They have a guide that ensures you get the wood and parts you need for a build. I think they start at around 250-300 dollars but have not checked lately. The materials for this one cost around 450
Fantastic instrument! Which site/shop did you order the tonewoods / materials from? I am also located in Norway, and searching a liable supplier willing to ship here. What kind of plans did you use? Own design or master luthier copy?
First of all thank you :)I ordered the tonewood/materials from Lmii.com. Very quick and professional. Arrived a week after order. While you get the materials to build a guitar you need some additional material and tools for a build project (as you might already know). Not everything is easy or possible to come by in Norway so some things you have to build and others you can order. I had to resort to Amazon UK sometimes since selection is limited in local hardware stores in Oslo&Asker. I based my plans on Hernandez & Aguado design from Courtnall's book with some adjustments. You can also order the plans from the book from Lmii with the materials, which I did, but they differed slightly (probably based of different guitars). I also found from Lmii were not 1:1 scale accurate so I developed a set of plans based on the ones in the Courtnall book. I don't mind sharing were I found tools and supporting materials locally if of interest or how I solved the lack of them. I made a fairly descriptive log of the build project with decisions, process and solutions to various challenges. So, although I am sure I have forgotten a lot already it should be recorded :)
R. Krein hi, I reduced height of nut and saddle. I made a couple actually so I could experiment and go back if I needed. I have not glued the nut so it is easy to replace
Yes I did. There are various techniques of French polishing and you can find a lot of information and how-to's using google and youtube. The milburn article is by many considered some of the most thorough material and description of the process. You can find a copy here: 1drv.ms/w/s!Au0x51sFvdz7hMhr5J-C6bcwPSNpSg
Now, Im sure that I will make a guitar. I have questions. 1.is it your first try? 2.is all knowledgr inside of the book? 3.does the book explain all the important but litle things to you?
Hi, it is a very rewarding experience. To your questions. 1. Yes, this was a video of my first try. I had to aquire tools needed along the way and learn how to use them. Took me a while into the project to learn how to sharpen them properly :) 2. Well, the book is great and you can follow that and get a great build. I made different design choices along the way than the book based on things I researched, tools and equipment I had available and level of mastery. 3. It does explain the important but little things, but you will have questions and additional research is sometimes recommended. Thankfully the internet is full of useful videos and message boards and facebook groups with very helpful people. Word of warning, once you start building you want to build more :) I am currently building my 4th guitar. I made a new build video of the 3rd one. You can find it here if you are interested. Good luck with your build :) th-cam.com/video/4nO8FvS0X3U/w-d-xo.html
@@ktc5151 No problem. You can search for Amateur Luthier groups on facebook. You will find quite a few with helpful people. You should also join delcamp.net
Great work! I'm working on finishing my own similar project and was wondering how you drilled the holes for the tuners? Any special jig? If so do you have one you recommend?
Thank you. I did not use a jig. I used the drill press of a relative (one of the few times I used modern tools on this project), making sure to have a 90 degree angle in relation to the side of finished head shape. I used a vice to keep it in right position in relation to the drill bit. I drilled the end holes for head slots before drilling the tuner holes followed by sawing out head slots. To avoid tear out on the inside (in headslots) I had a exactly fit dowel stuck through the head slot holes while drilling the outermost tuner holes as they intersect. You can find a selection of tuner drill jigs on stewmac.com or lmii.com. Hope this helps.
Hi David, Sure. I would start with finding a good guitar building book or DVD so you have guide to follow. I liked the book I have by Roy Courtnall (displayed in the opening moment of this video). I found that MUCH more useful than instructional video that came with the kit. However, No book or video will give you all the answers. Sometimes there are tradeoffs and choices to be made. I did many things different than what the book described. Google can often help you find the answers. There are many good resources online in the form of luthiers forums and lots of material on youtube. You can order a classical guitar kit from Lmii or stewart-Mcdonald. That is the easiest way to get started. Although the kit contains the parts for the guitar you will need to find a decent hardware store for tools and a woodshop for additional materials. In my country the local stores have very limited selection in tools. I used amazon quite a bit to order things I needed. I would definitely recommend having some sort of workshop or at least a dedicated place you can work. I did most of the work in my garage but all the gluing I did inside in a spare bedroom for a "stable" environment. I have also seen videos of people building in their kitchen but a build like this generates a lot of dust. However you choose to do it, it is a time consuming task. I used about 7 months to build this guitar, but I did almost all the work by hand in the traditional Spanish way without modern tools. A real workshop with proper tools can cut that time down a lot, but it is also a lot easier to make mistakes with powertools. I hope this points you in the right direction and can get you started :)
as a luthier, I can tell you that you made a fantastic guitar!
Thank you :) The trebles especially are turning out to make some amazing sounds.
Sounds fun so good, I am amused
@@KristianHeim I am also interested to built my custom guitar but I do not have correct measurements could you send it to me?
pro tip : you can watch movies on flixzone. Been using them for watching a lot of movies these days.
@Nova Jaylen Yea, have been using Flixzone for since december myself =)
A very satisfying level of obsession. Bravo. That is a real achievement.
Recently, I was thinking of buying a handmade guitar, but I found it too expensive to buy a perfect one. Last night, I was thinking about what about making a guitar by my own hands. I have done some wood working in the last decade to renovate my home, and I have collected a lot of tools (though still need more for making a guitar); so, I am not a beginner, but a true novice in making an instrument. Then I decided to search in youtube and I found you.
This video actually inspired me to be more serious about making a guitar, though I'm still in doubt.
Anyway, thank you very much in advance for sharing your outstanding work with us. I really like to do it and play with my own handmade guitar after 24 years of playing classical guitar. I feel it like a dream.
Thank you :) It is an amazing feeling to be able to play an instrument you built yourself so I can highly recommend it. With time, patience and research it is definitely possible to have a good result. I have now built two classical guitars and a violin over the last 3 years and they all play well. Especially the guitars are excellent. I started with the book Making masters guitar that you see in the opening shot of the video but also used youtube and luthier message boards to help me with decisions. I would go to one of the luthier online stores like lmii.com or stewmac.com that has buying guides and you will get all the material you need for a build. They might even have kits, but I prefer to build from scratch. One tip is to check and measure any plans or drawings, they are not always correctly marked or measured. Good luck :)
Congratulations Kristian, this is a beautiful guitar and a wonderful Melody.
Hi Kristian , you have created a real masterpiece which in turn produces a beautiful sound ,you are indeed a Master .
Thank you :) Still learning. Finished guitar #2 this summer. Check out the newest videos on my youtube channel to see how it turned out.
Goos job sir.. 👍
Thank you :)
Fantastic job! The fact that you are also playing makes this video even better
Thank you
The guitar is beautiful and it sounds amazing!!!! You must be very proud....I sure would be.
Thank you :) Yes it turned out amazing and I am amazed I managed to pull it off. Started building another one now :)
Very good job! I loved seeing your works. I am also dreaming to have my own guitar sooner.. or later..
Thank you. My advise is just to get started on that guitar :)
WOW!! I'm so envious. Job well done.
Just saw your video. I have watched a lot of these types of videos and yours was done very well. My experience is the same as yours. I started building my first guitar several months ago. Your video is very encouraging. All the best to you.
Douglas Whorton thank you :) It was the first time I made a guitar and also the first time I made a video. I just started building my fifth classical guitar this week. If you look at my channe I have a more detailed video of making the 3rd one. Maybe it could be helpful. In any case I wish you the best of luck with your project!! There are lots of resources to help both in Facebook groups and newsgroups where you can do research and get help with questions if you need.
good for you . thank you for showing
I hope my first build using the same book turns out as good as yours. Great job!
I would love to hear how it turns out :)
You have to be very proud of his sound. Bravissimo!!
Congratulations. What a beautiful instrument!
Thank you :)
Great story. Enjoyed it much. Good hands!
Thank you :)
Great job Kristian! Looks beautiful and sounds wonderful.
Wow - thanks for sharing. Very inspiring.
Thank you! you are welcome :) Thanks for watching
Inspiring!!Well done.. Im a professional jazz guitarist/craftsman in woodwork. Never wanted to build my own instrument as
buying was the best option. But now Im into 7 string classical...very expensive...so Im gonna build one...Yahoo
Thank you sir. I wish you the best of luck with your build. 7-strings, never tried a classical 7-string. I should. Would love to see your progress and the finished product.
Phenomenal to watch and listen to!
Thank you :)
Nice work Kristian. I do only small repairs in my old guitars, but it give me some hints how much knowledge, skills and hard work guitar build need! Repairing just veneer on head took me few hours last night and I even not finish it.
Thank you. Yes, these things take time. I had to replace veneer and headplate on my second guitar. I was trying to speed up things with a belt sander and sanded through. Bad idea!! Back to using hand tools :) More precision!
Really great job! Thanks for taking the time to share it.
Thank you :) Thanks for watching!!
Just fantastic. Loved the video edit and equally your beautiful playing. I'm halfway through my first classical build, so could appreciate the challenges you faced and obviously overcame. Love your work.
Thank you very much! 7 years since this first guitar and still learning. Just finished my 9th one. This video was an afterthought, but for the 3rd build I recorded almost everything. However, weird look back. Have made quite a few advances in my process since then :) But it is on my youtube channel among the popular videos if you are interested
Oh, and the best of luck building your first guitar :) Don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions!
I was always making more adjustments to my guitars. I never put a finish on them except the neck. I would sand the perimeter slightly, and the sound would be brand new again! Very nice playing! It is a wonderful gift from God to find the thing you do best and be able to get out of it and share it with others. Blessings!!
Amazing in every way possible: as a builder and a player. Thanks very much.🎼🇬🇧
Thank you very much sir!
Respect to you sir not only is it a beautiful guitar your playing is beautiful too
Thank you very much :)
Beautiful job. Nice playing. Thank you for sharing.
Well man, you aren't only a talented musician and composer, you are a great luthier too! Believe in me, is not simply build a classical guitar and you did it perfectly, like a professional luthier! And it was the first time for you! The word needs man like you! Thanks for posting this and cheers from Italy!
Thank you very much!! Your comment made my day :)
You are welcome! This is the official site of my own luthier, if you'll pass from Italy in the future i can introduce him to you! Have a nice day, bye! giuliocantore.wixsite.com/giuliocantore/liuteria
Excellent video! This makes me want to pick up my classical guitar and start learning again. Bravo!
Thank you :) That is basically what I did 3 years ago. Hadn't really played much the last 15 years. I can tell you my return to music has given me so much the last couple of years. I would highly recommend it :)
You are most welcome!
What you say is true, I studied classical guitar at 12 years old, I did not play again for about 30 years, now I am starting again and I have found a real good pleasure to perform again things I did not know I could remember.
My compliments for a job well done and great playing, too.
Thank you very much sir! :)
Great work - especially with your limited tools available. And a great video!
Thank you :)
Absolutely amazing!
Absolutely gorgeous sound and great job on the guitar! Fine playing as well. Cheers!
Thank you very much! Thanks for watching :)
cuesta mucho trabajo. A very nice video, by the way, as guitar making videos of this nature go. You are a seasoned player.
+jesuisravi Thank you :) I consider myself a mediocre player but I do believe I have some tunes with potential my head that I try to get into some kind of compositions. Some you can hear in the video, additional ones I am adding to soundcloud
Very nice job and excellent playing. Only a wait of 2 years for spruce top to be what it will become.
Thank you. It will be two years in november and it is developing amazingly well. I plan to make one more change, lift the bass strings slightly which I suspect will make it sound out of this world :)
Ah, so you are putting more tension on it to bring out the power and depth. Yes, that will be nice - but there is a trick - so that you don't need to lift it higher & you can still increase the tension and power. The 12 hole bridge allows better tension. Also, it allows you to use any tension on what ever string you wish, so you can be selective. I wanted to do this and couldn't find a drill long enough to do the job, so I made my drill bit out of a metal/wire coat-hanger. You drill the holes lower too. However, with another guitar, I simply enlarged the 6 hole bridge holes so that the strings could be looped just like the 12 hole version. Just being able to do that means that the string goes to the saddle at a lower angle, because normal stringing up actually doesn't allow good angles unless you use "classical" dimensions. In using the coat-hanger drill, you just need patience and not much pressure. It only needs a tip. All drill really cut with the tip. The rest of the drill is for clearing out the waste.
That is a very good tip thank you :)
I've just watched this again and enjoyed it as much. Just got a delivery of wood today too.
Outstanding Job! Incredible!
thank you
Wow, mesmerizing from start to finish, tnx for sharing it with the world!!! :D
Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for watching :)
well done mate. fantastic job of which you should be very proud. you've inspired me to continue with mine after putting it on hold, not having enough space st home. thanks for going tonthe trouble of documenting snd sharing your experience. all the best.
Thank you :) I am glad I could be of inspiration. I can tell you I really wish I had a workshop. I had told my self I wouldn't start another build until I had a workshop. But, I am already building #2 without one :) Good luck with your build and thanks for watching
Good job man hope to do my own. One day and the music.js amazing
Thank you very much. I hope you decide to make your own, it is just such an amazing journey. And good luck if you do! Thank you for the feedback on the music. You can find my music on spotify and soundcloud if you are interested open.spotify.com/album/0sZ5t3IlKEQDpIrWugfyJk?si=q2iy4cI8TyScQxTOBWwoEg
Congratulations! That is an awesome guitar! But, warning: when we begin to build, we need to build again, and again, and again... It is like an addict! A good addict!
Yes!! Guitar #2 was finished a few weeks ago. I have put up the first recording and some construction videos of side bending and rosette making on this youtube channel. It turned out great. You can see some pictures here: instagram.com/p/BkinR5RloTH/?taken-by=kristianheim
Congratulations!, as an experimented luthier, I can tell you that you made an excellent work and achieved a great result.
Thank you very much :)
Kristian if this one was your first guitar, I can't wait to see the second one. Congratulations, fantastic work.
By the way, for marking the nut, take a good graphite pencil, cut in two parts (cross section obviously). With one of these parts, put the flat side against the frets and mark the nut with a line. Now you can cut your nut with a coping saw.
Thank you. Yes, this was my first guitar. Beginners luck and a lot of passion and patience. But it turned out amazing. I want to get started on another one but I would like to get a workshop in place first, not keep building in the garage. Thanks for the top with the nut. The reason i made many of them was to experiment with the action. Once you sand of too much it is hard to go back so I made many different heights to try to hit the ultimate relationship between tone and playability. I am sure this is something that becomes more apparent with experience.
The second one was completed yeasterday. Will post videos soon. In the meantime here are some pictures instagram.com/p/BkinR5RloTH/
Bravo...I can only try to imagine the satisfaction you must feel.
Congratulations to you! Courtnall's book is so great and you did a wonderful job building.
Thank you. Courtnall"s book is awesome. However there are so many unanswered questions during the build not described in the book. Internet and youtube was a huge help but you still have to so many decisions on the way that effects the final result. But that is part of the fun and what makes it very personal.
This guitar is beautiful and the sound is stunning.😊
Thank you very much :) I think my second one sounds even better. The trebles simply sound incredible, if I don't mind saying so. You can check out a video of it here on my channel here th-cam.com/video/2qJoPf6NL94/w-d-xo.html
Gorgeous!
Write a book!...please!
Amazing job!!!
Thank you :)
cool video and how you managed to make that good of an instrument your first time is outstanding!
Thank you. Just finished my 2nd guitar yesterday. Will post videos soon. Stay tuned
Gorgeous guitar!! Congratulations!!
thank you :)
An inspiration! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you! I am glad you found it inspiring :)
Great job man.
Hola qué tal que buen trabajo y dedicación y el toque final un excelente sonido felicidades saludos desde Tijuana Baja California
Fantastic job! Congratulations
Thank you very much! This one was the start of a guitarbuilding journey for me. I am now working on my 6th guitar and loving it.
outstanding master...
Very cool, I hope to make my own someday
you should. Completing this project was challenging and time consuming but amazingly rewarding with some bragging rights to go with it :)
Very well done!
thank you :)
wonderful!
thank you :)
Great work - especially with your limited tools available
Thank you :) Yes, there are a lot of tools I wish I had. What I wished for most of all was a drum sander
Wonderful.
Well done..awesome’
Thank you :)
Oooolé! Grande maestro!
Hey, great music too, man! Congratulations!
Thank you very much :)
For your first guitar that is a fantastic job, all the more so as you are using hand tools only! It's quite an addiction, isn't it.
ConVivo thank you :) yes indeed, I am working on my third one now :)
@@KristianHeim I am just half way through number 36 :-)
@@ConVivo nice :) I don't think I will ever get to 36. Not unless I get some machinery
beautiful guitar!!
Thank you :)
BRAVO, BRAVO!!
nice classical guitar
beautiful, nice work man, .....i always wonder why classicals and folk guitars never have any intonation adjustment on the bridges like electrics do...ive come across some really nice acoustics, but the intonation is way off, and there is no truss rod...so how does one adjust intonation???..just seems it would be nice to have that option. cheers
Great job sir :)
PS: the first one is always the hardest ;)
Thank you :)
Gostei desse acabamento, e altura desses trastes, qual e a medida desses que você está usando?
This is the fretwire I use www.lmii.com/fretwire/2156-fretwire-for-nylon-12-nickelsilver-4-feet.html
@@KristianHeim Obrigado.
You did it!
excelente trabajo!felicitaciones!
Amazing!!!
Thank you :)
Well done.
Great Job !!!
Thank you. I have learned so much since that first guitar I built
A truly beautiful job of building your guitar - it's a credit to you. I started collecting the materials to build a flamenco guitar 10 years ago and now have enough to build nearly 3 but I don't have the nerve to start cutting the wood - it's cost me a fortune. Please tell me - did you use instructions from a book? I do have several books on the subject but they all suggest a mould rather than a solera - if it was a book I'd love to know which one! Love that guitar . . .
Thank you very much :) Yeah, i was nervous before making the first cut and planing the first material etc. But, just gotta jump in. It gets easier along the way. patience is maybe the biggest thing you need. Be careful with powertools, they can ruin a lot in mere moments. Yes, I used a book. The opening picture in this movie shows the book. "Making master guitars" by Roy Courtnall.
@@KristianHeim Thanks for the info! I picked up a copy of Roy Courtnall's book the other day so I'm fixed up with that now. I intended using hand tools as much as possible from the outset so shouldn't be using power tools too much - and preferably not at all on the guitar! I really need to bite the bullet and make a start . . . ;-)
Wow .. do you still make these ? If so how much would you charge for a seven string with a cut away for higher fret access. That guitar sound amazing 👌
Thank you :) yes I do still build. The one in the video was the first one I made. I am currently in the last stages of building #4. You can see an early sample of it here: th-cam.com/video/r7zokIzM12c/w-d-xo.html . So far I have built for personal use. #4 will probably be the first I will sell, if I can part with it :) I might start taking on commissions sometimes in the future, but have not done so yet. However, I am honored and really appreciate that you would be interested in one of my guitars :)
Is very good
Good job Mate!
Thank you :)
Name of the last melody?
It is called Farewell. It is a piece I wrote.
Holy moly!
Well done
thank you very much
You inspired me to make one of my own. do you have any templates for this and can you tell me how much the wood costs?
Hi, there are some templates in the book I use as reference. Making master guitars. However you can buy both wood and plans from lmii.com . The cost depends on wood choices. They have a guide that ensures you get the wood and parts you need for a build. I think they start at around 250-300 dollars but have not checked lately. The materials for this one cost around 450
You look like Steven Ogg... Nice guitar!
and.. you are not a luthier?! this is such an incredible work. Was that the first attempt?!
Thank you :) This was the first guitar I built yes. At this point I do consider myself a luthier after building more guitars and started selling them
@@KristianHeim are you self taught?!
@@deniscassiere Yes. I read the book in the opening shot of the video and supplemented that with online research
@@deniscassiere since then I have read more books on guitarbuilding combined with continuous experimentation
@@KristianHeim and your playing is also quite impressive. Chapeaux!
this is amazing
I am glad you liked it :)
+Kristian Heim yes ...your guitar is just amazing .....and also your work is also amazing
Respect
Fantastic instrument! Which site/shop did you order the tonewoods / materials from? I am also located in Norway, and searching a liable supplier willing to ship here. What kind of plans did you use? Own design or master luthier copy?
First of all thank you :)I ordered the tonewood/materials from Lmii.com. Very quick and professional. Arrived a week after order. While you get the materials to build a guitar you need some additional material and tools for a build project (as you might already know). Not everything is easy or possible to come by in Norway so some things you have to build and others you can order. I had to resort to Amazon UK sometimes since selection is limited in local hardware stores in Oslo&Asker. I based my plans on Hernandez & Aguado design from Courtnall's book with some adjustments. You can also order the plans from the book from Lmii with the materials, which I did, but they differed slightly (probably based of different guitars). I also found from Lmii were not 1:1 scale accurate so I developed a set of plans based on the ones in the Courtnall book. I don't mind sharing were I found tools and supporting materials locally if of interest or how I solved the lack of them. I made a fairly descriptive log of the build project with decisions, process and solutions to various challenges. So, although I am sure I have forgotten a lot already it should be recorded :)
Sensacional 👏👏👏
great
Hi, how did you lowered the strings. I have the same problem, but I do not know the solution.
R. Krein hi, I reduced height of nut and saddle. I made a couple actually so I could experiment and go back if I needed. I have not glued the nut so it is easy to replace
@@KristianHeim Thanks, I did the same thing, but I'm not fully satisfied with the result. Thank you.
Nice, did you French polished it? Please let me know what are the steps for it
Yes I did. There are various techniques of French polishing and you can find a lot of information and how-to's using google and youtube. The milburn article is by many considered some of the most thorough material and description of the process. You can find a copy here: 1drv.ms/w/s!Au0x51sFvdz7hMhr5J-C6bcwPSNpSg
better than a suzuki vintage in my opinion
Your guitar looks amazing!! By the way, what is the name of the song you play at 6:02
Thank you. The piece is vals venezolano no 3 by Antonio Lauro
Thanks to play that piece!
Where i can buy thats book 🙏
www.amazon.com/Making-Master-Guitars-Roy-Courtnall/dp/0709048092/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=roy+courtnall&qid=1606689085&sr=8-1
Well done! She is gorgeous!!! Good luck next and tnx 4 detailed video:))
Btw, what is the name of the piece you play on 5.26?
Thank you very much :) The piece is called Asturias (or orginially Leyenda). Originally written for piano by Isaac Albeniz
i would want to try that out too also what are you using to make the nut?
Bone is used for the nut
Kristian Heim i see thank you very much
Now, Im sure that I will make a guitar. I have questions.
1.is it your first try?
2.is all knowledgr inside of the book?
3.does the book explain all the important but litle things to you?
Hi, it is a very rewarding experience. To your questions. 1. Yes, this was a video of my first try. I had to aquire tools needed along the way and learn how to use them. Took me a while into the project to learn how to sharpen them properly :) 2. Well, the book is great and you can follow that and get a great build. I made different design choices along the way than the book based on things I researched, tools and equipment I had available and level of mastery. 3. It does explain the important but little things, but you will have questions and additional research is sometimes recommended. Thankfully the internet is full of useful videos and message boards and facebook groups with very helpful people. Word of warning, once you start building you want to build more :) I am currently building my 4th guitar. I made a new build video of the 3rd one. You can find it here if you are interested. Good luck with your build :)
th-cam.com/video/4nO8FvS0X3U/w-d-xo.html
@@KristianHeim thanks Kristian. İn this coronavirüs time I hope that I can make one. Your video is great and thanks your fulfilly answer
@@ktc5151 No problem. You can search for Amateur Luthier groups on facebook. You will find quite a few with helpful people. You should also join delcamp.net
Great work! I'm working on finishing my own similar project and was wondering how you drilled the holes for the tuners? Any special jig? If so do you have one you recommend?
Thank you. I did not use a jig. I used the drill press of a relative (one of the few times I used modern tools on this project), making sure to have a 90 degree angle in relation to the side of finished head shape. I used a vice to keep it in right position in relation to the drill bit. I drilled the end holes for head slots before drilling the tuner holes followed by sawing out head slots. To avoid tear out on the inside (in headslots) I had a exactly fit dowel stuck through the head slot holes while drilling the outermost tuner holes as they intersect. You can find a selection of tuner drill jigs on stewmac.com or lmii.com. Hope this helps.
Thank you! I appreciate it!
Hey..bro ..I want to build my own guitar too .Can you give me advice?
Hi David,
Sure. I would start with finding a good guitar building book or DVD so you have guide to follow. I liked the book I have by Roy Courtnall (displayed in the opening moment of this video). I found that MUCH more useful than instructional video that came with the kit. However, No book or video will give you all the answers. Sometimes there are tradeoffs and choices to be made. I did many things different than what the book described. Google can often help you find the answers. There are many good resources online in the form of luthiers forums and lots of material on youtube. You can order a classical guitar kit from Lmii or stewart-Mcdonald. That is the easiest way to get started. Although the kit contains the parts for the guitar you will need to find a decent hardware store for tools and a woodshop for additional materials. In my country the local stores have very limited selection in tools. I used amazon quite a bit to order things I needed. I would definitely recommend having some sort of workshop or at least a dedicated place you can work. I did most of the work in my garage but all the gluing I did inside in a spare bedroom for a "stable" environment. I have also seen videos of people building in their kitchen but a build like this generates a lot of dust. However you choose to do it, it is a time consuming task. I used about 7 months to build this guitar, but I did almost all the work by hand in the traditional Spanish way without modern tools. A real workshop with proper tools can cut that time down a lot, but it is also a lot easier to make mistakes with powertools. I hope this points you in the right direction and can get you started :)
Kristian Heim sorry I was very busy I haven't replied to you . Thank you very much for the advice .☺☺☺