Which vise? Parrot or pattern maker's/guitar repair...

[Daniel P]

I'm getting ready to invest in a more versatile vise - my tiny old bench vise has its place, but isn't ideal for lutherie.

I'm strongly leaning toward the Grizzly/Fox Parrot vise D3125 as I can see its use both in holding necks, but also very useful when shaping nuts/saddles and many other fine uses. Its range of motion also is very appealing.



I also see a lot of fans of the Stew Mac style guitar repair / pattern makers vise. It looks really solid, and maybe better with regard to holding necks for carving, but perhaps more limited in its range of motion, and application for holding smaller pieces like nuts. Its also 3-4x the price of parrot vice.



Any recommendations from those who've used both?

[John Parchem]

I have both vises and use and like each one. I use the repair vice the most: hold the neck while carving, I put my side bender in it as it makes a great stand, I even the clamp the body molds in it while working on the sides.

I use the parrot vice when I am holding anything metal, holding classical guitar fan braces when carving a place for the bridge pad. I also use it to hold the little vise that I do my nut craving in, and I used it while carving classical guitar bridges. Basically any time I want to use a vice where positioning in the vice itself is important.

If I had to choose just one I would get a version of the guitar repair vise.

[Daniel P]

thats what I thought you'd say.

Looks like everyone has basically the same vise at the same price. Stew Mac's talks specifically about roller bearings, wondering if all the version have these, or if Stew Mac had one made to higher spec's?

[Daniel P]

Anyone prefer the parrot style vise?

[joshuaD]

I don't have the pattern-makers style vise so I can't comment on it.

I do have the parrot and it's very useful. I made a set of cork-and-leather lined jaws for it (5 minute job) so I can clamp things like necks all the way through the construction process including the finishing stages. If you loosen the bolts on the outside jaws slightly you have a swivelling jaw to hold slightly tapered/non-square objects like necks securely.

A great feature is the ability to use the vise in an orientation 90 degrees to its standard set up; I have mine on the corner of my bench so when in this mode I can clamp things like necks vertically, with most of the neck hanging parallel to the bench legs, for fine carving on the heel or headstock.

Without the soft jaws it is usable for saddles, nuts etc. To be honest though, I use a $10 mini-vise for that stuff, just clamps onto any convenient surface.

Frank Ford has a whole page dedicated to the parrot over at his site: http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier ... tvise.html

The parrot is great bang-for-buck in my opinion. At least, it is in Australia where its no more or less expensive than any mid-range woodworking vise.

I need a second vise for the other end of my bench and will probably go with the pattern-maker style as that looks equally useful! Probably need a third too, and so another parrot might well appear in my shop one day.

[Daniel P]

joshuaD - I decided to go with the pattern vise, and immediately understood why they are so popular. I would highly recommend you add one to your bench.