My wife wants a guitar!

[Kevin in California]

My wife is a pianist and a piano teacher for 37 years. She does not play the guitar, but while sitting this morning together drinking coffee she asks "would you make me guitar?". I said, "SURE", and we discussed the possibility. She would want a nylon string, but her interest is perked I think by the crossover I'm making. I said, "you can have the one I'm building now if you like it". I think she wants the "next one" that would be "just for her" where she can pick out the style, wood etc.
Will she play it? Well I think so because she is talking about retiring from piano teaching in a bout a year. Just enough time to get it made.
Thought I'd share as this really surprised me. :)

Kevin

[Herman]

Well Great! I bet she is going to be a better player than you. Most better players do not build guitars. And she could be your endorser! Kevin 's going big!
Herman

[Kevin in California]

well Herman you know I'm not much of a player, so it won't take her much practicing to pass me up!!!!

[Kevin in California]

Alright after much conversation and looking through the wood stash, my wife has decided she wants a classical guitar.
It will be a 1966 Daniel Friedrich design because that is what I have plans for, but it looks like a good size and shape, attractive guitar. Neck width at the nut may be slightly narrower than standard perhaps at 2". This is yet to be determined.
I am not decided yet for sure, but I will probably build it spanish style with the inlet sides , integral neck and neck block instead of a bolt on mortise & tenon. That will be a first for me so I'll have to build the mold, etc.
She wants EIR back and sides with a redwood top, curly maple binding, african mahogany neck. There will be a red and black line purfling around the top and back, not sure about the sides yet. She has picked out a lovely russian made rosette from LMI that has red roses in it on a yellowish background ringed in black. Headstock and bridge will most likely be EIR. Gold tuners and frets. I will plan to do my first french polish on this guitar too!

So I have my work cut out for me this winter, after I restore an authentic WWII Japanese Samurai sword that belongs to a friend of mine! :)

Kevin

[John Parchem]

Sounds like a lot of fun! I will bet that she will pick up the guitar very quickly. She knows music and has independent dexterity in both of her hands. It just takes a bit to understand the fret board.

I build on a combo of a solera with an attachable mold (sort of a hybrid build method). With a spanish style neck joint the neck angle is set when the back is glued on. I found being able to have the body and the neck all clamped down on a solera that gave me the proper neck to body alignment while still having the support of the mold was valuable.

[Kevin in California]

John I just don't get the "neck angle is set when the back is glued on" thing. I keep reading that. How does it work?

[John Parchem]

If it is a Spanish heel (the neck and the heel are one piece) the heel has a foot that glues to the back. Thinking about the neck glued into the sides without the top or back glued on you can flex the neck back and forth quite a bit. After you glue on the top you can still flex the neck to a lesser extent. When the back is glued on the whole assembly is locked (for the good or the bad). So when gluing down the back, I use a board that has the neck and top locked in the position I want them in.

I know of three ways that this is set.
1 The board is flat so the top and neck can be locked to the board and the back glued down. (I have done this)
2 The board has a slight fall-off at the neck joint to put a forward angle on the neck (I currently do this)
3 A flat board and a thin shim put at the neck joint to impart a slight forward angle (Robbie's method)