The Steel String Guitar: Construction and Repair D R Young

[ken cierp]

David Russell Young published this book in 1975, its a Chilton's Creative Crafts work. I constructed eight guitars based on the methods and designs outlined. David provides all the details, Fabulous illustrations, tool fabrication, bending instructions, a really nice mold design -- my edition has a couple of dimensional errors (later corrected) but D.R.Y. made every effort to take out all the mysteries of construction. There are even instructions for making an elegant Abalone rosette. The fiber binding on the head-stock and his method of installation is unique and effective. As one might deduct I like this book a lot! There is a short fall however, it was written close to the dawn of "hi-tech adhesives" and for what ever reason David decided it was a good idea to butt joint fasten the neck using "epoxy" . Needless to say I never did that. My D.R.Y.'s all have conventional neck joints DT and MT's. That aside this is a great read for those seeking to expand their portfolio on guitar making knowledge.

[Dave Bagwill]

Just got on Amazon and scored a used one for $20. Gotta love the interweb!! Amazon has a few others.

[Dave Bagwill]

Okay, the book arrived a few days ago, and I've had a chance to read through it quickly and look forward to a more leisurely read.
It's a no-nonsense, straight ahead construction manual with the 'why we do it this way' addressed as well. There are plenty of good illustrations and a few color plates of instruments.
A worthy addition to a luthier's library.

By the way, I understand that the author is now the maker of high-end violin bows! Since a great bow often costs as much or more than the violin itself, it must be made by a master woodworker.

[Jakes Dad]

I have had this book since 1978. Not sure if that speaks to my passion for books or my lack of nerve in attempting to build a guitar. The epoxy butt joint neck and the steel bar neck reinforcement are not likely something I'll ever try. I do have the book in my shop and frequently reference it for various information. In '78 the book had a sheet of corrections included.

[Dave Bagwill]

I agree that the butt joint is kinda scary - I'll not be trying it!
I'm with you on the passion for books, though because of space restraints my wife has me on a buy one, sell one regimen. It's a challenge :-)
Welcome to the forum!

[Tom West]

There was not much on the book shelf in ref to construction,especially S.S. when David wrote this book.He has always gotten a bad rep for the epoxied neck joint and rightly so but has never really gotten the credit he deserved for putting out such a good book at the time he did. It was my first book on building and me in my unknowing start to building used the epoxied joint on my first guitar. The guitar has long since left my hands and am not sure if the joint failed or not. Like to think it didn't but I'm sure if some one tried to reset the neck they likely passed a few unmentionable words my way. I never used that joint again. "David wherever you are thanks for introducing me to the craft of building guitars. You have made my life much richer."
Tom

[John Link]

I built three guitars based on DRY's ideas. Like everyone else here, I had some reservations about the butt glued neck joint, but devised a way around them that retained a lot of what Young proposed. One was to use the last lamination of the heel to form a "foot" that extended into the neck block inside the body and onto the back side of the back, thus forming a strap of sorts that, in combination with the fingerboard above, locked the neck to the body at the two key stress points. The other was to do the same thing, only with the heel cap, which I extended across the boundary of the body, and inlaid into the end block. These guitars were built in the middle 70s and all three used the 1/4" x 1/2" nonadjustable steel bar under the fingerboard. This type of construction is, of course, very unforgiving. A virtue that arises out of that fact is one makes sure everything is dead on correct before gluing.

But the question remains, are these necks still in proper alignment, thirty some years later? The answer is YES. One of the instruments is a fourteen fret 12 string, strung up to full pitch all that time. I speculate the addition of the bottom wooden strap was good insurance to maintain the joint, at minimum, and perhaps contributed more than that. And steel that strong trumped any tendency for the two woods in the neck to move. Some have objected to the weight the steel in the neck added, especially to the 12 string, which has fairly heavy Schaller tuners on the head end. Others, myself included, think the weight helps immobilize the nut end, forcing a little extra string energy into the saddle.

In any case, nonadjustable guitars are difficult to sell. I still have two of them.

The DRY approach to design was supremely rational. For example, rather than introduce the vagaries of scalloping braces, he simply tapered them. Nonetheless, if you follow the book's plans for the top you will overbuild in the vast majority of cases. But you will also get lots of sustain, and not bad volume. Plus durability. In any case, the inherent stability of the overbuilt tops makes me that much more confident that neither the neck joint nor the neck itself has changed over time, given that the action has remained the same.

For me, what David Russell Young contributed to lutherie was clear thinking. If there is magic to instrument building - and I think there is - it can't be explained anyway, so I don't try and I don't pay attention to those who do because that kind of writing is just spinning tales.