Gypsy Guitar Selmer Style Oval Hole

[Dave Bagwill]

Yep, Michael said that once the braces were glued, the back 'acts more like a plate'.
I think you're right about the intentional damping effect of the back, that results in isolating the single note with the results of loudness and punch, and clarity. Tone, not so much, at least for those of us that like the roundness to the note that overtones bring to it.

The Selmer 'style' is the only way to get THE sound for those gypsy players. Michael and another luthier I contacted - Craig Bumgarner - and both said the same thing - mess with the design and you will get a different sound and perhaps to your ears a better sound - but it won't sell as a gypsy guitar for the purist.

The aesthetics of the gypsy guitar are very compelling, so I made a flat-top guitar that looks gypsy but was in fact a 'v' braced instrument like Mattola's plans show - and I posted it here. It sounded - just ok, played well, still does if I had time to play it. But definitely not gypsy.
Here's a pic of a Dupont-style f-hole gypsy - I like this bracing style.

[Herman]

You all confirm that I should stick with the original design.
We have top notch guitar store here in Holland. The "fellowship of acoustics":
https://www.tfoa.eu/nl/

I talk to the owner and he told me he had in his career 5 different Maccaferri's and Selmers in his store. Next to a lot of a buch of copies, and contemporary builders. He said, without exception, the Selmers were superior. To my question about what made the difference, he answered, he thinks it is about the craftmenship that made them.
So making it with the right material and construct mine with care, I think should make a winner.
Herman

[Dave Bagwill]

I'm betting yours will sound GREAT!!
Here's a Collins petite bouche, sounds great to me, same plan you are using..

[Herman]

Holidays are over, so things are going slower.

The body was routed for its binding and purfling. Not different from other builds. Just a picture. Because of the the tight bends of the cutaway I used walnut for binding. Tip for beginners: Use walnut. It bends like a dream (as maple does).



Also the fingerboard is not special. Only a zero nut. Some builders are believers of clamed advantages. I'm not. But since I follow the original plan, the zero fret is there. Wengé board, 'cause I am a believer of its clear ringy undervalued tone. Some Selmers had flat fingerboards, some a slight curve. Here used a 16" radius.



The headstock is routed by a meticulous handmade stencil. First the outside has to come off. Then the tunerholes were drilled. I almost made a mistake. My jig for a slotted headstock has 34 mm distance between the posts. The Selmers have 35 mm distance! Almost oops!


So no jig here. Just making all perpendicular to the drill. And off we go. Tip: Rout the string slots not before these effords. If you rout the string slots first, and then the tunerslots, the drill can chips out some wood in the string slots. No drama, but an unpretty sight.

[Herman]

Today I routed the string slots. I have no small bearing guided bit. And a big one can grab into the stencil if not handled very precise. To avoid that I first drilled a lot of holes of 9 mm. Then, with a dremel, I took the bulk of wood out. The edges were cleaned with 10mm guided bit through the stencil. No mistakes this time, lucky me. Ha!

[Dave Bagwill]

Very clean, well done. I have trouble myself with those slots; I usually use a forstner bit then clean up as best I can. Your way sounds better.

[Kevin in California]

Herman have you ever considered routing out the slots this way? A length of drill bit stock cut on the end for cutting. Robbie O'Brien does this. I have done 3 guitars this way, works like a charm.