Acoustic Guitar Construction

I find it disturbing to see photos of guitar sides in a form and there is a requirement of a half dozen or so turnbuckle clamps to get the rim to hold its shape -- pure and simple the rim was not properly bent -- period! Now can you build a guitar under those conditions? -- yes. Will the construction process be as trouble free as with a properly bent rim? - no.

In my view one of the prime reasons a rim has excess distortion and spring back is that the waist curve has not been shaped "and compressed" properly. To do that -- like the factory benders you need to have "male and female" forms that match the actual shape of the waist curve just holding the waist curve down in the center does not get it done -- its a compromise.

So, to supply a rim that our customers can work trouble free, KMG does a pre-bend on the waist curve and all our bending forms have matching waist curve cauls here's what they look like, as you can see they are made in segments, doweled together and covered with foil furnace tape -- simple to make, and again -- its worth the effort!

Now...as little as I know about this process, this makes a LOT of sense to me.

Unfortunately, I was duped into buying from IMPO an unethical purveyor of in a word, JUNK products and the very first thing I saw was the fact that the sides wouldn't properly fit the mold FROM THE SAME SOURCE!

Now I'm as green as can be about acoustic guitars and kits, and or any other way of constructing these instruments, but I'm not stupid.

I spent a life time working in a construction and engineering environment where people's lives were at stake in an instant and taught myself to recognize things that "Just don't add up" and this is one of 'em.

The first inconsistency, extends to the next, and so on and the next thing you know you have a haphazard mishmash of scenarios that add up to nothing but trouble in the end and I see this as no different.

Bottom line for me is have to replace cobbled up sides at the very least...can I match the back? Don't know that much about it...I would say depends on the species and the average or "Unusual" color or grain...who knows.

Now, the more I learn, the more I begin to look at the rest of the pieces that are supposed to work together, and I'm finding what I believe to be MORE problems.. at best I probably have a $450 pile of trash. Including a top that was sold as Adi and that I'm almost certain at this point, is something else.

My point is, it's little things like THIS (OK it isn't very big :) ) that can make a BIG difference in the end.
Thanks for sharing this Ken, it answers a lot of questions for me.

You don't need to SELL a boat load braces nor do you NEED to make the same in order to FORCE the sides into a form. How unique! I love it! At least I feel better about my first impression about my situation.

All I can say is..."Use your head...take your time in evaluating WHO you get products from...it should be your FIRST and foremost decision about constructing a quality guitar....Buyer beware!"

RAY :)

What is IMPO?

Nice cauls Ken.
One of the things I liked about the LMI bender when I was looking at bending machines was the matching waist cauls they supply with each mold type. On a typical Fox style bender, the waist clamp has no caul, just a metal bar that pushes the whole waist down but puts pressure on only one small part of the waist which makes a lousy bend. The kits I purchased from KMG and the sides I bent myself with the LMI bender have fit my molds perfectly. The sides I had bent by less-than-scrupulous vendors, have required a bit more, how do you say....coaxing, to get them to fit the mold right.
Not my idea of "well bent sides" and I am very happy with how my sides fit my molds now.

deadedith wrote:What is IMPO?

I'm sorry, I'm the first one to bitch about acronyms ):> then here I go...heheheheh

IMPO = "In My Personal Opinion"

Ray :)

BTW - LOL!

deadedith wrote:BTW - LOL!

see...SEE...SSEEE!

Bwahahahahahahahah!

Ray :)