Saturday, November 05, 2005

THIS VIOLIN CAME TO ME FOR REPAIR


VIOLINS OF THIS TYPE ARE HAND CONSTRUCTED AND HAVE A HISTORY WITH FAMILY MEMBERS..THEY ARE NOT WORTH MUCH ON THE OPEN MARKET, BUT TO A FAMILY WHO REMEMBERS GRAND PAW PLAYING IT ...IT IS PRICELESS...I RESTORED THIS VIOLIN TO A PLAYABLE GOOD SOUNDING INSTRUMENT....BY THE WAY...IT HAD A STICKER IN IT THAT SAID STRADIVARIUS......THERE WERE SEVERAL HUNDRED MADE BY THE STRADIVARIUS ABOUT 700...690'S VIOLINS AND 3000 OF THEM ARE HERE IN CHEATHAM COUNTY. HMMM

TO THE LEFT IS A DULCIMER, I MADE FOR SHERRY CRENSHAW..THE TOP IS WESTERN CEDAR, BACK AND SIDES CHERRY... REAL MELLOW SOUND

Saturday, August 06, 2005

BINDING CHANNEL FINISHED



IN THIS PHOTO'S THE BINDING CHANNEL IS READY TO INSTALL THE BINDING 3/16 WIDE, IVORY, BLACK , IVORY HAND TOOLS ARE STILL USED A LOT. IN THE PHOTO ARE A LEFT AND RIGHT HONED KNIVE, AND A SMALL TOOL FOR CLEANING OUT THE CHANNEL..IN THE BACKGROUND THE HEADSTOCK ON THE NECK HAS HAD THE CHANNEL CUT AND IS READY FOR THE BINDING...

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

JOHN SILLS DOBRO---ITS NOT GLUED Yet JOHN, THAT STEP IS COMMING NEXT. Posted by Hello
LOOKING AT THE BACK BRACING --FOR JOHN SILLS Posted by Hello

Monday, January 24, 2005

BACK, FIGURED MAPLE Posted by Hello

Saturday, January 22, 2005

CHARLES BURGER, MAKING A G RUN! Posted by Hello
click on the photo to enlarge
FREDDY MILER, ON THE HOUND DOG, DOBRO, AND MIKE LATTIMORE, PLAYING THE CAROLINA FIVE STRING, JAM AT SIMPKINS CHAPEL, UMC.ASHLAND CITY,TN. Posted by Hello click on photo... This is just before Freddy Falls backwards, out of the shelter,,,I did not Miss a note!

C. ALEXANDER BURGER, AND HIS MARTIN.  Posted by Hello
CHARLES ALEXANDER BURGER, MASTER GUITAR PLAYER, PICKING A VINTAGE D-28 MARTIN GUITAR,OTHER FOLKS IN THE PHOTO ARE , FRED MILER, DOBRO, MICKEY FARMER, SETTING Posted by Hello
click to enlarge

Thursday, January 20, 2005

Selecting of Wood

SELECTION OF WOOD IS THE FIRST STEP.
MAPLE IS STABLE, SOUNDS GOOD, LOOKS GOOD. IT IS BEGINNING TO COST A LOT TO FIND THE SPECIAL FIGURED TYPES NEEDED..FIGURE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SOUND THOUGH .

THE NECK BOLTS ON AT THE BLOCK Posted by Hello

ANOTHER LOOK AT THAT CURLY MAPEL  Posted by Hello

GLUING KERFING ON Posted by Hello

curle maple sides, old johns dobro, JOHN SILLS IS SO FAST THEY CALL HIM "GREASE" ! Posted by Hello

old garth is framed, john sills dobro Posted by Hello

john sills dobro Posted by Hello

RESONATOR GUITAR MAKING

A LITTLE HISTORY ON THE NAME BRAND DOBRO GUITAR..

THE DOBRO, AS IT IS CALLED, IS A RESONATOR GUITAR, MADE OF WOOD OR METAL...THE DOPERA BRO'S RUDY , LEO, AND JOHN WERE PIONEERS IN THIS FIELD, THERE WERE METAL DOBRO'S MADE AND WOODEN BODY DOBRO'S . THEY STARTED MAKING DOBRO'S OF METAL BEFORE WWII AND THE OUTBREAKE OF THE WAR THE NEED FOR METALS WAS GREAT , THEY STARTED TO BUILD, SOME OF WOOD BECAUSE OF THE SHORT SUPPLY....WHAT SEPERATES THE RESONATOR GUITAR FROM OTHER GUITARS. ARE THIS...A THIN SHAPE METAL CONE IS INSTALLED EITHER IN A ROUND SOUND WELL, OR SETS IN A LIP IN THE TOP OF A GUITAR, AND IS SUPPORTED WITH SOUND POST.......THE CONE VIBRATES, GERERATING A SOUND. KIND OF WORKS LIKE A RADIO SPEAKER.....


.
THE SLECTION OF WOOD IS IMPORTANT IN VOICING THE INSTRUMERT..
MAPLE ----BRIGHT MELLOW SOUND.
ROSEWOOD , SIDES AND BACK, WITH A SPRUCE TOP...DEEP RINGING BELL SOUND.
CHERRY WOOD, THE MIDDLE TO MELLOW SOUND.
WALNUT AND MOST NUT TREES GREAT MID AND LOW RANGE SOUND.


ACOUSTICS ARE A LITTLE VARABLE WITH A RESONATOR GUITAR, SINCE IT HAS A METAL CONE THAT VIBRATES, WOOD DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE, I USE THE SOUND POST SYSTEM AND BACK BAFFLE, TO ADD PUNCH OR BODY TO THE SOUND. SO I CAN TAKE THE USE OF SOME VIBRATION IN THE WOOD. EVERY BRACE IS CARVED BY HAND TOOLS , AND JUST A FEW POWER TOOLS ARE USED SUCH AS.. SANDER, JOINTER, BANDSAW. VERY BASIC STUFF.




FLM