Acoustic Guitar Builder's Production Journal

Guitar Production JournalPage 30Information SourcesOne of the neat things about the pursuit of buildingguitars is that the folks at the very top of thefield are accessible. They are friendly and willingto offer guidance and share their knowledge withnewcomers and absolute beginners.Not only can you read all about the building philosophyof renowned guitar makers and repair geniuses,but you can ask them questions on thevarious Internet Discussion Forums.I have even emailed builders of some of the mostbeautiful and desirable handmade instruments, andactually received a personal and fully detailed response!This is a rare and wonderful thing.It’s partly due to the ease of communication viathe internet, but that’s not all. You can email thetop people in other fields and never get a response.Are guitar people kinder and more friendly? Maybe,maybe not. But, they are willing to share their expertise,and that’s something we should all rememberif and when we become accomplished builders.Help those trying to enter the field.Here are a few of the forums, etc., where youcan find builders.www.KitGuitarForum.com -- Building a kit? Thisnew forum has grown fast because it’s the onlyone on the web specifically dedicated to kits.Its “sister site,” www.KitGuitarBuilder.com, is designedto offer instruction to kit builders—not just,“Here’s how I did this, and here’s how I did that...”These are both well worth your time.Acoustic Guitar Magazine Luthiers Corner -- Youcan find some big names, and if you simply askquestions, you can get a lot of great answers.Official Luthier’s Forum -- Again, great info fromaccomplished professionals.Musical Instrument Makers Forum -- Though the“sysop” is stern, she’s knowledgeable and helpful.This is a good forum with a ton of information. Theirprotectionist policy doesn’t let anyone put up a webpage address, but we’ll publish theirs.Searche terms in Google:1. Acoustic Guitar Luthier Forum2. Acoustic Kit GuitarParts, Wood and Tool SourcesThere’s really no need to list these here, exceptfor the few very desirable makers of tools,parts and wood who only offer their wares in theireBay stores. (Because you can search yourself.)If you’ve been around very long in this, you’vealready discovered these lower-priced, customerservice-conscious,active, professional folks.Here is the “search string” for all of the luthierstores on the eBay site. (There are a lot of them.)http://stores.ebay.com/stores/shopstores?query=luthierIf you’re reading this in your computer, just clickthat link and it will take you to the results of thesearch. Otherwise, type it into your browser addressline and click it.ToolsMany builders build their own tools, and throughthe sources already given (forums and ebay stores)you can find a lot that you need.But, how do you know what you need if you arecompletely new at this?As a bonus for buying this document, I offer afree link to a document that normally sells on eBayfor about five dollars. Here it is. It is self-explanatoryand will help you if you are new.http://www.nichebooks.com/toolsforguitarbuilders.pdfIn addition to the tools listed on eBay, you canfind professional tools through these suppliers:Stewart-MacDonald, Inc.http://www.stewmac.comLuthier’s Mercantile International, Inc.http://www.lmii.comHappy Building!Page 30Copyright © 2006 .... Get your own original file of this journal to use for life:Only US$9.95 at: http://stores.ebay.com/GuitarBuilderStoreInstruction Site: http://www.AcousticGuitarBuilder.comDiscussion Site: http://www.KitGuitarForum.comCopyright 2006 by William Cory. All Rights Reserved. No Resale or Redistribution Allowed.Page 30