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Anonymous 14009
(@Anonymous 14009)
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Hi Folks 

New member here. I’m a life long jazz guitar nut and now approaching retirement I’ve set up a workshop in my conservatory. My objective is to build an Epiphone Sorrento replica as a first guitar. So far I have just made the body mold and I am not sure if it’s done properly actually. Any way I hope this forum will help me through this ultra steep learning curve. 
Based in Malvern Worcestershire. 
Cheers!


   
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mark bailey
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Welcome MD!

Now that is a challenge...do you have the drawing/plans?

Measure twice, cut once...


   
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Bill Flude
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Butting in on this thread - apologies MD - how long would building a body like this or a Gibson 335/345/355 take on a workshop course if the neck was already built - just thinking forward to 2021...

Measure once........
Measure again.........
Sod it - make tea!


   
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Anonymous 14009
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@markbailey

No I own one and I have just taken every measurement I can and drawn my own plan. 
For a hollow jazz guitar it’s relatively basic. 

 


   
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Anonymous 14009
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@frocesterbill

I’m not qualified to answer that question! Better ask the guys who know what they are talking about.  
Cheers

 


   
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mark bailey
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Posted by: @md54

@markbailey

No I own one and I have just taken every measurement I can and drawn my own plan. 
For a hollow jazz guitar it’s relatively basic. 

 

Great - that helps! couple of q's

Does is have a laminated top back and sides, or is it made from solid wood?

Is there a centre block in the body like 335 or is it a true hollow body?

 

Measure twice, cut once...


   
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mark bailey
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how long would building a body like this or a Gibson 335/345/355 take on a workshop course if the neck was already built - just thinking forward to 2021...

Funny you should ask - I am working on using the new Bagpress to add 335 style builds to the list of courses - I'll let you know when I know more...

We do not allow partial builds on the workshop course - it could cause problems if the neck came from elsewhere for instance as I guarantee all the instruments made on here in our workshop.

Measure twice, cut once...


   
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Bill Flude
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Think the Gibson 335/345/355s have a centre block - the top and back are carved - side laminated.... 

Measure once........
Measure again.........
Sod it - make tea!


   
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Anonymous 14009
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Posted by: @markbailey
Posted by: @md54

@markbailey

No I own one and I have just taken every measurement I can and drawn my own plan. 
For a hollow jazz guitar it’s relatively basic. 

 

Great - that helps! couple of q's

Does is have a laminated top back and sides, or is it made from solid wood?

Is there a centre block in the body like 335 or is it a true hollow body?

 Ha! I am pondering exactly the above. I have nothing against laminated guitar plates. Most of the world’s best players use them. However pressing the plates is going to be a problem.In some respects it’s going to be easier to carve a solid plate.  I am also thinking centre block of spruce as opposed to fully hollow.

 


   
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mark bailey
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Posted by: @md54
Posted by: @markbailey
Posted by: @md54

@markbailey

No I own one and I have just taken every measurement I can and drawn my own plan. 
For a hollow jazz guitar it’s relatively basic. 

 

Great - that helps! couple of q's

Does is have a laminated top back and sides, or is it made from solid wood?

Is there a centre block in the body like 335 or is it a true hollow body?

 Ha! I am pondering exactly the above. I have nothing against laminated guitar plates. Most of the world’s best players use them. However pressing the plates is going to be a problem.In some respects it’s going to be easier to carve a solid plate.  I am also thinking centre block of spruce as opposed to fully hollow.

 

Sounds like you are asking yourself all the right Q's - If you like you can upload an image of your drawing and then we can check it looks OK.

Our new Bagpress system is ideal for this if you decide to go the laminated route - once you have the 'Form' it is relatively cheap and a whole lot easier!

I'm working on a project for this over the next few months...watch this space!

Meanwhile if you have any Q's feel free to ask 🙂

 

Measure twice, cut once...


   
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cardiffborn
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and a welcome from down south. 

This is definitely the place to be and there are loads of people willing to help. My first build is something of which I am very proud, but it certainly wouldn't have happened without Mark's excellent videos and the support people offer each other.

Good luck on your build and your retirement.

all the best

Jonathan


   
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Bill Flude
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Welcome MD54!

As Jonathan said this is a friendly place and the videos are really good - my first home build went really well.

And apologies for crashing into your thread a few days back!

You aren’t very far away - maybe we could arrange a meet - Alan is about 3 miles away and Jonathan is in Cardiff.....

Measure once........
Measure again.........
Sod it - make tea!


   
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Anonymous 14009
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Posted by: @frocesterbill

Welcome MD54!

As Jonathan said this is a friendly place and the videos are really good - my first home build went really well.

And apologies for crashing into your thread a few days back!

You aren’t very far away - maybe we could arrange a meet - Alan is about 3 miles away and Jonathan is in Cardiff.....

Thanks for the welcome everyone! Meeting up would be fine. Cheers.


   
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darrenking
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Hi MD54 (Snappy name, I like it!) and welcome to the club!

I love the Sorrento, there is some beautifully elegant about the simplicity of it design and lines especially the single pick-up without the pick guard. Which version are you planning on building?

I would love to get a 3D model taken from the front and back of your guitar so that I can machine a mould on my CNC router in order to experiment with laminating the components. What dimensions have you taken in order to replicate the shapes and would you be willing to share?

Good luck with the build and I look forward to seeing future updates.

Regards

Darren

BTW I know Mark is very keen to get a Gibson 335/345/355 into production but I am still trying to find a commercially available CAD file to save me having to create it from scratch myself. If anybody has come across such a thing please let me know, there must be one out there somewhere!

 


   
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Anonymous 14009
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Posted by: @darrenking

Hi MD54 (Snappy name, I like it!) and welcome to the club!

I love the Sorrento, there is some beautifully elegant about the simplicity of it design and lines especially the single pick-up without the pick guard. Which version are you planning on building?

I would love to get a 3D model taken from the front and back of your guitar so that I can machine a mould on my CNC router in order to experiment with laminating the components. What dimensions have you taken in order to replicate the shapes and would you be willing to share?

Good luck with the build and I look forward to seeing future updates.

Regards

Darren

BTW I know Mark is very keen to get a Gibson 335/345/355 into production but I am still trying to find a commercially available CAD file to save me having to create it from scratch myself. If anybody has come across such a thing please let me know, there must be one out there somewhere!

 

The Sorrento is a Korean repro and is probably the cheapest guitar I ever bought. It’s also one of the best sounding and playing guitars I ever owned. I won’t bore you or brag about the many expensive ones I have owned. 
On this guitar there is almost no dishing of the top and back. I suspect the plates were just bent to fit some curved struts inside. I doubt that they were pressed into shape. 
I love this cheap guitar and when I gig with it people compliment my sound. (That includes people listen to music with their ears not their eyes! Not many of them about actually).

Its also got a brilliant neck profile and Gibson pickups. Good intonation and no dead spots  

 

 


   
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mark bailey
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The Sorrento is a Korean repro and is probably the cheapest guitar I ever bought. It’s also one of the best sounding and playing guitars I ever owned. I won’t bore you or brag about the many expensive ones I have owned. 
On this guitar there is almost no dishing of the top and back. I suspect the plates were just bent to fit some curved struts inside. I doubt that they were pressed into shape. 
I love this cheap guitar and when I gig with it people compliment my sound. (That includes people listen to music with their ears not their eyes! Not many of them about actually).

Its also got a brilliant neck profile and Gibson pickups. Good intonation and no dead spots  

V.Interesting! I'd like to know how many Veneers and how thick they are and total thickness - I wonder if there is anywhere you could see this (under a pickup maybe?

Also it would be good to have some idea of the bracing inside (front and back).

It is certainly possible that the curve comes from being bent over the braces but unusual for that style of guitar - can you give us any more info?

 

Measure twice, cut once...


   
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Anonymous 14009
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Posted by: @markbailey

The Sorrento is a Korean repro and is probably the cheapest guitar I ever bought. It’s also one of the best sounding and playing guitars I ever owned. I won’t bore you or brag about the many expensive ones I have owned. 
On this guitar there is almost no dishing of the top and back. I suspect the plates were just bent to fit some curved struts inside. I doubt that they were pressed into shape. 
I love this cheap guitar and when I gig with it people compliment my sound. (That includes people listen to music with their ears not their eyes! Not many of them about actually).

Its also got a brilliant neck profile and Gibson pickups. Good intonation and no dead spots  

V.Interesting! I'd like to know how many Veneers and how thick they are and total thickness - I wonder if there is anywhere you could see this (under a pickup maybe?

Also it would be good to have some idea of the bracing inside (front and back).

It is certainly possible that the curve comes from being bent over the braces but unusual for that style of guitar - can you give us any more info?

 

The laminate is 3 ply and very close to 4.75mm thick. Gibson originally had slab cut maple/poplar/maple I believe. I can't be sure about this version although it definitely has a slab maple surface. Feeling via the f holes I believe it's a pair of parallel braces only. Again typical of Gibson. Possibly an extra brace under bridge .

If someone would be good enough to explain to me how to post some photos I could do some of the guitar and details.


   
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Anonymous 14009
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Further info on the Sorrento. I now think it's Chinese! It's one of a recent run of 're issues of an early models. The minimal top arching doesn't look great but I honestly am not bothered. You're only aware of this when looking dead on sideways. I notice the price second hand going up now they are no longer available but still a bargain.

 


   
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darrenking
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Hi, 

Ok, so I can get quarter cut 1.5mm tulipwood (poplar by any other name) and 1.5mm maple in either crown cut or quarter cut. Most of the images online suggest that the face veneer is crown cut, which is handy because the qtr cut maple- is only available at about 130mm wide max. The tulipwood should be available in just over 200mm but it might be sensible to use a three piece inner layer so that the longitudinal joint doesn't coincide with those on the outer layers of maple. Three layers of 1.5mm veneers will give a finished thickness of almost exactly 4.75mm once you take account of the glue lines.

I am hoping to go veneer shopping towards the end of this week so I'll pick up a bundle of each and send some to Mark to experiment with, hopefully in time for his next live webcast.

Darren


   
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Anonymous 14009
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@darrenking

Yup, I guess that would work but I don’t fully understand the  timber cut terms. 
ps the back is dished but appears to have no bracing at all! So I guess it must have been pressed to a very small extent. Note original 175s and 330s often had minimal arching. The laminates got thicker and heavier after the early 60s. Partly to reduce feedback and partly to make them more robust. The result was a pretty dead sounding guitar. The early guitars are very desirable but a bit fragile. 
I can tell you that a really well made laminate will sound easily better than a mediocre full carved guitar. All solid wood guitars are often vastly over rated. Just note the number of world class jazzers who choose to play laminated 175 style guitars. Too many to list. 

 


   
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