Hey Darren - great to have you onboard!

I have not used Hemlock for braces

Some initial thoughts:

(just back from a gig so I'll sleep on it...)

Its all about the strength to weight ratio

I'm betting the Hemlock is heavier

but also

availability

Spruce is much easier to get...

faster growing...

Hemlock is perhaps not quite as stable

But as long as it is well dried then why not...

you will be in a position to inform the rest of us!

Hi Mark, Thanks for the reply and I am very impressed with all the videos that I have watched so far. You have a great knack for describing processes, that I am sure are completely new to many, in a very calm and straight forward manner.

I will give the hemlock a try as I have  about 0.2 m3 of it. It is about 10% heavier than spruce so I will keep the height of the braces as per my plan but just slim them down very slightly to keep their overall mass similar to spruce. I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks for your kind words Darren - it really means a lot to hear that.

OK. I slept on it. Hemlock. Yeah why not!

Remember that it is all about 'stiffness' or 'strength'. Like most builders I usually dial in the stiffness by carving the braces and testing by hand.

You could use the 'Top Deflection' Method:

(in brief)

• Get a guitar you think sounds awesome.
• Apply a known weight to the top and measure how much the top bends (top deflection)
• Then you can attempt to replicate this on your own build.

I think I touch upon this with a little more detail on the course but I will make a special video about it at some point. On the list.

Best of luck - don't forget to post loads of pics of your progress so's we can all cheer you on!

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the feedback and I’ll post some pics shortly. I’ve just been too busy to take any! I seem to be preparing to make a batch of guitars as for example, the work involved in machining one neck, back etc isn’t that much less than for two or three. Ok, I have to admit that I’m not new to wood working and I have access to some very useful machines, but, despite having studied early fretted musical instrument making for 24 months 35 years ago, I have never made a complete instrument. In fact, until last week, the only instrument related woodwork I had done since leaving college was to make a couple of uke soundboards (from hemlock obvs) for some GCSE students three years ago. However, I am now obsessed and I’m determined that this is one New Years resolution that I will see through. I have some amazing wood, mainly Rio, bubinga and a just enough ebony for a back and two sides, that I inherited from an uncle some years ago, so this project feels like my turn to create some family aerlooms. I know that the Rio presents commmercial problems (trust me, I have had many very long conversations with DEFRA some years back and it was pretty nerve wracking transporting it all back from France) but as I have no intention of selling these guitars it really doesn’t matter. The bit that will turn your stomach is that my uncle bought two entire logs of Rio (huge, at well over 500mm diameter and 2800mm long in 30mm and 40mm planks) in early 1970 and kept them until 1983 at which time he converted nearly all of it into parquet floor tiles measuring 75mm x 250mm x 12mm thick - I have three tea chests full of them as he decided they were too nice to walk on - and some of the figure is so beautiful that it makes me weep to think of what they might have been! They will make some beautiful bridges though and the few pieces that weren’t cut up may just be big enough for a few more guitars, if I resort to three or even four piece backs, as well as some stunning fretboards.

Just waiting for my bending iron to turn up so that I can get on to the next stage. Exciting times!

Regards

Darren

PS Big shout out for StewMac.Their service, especially considering its just after Christmas, has been amazing. I ordered some materials and tools last Wednesday and they arrived on Friday. Unfortunately the sound board had been damaged in transit but they have already shipped a replacement FOC and said I can keep the damaged one (parlour guitar project next?)

Damn wish I had an uncle like that!

Shame they are already cut though...such is life...

As you said you could use the pieces for acoustic guitar bridges - also:

• Archtop Finger Rest, bridge and tailpiece
• Headstock Veneers
• Finger Rest
• Coverplates
• Uke Fretboards?
• Headstock Veneers

Any Other ideas Folks?