Richey Kay

Hi Richey

If you have a look at my photos you will find a few ideas on box construction. The boxes built using solid timber, like you propose, have the best sound. It's easy to joint those 100mm sheets, lay them on a board with a piece of 1" x 1 1/2" pine screwed down either side. the distance between these should be about 3/8" greater than the width of the boards you are glueing. Use three or four pairs of wedges pushed together to clamp while glueing. A couple of sheets of newspaper under the work will stop it sticking to the board. more newspaper on top and a batten clamped on each joint will stop the work bowing. If your careful you will only need to scrape off the newspaper after the glue is dry and lightly sand

You will need some struts on the sound board.This one has a through neck cut away to make space for struts and pickup

You could try fan strutting like they use on classical guitars.

Hi Richey, It's back to your local model shop for the brass sheet, they sell it in various thicknesses. The stainless steel I've used, some came from a vegetable slicer my beloved had in the kitchen (got a few parts out of that ) the rest was scrounged from a local sheet metal works, offcuts from a kitchen canopy they were making at the time.Model shops are a good source for small section brass strips,rods and tubes ( see the string trees on cbg no.11 )

P.S. the string trees photo is on page 8

Looks good Richey, nice clean and simple lines. I am amazed at how quickly you've finished, it you mustn't spend as much time at the pub as I do 

Thanks Richey

Hi Richey, thanks for the kind words about the instruments on my site - the photos make the guitars look better than they actually are in real life. It's all smoke and mirrors! I'm based in Todmorden. I'll no doubt be in touch in the new year with a shed load of stupid questions about bracing...in the meantime, wishing you and your family a fantastic Christmas! 

Chorlton, we`re more or less neighbours.Will no doubt have a chat and maybe a beer at some point.

thank you richey

:)

yeah I spun 2 to yesterday and 1 last night

that's a very kind offer, i've sent a friend request,will message when,,,jabes

that neck was out of a different box,in order to make it workable I had to place the bridge where it lays

Hi Richey,

Nice pic and videos

thanks Rich ,really like your work also

Hi Richey Not much chance of that, i can build 'em, set 'em up and sell/gift but my playing is derisory, enjoy the 'dulci' tho'. see you're putting one together. The pup has a real mellow tone, got it hooked up with 250k pots. sounds great through-  my amps - Pignose. Peavey Backstage both gifts, a 60s WEM Clubman a fiver from a charity shop and a Microcube which i got through a trade with the lovely Jamie MacBlues. You should be selling these, I'd be up for a 4 pole later this year...many thanks again John..

thanks rich

Thanks very much...sorry about the hassle with the post...out of my control I'm afraid. I've tried other companies, and have already given up on one of them, and the i  hear about the service from Hermes are pretty bad.

Hi Richey

Thanks for the comment on the fingerboards.

The rings were cut using a router,but I have also used this home made hole cutter.The blade is a sharpened piece of broken hacksaw blade

Hey Richey, thanks alot for the present coming on the post !!im looking forward to it . also love your last build it really pops nice .  !!

Richie , I got my bridge today !!!  awesome man even better in person thanks so much. I have a flat pup that i used from Dan sleep for r and d that he let me keep we aI am gonna use it and your bridge as a base for a personal build for me cause they are bits that are special to me. thanks again mate !!   long live the queen ! ?

Ohm readings of each coil are quite different. Making them again with some adjustment to spool size. 

Hey Richey, do you mind if I contact you if I need help or have any questions?

Thanks, John

Thanks Rickey, catch you later,

John

Thanks for your comments Richey.The top of the bridge is four pieces of rosewood/maple binding glued on. 

Humbucker with two piezo's three way switch,no controls

thanks for your kinds words ,pick ups are sounding great,and the drums we have only used them once since I got them,there perfect for my little studio,thanks again Richey

yo Richey, if your potential customer for the monte that you covered bill withers on backs out give me a shout . it would be my humble honor to own one of your masterpieces . I dont know what mother England would do to me shipping wise but it might be worth it  oy!!!  gimme a shout brotha

awesome !!  funny ive got a house sale and move going on right now too.  should close on may 15th then maybe i caqn get back at it a little more . sucks not being able to work wood my friend. sooths my soul yo !  Yeah Richey  loved, absolutly loved the sound of that git when you played that bill withers tune. and i dont think anyone I know could build a better strummer .  mine are always more to the slide side lol ??  yeah im guitarded

What's your pal doing this far north? has he got a visa?

thanks for the comment, the picture is a few years old now. I needed to update my profile here. I have been building and playing a lot so I thought I should try to get back involved. Thanks for the kind words

thanks I didn't know it either

Thanks for the birthday wishes!

I thought we'd already friended Richey! I'd be happy to offer whatever help I can about mandos. My personal favorites are 4 string mandos with nylgut strings. The one I sent Uncle John had that and he switched to steel strings. Whatever one is more comfortable with!

I think 1 1/2" should work. Most of mine taper from 1 1/4" at the nut to 1 3/4" where the neck meets the body. I've made some with skinnier necks since a regular mando is only about 1 1/8" at the nut and some mando players are more comfortable with that. Another way to look at these instruments is like a ukelele tuned G,D,a,e. The first one I fooled around with started as a uke and all I did was put nylgut mando strings on it. Some mando chords are a little hard to play with wider string spacing but still very do-able. Also, I use a 13" soprano uke scale on many of my mandos rather than the standard 13 7/8" That's because I didn't know any better and already had some soprano uke fretboards made. Good luck and keep me posted about your progress.

Jim