Top Thicknessing, Guitar Design, and More With Ervin Somogyi
After installing the rosette on my build, the next step was to thin down the top to an optimal stiffness. This is one of the most important steps of a build, and every luthier has their own approach. I asked Erving for some guidance on that, so we went over Ervin’s process for how he thicknesses the tops on his guitars. We gradually thinned down the wood, flexing and feeling the stiffness as we went, while Ervin explained his thoughts and I had the opportunity to ask questions. I then proceeded to thickness the top for my build, doing my best to apply what I’d just learned.
So how thick should a guitar top be according to Ervin Somogyi?
You can read about that in here.
Another interesting exercise Louis Manteau and I had was this.
“Design a guitar that’s been commissioned by a client who wants a big guitar, with lots of bass, lots of volume but with short sustain, and also sweetness rather than sharpness of sound.”
And
“Design a Jumbo sized guitar with projection, power, a short sustain/rise-decay curve, more treble than bass, and a sharp, focused sound with overtones.”
We drew out our full sized designs, including brace layouts and profiles, with notes on any other design choices which we thought would help shape the sound according to the brief.
We then sat down with Ervin and discussed in detail the choices we had made. Not only covering that, but also many tangents, learning some of Ervin’s way of thinking about things.
While here I’m not just learning theory though. I’m working every day on Somogyi guitars as well as my own. Here’s a few photos of what’s come across my bench during this past month.
Another in the “Espalda” series, in progress. This is not my project but thought it was worth sharing some photos.
I did however route the binding channels on this one.
Glueing on the binding.
This guitar from 1983 came in for a refinish. I had the job of stripping the lacquer and then sanding. It’s now with Ervin who will do some re-voicing work, before sending it off to get French polished.
Finish stripped, next up sanding.
Here is the jig to make lattice braces. It works well if you can decipher the instructions.
And this complex thing is to cut the fretboard slots.
Since I arrived I’ve been working on assembling this rim.
Here’s the headblock for that guitar. It is in a jig that sands a radius on the end with matches the curve of the rim.
This jig helps to make the corner block, which goes in the corner of the cutaway.
Glueing in the headblock.
Glueing in the lining.
Here is the back that goes with the rim pictured above. I cut notches in the centerstrip to accept the back braces.
Glueing in the back braces.
In the process of shaping a Somogyi headstock. There are a lot of tight corners on these and the only way to do it is by hand.
Ervin’s jig for cutting the shoulders of the tenon.
The jig for routing the tenon. For this one you have to hold the router sideways.
Cutting the mortise in the body that goes with that neck.
:)