Selecting woods for electric guitars by luthier Avi Shabat

In this new luthier chronicle, the Los Angeles based guitar builder Avi Shabat explains which woods he uses and how he selects them to obtain the results he wants. Guitar building is like cooking, if you want to get good results, you have to use high quality ingredients. Luthier Avi Shabat interview about woods The

Luthier Avi Shabat talks about how he build guitars
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Luthier Avi Shabat talks about how he build guitars

In this new luthier chronicle, the Los Angeles based guitar builder Avi Shabat (shabatguitars.com) explains how he started to build guitars and talks about his building methods to achieve the high quality of his electric guitars. Avi Shabat talks about his guitar building methods The Guitar Channel podcast The audio version of the video is available

Avi Shabat luthier interview about exhibiting at NAMM as a boutique builder

Avi Shabat (shabatguitars.com) is an Israël born luthier who now lives and builds high-end electric guitars in the Los Angeles area. In this interview recorded in his workshop, he does a full debrief of the 2020 Winter NAMM where he exhibited. Avi Shabat luthier interview The Guitar Channel podcast The audio version of the video

Michael Greenfield luthier - Presentation of a Greenfield G3 model

In this new Luthier Chronicle, the Canadian luthier Michael Greenfield (www.greenfieldguitars.com) presents in details one of his models, the Greenfield G3. It's quite a feat to have the builder to present his own creation in such details. Michael Greenfield luthier - Presentation of a Greenfield G3 model Until the next interview, keep on playing the guitar!

Michael Greenfield luthier - His stories about The Tree, the famous Mahogany

In this new Luthier Chronicle, the Canadian luthier Michael Greenfield (www.greenfieldguitars.com) tells us the stories about this Mahogany tree which has become so mythical that it is commonly called "The Tree" in the world of luthiers. Here's a (bad) photo of a poster in Michal workshop where you can see four of the instruments with wood

Michael Greenfield luthier - His thoughts about guitar shows

Michael Greenfield is a Canadian luthier based in Montreal who makes acoustic guitars of very high quality. The Guitar Channel has already given you a tour of his wonderful workshop, this year I went back to see him on several topics including the guitar shows. Questions discussed in the interview Why exhibit in a guitar

Last year while The Guitar Channel was in Canada to cover the Montreal Jazz festival, we did a video interview with the master luthier Michael Greenfield in his wonderful workshop. This year, the idea was to record a series of Luthier Chronicle with Michael to give a full visit of his luthier workshop and to have a better idea of the way he build his wonderful acoustic guitars.

Device to measure the thickness of the finish - Michael Greenfield (luthier) - Guitar finishing

Last year while The Guitar Channel was in Canada to cover the Montreal Jazz festival, we did a video interview with the master luthier Michael Greenfield in his wonderful workshop. This year, the idea was to record a series of Luthier Chronicle with Michael to give a full visit of his luthier workshop and to have a better idea of the way he build his wonderful acoustic guitars.

Nik Huber luthier chronicle - The Guitar Channel
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Nik Huber Luthier: to relic or not to relic?

On this new Luthier Chronicle, I asked Nik Huber the shakespearian question: to relic, or not to relic?

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Nik Huber on the Holy Grail Guitar Show

In this new Luthier Chronicle I asked Nik Huber what was his opinion about the Holy Grail Guitar Show which had its first edition in November 2014 in Berlin and which will happen again at the end of this month.

Website of the Holy Grail Guitar show: www.holygrailguitarshow.com/

The Holy Grail Guitar show is an event organized by the luthiers for the luthiers and it makes all the difference.

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Nik Huber – For or against the CNC machine?

On this new Luthier Chronicle, I asked Nik Huber a question to know if he is for or against the CNC machine. Of course he went much further than the basic answer (see the details below).

As a reminder or for your information, CNC means Computer Numerical Control (Wikipedia link). Basically in the guitar world it means that parts of an instrument are built by a machine who will carve the element from a piece of wood or metal.

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Nik Huber: his take on varnish and paint

On this new Luthier Chronicle, I asked Nik Huber about varnish, finish and paint.
Subjects discussed

Nitro-cellulose versus 2 component finish
His take on the thickness of the finish
Is-it possible to hear the difference between a nitro and a 2 component finish on a solid body?
The development of new colours
His source of inspiration for new ideas
The story of the new metallic finish presented at the 2015 NAMM show
The aging of the finish oh his first guitars

An example of a Krautster II in Gold Top finish

Until the next chronicle, keep on playing your guitar and check-out your

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Nik Huber: being a guitar builder in Germany

On this second Luthier Chronicle, I asked Nik what's different about being a guitar builder in Germany.

Until the next chronicle, keep on playing your guitar and check-out your local luthier.

Pierre.

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Nik Huber luthier chronicle - The Guitar Channel
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Nik Huber – His favorite tone woods

After a series of 9 videos with Juha Ruokangas in the Luthier Chronicle, I am proposing you a new series with another master builder to share his knowledge of the lutherie world with Nik Huber.

On this first installment I asked Nik about his favorite woods to build instrument.

Until the next chronicle, keep on playing your guitar and check-out your local luthier.

Pierre.

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Juha Ruokangas – For or against the CNC machine

In this new chronicle I asked Juha Ruokangas about the CNC machine : is he for a against it?

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Juha Ruokangas – Short or long tenon

In this new chronicle I asked Juha Ruokangas about a hotly debated subject regarding set neck guitars: the size of the tenon, should it be long or short.

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Juha Ruokangas – His take on the pickups

In this new chronicle I asked Juha Ruokangas how he tunes the pickups he uses on his guitars.

Enjoy,

Pierre.

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Juha Ruokangas – Aging of Thermo Wood guitars

In the Luthier Chronicle #4, the Finish luthier Juha Ruokangas explained how and why he uses thermo treated wood in his instrument.

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Juha Ruokangas – Varnish, Nitro-cellulose, etc.

In this video I asked master builder Juha Ruokangas questions about the different ways to finish a guitars and their impacts on the sound.

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Juha Ruokangas – Thermo Treated Wood

Juha Ruokangas is one of the pioneer of using thermo treated wood in instrument building. In this video of the Luthier Chronicle you will learn the whole story of this technique and how Juha uses it in his work. It's a fascinating subject.

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Juha Ruokangas – His favorite lutherie woods

In this third video (see extract above) of the Luthier Chronicle with master builder Juha Ruokangas, I asked him what were his favorite woods to build instrument with.

Related pics
Juha selecting a top

Some birch wood
List of chronicles with Juha

Update on the Captain Nemo guitar
Being a luthier in Finland
His favorite woods (this chronicle)
Thermo treated wood
Varnish, nitro-cellulose, etc.
Aging of thermo treated wood guitars
Pickups
Short or long tenon?
For or against CNC machine?

Enjoy,

Pierre.

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Juha Ruokangas – Being a Finnish luthier

In this second video of the Luthier Chronicle with master builder Juha Ruokangas, I asked what's different in being a luthier in a Nordic country like Finland.

Pics of the Ruokangas workshop

 

Until the next Luthier Chronicle, keep on playing your guitar and check-out your local luthier.

Pierre.

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Juha Ruokangas – Captain Nemo guitar update

On the first video of the Luthier Chronicle, master luthier Juha Ruokangas gives a full update on the Captain Nemo guitar project he introduced at the 1st Holy Grail Guitar Show.

Pics of the Captain Nemo guitar

Pics of the Valve Bucker

Until the next Luthier Chronicle, keep on playing your guitar and check-out your local luthier.

Pierre.

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Ruokangas Luthier Chronicle with Juha

The video above is a teaser for a series of nine chronicles recorded with master luthier Juha Ruokangas from Ruokangas Guitars (www.ruokangas.com). After doing an interview with Juha during the first Holy Grail Guitar Show, I wanted to go even deeper into the lutherie world and start the Luthier Chronicle to learn more about the wonderful instrument we all love.