Music is the universal language
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” - Luke 2:14
Lutherie - the making of guitars
What’s On My Workbench - Sitka Spruce/California Laurel Requinto Guitar
Last week I closed up a requinto guitar, a custom order I accepted back in May 2025. A requinto is a very small guitar with a very short string length of 560mm (basically 22 inches). Compare that of a standard classical guitar string length of 650mm (25 5/8 inches). The body depth of this guitar is the same as standard classical guitar of around 4 inches deep. The requinto strings are tuned to a higher pitch than a regular guitar, put a capo on the strings of your guitar at the fifth fret and that is how a requinto is tuned.
The requinto guitar was popularized by Alfredo Gil, a member of Los Panchos. You will find it used in guitar orchestras, guitar quartets and mariachi bands.
The client who ordered this guitar was already playing a requinto that was tuned down to standard guitar tuning. This person wants a guitar that sounds better and is more responsive than their current guitar.
Categories: General Interest, Lutherie - the making of guitars
My Latest Substack
You can check out my latest Substack.
Be warned, it’s not a quick read, though I do give some free advice!
Categories: General Interest, Lutherie - the making of guitars
My eBay Listing - Veritas Large Router Plane with Veritas Router Plane Box
Up for sales is my Lightly used Veritas Large Router Plane. It has 2 blades, Allen wrench, blade sharpening holder, Veritas Router Plane Fence and Veritas Router Plane Box. The router sole has a few minor scratches on it. One knob has a spot that is missing a dime size area of finish, this is how it arrived from Lee Valley. One straight blade, one spear point blade, both have been sharpened and used. The Veritas Router Plane Box is in Near Mint condition. Selling as is, no refunds, no returns. SHIPPING TO THE USA ONLY! Link is below
Veritas Large Router Plane, etc.
Categories: General Interest, Lutherie - the making of guitars
Repost with Update - Master Class with Christopher Parkening, August 1980, Part 2
Everybody's talkin' 'bout the new sound, funny, but it's still rock and roll to me.
Billy Joel, It's Still Rock and Roll to Me, 1980
Here is a photo me (sorry for the poor quality, it’s a scan of the original) from August 1980 at the Christopher Parkening master class at Montana State University, Bozeman. My guitar teacher at the time had studied extensively with Mr. Parkening and thought it would be good for me to audition for the class, he was certain I would be accepted. I was and somewhere I have the acceptance letter from Mr. Parkening. Talk about a dream come true! I remember that I played an etude by Sor and a lute piece, Wilson's Wilde and maybe an etude by Giuliani, I need to look for the end of class recital program, I think I played in the second or third spot. It was quite the experience and I got to met several wonderful players.
My parents drove me to Bozeman in our 1963 Plymouth Belvedere station wagon. Somewhere around Idaho Falls, Idaho, the radio station we were listening to played Still Rock and Roll to Me, it was the first time I heard it and it made an impression on me. It made more sense to me when I started my college freshman year one month later, there I discovered punk rock and that kids my age were dying their hair pink and spiking it. I thought that Still Rock and Roll to Me was an anthem for those of us who were 18 years old at the time.
The guitar I am playing in the photo I still have, it is a Hernandis Model 1, imported by Sherry-Brenner of Chicago from Japan. The label states that it was made February 1973, has a western red cedar top, the back and sides are Indian rosewood plywood. It is a Japanese made copy of the José Ramirez that were so popular among classical guitarists in the 1970’s and 1980’s. My parents bought if for me in 1979, I think it cost $620 with tax, that equates to about $3000 in today’s dollar. Despite the plywood back and sides it is a well made guitar.
Update 06/2025: I recently replaced the top and neck on that old Hernandis guitar. It now has a gorgeous redwood top and a Spanish cedar neck, unlike the original which was mahogany. I tuned the back braces a little to get more depth from the back and the top has a bracing system that has proven very successful for making a loud guitar with a beautiful voice. I am currently in the middle of French polishing it, when it is done I will offer it for sale.
Categories: General Interest, Lutherie - the making of guitars
New Tote for My Veritas Small Bevel Up Smooth Plane
A few years ago, I purchased a Veritas small bevel up smooth plane to help with thinning down guitar backs and sides. I ordered two O1 steel blades and one medium toothed blade, the O1 steel blades were for smoothing and the toothed blade for reducing stock thickness. The plane worked well right out of the box and I quickly found out the with the toothed blade it excelled at removing stock! I work all of my tonewoods by hand, I don’t have the space for drum sanders, jointers, etc., nor do I have the desire to own them, hand tools are quiet and efficient for the guitars I make.
As I said, this little plane worked well, but the factory made tote left much to desire, it was too thin for my hand and poorly shaped, I got a blister on my right hand after one half hour of use, something that never happened to me with a Stanley or Lie-Nielsen tote. After that planing session, I began to search the Internet for a replacement tote. On a woodworking forum, I found a reference to a one man company, that according to one well known furniture maker, was making “the best replacement plane totes and knobs the world has ever seen!” I went to this company’s website and began the process of ordering new tote and knob for the plane. Two weeks later, the replacement parts arrived in my mailbox. I happily put the new tote and knob on the plane and tried them out on some wood.
I quickly realized I made a mistake ordering a walnut knob and tote. The maker didn’t pore fill the wood, the walnut had thin coat of sprayed on lacquer, and the unfilled pores became a bit annoying as I used the plane. The tote was way too large for my hand, I don’t have really big hands, the width, thickness and height made the plane a little uncomfortable to use. The knob was pretty much the same size as the original, but it was poorly shaped, I ended up chucking the knob into a cordless drill and reshaped it until it felt better. I regret not ordering the replacement parts in cherry, but I still would have ended up not liking the knob and tote do to their shapes and finish.
I don’t use this plane every day, so I accepted the annoyance of the knob and tote, until last week. I finally had enough of them and went digging through my cache of wood. Deep down in a box were turning blocks of Pacific yew that I had bought with the hopes of using some of the wood for making guitar bridges. I chose the prettiest blocks that were too small for bridge blanks…
…jointed them and then glued them together. I used the tote from my Lie-Nielsen No.62 plane for a template.
With the help of my drill press and twenty three year old Porter Cable jig saw…
I roughed out the tote.
Here’s the finished tote. I believe that I will have to do some more work rounding out the front and back of the tote, but right now this plane is more enjoyable to use!
The walnut replacement tote I ordered was nearly 1 1/4 inches thick, my new tote is just under 1 inch thick and is about the same height as the Lie Nielsen tote. Yew wood takes well to sanding, it is smooth and very comfortable. Yes, I do plan to replace the knob with a knob made of yew, the new knob will be a close copy of the knob on my Stanley No. 3, type 11 smooth plane. The classics never go out of style!
This isn’t the first tote I have made, about 20 years ago I made a tote for a Stanley No.5 plane that was owned by my grandfather. I made it from a black walnut tree that he had planted that died and I milled into lumber. A year later, I found a period correct Stanley rosewood tote for the plane. I eventually sold that plane with both totes to a young man who really wanted a vintage Stanley plane.
Last year I found out that the person who made me the replacement walnut tote and knob sold their business. Apparently, the maker wanted to move onto other things.
If you own a hand tool that doesn’t fit you well, don’t be afraid to make a new handle, knob or tote, etc., I have re-handled most of my chisels without regret.
If you have a positive comment about this post, please email me at the address I have posted on this blog. If you have a negative comment, don’t bother me with it.
Now get out into your shop and do some work!
Categories: General Interest, Lutherie - the making of guitars
