Okay Homeless.....

As kat mentioned, I do build instruments...mainly Hammered Dulcimers of my own design as well as Apps of my own design and have also built several autoharps, psalteries, harps, and a few guitars and banjos from both kits and scratch. I understand your negativity towards kits, but some are little more than boxed wood and are very challenging and educational. The ones that require "only a few hours and glue" are NEITHER.

Hammereds are not necessarily technically difficult, but I started because I was looking for a specific type of sound. I built one based on a basic plan I purchased and then began to modify it. In the process, I began to read more and more about acoustics. I soon saw that this basic box was doing things that I had no idea about. As I learned I created new designs for the bracing and top and rails and blah,blah.........I'd find something good and repeat it and find something bad and try to figure why it didn't work.

Then of course I got to the subject of wood. And glue. And finishes. I would put together "acoustic trials" of cheap stuff and then try to apply the design to different good tonewoods. Same was true of Apps. I used a lot of the trial horses for firewood and even sent some beautiful tonewoods up the chimney when I couldn't salvage anything from my mistakes. Eventually, I found what I was after and built and sold around 150 Hammereds and I don't know how many Apps. Then a few personal problems stopped me for a few years and I'm just now getting going again. And I decided that I build only one model of Hammered and I wanted a different look for it....something that would stand out by design along with sound and wood. So I used the same interior stuff and changed the outer appearance a good bit and I was happy until I finished a trial horse.....it ain't right and I'm glad I didn't use great wood. But I think I know where the problems are from past experience and I am currently working it over and building another with a few mods. Hopefully this comes together and I can get on with it.

I built my first guitar when I was experimenting with different designs of Apps. I bought a kit and the learning curve became much steeper as I realized that "things aren't always as they seem." But it was a great experience and a so-so guitar which I gave to the son of a friend. I've built two others since and both have been better and from scratch. Hell, I actually sold one! Acoustically I learned a lot about bracing and voicing from the experience and have applied it to other things since. I was doing a pretty reasonable amount of repair business and setups on guitars, though I wouldn't consider myself in the top group of setup artists by any means. But I ain't bad.

To build any wooden instrument from scratch, you need some specific knowledge and ability in certain areas. Do you understand the difference in ways wood is milled and what works best for different things? (slab vs. quarter sawn) How's your knowledge of tonewoods? How about things like glues and their uses? Can you bend wood? Hvae you ever worked with frets, ie. cutting slots, pressing, dressing? These and a lot of other things can be learned properly, but they all take practice.

I got a few suggestions for you.....you can tell me to piss off if you like. Pick an instrument that you like or have a particular passion for (even one as stupid as a Hammered Dulcimer) and go for it. You mention guitar and banjo...do it. Here's some thoughts........

Read all you can, on the net and otherwise. Buy Irving Sloane's book on guitar repair which is a bible for repair, and also get a copy of "Guitarmaking-Tradition and Technology" by Cumpiano and Natelson. Worth every penny and perhaps the best thing ever written on the subject. Go buy an inexpensive guitar and overhaul it. I'm thinking Sigma or the like. Refret it, replace the bridge, repair any cracks, refinish it (finishing is very important to sound)...just go completely over it. Then, buy a kit from Martin. They are pre-bent, slotted, shaped, but will require some skill on your part to do well and you'll learn a lot. Then buy a kit from "Luthier's Mercantile" in Healdsberg, CA...somebody mentioned them above. These require a lot more and are more a boxed wood kit. BTW, they are an excellent source for reference and all instrument making materials as well. Their catalog costs quite a bit, but the reference materials alone are worth it. At this point, go on and try some on your own.

There are a number of specific tools and variations on common ones that are needed also and they are going to cost you more than a few bucks. Binding, purfling, fretting, bending, shaping, clamping......all require some specific tools (and Luthier's Mercantile and Stew-Mac have them too). I luckily live only about 45 miles from Stew-Mac and they are also an excellent source for all parts and tools as well, although not so great on wood. There are a ton of companies who sell tonewoods and you'll have to investigate quite a few as the quality changes over time. Luthier's Mercantile however, is always reliable.

Christ, I'm tired of typing........got anymore specific questions I can help with? Have fun and don't get discouraged at first attempts, its just like anything else. Is this the kind of personal opinion you had in mind?

Spaw