Collins Building book?

Josh Hegg

Does any one know any info on when this book will come out? The Collins site has said it would come out in January. If any one talks to Michael Collins find out when we might see this book.

Cheers,
Josh

gitpicker

I just talked with Michael Collins recently and he said the book should be ready in 2 or 3 weeks. Can't wait to see it myself! I doubt many people here read Flatpicking Guitar magazine but I've been told the new issue has an article on Mr. Collins as well.

Josh Hegg

I hope it is 2 or 3 weeks! I have been hearing 2 or 3 weeks for the past 8 months.

Cheers,
Josh

Digger

Josh Hegg wrote:

I have been hearing 2 or 3 weeks for the past 8 months.

I'm looking forward to getting my hands on it, too. Still, we ought to think ourselves lucky as poor old Jack's been hearing this about the Horowitz rhythm book for the past two or three years.

Josh Hegg

Ooooo... burn...

I'll just be happy when the building book finally does come out. Any bets on what it will run in price?


Cheers,
Josh

Cuimean

Josh Hegg wrote:

Any bets on what it will run in price?

$2,495

Extras:

For maple cover and spine: $300
Ebony binding: $150
Stamped brass bookplate: $200

Josh Hegg

hmmm... I wonder how much extra for an internal resonator??...

Bob Holo

Josh,

Maybe we can split a copy. I'll run it through the bandsaw - you take the top half and I'll take the bottom half... you learn how to make the neck & upper bout, and I'll learn how to make the soundhole and lower bout... then we'll meet at Djangofest and glue our Frankenmac together...

Seriously though... I may still buy it, but hell - I've already made most of the mistakes I was afraid of making. The whole reason for buying the book was to not have to waste $100 worth of wood figuring out how to bend the tight cutout and arc the soundboard etc... and I've already gone down those paths (and have the broken expensive wood to show for it) I may still get the book - but I won't need anywhere as much as I did two necks, one set of sides and a soundboard ago...

Digger

Bob Holo wrote:

I've already made most of the mistakes I was afraid of making. The whole reason for buying the book was to not have to waste $100 worth of wood

I have a similar testament heaped in a corner of my garage.

I think steak charcoal grilled over exotic woods could be all the rage at bbq's this summer.

P.S. I buggered two sets of sides. There were a couple of other mistakes which I'm too embarrassed to mention other than to say classical guitars don't have a cutaway, therefore tops and backs are symmetrical, aren't they? :oops:

Total damage more than $100. :roll:

Bob Holo

Two sets of sides! That's too bad.

Two secrets to bending that tight cutout.

1.) Thickness... .08 at absolute thickest... .075 to be safer (and that's with a wood that bends well lilke rosewood or Pao Ferro)
2.) Wrap the wood in a wet cloth when bending that tight curve. I know... you're supposed to be able to wet the wood and keep it wet with a spray bottle but I say bunk to that... it can't be done... not for that tight of a turn. So, if you take a dishtowel and wrap it around the wood and bend through the dishtowel and keep the towel wet and the bending iron hot (I use a blowtorch heated cast iron pipe that stays hot regardless of how much steam it's kicking off) The thing about it is - that it takes a good 8 seconds to get enough steam to get that hardwood to start going & you only get about 4 seconds - maybe 5 - with the wood itself before the dry patch starts to creep through... and by the time that happens, you already have a scorch mark on the side touching the pipe - so you never really get a good bend started if you just wet the wood. Eventually you start to cook the wood and get desperate because it's just not moving enough and "snap" goes the side. But with a towel wrap (and gloves to keep from getting steam burns) I can bend for 15+ seconds on one soak. The faster you bend the wood, the better (unless you bend it too fast) Cooked wood gets hard to bend - its best to just get it on there - take it as far as it can go and get it off the heat and let it cool... then rev it up again. I can do the tight bend now in about 4 or 5 shots. Once the tight turn is done - I give it one or two shots on the last turn by the neck - just to get it started - then put it in the Fox jig to do the rest of the bending and set the bends overnight. Hope that helps.

Oh, and Mahogany makes a great grilling wood... those 0.09 sides are thin enough to light right up and impart a wonderful smoky flavor to the meat I feel your pain, as Bill Clinton used to say.