Sicilian gypsy folk guitar

AndyW · August 20

I'm laughing at my 'flatworms' autocomplete mistake - those wee beasties sure make a terrible wailing sound as you stretch them up to pitch ;-)

SO - Jamie - your guitar - with the curved / bombe / arched top, the recessed shelf for a rosette in the soundhole and and 680mm scale length, and (perhaps) evidence of screw holes for both an elbow guard and pick guard, I'm definitely edging towards an attribution to Stefano Caponnetto. I wouldn't plane the fingerboard, I'd steam it off, them steam+twist the remaining neck back flat and then rout out some long channels and add two graphite truss bars - I did this on my Musicalia, which had a similar axial twist, and on my Bucolo which was badly bowed. You can do this without removing the neck from the body, as long as you don't need a neck reset. I used a full size router, but a Dremel sized one with routing stand would be easier. Rods were nicely priced from Tonetech co uk :

I use 40mmx40x3mm extruded Aluminium bar as my flat reference surface - also makes a great sanding block for flat necks. Clamp the neck hard to the Aluminium bar as you epoxy in the graphite bars which should be shimmed just below the surface. (and use more masking paper than me!). Here's the treble side bar going in. bass side bar already in-situ: (neck is off for a reset here)

Of course I reckon your guitar needs super decorative soundhole rosette, pickguard and elbowguard - I have the templates, including both rosette styles ;-)

A 'winter project" maybe, but it's going to be a rare beauty!

Jangle_Jamie · August 20

Thanks Andy, this is great!! I've actually planed the fretboard today, and added a radius. It's looking spot on now. I will keep the scale length and fret positions the same - the big circular cutouts for the fingerboard markers would be way out if I changed scale length. They'd need filling, as would the old fret cuts, so it could end up being a bit of a mess. I will also assume that the bridge almost directly over a brace is ok, and that the guitar will still sound ok. What do you think?

I will make some new fingerboard markers out of some highly figured olive wood that I have.

Just working my way through all the splits and loose bits of binding.

I'll start a new thread for this as I like to take photos and discuss as I go!

AndyW · August 20

Hey, Jamie, glad to hear you have started work on your new project, and I look forward to seeing some pictures as you progress.

You might have to recut the slots for tang-depth, and if you’re not using a radiused sanding block, you might not be able to use a matching fret press caul, so it’s “hammer time” 🔨

As I’ve said earlier, I think the black caulk on your sound hole decoration is volcanic dust from Mt. Etna set in resin 🌋🌋, (Stradivarius favoured the volcanic dust from Vesuvius for the finish on his violins 🎻),and I really hope you choose to reinstate the central rosette, elbow-rest and pick guard , as in the following picture…

Finally, here’s a Stefano Caponnetto scroll-headed cello-guitar that just sold on eBay uk a month ago (circa £500), almost an identical twin to mine. Is the new owner here??

-Andy-

Jangle_Jamie · August 20

Ahhhh, well I know that the seller of that black Caponnetto bought it on Ebay a couple of months previously for about £160. I know because I bid on it but lost. Should I have bid more? Perhaps. I think it was listed as 'old vintage guitar' or something like that. Anyway, I noticed the guitar back up on Ebay and initially at over a thousand. He gradually lowered the price until I guess it sold for around £500.

AndyW · August 20

One for the photoshoot, but not the recording studio.

billyshakes · August 21

For 160, you could have some nice looking wall art if it didn't sound good!

Jangle_Jamie · August 21

I know, but the way business is at the moment, and the increase in general living costs - bills, food, kid's stuff etc etc etc - £160 was unjustifiable.

...fast forward a couple of months. Buy poor condition guitar for fifty quid, then spend the time I'm meant to be working fixing it up. Doh!